Rodrigo I studied industrial design, and in that field, we learn to see objects from a functional design perspective, not just as consumer products. For example, the Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses or the Levi’s 501 jeans, which were created with a purpose but a “fashion force” made them contemporary. But originally they were designed to solve a problem. This makes us look at a culture that has been about problem-solving for 40 years, where many pieces are viewed as collectible. We have Stüssy, for example, which is already 44 years old: sometimes a father and son wear Stüssy together. There’s special attention given to certain brands and products. Sneakers, for instance, receive even more attention, especially with hype culture. Some sneakers cost as much as artwork and jewelry.

When we talk about Airwalk, when the brand was created, it aimed to solve a problem that, until then, had no solution: a sneaker that lasted longer than usual for skaters. At that time, skate shoes like Vans and others got trashed in two or three months because they were more focused on fashion than on durability. It’s hard for a 30-year-old Nike sneaker to still be usable; the sole will definitely break down before that. I wore this Airwalk in high school, in college, I used it for work, and despite the brand evolving in a different direction, it remains a design staple. We’re talking about a brand that emerged in the late ’80s, right at the peak of basketball, where there was still some prejudice against the skate community, and no brand had really tried to solve this problem. Initially, Airwalk was meant to be sold only in California, but it gained notoriety. I bought this pair in ’96.

Nuno For me, the first time I was excited to buy a sneaker was with the Vans Old Skool when I was about 15. It was the classic dark blue and light blue, with a white stripe. However, the one that made me start collecting and seeing sneakers differently was the Nike Air Force 1. It was when I started listening to and watching hip-hop music videos, consuming that whole culture, and everyone wore the white Air Force. That’s how I started buying and collecting.

At home, I have some well-worn white Air Forces (laughs), but I had to choose the Bape Sta. I was 18 when I bought it, during my first trip to London with my parents. There was a very small Bape store, and I was already into hip-hop culture, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, and so on. I remember wanting to go to the store so badly, and the Bape Sta was there. I obviously loved the silhouette, as it’s basically an Air Force. At that time, owning this sneaker was about being like the rappers I listened to and saw in music videos, and also wearing something that few had access to. Back then, I didn’t see anyone else with those sneakers in Portugal, and at the same time, I didn’t give it the respect it deserved. As you can see, I wore them a lot during college, practically every day. That’s why I chose to talk about this pair.

Rodrigo It shows how different we are, with our backgrounds. I think that’s why together we created something special. While he comes from hip-hop culture, I come from electronic culture. Our backgrounds intersect in various ways, but our languages and influences come from different niches, which helps in the curation of the brands we have in the store. There needs to be harmony; we have to agree, but some things resonate more with my tastes and others more with his. This is also a good way to show how diverse this culture is, how there are things that come from different places.

Nuno is more of a sneaker enthusiast than I am. I’m a bit older, a country boy from the Azores. Out there, people couldn’t be picky about sneakers; we didn’t have access to a lot of things out there. So my relationship was more with the object itself than with collecting. If I had a sneaker, I had to wear it, after all, they were made for that. We’re waiting for the day someone makes a sneaker to last a thousand years (laughs).

When we celebrated Air Max Day in 2023, we asked our community to bring their Air Maxs. We had everything from the immaculate ones, just out of the box to be displayed in the store, to those that were completely worn out. This shows that we can’t evaluate our love for sneakers by how much we wear them or not.

I want people to look at my sneakers and feel that I’m wearing something that, for you to have, you’ll need to get on a flight; there’s an effort on my part to try to have that differentiation. And that’s part of this culture.

Rodrigo The store we worked at had the idea of expanding the business by opening a second location. The Portuguese market is very small and unique, so most retailers have always been hesitant to invest in this type of store. The smaller the investment, the less interest from brands. For this and other reasons, the store we worked at decided not to pursue that idea, which was disappointing for us because we believed in its potential.

There came a moment when we literally had the conversation – either we wait forever for someone to do this so we can be part of the team, or we try to open a store ourselves. We spent about two years thinking about the idea; it was a huge commitment. It also helped that Lisbon boomed a lot in recent years; here we speak more English than Portuguese. Not only due to the increase in tourists but also because of the number of foreigners who moved here.

But basically, that was the journey. Taking that big step, and along the way, we hoped to inspire the Portuguese sneaker community.

Nuno We felt that opportunities were being missed, and although it’s always a risk, we were confident that we could do something different that would fill a gap in the market. We’ve been at this for five years, since the Covid.

Rodrigo During the pandemic, we almost had to close. But over time, things started to come back; there was a limit to how many people could enter the store. And it’s not just a shopping store; it’s also a community space. We were very limited, but here we are.

Nuno The curation is very much about what we like and consume. In the beginning, it was more about brands we accessed through our contacts; right from the start, we managed to get brands like Carhartt, Stüssy, Pleasures and Market. Others came through our portfolio of brands, and some we discover when visiting showrooms in Paris, but it’s a very organic process. Now we’re more focused on a “Made In Portugal” aspect, trying to have this present as much as possible. Even if the brand isn’t Portuguese, streetwear brands are usually produced here. So that’s been our focus, not only for quality reasons but also for logistics; the carbon footprint is lower, and we’re investing in our own industry.

Rodrigo The sneaker culture compared to Paris or London, for example, is much weaker. There, you have much more access.

Nuno Here in Portugal, people have access to information and knowledge about the culture, but often they lack the purchasing power, making it harder to access what they like or want.

Rodrigo In my opinion, we are very weak in the sneaker game, but very strong in the clothing game. The Portuguese textile industry is considered one of the best; it doesn’t compete with “Made In Italy,” but it has the advantage for producers because the prices are much more accessible. Over the last 15 years, some smaller and independent brands have gained more access to these factories. So brands that are more focused on quality rather than quantity see Portugal as an opportunity. Many people who come here, seeing that it’s made in Portugal, find that a determining factor in their purchasing decisions. They can see the pieces in person, touch the fabrics, and appreciate the quality.

Nuno I think that here, sneaker culture is more present than streetwear, because there’s a larger community involved, but it still doesn’t have much expression. We also need more individuality; if you walk down the street, you’ll see many people dressed the same way, with the same style. We are a very small country; I wouldn’t say Portugal has a distinct Portuguese identity in terms of style; I feel we mix various influences from different places. But I believe that if we all play our part, we will eventually reach that point.

Rodrigo That was one of the ideas for the store as well. We realized that streetwear culture was very closed off to its community, so we wanted to make it more open, almost like a museum, you know? Customers come here who understand exactly what we have, and they can even teach us something about the culture, even someone who hasn’t heard the word streetwear before. For us, it’s very rewarding to welcome all kinds of customers. There was a time when we sold a Stüssy cap to an 80-year-old grandmother who didn’t know what the brand was; she just wanted a cap to wear to the beach.

Rodrigo Whatever you want to do, think and plan a lot beforehand.

Nuno It’s not as easy as people imagine. Some think that owning a store is glamorous because they only see the travel and relationships, but it’s not like that. There are many bills to pay, taxes, and so on. My advice is, first, work in a store to get an idea of how everything works. I also worked in wholesale before Latte, which helped me understand profit margins and how agencies operate. And second, study a lot – understand the laws, taxes, the type of business, so you can grasp the market’s demands.

Rodrigo Opening a store is only possible if you have a lot of will and vocation; if it’s seen just as a business, there are other businesses that make much more sense.

Bape Sta & Airwalk The One
Owners: Nuno and Rodrigo
Years: 2023
Photos: Kickstory
Color Grading: Julio Nery