The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. I have a goal to be much more active in 2013!
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 1,900 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 3 years to get that many views.
Today we take a look at the sneaker world’s most popular collaborator Ronnie Fieg’s newest project with New Balance. Not a ton of details are known about the release yet but Ronnie just put up a front view on Instagram stating “salmon soles”. The shoe features the premium materials and color pop we have come to expect from his releases and the 1300 model is the lucky one to get “fiegstepped” this time. The 1300 is a premium model and Ronnie’s self proclaimed favorite model of all time. He used the steel blue colorway as the inspiration for his last New Balance collab 999. Sitting on a salmon colored sole the upper features a primarily navy suede upper with a cove blue logo hit. A white midsole and liner add a little contrast and complete the look. After being told that the “N” logo is indeed a cove blue I have come up with some speculation as to the design inspiration. Given the time of year and the colors being used I feel this shoe is a tribute to Fieg’s past releases of Cove and Salmon Toe GL3s. Both shoes dropped in September of 2010 and 2011 respectively. Given the past pattern of Kith releases it can be expected that this new iteration will drop in the next 2 weeks or so. Is a Kithstrike on the way? Stay tuned to @kithset and @ronniefieg on twitter and be ready!
As mentioned before, collaborations are the name of the game in collectible sneakers these days. They typically feature special colorways and premium materials that make the sole freaks go nuts. This latest collaboration from New Balance and West NYC Sneaker boutique is no different. The model chosen as a canvas for this design is the MT580 that has been making a resurgence in popularity thanks to Detroit shop Burn Rubber and their 3 collabs on the shoe. For this iteration West NYC’s owner Lester Wasserman went back to the 90s for some inspiration from alpine and ski wear that was popular at the time. Wasserman loves the outdoors and was going for a look that gave that feel while still staying true to the MT580s running style. The results are nothing short of fantastic. Featuring a primarily grey premium suede upper and hits of teal and purple throughout this shoe will definitely turns heads coast to coast. The black midsole with teal speckles is sure to please and the look is completed with rope style outdoor laces. One of my personal favorite details is the rubber tongue emblem also done up in a teal and purple look. These are schedule to DROP September 22nd at WestNYC and details are still being released. Based on the initial shots a tshirt will also be available in complimentary colors. Take a look at the photos below and let me know if you will be plotting to cop your pair in a little over a week! (photos courtesy of WestNYC blog)
Recently I was fortunate enough to receive an early pair of a new footwear brand hitting shelves all over the country. The brand is QoreID and plays off of the lights in shoes idea that has been seen long ago but also more recently on the Nike Air Mags and Reebok x Solebox Omni Zone Pump. The shoes feature a primarily black upper in mesh and nubuck with a white midsole and the afore-mentioned light areas. Some of the design elements of the shoe are a nod to several famous silhouettes of past brands/models. The mid part of the side panel definitely reminds me of a Jordan 13 in some ways but with a style to its own with the circle patters. The toe box mesh is fairly standard in a dunkish type shape and gives a clean finish. The upper cuff and tongue definitely have that pump feel as the on/off switch for the lights is located inside. They are also higher to the front side which makes for a great fit with some denim or pants for those who like the tongue to pop. The light portion of the shoes is barely noticeable when not activated which I for one feel is a great touch. It makes the shoes fashionable even for those who aren’t looking to be too flashy. Once turned on the lights are flashy for sure. My pair has blue tinted lighting but other colors such as red and green are also available. One of the greatest parts about QoreID is they are coming in at a price point affordable to many. I believe they will be $75 but check with their website for further details.
I chose to do my wear test on the shoes to a local DJ event that had a theme of glow in the dark. Needless to say there were a huge hit. All sorts of people were coming up to me and asking what they were and where they could get a pair. I also received comment about them outside the show while the lights were turned off and people just recognized them as a stylish pair of footwear. The actual surprising part of the shoes for me was the ridiculous level of comfort. I found them to be very well fitting and had great cushioning under foot. Often times a new brand focuses too much on style and not enough on comfort, that is definitely not the case here.
