November 09, 2006
Lebron IV Forbidden City Limited | Nov 11 to 15
For the love of the game or the love of the shoes, for five days only you have the opportunity to score. Limited to only 23 pairs a day, You can get the LBJ IV for $230 but only through a 5-day scavenger release in San Francisco's Chinatown. Check inside.nikebasketball.com for the daily clues.
All pairs are accompanied with a limited edition shirt and are encased in a premium wooden box modeled on China's fabled Forbidden City of Kings. 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Chinatown YMCA basketball program.
Posted by richard ting at November 09, 2006, 10:13 PM
October 23, 2006
Tinker Hatfield Interview
Interesting interview with Nike top designer, Tinker Hatfield, about shoes and architecture.
Posted by richard ting at October 23, 2006, 09:27 PM
September 25, 2006
NIKEiD Japan - Cosplay
NIKEiD Japan goes viral with this Cosplay piece that was shot in the Akiba district, the electronics city and mecca of Cosplay.
Posted by richard ting at September 25, 2006, 12:46 PM
September 12, 2006
Dime Magazine’s Top 25 Boutique Sneakershops
Check out the August 2006 issue of Dime Magazine with Carmelo Anthony on the front page. It’s got a Top 25 ranking of the illest boutique sneaker shops in the U.S. Many factors went into their ranking system. Those factors being shoe selection, history, atmosphere, and reputation in the sneakerhead community.
Here’s the full list, but if you want the write-ups as well, then go cop the issue.
1. Flight Club – New York City, Physical Store, On-line
2. Alife Rivington Club – New York City
3. Bodega – Boston
4. Sportie L.A. – Los Angeles
5. Training Camp – New York City
6. Nort/Recon – New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Berlin
7. Undefeated – Los Angeles
8. Goodfoot – Toronto
9. Huf – San Francisco
10. Atmos – New York, Tokyo
11. Proper – Long Beach, CA
12. Commonwealth – Norfolk, VA
13. Phli – Chicago
14. Dave’s Quality Meats – New York City
15. Goliath RF – New York City
16. Just Be Complex – Portland
17. Packer Shoes – Teaneck, NJ
18. Premium Goods – Houston
19. Goods – Seattle
20. Grey One – Pasadena
21. Reed Space – New York City
22. Prestigious – Atlanta
23. Capitol 1524 – Seattle
24. St. Alfred – Chicago
25. 2 Doors Down – Springfield, MO
Posted by richard ting at September 12, 2006, 10:02 PM
SneakerCUT.com
The Sneakercut service sounds a little too good to be true. I would be interested to hear from anyone that has been subscribed to the service for a few months. Here’s the deal, you pay a $125 annual fee to become a SneakerCut Member which then gets you discounts on kicks for up to six times per month and a maximum of 60 pairs per year. The site is currently listing Air Force 1 Lows for $70 and the World Cup Brazil joints for $115. Only members can purchase from the site so be ready to drop $125 on the annual fee. However, the benefits may be worth the dough. SneakerCut carries a large stock of hard-to-find kicks and constant inventory updates so you can get to the product that you crave.
Posted by richard ting at September 12, 2006, 10:00 PM
Jeremy Fish
Jeremy Fish is a 32-year old San Francisco-based illustrator/painter who tells simple stories fusing influences like 60s and 70s Hanna-Barbera cartoons and skateboarding culture.
He’s been designing skateboard decks since he was a teenager growing up in Saratoga Springs, NY and has designed over 300 hundred decks with his four year old company, The Unbelievers. In July, Nike released the Nike Fish Classic SB.
Posted by richard ting at September 12, 2006, 09:52 PM
September 09, 2006
UARM T-Shirts
Since 2003, UARM has been showcasing the illest East Coast street artists. The new collection is putting some shine on artists like REAS, Neckface, Faile, and Thom Lessner.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2006, 09:50 PM
September 04, 2006
Dave White in the MTV feature on Sneaker Pimps LA
Check out the MTV feature on Sneaker Pimps LA, which includes Dave White. The video from YouTube is shown above.
Posted by richard ting at September 04, 2006, 10:01 PM
August 17, 2006
John Starks - Greatest Knick of All Time
Posted by richard ting at August 17, 2006, 12:01 PM
August 03, 2006
Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ
Wow. Talk about over concepting a web experience. Check out Puma's new Mongolian Shoe BBQ customization service. This is probably the most difficult interface to use of all the customization builders out there in the marketplace. The customization builders for Nike, Converse, Timberland, Rbk, and K-Swiss are light years ahead of this builder when it comes to usability. Not sure what the designers were thinking of when they put this builder together because it is just plain difficult to use and hard to understand. The user also needs to get through 20 painful steps just to get to a point where they can purchase the shoe.
It's unfortunate though because the shoes are really, really nice and the final step of process has a sweet 360 degree rotating hero shot of your design.
Posted by richard ting at August 03, 2006, 08:14 PM
July 17, 2006
Is that a 720 dunk?
Posted by richard ting at July 17, 2006, 03:13 PM
July 05, 2006
Pumatalk?!?
So only after a gazillion years since Niketalk launched, Puma launches Pumatalk which gives all the sad Puma fans a place to chat about their product shortcomings and product inadequacies. Pumatalk comes complete with a fresh 'on the bandwagon' fotolog. Actually, there are a few nice photos up there and I guess it's all very useful to the Puma community, but I'm just dumbfounded as to how much of a Niketalk rip-off it is.
Posted by richard ting at July 05, 2006, 07:51 PM
June 30, 2006
Nas Rocks the Crackle
Nas is on the back page in new XXL with Jay Z on the cover. He's rocking the MIKE23 Crackle Pullover hoodie.
Posted by richard ting at June 30, 2006, 02:49 PM
New MIKE23 Gear
The MIKE23 crew have some new summer gear ready. Check out the site.
Posted by richard ting at June 30, 2006, 02:47 PM
Kicksengine
KicksEngine is a visual tool that searches the latest listings of your favorite kicks on eBay. They do the work of coming up with relevant keywords for you so you don't have to. All you have to do is click on the images and the latest results will appear, simple as that. Utilizing advanced search queries of the eBay API, their results work to eliminate spammed entries as much as possible so you get the most relevant and up to date listings.
Posted by richard ting at June 30, 2006, 02:41 PM
June 28, 2006
Kobe Playing Soccer?
Posted by richard ting at June 28, 2006, 04:31 PM
June 13, 2006
John Starks is the Man!
