Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus known as Caligula, was a Roman Emperor from AD 37 - 41. During his stay on the German frontier, he was between two and four years old, when he wears a miniature versions of military sandals called caligae. The soldiers liked to call him Caligula, which means little boot. This nickname remained him for the rest of his life. In 37 AD at the age of 25 he became the third Emperor of Rome. Due to his hairy body, he was sacrifice of jokes. To defend himself, he started to declare he was a god. He began to appear dressed as various gods and demigods such like Hercules, Mercury, Venus and Apollo in public. As Caligulaʼs actions became more outrageous, the people of Rome began to hate him and on January 24th, 41 AD, a group of guards stabbed him more than 30 times after a sporting event.
The design of the V7000 Caligula uses various shades of off-white inspired by a toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome which was a roughly semicircular cloth. It is between 12 and 20 feet in length, draped over the shoulders and around the body.The toe box of the V7000 is made of linen in style of that toga fabric. Another material used on the Diadora Quarter stripe is a golden cracked patent leather. Its inspiration comes from the opulence and wealth of that era. The heel of the V7000 Caligula is made of pony hair in reference to Caligulaʼs horse Incitatus which he worshipped with a stable of marble, an ivory manger, purple blankets and a collar of precious stones.
The color pink builds a bridge between the pack and emperors. Pink accents are used on the tongue, heel and outsole of the Caligula and on the Diadora form stripe of Nerone as well as in form of speckles on the midsole. It is meant as a reference to the Toga Picta, the highest status toga.The most associated color with Roman Emperor clothing would normally be the color purple. Only a Roman Emperor was allowed to wear the Trabea which was a toga entirely colored in purple and worn on ceremonial occasions. We felt that the color pink, which is part of the magenta color family as well as purple, suits best to the lunacy of both emperors inherited.
Light and flexible, with only 290 grams of weight, originally designed for medium-distance races and fast trainings, it had a streamlined shape that set it apart from other models of the times. Its tapered shape makes it different from its contemporaries and the sinuous, stylized lines of the design on the upper emphasize its lightness. Both shoes are WMade in Italy“. Together with Diadora we chose only the best materials for both models: goat leather, kangaroo nappa leather, picasso goat leather and 54“ linen. One of the 4 laces of each shoe features a golden metal tip with the TGWO script logo.
Nerō Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus known as Nerone was a Roman Emperor from AD 54 - 68. He was the son of Julia Agrippina acquainted as Agrippina the Younger. She was born at a Roman outpost on the Rhine River. Later Nero founded a Roman colony in this area and called it Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensis after his mother, today known as Cologne. He was one of the most notorious emperors of Rome. His reign is reminded as tyrannical for executing anyone who didnʼt agree with him, including his mother. At 68 AD Nero committed suicide with the help of one of his aides.
The design of the S8000 Nerone uses various shades of red inspired by the myth that Nero sent out partisan to set the city Rome on fire, while he played his lyre and sang from a private stage. The top heel part is made of cracked patent leather pointing to the color of the glowing embers after a fire [I]. Both tongues feature a debossed TGWO script logo. The Diadora model number S8000 is featured in red Latin numerals on the side. The heel part shows a debossed Nero coin design [IV]. The insole shows a print of glowing embers and a famous Nero quote saying: „Let it be wonderful or let it be awful as long as it is uncommon.“ To be honest - it is a quote from Nero portraied by Peter Ustinov in the 1951 movie Quo Vadis. TGWO loves movies, by the way there is also a Caligula movie. You should be at least at the age of 18 to watch the movie. Donʼt say we didnʼt warn you. It has the tagline „The most controversial film of the 20th century“ is now the most controversial film of the 21st century.
The color pink builds a bridge between the pack and emperors. Pink accents are used on the tongue, heel and outsole of the Caligula and on the Diadora form stripe of Nerone as well as in form of speckles on the midsole. It is meant as a reference to the Toga Picta, the highest status toga. The most associated color with Roman Emperor clothing would normally be the color purple. Only a Roman Emperor was allowed to wear the Trabea which was a toga entirely colored in purple and worn on ceremonial occasions. We felt that the color pink, which is part of the magenta color family as well as purple, suits best to the lunacy of both emperors inherited.
The S8000 is an original model of the 1990 running catalogue, designed for athletes with stability problems. S, in fact means stable. The sole is made of two materials: foam rubber and Hypalon HP compact rubber in the heel area. The upper is made of combined-material upper in perforated breathable nylon, and the front and rear reinforced bands wrap the foot whilst enhancing the fit. Both shoes are “Made in Italy“. Together with Diadora we chose only the best materials for both models: goat leather, kangaroo nappa leather, picasso goat leather and 54“ linen. One of the 4 laces of each shoe features a golden metal tip with the TGWO script logo.