Take a look at the photos of the shoes below and comment what you think! You can keep up with the brand at the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/qoreid
Thanks to a gentleman by the name of Ronnie Fieg, Asics collaborations have been majorly in the spotlight of sneaker culture of late. The interesting thing about that is that Asics has been killing the collaboration market overseas for years. Today we take a look at another in a long saga of amazing collabs. The Asics Gel Lyte III Cervidae is a shoe created in honor of Woei’s 5th anniversary. Woei is a Dutch sneaker boutique located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. For this makeup Woei chose the Cervidae, a deer found in Europe, as its inspiration. The shoes are covered in brown and tan suedes with navy stripes. Special golden logo hits are featured on the rear side and back heel. Sitting on white midsoles and a matching tan outsole these are stunners to say the least. Set to release in Rotterdam on June 30th and Worldwide July 7th the collaboration is sure to be an international hit. Take a look at the pics below and let me know your thoughts!
Why do I keep writing about the New Balance 574? Because this historic model is having an amazing resurgence this past year. Hot off the ‘tales’ of the American Tall Tales pack comes a new pack inspired by 80s/90s backpacks such as Eastpack and Jansport. The full shoe is covered in ripstop canvas and features backpack detailing that we will all recognize immediately. The suede diamond loop on the tongue is unmistakable and the subtle “574” hit on the rear in black and red is an obvious ode to the Eastpack styles of the past. The N logo and encap are also covered in the golden suede featured on the tongue completing the look. Coming in blue, red, orange, green, and black there is something in here for every look. These are scheduled to drop in August at premium New Balance retailers such as Moda3 in Milwaukee. Comment below on whether you will be packing this pack into your closet.
The news finally came. The Nike SB Dunk Low Entourage aka Lights Out is a shoe that was first seen mid last year as a friends and family release commemorating the last episode and season of the hit HBO series Entourage. As soon as pics hit the net of the all black elephant print dunk low sneakerheads and Entourage fans alike were going nuts trying to get a pair with some bringing in the thousands on ebay. A month or so later new images surfaced of a slightly modified version that didn’t have the Entourage branding and switched from a black outsole to the ever popular gum outsole. These were rumored to release November of last year and then again as the “420” drop for this year. Both dates came and went with no drop. Yesterday N-SB.org confirmed the release of the “Nontourage” version for sometime this month. The shoe is supposedly a limited run of just 2500 pairs and will be ultra hard to come by for anyone. Are these dunk lows better than the hugely popular Premier Dunk Lows (here) from earlier this week? Check the pics below and leave a comment with your vote!
Worlds colliding! In news leaked earlier this year we heard talk of a collaboration between Jordan brand and Nike Skateboarding. This collaboration makes total sense since the Jordan 1 and very similar Nike Dunk High were being used by skaters 20 years before the incarnation of the SB division. This leaked pic popped up on n-sb.org and shows what appears to be a black and royal Jordan 1 with Nike SB tongue branding. Originally thought to be coming early this year, only time will tell what is to come from this highly anticipated collaboration. One thing we can predict with certainty is that these will sell quick!
Its no news to anyone that Nike has taken over the rights for NFL apparel from Reebok but that being said the news keeps getting better. After some previews last week information on a full 32 team themed sneaker release from Nike has hit the net today. This pack features a different model for each division in team themed colorways. There are some serious heaters in here with my personal favorites being the Detroit Lions Air Max 90 and the San Diego Chargers Air Trainer SC Highs. Pictured below is each division’s model and colorways. Per Nikestore twitter a link to these will be released at a random time this Sunday April 29th at the tail end of the NFL Draft. As a life long Bears fan this writer is a little disappointed in the Bears make up of the Air Max 90 but luckily NikeID also has dunk high and low options for all 32 teams as well. Plus, its still not puke green and yellow…….BEAR DOWN!
NFC NORTH (Air Max 90)
NFC SOUTH (Free TR3)
NFC EAST (Air Max 95)
NFC WEST (Free Haven 3.0)
AFC NORTH (Huarache Trainer)
AFC SOUTH (Dunk High and Low)
AFC EAST (Air Max Trainer 1.3)
AFC WEST (Air Trainer SC High)
Filed away as my most anticipated Jordan of the summer Olympic season. Originally released in September of 2000 and worn by Ray Allen and Vin Baker in that year’s Olympic games the shoe features a red, white, and blue makeup that is a definite head turner. The color blocking that was reminiscent of the “Carmine” version of the same shoe features primarily navy front panels with a white overlay on the mid-foot and heel cup. The 2012 version has some slight changes from the original retro most notable on the black rather than white mid-sole. Personally I don’t mind the change but of course always prefer retros to be true to the original. These will return to Jordan retailers on 7/7 and are sure to sell out quick. Check out the images from KickzLab below and let the hype build!
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DropDSM 