Chef Matty Matheson Roasts This Weekend's Sneaker Releases
Matty Matheson is stoked to be here. Like genuinely, honest-to-god hyped to be alive. The chef-turned-television host is nothing of the demure Canadian stereotype and is instead a frenetic mass of extroverted energy. But there’s more to Matheson than his electric persona – for a guy who lightens the vibe of any room when he walks into, Matheson’s past is pretty dark.
‘I get bored of talking about my heart attack,’ he tells me. ‘As cliché as all this bullshit is, I’m in the public eye and I can talk about doing drugs getting fucked up – making horrible decisions, almost ruining my entire life.’ The cardiac arrest he’s speaking of happened after a decade of excess when he was just 29 years old. Now sober, Matheson carries an urgency to get busy living that fuels his new show: Dead Set On Life. Which, as well as a couple of culinary cameos, is why he’s in SF HQ telling us point blank, ‘I would never wear a pair of Tassie Devils.’
Like most kids who came up in the hardcore scene, he has an affinity for the tenured styles of brands like Converse and Vans. ‘I just want the classic lines and silhouettes and I’m good,’ he says. ‘I don’t like the weird shit.’ Though he’s not ‘agro’ about picking up sneakers, he’s still built up a collection of 200 or so pairs. And they’re not all Authentics or Chuck Taylors. He’s keen on Spiridons and recently paid resell for the ‘Silver Bullet’ retro AM97s. Most interestingly, he’s been riding for Gucci and isn’t sold on this whole Yeezy thing – even though he has two pairs.
Given Matheson’s direct, straight shooting, nature we thought it could be fun to get his opinion on the latest sneaker drops.
We’ve got a few weekend releases here, and we were wondering if you could give us a hot take on them, and maybe a food pairing too?
Sure!
Nike SF Air Force 1 (String/Gum)
This guy here is the men’s SF AF1, in 'String/Gum'. Thoughts?
That’s a shoe for the Rick Owens type of dude. You know, dudes with long tee shirts with zippers on them and fake Balmain jeans. Not my lane, that’s for sure.
And a food pairing?
Maybe a banana split? A banana split would be nice
Nike SF Air Force 1 WMNS (Desert Ochre)
Could you see your wife wearing these?
Trish wouldn’t wear those. Those are trash, the same as [the men's]. They just look like weird combat boots. That colourway is better than the last colourway though.
What food would you pair them with?
I'd pair them with toffee.
Nike Kobe A.D. (University Red)
How about this Kobe A.D.?
Pssh those are trash. Those are trash! They can be paired with a big bowl of strawberries on ice. Keep the shoes on ice too. Don’t wear those in public.
Reebok Shaq Attaq OG (Orlando Magic)
What do you think of Shaq Attaqs?
I think those are great! If you were in a hair metal band, had real tight jeans and a leather vest – those are the dudes who would wear those. Thrash metal dudes from the 80s, the cool ones. The Pump is cool, great colourway. I’m getting an aquatic vibe from them. They could go with a really nice seaweed salad.
Colette x UNDFTD x adidas EQT Support
These are from adidas' recent Consortium Exchange.
I could wear that shoe. That looks like a classic trainer. Out of all these shoes, I’d probably wear those. Maybe paired with some blueberry cream.
Colette x UNDFTD x adidas Campus 80
Same people working on this one, this time on the Campus 80.
That's a nice shoe! It’s clean. They’re a nice white tennis shoe. I’d wear that with maybe a light blue jean? [Laughs] Nah, those are tight. They can go with toasted marshmallows.
Undercover x Nike Jungle Dunk
That’s bananas! I would never wear that. Is that the back of a Huarache? Or a Mowab? The sole is very utilitarian. It looks like a dunk for mountain climbing.
That's pretty much the vibe. What would you pair them with?
If you’re climbing mountains you need a big beef stew. Maybe a power bar, a blueberry one. A big ol' giant power bar.
Air Jordan 13 (Black Cat)
These Jordan 13s could be your vibe?
Yeah those are cool… [laughs].
Would you wear them?
Yeah? I’d wear them with a jogging suit and a lot of gold. Nah, those are cool – I’d wear those over [the Jungle Dunks] for sure. They can come with a big bowl of Oreos and milk.
Fucking Awesome x Vans Epoch Pro '94
Those are tight! I fuck with those, I want a pair. They can come with a blueberry milkshake. This is the best shoe so far, [to manager] where can I get a pair? Will Doomsday have them?
Sneakers76 x Saucony Shadow 5000
Those are nasty. In high school I would only wear Chucks or Saucony Shadows, they were like the hardcore shoe. Where we were, in Buffalo, all the hardcore shows we went to, everyone wore those shoes – every kid. From '98-2002 the Saucony Shadow was the hardcore shoe. But those look like those shitty ice creams that taste like soap – the ones that are just red, white and blue. That’s what I'm pairing them with.
White Mountaineering x adidas NMD Trail Pack
What do you think of NMDs?
I don’t have a pair but I’ve heard they’re super comfortable. I’d wear the black over the red and blue. Kids love the all-white ones, but these black ones aren’t bad. The red and blue can go with cherry cheesecake and this one… it’s just a black shoe, it’s difficult to pair. It can go with burnt toast. Burnt toast with jam.
White Mountaineering x adidas Campus 80
I could fuck with those. They’re simple basics. They can go with a blueberry jam filled doughnut. All these shoes are blue!
Those Fucking Awesome Vans are the coolest, though.