Thanks to Boris and crew over at Madison Square Garden for inviting me to a luncheon with John Starks. Starks is still the man for coming out and chatting with us disgruntled season ticketholders. Starks took everything in stride, gave us open and honest opinions about the state of the team and the league, and was just a super-chilled out head. The Knicks have been listless and bleak the last few years, but seeing Starks in person brought me back to the glory days when Ewing roamed the paint, Oakley knocked dudes to the ground, and Starks hoisted bombs from downtown. If the Knicks could only find some players that could play with the same amount of heart, emotion, and leadership that Starks played with, then we might be heading in the right direction.
I'm a Knicks fan for life -- born into this despair, but I still have faith in Larry Brown. Get it together this summer Larry, Get it together!
Posted by richard ting at June 13, 2006, 07:39 PM
June 04, 2006
Lace Sneakers Magazine #6
The new issue of the Lace sneakers magazine is out now. Lace#6 is available in Germany, in selected stores worldwide or can easily be ordered on the website www.lace-mag.com. In this issue, the focus is on the new Adicolor-series, Nike's History of Cushioning, and an overview of Jordan styles. Interviews with Jason Bass, The Ones from Run Athletics, and Gabriel Urist are also on the list.
Posted by richard ting at June 04, 2006, 12:38 AM
Sneaker Mainliner -- French Sneaker Forum
Here's a french crew called the Sneaker Mainliner that just recently put out a sneaker forum for the heads in france to chit-chat about the culture.
Show Casper and his crew some love.
Posted by richard ting at June 04, 2006, 12:23 AM
May 22, 2006
The Collection Royale
Check out Nike's Collection Royale, a celebration for the true shot-callers. The collection is stacked with limited edition kicks and tees recognizing the players who give us a glimpse into the future of the playing field.
Posted by richard ting at May 22, 2006, 03:44 PM
MC Hammer Custom Nikes
Thanks to Joseph Cartman for the link. These were custom sneakers designed by Logan in Oakland A's colors for our '2 Legit 2 Quit' man, MC Hammer.
Posted by richard ting at May 22, 2006, 10:56 AM
April 18, 2006
The Original Sneaker Pimp
The worlds largest global touring sneaker exhibition featuring a collection of over 800 of the rarest footwear on the planet and growing... Current TV VC2 producer Devaughn Hughson shows us what Atlanta's event was like.
Posted by richard ting at April 18, 2006, 07:59 PM
April 17, 2006
Sneak Attack -- MTV Overdrive
The original MTV Overdrive series, "Sneak Attack" just recently launched. Go check it out to watch Sneakerheads united at the Recon/Nort NYC space for a sneaker launch. Also, Graffiti legend Stash talks about his new custom kicks.
Posted by richard ting at April 17, 2006, 03:51 PM
April 13, 2006
Flight Club Feature on NYTimes.com
[via NYTimes.com]
MY deeply hip stepson sounded vaguely amused that I was planning to check out Flight Club, the sneaker resale boutique in NoHo. Who knows what they'll make of you, he said, his voice stopping on the "you" with just a bit too much force. The emphasis made me realize that he thinks I'm a total loser.
There are pros and cons to having stepchildren. One of the cons is that you get to relive all the terrifying insecurities of high school over and over and over again. It's one thing if your own progeny think you're uncool: you're the parent; you're supposed to be uncool. But we stepparents have only our status as potentially cool people to warm us at night.
Thus humbled, I walked into Flight Club several days ago. I was not the coolest person in the store. Then again, the people who frequent Flight Club are sneaker freaks, mostly men who are addicted to buying limited-edition vintage athletic footwear. They speak in highly technical language, tossing around terms like "tongue graphic" and "toe boxes" with the gravity of men discussing tractor engines or team sports.
Posted by richard ting at April 13, 2006, 01:47 PM
March 16, 2006
Denim and Sole
Here's a new website dedicated to bringing you the right pair of denim and sole for wherever you may want to wear them, from the block to the boardroom.
Posted by richard ting at March 16, 2006, 10:00 AM
February 25, 2006
NIKE Untold Truth Site
Nike has joined forces with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to create a compelling apparel collection that seeks to showcase some of the great teams of the last days of Negro League baseball. The collection honors the passion, pride, and perseverance embodied by a league whose contributions to our national pastime are immense-and whose stories are too seldom told.
There are some hot products on the site inspired by the original Negro league teams like the New York Cubans, Chicago Giants, Kansas City Monarchs, and Homestead Grays. Also on the site is an interview with Buck O'Neil who played with the Kansas City Monarchs way back in 1938.
Above is a photo of the New York Cubans AF1 Premium LE.
Posted by richard ting at February 25, 2006, 07:58 PM
Royalefam Hall of Fame
Here comes the heat. Check out the Royalefam international issue with SBTG's retrospective hall of fame. You'll find yourself salivating over everything on the site especially the SBTG 4 Niketalk AF1's and the SBTG X Ambush AF1 lows. I had to break out the Kleenex to wipe down the dribble from my lower lip. Thanks to LadyKickz for the link.
Posted by richard ting at February 25, 2006, 07:25 PM
February 22, 2006
WK Takes on Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles
Last week, WK headed out to Los Angeles for a collaborative installation with Laker star Kobe Bryant at the Nike Gallery.
Check out the Wooster Collective site.
Posted by richard ting at February 22, 2006, 05:55 PM
February 17, 2006
Adidas adicolor launch - Berlin
Here are some photos of the Adidas adicolor launch in Berlin. They were sent over by Daniel at Lace Sneakers magazine.
Check 'em out.
Learn more about adicolor.
Posted by richard ting at February 17, 2006, 02:20 AM
February 13, 2006
female sneaker fiend
Here's a link I discovered on Weeklydrop.com. It's a site for female sneakerheads. The site comes complete with interviews, sneaker art, photos, related links, and a forum to connect and chat with your fellow sneaker freaks.
Posted by richard ting at February 13, 2006, 01:18 AM
February 12, 2006
Don't Step on My J's
C.D. Walls shows off his massive collection of Nike Air Jordans, provides buying tips for fellow sneaker enthusiasts, and goes on a shoe shopping excursion.
Posted by richard ting at February 12, 2006, 08:58 PM
January 26, 2006
Air Max Collection on NIKEiD.com
Oh lord. Watch out all you sneaker dorks! The full range of Air Max Classics has just launched on NIKEiD.com Everything from the original Air Max 1 to the Air Max 2003. The color choices are off the hook and the prices are quite reasonable.
Posted by richard ting at January 26, 2006, 03:58 PM
Jordan Head Casting Call
Daydream Filmworks, Inc. is now casting for it's up-coming film entitled "Jordan Heads". This film a documentary about Air Jordans and the people who them.
