Launch date: 11/06/2022
Born and raised in Phili
Philadelphia has churned out some of the most well-respected skaters in the history of street skateboarding. Two names that immediately spring to mind are Kerry Getz and Josh Kalis. Kalis may not have been born in Philly, but he is one of the most important people within the scene of Love Park from the late 90’s up until it was ruined in 2016, and for that he will always be a Philly head in my eyes. Kerry Getz has been an East Coast ripper since he was 9 and in 2000 he opened Nocturnal Skate Shop. Ever since then he has been running Nocturnal with the main objective of keeping the scene in Philly growing and thriving. So, when we saw these two legends had managed to form a collaboration of sorts, we knew we had to check it out!
So, what is it exactly they have created in the Kalynx? Well, in October 2020 Kevin Bilyeu and Brian Panebianco (two of OG DC’s biggest fans) went to visit Josh Kalis and found a shoe they had never seen before. In the early stages of the OG Kalis1 being made, the samples were put on top of a Lynx OG sole unit, thus creating the Kalynx! After discovering these beauties in Kalis’ attic, Kevin Bilyeu posted a photo of them onto his Instagram, which understandably blew up, with fans begging DC to release this Frankensteined shoe. Now in 2022 DC Shoes is finally giving the fans what they want, but with an additional twist of Philly history added on top! It only makes sense for a shoe steeped in Philly history, which was unearthed by two of Philly’s most active dudes to then collab with Philadelphia’s favourite skate shop, Nocturnal.
Design inspiration from the left field
This shoe feels like it has been released for a range of customers. However, most importantly, I feel as though these are aimed toward the skate shoe nerd. The story of how this shoe was discovered and then ultimately released is in itself a great nugget of skate history. Panebianco especially has been a massive advocate for any DC from the Late 90’s/Early 2000s and often posts old colourways he has discovered over the years. It only seems fitting himself and Bilyeu stumbled upon the Kalynx and became the catalyst for DC to let them out into the wild for everyone to skate! If you are a true skate shoe nerd, there is no way you won’t want to grab a pair of these. This is a great looking shoe, incorporating two of DC’s most popular silhouettes from an era that is only gaining more and more love from the younger generations but also pulls on the nostalgic heartstrings of the era of skater that was actually there when the Kalis1 and Lynx OG were first dropped.
Design-wise, this shoe is the perfect combination of retro design with modern technology features making it the ultimate shoe for someone after an old-school shoe that holds its own against the plethora of modern designs out in the market at the moment. A great example of this is would be the Kalynx upper now having an internal tongue-strap, something most skate shoes are expected to come within today’s market, but a feature that I am not sure was around at all 20+ years ago. An addition such as this does not affect the aesthetic of the shoe in any way, however, the function of the shoe has been greatly improved, just from a small modern update such as this.
Aesthetically, the Kalynx is incredibly pleasing. Not only is it a perfect rendition of the original sample silhouette, it also features reflective panelling throughout, something which DC themselves say represents the “common bond we find in the tranquillity of skating the city at night”. When looking at the context of this shoe, I totally agree with this statement from DC. Philly is notoriously an easy bust for street skating, especially in the daytime. A lot of clips from Philly are under the cover of night, whether it was older clips from Love or footage from Muni this year, Philly skating is rugged and raw and these are perfect for that environment.
Looking at these shoes makes me wonder how many samples made over 20 years ago would gain this much attention from fans, additionally, how many companies would actually pull through with the release of such a specific shoe. DC have found themselves meandering into a really cool, niche of skateboarding and with riders such as Josh Kalis, Kevin Bilyeu and John Shanahan alongside filmers such as Brian Panebianco I can only see both themselves and the shoes gaining more and more attention.
