The launch of K Swiss’s new shoe ‘Ariake’ took place at Sydney University and saw the demonstration of some Parkour boys from across the world. For those who don’t know what Parkour is, like myself, it’s considered as performing arts that connect the body, mind and spirit with the environment and to know how to interact one’s movement with the obstacles in the environment. At the launch we saw the demonstration of Daniel Ilabaca (UK), Mark Toorock (USA), Michael Zernow (USA), and Levi Meeuwenberg (USA), all professional Parkour athletes running and jumping off balconies of the Manning House of the University. It was definitely a spectacular sight and a rush of joy for these boys to be doing this as their career.  

Parkour also known as Free Running, is a philosophical term for ‘Freedom of movement’ interacting with the environment and its obstacles, sometimes jumping, somersaulting and using other acrobatic movements to move between two points. Parkour initially started out as something fun then turned into a lifestyle in which has now being viewed as a rapid movement across the world and creating recognition everywhere they go. Sebastien Foucan and Mark Toorock are some of the boys who have been successfully recognized for their talent in Parkour and scored them star connections within the music and entertainment media. Both boys have worked with Madonna in her video clip of ‘Jump’, and Foucan made a special appearance in James Bond ‘Casino Royale’.  

K Swiss, a proud sponsor of Parkour, has developed a new Parkour purpose running shoe with new shock spring technology that is more comfortable for the athletes to land and get a good grip when they’re hanging on to buildings. The shoes are described to be ‘strong and sturdy’, breathable with airflow to freely move and the perfect shoes for anyone who is a beginner in Parkour.   For more information on these boys and Parkour visit www.overunderthrough.com and for the Ariake shoes www.footlocker.com.au