If you or someone you know is a Jordan Head please direct them to the following website for more information:
www.jordanheadsmovie.com
Posted by richard ting at January 26, 2006, 01:15 PM
January 17, 2006
Nike Archive Needs Your Help
Nike wants to build an archive containing a pair of shoes from every model it's ever made. The company is asking the public to contact Nike if they have one of the models on Nike's wish list.
Posted by richard ting at January 17, 2006, 01:37 PM
January 16, 2006
Nike Air Max 360 - Laser
The global release of the Air Max 360 is scheduled for next Saturday the 21st of January. There's been a lot of excitement around that shoe launch. Go check out Nikeair.com to see the celebration pack and to hear all of the celebrities and sneakerheads talk about Nike Air. I was able to get my hands on a photo of the Air Max 360 laser print which is supposed to be released in late Jan./early Feb. Looks pretty hot.
Posted by richard ting at January 16, 2006, 11:57 PM
January 11, 2006
Weeklydrop Episode 4 is now online
Weeklydrop Episode 4 is now online featuring an interview with renown painter Dave White from Liverpool. Dave discussed his work on the Nike AM95 10 Year Anniversay Party, Star Wars, world sneaker culture, future hits, and much more. The podcast runs about 19min on this one.
Posted by richard ting at January 11, 2006, 08:11 PM
Complete Technique Jewelry
|
|
Complete Technique is the brainchild of Osamu Koyama, who founded the company back in 1999. Osamu runs the company, but still serves as the company's Creative Director. His signature pieces draw inspiration from audio equipment and hip-hop music. Most of his jewelry appear in the form of rings shaped like audio speakers and pendants that replicate turntable cartridges. Osamu has frequently collaborated with local artists and brands such as the artist Acid, WK Interact, DJ Masterkey, and Kid Robot.
Posted by richard ting at January 11, 2006, 12:28 PM
January 06, 2006
Cornerstone / Fader Films present 'On The Outs'
ON THE OUTS is a dramatic narrative feature based upon the real stories of girls from the streets and juvenile jail, who lent their voices and unique stories to the filmmakers. These are girls who struggle with all the highs and lows of teenage life in an inner-city world that makes its own rules.
The film follows the lives of three central characters from the same Jersey City neighborhood: Oz, 17, is a tough drug dealer with her own corner and the street's respect, who struggles to keep her family intact. Suzette, the sheltered 15 year old daughter of a single mother, whose first teenage crush has life changing repercussions, and Marisol, 17, a single mother who fights both her own demons and the uncompromising world of foster care to keep her child.
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2006, 04:21 PM
Sneaker Freaker Book
[from Boldtype]
This colorful compendium collects the first three years of Sneaker Freaker, a magazine by and for passionate disciples of sneaker culture. Those in search of more than foot candy will find (in between goggle-eyed spreads on vintage French tennis shoes and Korean Nike hi-tops) interviews with industry insiders, including Laser Project curator Mark Smith and obsessives such as DJ Clark Kent, who has 14,000 pairs of Air Force Ones.
A truly global endeavor (the mag was founded in Australia), the book shares practical tips on the best spots to cop kicks in Melbourne, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, London, and New York. You can get the lowdown on how to spot fake A Bathing Ape high-tops and where to find boutique brands like Alife and Feit.
There are think-pieces too — everything from meditations on sneaker fetishes of a more sexual nature to wistful "whatever happened to" elegies for extinct '80s brands such as Troop. Two such highlights among the personal essays are an article on the only shoes they let you buy in prison (New Balance Runners, people — so stay clean!), and a confessional piece by a female fiend who grapples with the latent chauvinism of sneaker-hunting culture.
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2006, 04:08 PM
December 30, 2005
Premium Kareem
The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar saga continues. These super fresh kicks are made of thick high grade leather that will soften and adapt to your feet.
Check 'em out on sneakersnstuff.
Posted by richard ting at December 30, 2005, 12:17 PM
December 28, 2005
Streets Are Saying Things
This online graffiti museum showcases pictures of street art, uploaded daily.
Posted by richard ting at December 28, 2005, 07:25 PM
December 23, 2005
More NIKEAIR.com content
The NIKEAIR.com site just recently launched with some new content around the classic Air Max '95 and Air Max '93. Check out some of the interviews with Stash, John McEnroe, Charles Barkley, and Retrokid.
Posted by richard ting at December 23, 2005, 09:36 PM
December 22, 2005
Most Expensive Sneakers according to Forbes
Here are the Most Expensive Sneakers according to Forbes. The first shoe featured are the Nike limited edition Air Force Ones, called Also Known As and produced in conjunction with a book celebrating the art of graffiti. The sneakers that were produced were only given to people involved with the release of the book, but Nom de Guerre has a pair on display. The shoes aren't currently for sale but are expected to fetch between $1,000 and $1,500 when Nom de Guerre decides to release them.
I love these sneakers, unfortunately the other sneakers that Forbes features are wack.
Posted by richard ting at December 22, 2005, 12:30 AM
Weeklydrop Episode 3 is now online
Weeklydrop Episode 3 is now online featuring an interview with Gabriel
Urist, the NYC sneaker jeweler, discussion on DMC, Le Coq Sportif and
much more.
Posted by richard ting at December 22, 2005, 12:00 AM
December 14, 2005
Walking in the Shoes of Legends - An exhibition of Adidas’ Signature Line
Adidas' Signature Line is a line of shoes originally created for some of sport's greatest. The exhibition will retrace the stories behind icons Stan Smith, Franz Beckenbauer and Kareem Abdul Jabbar amongst others and highlight the relationship with their namesake shoes. In addition to vintage and upcoming Signature Line models, a number of designs by Bunka Fashion College students exploring possible evolutions of the "Jabbar Lo" shoe will be on display.
Posted by richard ting at December 14, 2005, 12:41 PM
December 10, 2005
Object Fetish
Object Fetish is a service started by Tom Sicurella and Jeffrey Goldsmith. They are two creative services professionals who have a good idea for a business and are in the process of executing upon the thought. On their website it states, "Perhaps your store or a store you think is very cool would like to sell select products through our site. Perhaps you're a hot photographer. Perhaps you like taking new friends around to cool shops."
It's not exactly clear what they're going to be doing, but they are planning to tell you all about it in January. If you can't wait until then, you can email them at tom@objectfetish.com or jg@objectfetish.com.
Posted by richard ting at December 10, 2005, 07:39 PM
Gabe Urist Custom Bling
Gabe Urist just recently launched his new Custom Bling site that features photos of his Nike Custom Bling necklaces.
Check out his site.
