Bicycle Distinct Life Playing Cards

The following article was written and published by Sherman Tsao.

The extremely rare and difficult to find Bicycle the Distinct Life Playing Cards 3 Deck Set produced by the Distinct Life and printed by the United States Playing Card Company in a Carat X3 Triple Deck Case.

In early 2012, Rick Williams, owner of the design firm, The Distinct Life, and sneaker boutique, Burn Rubber, got together with his good friend and accomplished photographer, Jeremy Deputat (@jeremydeputat) to create a deck of cards honoring two of the things they loved, Detroit and shoes.

So, they reached out to famous brands like Adidas, New Balance, Nike, Reebok and Saucony to partner with and exclusively reveal their new sneakers. Then they brought together 30 artists, athletes and others Detroit personalities to pose with the shoes. The project was called ‘Dirty 30 for 30’ as it featured 30 personalities from the ‘Dirty D’ over 30 days. After this was done, another 10 extra portraits were added to the original 30 to create the Bicycle Dirty 30 for 30 deck. The deck was given away as a promotional item as well as sold through retailers and is still readily available today.

In late 2013, the Distinct Life teamed up with Reebok Classics to release a deck of cards that featured Reeboks 40 most iconic and revered styles. The footwear represented came in four categories; Classic, Retro, Reserve and Pump. This deck was available through select Reebok retailers but has been long sold out.

In early 2014, the Distinct Life teamed up with New Balance to create the third deck in the series. This deck is broken into two categories with the red cards featuring premier lifestyle products, while the black cards feature notable collaborations from the previous 5 years. It was shot and designed entirely by Rick Williams and was available as a gift with a purchase of any New Balance or Distinct Life Dry Goods products while supplies lasted, which weren’t long.

Sherman Tsao