Hikerdelic Journal

Inner Circle - Finn Hall of Headstrong

Finn Hall is the main man behind Headstrong, a business born out of his desire to stay sharp and keep competitive. The use of functional mushrooms is something we've been following keenly here at Hikerdelic, so when we crossed paths recently it made sense for us to catch up and find out more.First of all tell us about yourself and how you came up with Headstrong. My childhood and adolescent years revolved solely around sport, namely BMX racing. I first got on a bike when I was 5, and didn’t leave one until I was 18. After a big injury I called it a day, but it’s hard to shake the training routine engrained in you over 13 years when one day it all stops. I put my energy into other forms of training whilst at university, and it was there that I began to experiment with functional mushrooms after coming across them online. At first it was just a personal endeavor, but after experiencing the benefits for myself I had a lightbulb moment and knew I needed to share this with the world. Some opportunities are too good to ignore and after that, my dissertation stood no chance. I launched two months before the end of final year.What do you think it is about mushrooms that has made them so prominent in a number of ways in recent years? There has been a huge shift away from mass-produced, lab-made products in recent years. People are naturally sceptical of large corporations in the supplement space and rightfully so, because more often than not, the quality of the product comes secondary to increased profit margins. As humans we are closely connected to mushrooms, sharing over 50% of our DNA with them, and when people realise they can supplement using something grown by the earth, it all just seems to click.What do you say to the cynics who suggest it's a fad?I think the cynicism towards functional mushrooms comes from people using them out of curiosity rather than necessity. This is something that I think is always important to touch on. Functional mushrooms are seen in a different light to other supplements because they are still relatively niche in the Western world, and therefore a little novel and exciting. Mushrooms have some genuinely incredible benefits but ultimately, they are intended to supplement in areas that you feel you may need support, and work alongside an already healthy and balanced diet - not replace. What they aren’t is a miracle cure and something to be used without intention, as it is then that people won’t experience their full potential.You've worked with some clothing brands on collaborative stuff. How did that come about?We worked with Hiking Patrol on a bespoke product to release alongside their FW24 collection. This initially came about from one of the guys at Diemme Footwear purchasing our Lion’s Mane in-store at Goodhood. They loved the brand, connected us with Hiking Patrol and we took it from there. It’s a great partnership and something both parties look to expand on in the future. We’ve also supported a number of brands such as Hoka, 66 North, Soho House and Healf at events/activations. I think the brand is well-positioned to move within these circles. I don’t want to be restricted by the stereotype of how a ‘Health & Wellness’ brand should act, so we will continue to push these cross-industry partnerships. Describe a typical day for yourself.I wake up and make myself useful. What would be your advice to a newcomer to mushrooms?Use when necessary, not when curious. Don’t just buy what's cheapest, chances are you’ll be left disappointed. Invest in quality products that show proof of being dual-extracted, organic, sufficiently dosed (1,500mg+), free from fillers, use only 100% mushroom fruiting body and are third-party tested. Due to a lack of regulation, the mushroom space is a bit of a minefield, with a lot of sub-standard products flooding the market. This might all sound a bit daunting to a newcomer, but if you’re serious about supplementing naturally with mushrooms, these checks are worth making to avoid being ripped off. To find out more about Headstrong, head to their website here

A look into the Futuro

Who remembers The Jetsons? It was a bit like the Flintstones but for the future instead of the past. Coming from the celebrated Hanna-Barbera stable of animated productions it first aired in 1962. Its vision of the future took in space-age imaginations, with cars replaced by flying saucers. At the same time, a similar aesthetic was influencing Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, whose Futuro pod design reimagined how humans might live in the future. Though fewer than 100 of these prefabricated non-flying saucers were made, their cultural influence far outweighs their practical impact on the world.As ever with the best designs, form followed function and this lightweight pod was first intended to be used close to a ski slope. Its rounded roof meant heavy snow would be more likely to slide off instead of accumulate.The Futuro embodies the spirit of late 1960s design, architecture, interiors, culture, and lifestyle in a single form. It served as a symbol of faith in the potential for better living during an era of abundant optimism. Today, the remaining 60-odd strong family of Futuros serve as powerful artifacts not to remind us of past failures but to inspire a sense of possibility for the future.Oh, and to take our heads to a slightly other-worldly place while thinking about designing t-shirts and Chore Jackets, more of which we'll share in due course.