Posted by richard ting at December 10, 2005, 06:37 PM
December 02, 2005
Dave White Exclusive Limited Edition Poster Prints
As the majority of his prints have sold out on his site, Dave White has been asked to do a release of some of your favourites. As a result, Dave has released some unsigned poster prints for sale. All prints are from an edition of 50, they are numbered and they have the studio stamp on them. They are size A3 which is 40cm x 30cm and they are full colour on 275 gm silk paper. The prints are $30 (£20/€30) and free shipping is included (prints will be delivered in a tube).
Posted by richard ting at December 02, 2005, 02:47 AM
November 26, 2005
Melo 5.5 Product Feature
The Melo 5.5 product feature launched a few days ago on the Jumpman23.com site. The B More commerical is aight, but I wasn't feeling the hovering helicopters with the spotlight. It felt like an overused visual metaphor to sell home the idea of 'this is what it feels like to be from the hood'.
Anyway, check out the Melo 5.5 Feature.
Posted by richard ting at November 26, 2005, 12:40 AM
November 24, 2005
Weeklydrop Sneaker Podcast
Here's a new audio show/podcast experiment coming out of Boston called Weeklydrop. It's done by the guys at Dropform. Check out their Flickr photostream. Nice photos in there.
These guys are producing a weekly podcast that looks into current sneaker news. They also spend some time interviewing designers and artists in the sneaker world and listening to their first hand experiences on the creative processes that went into some of the kicks we wear and love.
Though the focus is sneaker centric, these guys are by no means limited to them, they also explore urban art, fashion and more.
Posted by richard ting at November 24, 2005, 02:46 AM
Just For Kicks Documentary
This film is currently on tour with Resfest. It's the first documentary on one of pop culture's biggest phenomena, Just for Kicks charts the athletic footwear fetish from sneakers' early adoption by the style warriors of 1970s New York City to their status today as a de facto apparel of choice for an entire generation. The film looks closely at the $26 billion industry engendered by this fashion choice, and the hip-hop community that helped popularize it. From Run-DMC's role in catapulting Adidas into the consciousness of global youth culture to Nike's visionary marketing strategies targeting urban populations worldwide, Just for Kicks turns interviews with personalities like hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and urban culture chronicler Henry Chalfant, as well as an assortment of sneaker freaks, music legends, break-dancing greats and product designers into an entertaining exposition on the history of the world's most popular form of footwear.
Watch the Trailer.
Check out Resfest.
Posted by richard ting at November 24, 2005, 02:22 AM
Alife Reebok Pump
This is the ultimate tennis ball sneaker (brought to you by New York's Alife and Reebok). Thanks to Al Cabino for the photo!
Posted by richard ting at November 24, 2005, 02:08 AM
Royal Elastics L.A.M.B. shoe
Here are some photos of the Royal Elastics-produced L.A.M.B. shoe collection. It will be on sale during Holiday '05 exclusively at the Madison Avenue and Beverly Hills Barney's stores and at select Barney's CO-OP doors. Only 600 pairs exist, Each pair is numbered.
Posted by richard ting at November 24, 2005, 12:30 AM
November 23, 2005
Puma Pelé - The List
[via Sneakersnstuff]
The Pelé replica collection is brought to you from the Puma Archive. This is where you can take a peek into their heritage and learn something new, rediscover old friends and find out about the Puma legends and style icons that still live on to this day.
As a former Puma sponsored athlete Pelé‘s love for the game and his record-braking career became part of Puma‘s history. A common theme of the Pelé concept will derive from his birthplace in Brazil – Três Corações. Translated as “three hearts“, the town‘s meaning correlates directly to his passion for football and the three stages of his career. The exact replica of PUMA‘s 1970 Pelé collection is offered in a vibrant palette of blue aster and aspen gold.
Posted by richard ting at November 23, 2005, 11:08 AM
November 21, 2005
MIKE23.com
Thanks to Coach, Scott Nelson, for sending over this link.
Check out the site.
Posted by richard ting at November 21, 2005, 03:34 PM
November 18, 2005
AF1 Business Week Article
Here's an interesting AF1 Business Week article from this past summer. Thanks to Omid Fatemi for the link.
Posted by richard ting at November 18, 2005, 07:06 PM
November 16, 2005
White Presto Project
This site has been up for years, but I thought I would dust it off and post it. There are some interesting artist renditions of the Nike Presto done by Yashuhito Udagawa.
Posted by richard ting at November 16, 2005, 02:53 PM
November 12, 2005
New Issue of Lace Mag
Lace Magazine #05 is getting ready to delight you. The current issue shines the spotlight on Hamburg, the city on the go. There's an up close and personal interview with Nina Braun, formerly of Sumo-Clothing. Other articles inlcude conversations with Deichkind who's got something to say about mixed music and sneakers. The 'store detector' feature leads the way to the most interesting sneaker spots in the city. There's a behind the scenes look at the online mailorder shop, Frontline. Stores like the Nike-ID-Shop and Ellesse are profiled as well.
Posted by richard ting at November 12, 2005, 01:46 PM
November 08, 2005
Adidas ZX700
This classic 80´s runner is one of those styles that has always been on every sneakerheads "must have"-list. This particular colourway is part of the Tempo-pack especially made for the Japanese market.
Posted by richard ting at November 08, 2005, 11:23 PM
November 04, 2005
Bay Area Kickz - Yahoo Maps
Here's another Map mash-up. Some guy took the Yahoo Maps API and mapped out the sneaker stores in SF. Yo Freshness, where's the NYC version?
Check out the site.
Posted by richard ting at November 04, 2005, 07:25 PM
HTM Air Footscape Woven
Check out the HTM Air Footscape Woven on the Nike Japan site. I can't read what it says, but I'm assuming this is a pre-order site where you can qualify to buy the shoes. If anyone knows, please send me an email. Thanks.
Posted by richard ting at November 04, 2005, 07:14 PM
nike.jp's What's Hot RSS Ticker
Check out nike.jp's What's Hot RSS Ticker in action below. They have a quick copy and paste 'Blog This' type functionality that allows avid fans to link the ticker directly to their blogs. Fans can constantly stay up to date with the latest and greatest at Nike Japan. It looks like the Ticker was created in Flash. Hats off to the Nike Japan Digital Team. Nice, simple, and intelligent work.
Posted by richard ting at November 04, 2005, 06:57 AM
October 19, 2005
Zoom Lebron III Story on Nikebasketball.com
The Zoom Lebron III feature just launched on nikebasketball.com yesterday and they added a super cool feature called, 'Blog This' that allows bloggers to instantly copy and paste code into their blogs. Once the code is in place, the latest Zoom Lebron III video plays directly in your site. Check that out and btw, the video is hot, hot, hot. Big up to Cartman and crew!
Visit nikebasketball.com for the full Zoom Lebron III story.
