In 2006, New York City designer Ari Saal Forman dropped a limited run of Menthol 10s, a one-of-a-kind sneaker that drew inspiration from and took a shot at Nike and Newport. Written right there on the tongue, Ari explained that the shoe was “dedicated to the two brands that have taken the most and given the least.” Once the companies got word that the shoe was out, they did everything they could to get it off the market. Ari wound up getting a cease-and-desist letter from Nike and facing an aggressive lawsuit from Newport. To this day, he’s not even legally allowed to own a pair. VICE met up with Ari in Manhattan to hear the inside story of why he made the Menthol 10s, and why he took on a legal battle in the name of conscious consumerism. Click here to subscribe to VICE: Check out our full video catalog: Videos, daily editorial and more: More videos from the VICE network: Click here to get the best of VICE daily: Like VICE on Facebook: Follow VICE on Twitter: Follow us on Instagram: Download VICE on iOS: Download VICE on Android:
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