Hikerdelic x Kelme celebrates football heritage

For our latest release, we've teamed up with iconic sportswear brand Kelme to celebrate football heritage.Launching as a pre-sale at hikerdelic.com only, on Friday 28th February at 5pm UK time, the Hikerdelic x Kelme 98 shirt comes in both short and long-sleeve iterations and features subtle edits to an enduring design.The shirt takes its inspiration from Real Madrid’s 1998 Champions League triumph, when Predrag Mijatović scored the only goal in a final victory over Juventus. This iconic win was the club’s first European Cup since 1966 and it heralded a new era for the Spanish giants. These were the formative years of the famous Galacticos, with homegrown heroes like Raúl and Guti graduating from the youth system in ‘94 and ‘95 respectively, and legends like Roberto Carlos arriving in Madrid in 1996. Head to our 'New In' page to get yours in the bag.

Radio Hikerdelic #12

As we bring in the spring, we thought we'd share an appropriate soundtrack, channelling all the aural delights we allowed into our ears while pulling together our SS25 range.

Inspiration from Exploration

In recent years our quest for nuggets of inspiration for our clothing has seen us gravitate towards the late 1960s on a pretty consistent basis. It was an era of great political and social upheaval and that naturally led to, and arguably was led by widespread creativity, expressed in a multitude of ways.1968 always seems to rear its head in particular. In Search of the Lost Chord is the third album by the Moody Blues, released in July 1968, though the summer of 2024 was when we played it to death, while designing Spring 2024's releases. It's a fitting backdrop to the final full range designed by our longstanding design team before multiple members moved on to pastures new. The songs of In Search of the Lost Chord form a pretty loose theme concerning quest and discovery, including both world exploration and inner self-realisation. The album takes inspiration from the spirit of the era, in which psychedelics grew in use.Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues acknowledged the influence of psychedelic drugs on the band's creative process: "Oh, almost all of us dabbled in all sorts of things. Usually, they were the more psychedelic type of drugs. I must admit we always had a great time on acid. And those trips inspired a lot of our music at the time."In its 42 minutes playing time, the album takes in exploration both spiritual and literal, referencing the journeys of David Livingstone, Robert Falcon Scott and Christopher Columbus, all of whom pushed the boundaries of discovery via the most extreme corners of the globe.The outspoken psychologist Timothy Leary also features, with the band having studied his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. This was the guy who popularised the phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out". That journey of exploration our research for this range took us on increased our understanding and awareness of just how important an era the late 60s was for the human race and where possible we have tried to incorporate elements of it, albeit in a contemporary way. Without that era of enlightenment having happened, who knows what the world would look like now. Listen to In Search of the Lost Chord below.

Praise the Petroglyphs

When looking for inspiration for our first few drops of the year we found ourselves immersed in an age largely beyond our understanding. All over the world you'll find enduring evidence of ancient civilizations. Rock carvings found in Scandinavia, Siberia and Africa all share similarities which make up what we now identify as Petroglyphs. The word comes from the Greek prefix petro-, from πέτρα meaning "stone", and γλύφω meaning "carve", and was originally coined in French as pétroglyphe.History is always open to interpretation and many have speculated as to the meaning of this primitive art form.Those who have studied them suggest that petroglyphs could have been carved by spiritual leaders, such as shamans, in an altered state of consciousness, perhaps induced by the use of natural hallucinogens. We put together our own take on Petroglyphs, with each of the letters in the word Hikerdelic getting recreated in that idiosyncratic style. We have then applied this pattern to various items in this season's range, some you've seen, some you will see soon.See our latest releases here

Radio Hikerdelic #11

We're back with another selection of top tracks to see you through the end of summertime. We've called this playlist Four Minute Warmings because I dunno, a play on words or something.