Posted by richard ting at October 19, 2005, 03:34 PM
Lebron Talk - The Ultimate Lebron James Site
Check out this crazy Lebron James fan site. The site's only been live for a few weeks, but there's already a ton of content up there. Peep some of Lebron's new kicks and his wallpapers. There are some photos currently up there of the DJ AM Zoom Lebron III Wooden Box promo and the Zoom Lebron III - White/Red Laser.
Posted by richard ting at October 19, 2005, 01:13 AM
The Munny Show - November 3rd - 3 Cities
The Munny Show kicks off on November 3rd in NYC, LA, and SF. It's a super amazing charity event to benefit the children affected by Hurricane Katrina. Customize your own Munny.
Posted by richard ting at October 19, 2005, 12:59 AM
October 12, 2005
New Balance
Damn, I love these New Balance M1500s. New Balance is definitely releasing some fly shit these days. Check 'em out on the Swedish website, Sneakersnstuff.
Posted by richard ting at October 12, 2005, 12:28 PM
October 10, 2005
NAPSIZE.com
NAPSIZE.com is the Japanese equivalent of vintagekicks.com. There are no real deals on this site, but that's to be expected of a consignment store. NAPSIZE opened it's 'brick and mortar' doors in 1997 as a very small import shop in Tokyo that sold mainly Air Jordans and Air Max 95s. The NAPSIZE retail store has been a staple in the Japanese sneaker culture and has now opened it's doors to the overseas customers via it's web site. The site is put together in English and priced out in US dollars.
Posted by richard ting at October 10, 2005, 01:11 AM
October 05, 2005
BAPE for your Desktop
For all you stinking BAPE heads, check out the BAPE website. It only runs as a desktop executable which is a bit odd. Not sure why they wouldn't just run the site experience as a full-browser takeover? Anyway, the download-able is entertaining and well designed.
Download the bape.exe file right here.
Posted by richard ting at October 05, 2005, 02:01 PM
October 03, 2005
Sneaker Pimps NYC, 10/6/2005
COMPLEX is the media sponsor for this year's Sneaker Pimps event taking place at Avalon next Thursday, October 6 at 8 p.m. Featuring art installations by Methamphibian & SBTG, Dave White, Futura, NYC Lace, Doze Green, Shepard Fairey and a lot more. PLUS a special performance by none other than Public Enemy.
Posted by richard ting at October 03, 2005, 07:07 PM
Brian Jungen at New Museum of Contemporary Art
Brian Jungen
September 29 - December 31, 2005
New Museum of Contemporary Art / Chelsea
Air Jordans and plastic garden chairs morph into Aboriginal masks and skeletons in the work of Canadian artist Brian Jungen. Jungen's work explores the current tensions between indigenous and global cultures by transforming ordinary consumer goods into emblematic sculptures. This exhibition marks the first comprehensive survey of Jungen's work from the past ten years.
Find out more about Brian Jungen.
Posted by richard ting at October 03, 2005, 07:02 PM
September 26, 2005
NRF Championship Dunks
Check out the Championship Dunks that were designed for winner of the NRF (Nike Recess Federation) basketball league in NYC. The kicks were designed by the crew over at Staple Design.
Posted by richard ting at September 26, 2005, 02:54 PM
September 24, 2005
Nike Shox Video from Italy
Here's a Nike Shox video from MTV Italy that my good friend, Joseph Cartman, sent to me. It's for their Invidia product line.
Posted by richard ting at September 24, 2005, 02:45 PM
August 29, 2005
Complex Sneaker Guide
This has probably been on-line for a while, but I just came across it last night. It's a nice comprehensive buyer's guide with some hot images of the Visvim FBT, multiple Vans slip-ons, and of course a wide variety of NIKE's.
Posted by richard ting at August 29, 2005, 04:43 PM
August 25, 2005
Employee NIKEiD Dunks
There's been some major buzz around the Limited Edition NIKEiD Dunks that were recently awarded to employees involved with the recent NIKEiD.com site launch. Only 300 of these shoes exist and they're pretty fly with gum soles, black suede, orange mesh inner, gold swoosh, and gold/tan laces. Thanks to real estate mogul, ltjbukem for the images.
Here's the thread on Niketalk.
Here's the thread on Freshnessmag.
Check out NIKEiD.com
Posted by richard ting at August 25, 2005, 12:18 PM
August 11, 2005
Ladykickz Lives
Ladykickz is finally up and running. It's a new entry into the sneaker blogosphere, but with a female's perspective. Show her some love and bookmark the site.
Posted by richard ting at August 11, 2005, 08:09 PM
August 09, 2005
Nike Logos
Thanks to our friends at Freshnessmag for sending me this link. If you're ever in need of some Nike Logos, then check out this site. Everything from Tiger Woods to Nike Football to Nike Digital.
Check out the site.
Posted by richard ting at August 09, 2005, 07:10 PM
July 29, 2005
Borf Arrested in D.C.
The mysterious, ubiquitous and eminently destructive graffiti artist known as Borf was arrested yesterday after waging a months-long campaign that may have been intended to enlighten Washington, but mostly just confused us.
The man primarily responsible for Borf is, it turns out, an 18-year-old art student from Great Falls named John Tsombikos, according to D.C. police inspector Diane Groomes. He was arrested along with two other young men in the wee hours of yesterday morning after officers received a tip that graffiti artists were spray-painting at Seventh and V streets NW.
Posted by richard ting at July 29, 2005, 11:37 AM
July 24, 2005
Who's Afraid of Niketown?
Who's afraid of Niketown?
Nike-urbanism, branding and the city of tomorrow
by Friedrich Von Borries
[review by Riba Bookshops]
Who’s afraid of Niketown? illustrates the way Nike is transforming urban space into a new brand city. In his persuasive analyses, Friedrich von Borries is able to demonstrate this process with astonishing concreteness. He proceeds not just analytically, but also undertakes speculative excursions into the future. This approach endows his detailed investigations of contemporary marketing strategies with their forcefulness.
Nike has developed new marketing strategies during the last years which focus on the temporary transformation of urban space into brand-specific sites of experience. By looking at Nike’s strategies of urban interventions, this publication investigates the role that branding and marketing strategies will have on the city of the future as well as the responsibilities architects involved in the projects will have.
Posted by richard ting at July 24, 2005, 06:15 PM
July 22, 2005
nikebasketball.com/nyc
This for all the NYC Basketball heads out there. nikebasketball.com just launched a NYC-based version of it's site. It's got some information around the hot NYC leagues such as Pro City, West 4th, and Dyckman. There are also player profiles around NYC playground legends like God Shammgod, Fly Williams, and Junie Sanders. The comprehensive league schedules are a nice feature given that during the past few summers it's been almost impossible to get your hands on these schedules.
Posted by richard ting at July 22, 2005, 06:28 PM
July 21, 2005
Nike Air Max Video
Here's a NIKE AIR MAX instore video that my good friend, Joseph Cartman, found on onesize's site. It's a new piece to introduce the re-release of the Nike Air Max series, including the new "blackpack" edition.
Posted by richard ting at July 21, 2005, 10:49 PM
July 13, 2005
Shin Tanaka
Shin Tanaka is exhibiting his paper AF1 collection at VACANT CHICAGO from JULY 8th to JULY 29th. You can download the PAPER AF1 template from his site and send your designed AF1 .pdf template file to info@govacant.com. The best entries will be on display at the Vacant Chicago exhibition.
Posted by richard ting at July 13, 2005, 08:09 PM
July 12, 2005
Five Three Footwear
All shoes are hand designed by Seth Brau. The process begins with an all white Vans shoe in either a slipon, authentic or chukka boot. Using fabric markers Seth creates a unique and original design that covers the entire shoe. Every pair is completely one of a kind, no pair is ever repeated ensuring 100% uniqueness.
Posted by richard ting at July 12, 2005, 08:56 PM
July 06, 2005
Sneaker Freaker 6 Launches
Thursday July 7
LONDON :: 6.30-10pm :: Glorias, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane E1
Co-presented by FEIT.
Friday July 8
AMSTERDAM :: 6-10pm :: 90 square meters - Levantplein 52
Presented by Endorsed
Posted by richard ting at July 06, 2005, 12:47 PM
June 29, 2005
Ultimate Sneaker Bracket on ESPN.com
ESPN is running now sneaker culture programs on it's site as well as on-air. All summer on ESPN2, it's running the program, "It's the Shoes" hosted by Bobbito Garcia. It's the Shoes will visit the sneaker collections of Allen Iverson, Nelly, Michael Vick and others throughout the summer. The show airs as part of ESPN2's "Block Party" each Tuesday night (Wednesday morning) at 1:30 a.m.
Also, Page 2 on ESPN.com is running a campaign to find the greatest sneaker of all time. Page 2's panel of sneaker freaks selected 48 classic athletic shoes and seeded three regions: the Old School Hoops Region, New School Hoops Region, and Non-Hoops Region. Visitors to the site are invited to place their votes.
Posted by richard ting at June 29, 2005, 03:42 AM
June 25, 2005
Rize the Movie - Opens 6/24
Krumping mixes a frenetic style of dancing with clown-derived make-up and a theatricality that blends pantomime and performance art. It's telling that this new hip-hop-related art form was conceived and popularized in Hollywood's backyard, and yet only a few mass media outlets have reported on this phenomenon — until now. David LaChapelle's hyperkinetic documentary, Rize, examines this extraordinary new dance scene, depicting not only its popularity in South Central LA, but also the ways that it has changed the lives of the district's denizens.
Posted by richard ting at June 25, 2005, 10:27 PM
June 22, 2005
NikeiD.com Wins Distinguished Silver in Industrial Design Excellence Awards Competition
R/GA, the New York-based interactive advertising agency, today announced NikeiD.com won a silver award in the Digital Media category at the 25th Annual Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), one of the world's most prestigious design competitions. Co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the competition honored last year's iteration of NikeiD.com, which was relaunched in March 2005. NikeiD.com empowers consumers with freedom of expression, allowing them to custom-design, personalize and purchase footwear and gear. R/GA worked closely with Nike to implement breakthrough uses for the Flash platform, producing a site that dispels the myths of incompatibility between Flash and commerce. A major part of this development was creating an innovative four-step build process that was fast and intuitive, while encouraging users to play with multiple designs. This fun experience was augmented with features for consumers to store favorite designs in personal "lockers" and share feedback with friends via email.
Read the BusinessWeek writeup.
Posted by richard ting at June 22, 2005, 03:08 AM
June 01, 2005
Just Do It Yourself
Brooklyn based blogger, Set Speed, was kind enough to forward over this article from this past Sunday's NYTimes Magazine. Eventhough, Nike's new NIKEiD.com advertising campaign seems to have reached critical mass across the media waves the last few weeks, this article gives some nice insight into the 'influencer-centric' design studio that they have set up at the 255 Elizabeth space in NYC. Give it a read.
[from NYTimes Magazine]
By HORACIO SILVA
A store is born in New York about as often as a Broadway hopeful arrives at the Port Authority. These days, however, jaded consumers expect more boogie-woogie than the retail equivalent of a matinee for the blue-rinse set. Temporary guerrilla stores, traveling boutiques and hybrid emporiums, selling everything from Belgian fashion experimentalia to limited-edition Japanese toys, are just some of the novelties setting the stage for a serious denouement at the cash register.
So it should surprise exactly no one that the fad for members-only clubs now extends into the shopping arena. In the wake of exclusionary stores like Celux, the LVMH-owned retail club in Tokyo, Nike has opened the NIKE iD lab, a private design studio on Elizabeth Street complete with security guards to keep out the celebrity seekers and sneaker freakers who memorize bar codes and shrink-wrap their shoes for safekeeping.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at June 01, 2005, 12:27 PM
May 27, 2005
Free NIKE Free's in Times Square !!
This Friday, May 27th:
To celebrate the last day of the NIKEiD billboard in Times Square, Nike is hosting the NIKE FREE for ALL...
From 1pm - 5pm every free shoe created at Times Square will be produced for the consumer/creator for free.
As has been done throughout the execution, consumers dial the number noted on the board and are prompted to create their shoe. Five people can be waiting on hold (before a busy sign is received). Then once the consumer designs their FREE kick, they will receive a text message to their cell phone - the same as what's been done before BUT this time with a single use comp code where they can place their Nike FREE shoe order.
Posted by richard ting at May 27, 2005, 12:17 PM
May 26, 2005
The Jordan Source
Could this be the same guys that bought us Kicksfinder.com?
The JordanSource is an eBay visual search utility for all things Michael Jordan.
Posted by richard ting at May 26, 2005, 08:16 PM
May 20, 2005
NIKE iD Blog Contest
Here's some background on the contest:
NIKE iD approached 20 of the internet's greatest purveyors of sneaker culture and issued a challenge: design the hottest shoe on the information superhighway. The shoes are now live on the NIKEiD site and users can go to the site and vote for their favorite shoe design.
I'm backing my friends at FRESHNESSMAG.com. Follow this link and show them some love. Voting ends on June 3rd.