Stockparty

When is a football shirt no longer a football shirt? When it’s coming home to the Underbank. More specifically to Stockparty. Hikerdelic Clothing brings you the Underbank Shirt, a celebration of the town’s independent spirit, in collaboration with a trio of the community’s foremost creative catalysts. The Underbank is the beating heart of Stockport’s constantly evolving core of creativity and community. It blends historic architecture with contemporary, independent businesses that host regular events, markets, and festivals, solidifying Stockport’s cultural reputation. It's also the home of Hikerdelic, and the backdrop of Stockport precinct and the nearby Peak District shapes our 'Peak to Precinct' philosophy. We were invited to partner with Stockparty (bloc party on tour!) 20th of July, hosted by Track Brewery, Where the light gets in and SK1 records along with many more reputable local names. We’ve worked closely with the teams behind these brands to design an alternative football shirt that weaves the brutalist brickwork of the Merseyway Shopping Centre into its design. Needless to say Stockparty was a blast and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing a heavy smattering of past season hikerdelic tees dotted around in the crowds. On that note, if someone stuck a sticker on your back whilst you were in attendance reading 'ich bin ein Stopfordian' it definitely wasn't us..

Radio Hikerdelic #10

A brand new blend of Sweet Music to take your mind on The Trip to Sugar Town. Whether you're an It Girl Out on the Weekend or your just Out of Time Man. It's not Easy but regardless, The Beat Goes On.

Planting trees with every order

In partnership with the good people at Switch2zero, we've decided for every order we take, we'll plant a tree. As a brand, we reference the great outdoors and nature quite a lot. It can be a challenge to grow a business while at the same time do the right thing for the planet. Every decision has implications but having done our research and worked out how best to proceed, we believe this is the best way to make a meaningful start in acknowledging our responsibility as a business to minimise our impact on earth.As we continue to implement these changes, we're pleased to have the expertise of Switch2zero as our trusted partner. With them we're able to make a tangible impact on reforestation through tree planting, contributing towards a healthier planet. It's also nice for our customers to be part of that process. Earth Day Starting today, for every purchase made on our platform, we will be planting a tree through Switch2zero. This means that each time you shop with us, you're not only getting the items your ordered but also actively participating in creating a greener and more habitable planet. As it happens, today is Earth Day, which makes it a good one to start on. The Power of Trees: Carbon Sequestration Trees are nature's superheroes when it comes to fighting climate change. They play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through a process called carbon sequestration. This not only helps mitigate climate change but also improves air quality and supports biodiversity. Every tree planted through our partnership with Switch2zero will sequester an estimated 0.2 metric tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) over its lifetime. This impressive carbon sequestration potential demonstrates the long-lasting environmental impact each tree can make. By planting trees through Switch2zero, we are directly contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as each tree will in the future actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Together, we can make a substantial difference and create a sustainable future for generations to come. So, in summary... With every purchase, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you're contributing to the planting of trees, improving air quality, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating human-induced climate change. Together, we can achieve remarkable results and create positive change.We believe in transparency and accountability. Lots of brands out there claim to be doing their bit, and many are. We're late to the party on that, but what's important here is we're honest about what we are doing. We aren't going to change the world on our own, but if we do our bit and continue to explore ways we can contribute, that's the least we can do. We will regularly share updates on the number of trees planted and the positive impact we're collectively making through our partnership with Switch2zero.

Sounds of Hikerdelliker

A smattering of songs designed to accompany you from outdoor rave to underground cave, just like the bags are. The limited Hikerdelic x Elliker collection will be available to shop 11.04.24 at 10AM.

Hikerdelic Inner Circle: Goblyn Crew

Get to know the artist behind the Dark Peaks t-shirt; meet Dan, An illustrator and goblin enthusiast turned tattoo artist Where does the name Goblyn Crew come from?I started drawing goblin characters and created a world around them, I started posting them on Instagram and people started sending me their versions of my characters that they had drawn, after a while I decided that they needed a name - Goblyn Crew. How did you get into tattooing?I used to do freelance illustration. I spent time in tattoo shops getting tattooed and talking to artists and one thing lead to another.Tell us about your signature style and what is your favourite kind of work to tattoo on people?My work is heavily influenced by traditional tattoos, skateboarding, cartoons, video games and vintage toys. My favourite work to tattoo is custom ideas that clients have thought I could help create. What is your creative process when designing a graphicFor a T-shirt design or a logo etc I usually start with a rough sketch on paper/iPad and pull up a load of reference images. I tend to draw with a general idea in mind and see where it ends up. Then I make a final line-work design and add colour then usually take it into photoshop and illustrator to make the final vectorised image. What does a good start to the day look like for you?Caffeine