Posted by richard ting at May 20, 2005, 05:12 PM
May 19, 2005
Sneakers: The Complete Collectors' Guide
From the Unorthodox Styles crew that produces the Crookedtongues.com site comes the book, 'Sneakers: The Complete Collectors' Guide.' It's an encyclopaedic guide, with more than 500 specially taken color photographs which displays over 180 sneaker designs that have made a mark on sneaker culture worldwide. There are examples to delight both the novice collector and the hard-core sneaker freak, from acknowledged classics like the Converse All Star to the latest Nike Air technology.
Unorthodox Styles is a London-based creative consultancy, specializing in graphic design, Web design, and photography. It is the producer of Crookedtongues.com, the leading online sneaker resource.
Posted by richard ting at May 19, 2005, 10:52 AM
May 13, 2005
NKE 6.0
|
|
NKE 6.0 is a youth movement and product line that is committed to the progression of action sports. Action sports have evolved in a short period of time. Spawned from personal expression and innovation they challenge our ideas of what is possible.
Posted by richard ting at May 13, 2005, 04:53 PM
May 05, 2005
Co-Opting Street Art on the LES
[via Curbed]
Finally, a truce in the ongoing struggle between art and commerce. After recent battles went both ways (Yay art! Yay, um, commerce!), the always level-headed Lower East Side weighs-in with a solution: Why not celebrate both? This newish Ludlow St. mural manages to do just that, expressing its bleak view of the urban jungle while also managing to pinpoint the exact location of Eldridge Street sneakerhead Mecca Nort. It's a beautiful thing when two opposing sides can come together like this, all in the name of Nike.
Posted by richard ting at May 05, 2005, 01:47 PM
Nike Decides Not to Do Business With Sears
[from nytimes.com]
By NAT IVES
Published: May 5, 2005
NIKE'S decision to stop selling its sneakers and clothes at Sears is shining a spotlight on the impact retail environments have on marketers' brands.
Though the companies themselves have said little about the move, retail analysts quickly pronounced it a result of the Kmart Holding Corporation's $12 billion acquisition of Sears, Roebuck & Company in March.
Nike may have feared that its products would wind up for sale at Kmart, a discount chain, analysts said. If not, Nike may still have worried that Sears Holdings, the company that resulted from the Kmart-Sears combination, would undermine Nike's image.
When Sears Holdings was formed, its chief executive, Alan J. Lacy, said that the new company would offer a complete shopping solution. "Shoppers will have greater access to the leading proprietary brands of both Kmart and Sears," Mr. Lacy said. Kmart stores, for example, would be able to sell products once exclusive to Sears, like Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliances.
The cross-pollination, however, has yet to significantly improve the image of either chain.
At the same time, Nike has continued to pursue high-gloss ad campaigns. It is spending an estimated $20 million to $30 million, for example, on its warriors campaign that shows professional athletes donning masks.
In sum, Nike spent an estimated $220 million last year to advertise in major United States media, according to TNS Media Intelligence. It is also the runaway sales leader in its chief category. With about $3.2 billion in wholesale footwear sales last year, Nike represented 36.3 percent of the nation's $8.9 billion branded athletic shoe market, according to Sporting Goods Intelligence. Its next closest competitor, Reebok, had 12.2 percent of that market.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at May 05, 2005, 01:02 PM
May 04, 2005
Converse One launches 'Design Your Own'
Converse just recently launched their 'Design your own' service. Go check out the site to personalize a pair of Chuck Taylors.
Posted by richard ting at May 04, 2005, 08:43 PM
May 03, 2005
Air Force 1 thread on Niketalk.com
|
|
|
|
Check out the Air Force 1 thread on Niketalk.com
Posted by richard ting at May 03, 2005, 02:59 PM
May 02, 2005
NIKEiD in Times Square, NYC
[from nypost.com]
For six years, Nike's iD division has let sneaker enthusiasts design their own shoes online with a few mouse clicks. Now the athletic apparel giant is taking the customization craze a step further through new technology and savvy marketing. Using their cellphones, Nike fans will be able to customize a pair of shoes displayed on a 22-story digital screen in the heart of Times Square. After their 60-second session, they can either download their design as mobile phone wallpaper or go online and buy the product.
The interactive experience — a blend of mobile marketing, online shopping and video gaming — underscores the challenge for Nike to innovate on both the design and technology fronts. "We've integrated different components of this from time to time but this is the first time we've brought it all together," said John Mayo-Smith, vice president of technology for R/GA, Nike's interactive ad agency.
Beyond that, Nike sees this as a way to experiment with new kinds of marketing. While it expects a lot of people will try their hand at designing, it hopes to capture the attention of millions. Nike is relaunching the iD program with a redesigned Web site and a marketing campaign that also involves TV spots, online ads and "wild postings" outdoors.
Read more.
More press from ClickZ.
Posted by richard ting at May 02, 2005, 01:49 PM
May 01, 2005
Limited Edition Slayer Old Skool from Vans
Posted by richard ting at May 01, 2005, 11:05 AM
April 20, 2005
A Graffiti Legend Is Back on the Street
|
|
[from nytimes.com]
He arrived on foot, and on time, wearing heavily grease-stained beige overalls and boots. He seemed to be in his late 30's or early 40's, with thinning light brown hair. He had the windburned eyes and blackened fingernails of an ironworker, along with the vaguely feral intensity of someone on the lam.
But he hardly looked like the kind of shadowy revolutionary figure who had once declared that his goal was to "tear the city to pieces and rebuild it." Now, he says, smiling weakly, "I stop at stop signs; I pay taxes; I get up and go to work and get a paycheck."
In the New York graffiti world of the early 1990's, he was everywhere and larger than life, sometimes literally: the name Revs, usually accompanied by that of his partner in crime, Cost, could be found scrawled, wheat-pasted or painted in gargantuan white letters on overpasses, walls and roofs from SoHo to northern New Jersey. The work upended many traditional notions of graffiti and helped inspire a new generation of so-called street artists.
Then in late 1994 Cost was arrested for vandalism. Revs went underground and left the city for Alaska. And when he returned, his work went mostly underground, too - into the subway, where he painted long, feverish diary entries worthy of a Dostoyevsky character on dozens of walls hidden deep inside the tunnels. (He called this a personal mission and said he did not care if anybody else saw them.)
But over the last few years, he has re-emerged into public view and reincarnated himself in a way few of his fans ever expected, as a legitimate and (mostly) law-abiding sculptor. He has made dozens of works using construction-grade steel and other metal parts and has sought the permission of building owners to weld and bolt them to the outsides of buildings in the meatpacking district, the East Village, the Gowanus Canal area and Dumbo, where the gentrifying but still half-deserted streets have become a veritable Revs gallery.
Yet unlike many former graffiti artists who have turned their street credibility into successful careers as graphic designers or youth-market branding gurus, Revs has continued to shun, angrily, the worlds of conventional art and commerce. He makes his living about as far from the art world as possible, as a union ironworker, surrounded by co-workers who mostly have no idea of his reputation as a near-mythical deity of the graffiti world. His only gallery show, in Philadelphia in 2000, was to raise money so he could pay a lawyer after he was arrested for the subway graffiti. Otherwise, he has refused to sell his work or take commissions for it.
Posted by richard ting at April 20, 2005, 12:44 PM
March 29, 2005
NIKEiD.com Global Re-launch
The newly redesigned NIKEiD.com site had it's global launch late last night. It's quite a premium experience with it's clean, sharp visual design, light page weights, ultra fast page loads, and smart interaction design. What an improvement over the last version of the site. Also, check out the new Collections section. It's hot as hell and for all those sneaker nerds out there, you can finally iD those dunks.
Posted by richard ting at March 29, 2005, 07:30 PM
March 21, 2005
Kicksfinder.com Updated
Our good friends at KICKSFINDER have recently updated their site with the latest SBs and a new Jordan section. Give them a look and for those that don't know already -- Kicksfinder is a visual ebay kicks search tool.
Posted by richard ting at March 21, 2005, 02:01 PM
New Huarache 2K5 Feature on Nikebasketball.com
March Madness is upon us and the new team oriented Air Zoom Huarache 2K5 feature has just launched on nikebasketball.com. Check out this feature which was designed by design superpower, R/GA. Nike was able to get our favorite Ghost Dog, Forest Whitaker, to chip in with the voice-over.
Posted by richard ting at March 21, 2005, 12:02 AM
March 20, 2005
For Kicks - From NYTimes Magazine
By ROB WALKER
Mark Ong was a sneakerhead -- that is, one of the thousands of people all over the world who talk and think about sneakers the way that Paul Giamatti's character in the movie ''Sideways'' talks and thinks about wine (only without chemical dependency or pointy-head metaphors about the meaning of life). Then, about a year and a half ago, a Web site called Niketalk held a contest, inviting readers to submit photographs of sneakers they had ''customized'' -- given new, hand-painted designs. Ong, a graphic designer, reworked a pair of white Air Force 1's with a safari-print graphic treatment adapted from a different Nike model, and he won. There was no prize, but it was the beginning of a new career. Now known as SBTG(pronounced ''sabotage''), Ong sells his customized Nikes for $350 a pair.
SBTG is not the first sneakerhead to, in effect, go pro. The most famous customizer is probably the Los Angeles-based artist who works under the name Methamphibian, whose shoes (or kicks, as they say) can go for $900 a pair and who is now designing sneakers that are scheduled to be produced by DC Shoes, which makes skateboarding shoes and apparel. But the story of SBTG affords a look at one facet of the sneaker phenomenon -- that is, the way that fashion and brand loyalty can come together in what might be considered the folk art of a consumer culture.
Ong works out of his apartment in Singapore, but his projects are transnational. After winning the Niketalk competition, he made a set of 72 pairs of sneakers for a store in Tokyo. He has since released sets with the Hong Kong toymaker adFunture and a London D.J. called Unkle. For Sneaker Freaker magazine, based in Melbourne, Australia, he contributed a step-by-step customizing guide and executed a custom Nike Dunk co-branded with the sponsor Tiger Beer. His shoes are included in the world-traveling sneaker gallery show Sneaker Pimps (sponsored in part by the Finish Line retail chain), and he is starting an apparel line, Royalefam, with Ambush, a Singapore boutique. ''Right up to this day, I still think that it feels kind of surreal,'' SBTG told me recently of his transition from fan to brand.
SBTG's first official U.S. sneaker release last year was at Packer Shoes in Teaneck, N.J. A boutique-style shop that looks as if it belongs in Lower Manhattan, Packer is a spinoff of a family-owned Yonkers store; Michael Packer, who runs the Teaneck store, explained that his father had one of the first Nike accounts in New York. On the night the shoes were released, a couple dozen sneakerheads journeyed to Teaneck and bought most of the 24 pairs of the SBTG X Packer Desert Mayhems.
Sneaker enthusiasm has a long history. Consumers have blurred the lines between athletic gear and stylish streetwear. Sneaker makers have responded by stoking the market for status-giving scarcity by producing limited-edition models that can draw small mobs (although it's likely that the mobs are mostly sneakerpreneurs who then flip their purchases on eBay for huge markups). Perhaps customizing, the popularity of which is growing, gives consumers more control over what makes a product special.
Maybe the strangest thing about the sneaker subculture is that Nike, a mainstream megabrand, is not shunned like mainstream merlot in ''Sideways'' but is at the center of the action. Niketalk.com was not founded by and is not moderated by the company but rather by a handful of dedicated sneaker fanatics who swap news, gossip and opinions about Nike products. Alex Wang, better known in the sneaker community as Retrokid, is an administrator of the site and is another sneaker enthusiast who has gone pro, as the creative director of the magazine Sole Collector. He says Nike is not directly involved in the site, though people at the company read it, and it's widely believed that some of them post. (Nike declined to comment for this column.) Nevertheless, it's essentially a community of brand fans, with more than 35,000 registered users. It's as if a computer-hacker subculture developed around a devotion to Microsoft products. SBTG says he has had only limited contact with Nike, but so far it is the only brand of sneaker he has worked on. ''It's got nice lines, nice space, it looks right; it sort of motivates me,'' he says. ''It's the perfect canvas.''
Posted by richard ting at March 20, 2005, 12:54 PM
March 19, 2005
New SB Line
 |
 |
 |
 |
The new Nike SB line just recently launched. Above are the images of the Zoom Mopione, Air Mopit, and Vuldor. I'm not so crazy about the logos on the tongues.
Posted by richard ting at March 19, 2005, 12:13 AM
March 06, 2005
saturday-london
Check out some of the Zvezdochka installation photographs on the saturday-london website. The saturday-london website may also be of interest to you designers out there. It's another site that is using the zooming in and out navigation. Well executed and smooth to use.
Posted by richard ting at March 06, 2005, 03:48 PM
March 01, 2005
Nike Considered
Consider History. Consider The Present. Consider The Future.
CONSIDERED Exhibition @ Reed Space. Shoes that look different because they're made different. An inside look at the evolution of Considered Design.
Opening Reception
Thursday March 3rd, 2005 // 7pm-10pm
RSVP Required: mrreed@stapledesign.com (include your shirt/shoe size)
*** SPACE IS LIMITED ***
View invite: http://www.thereedspace.com
Made possible by:
Nike / www.nikeconsidered.com
Staple Design /www.stapledesign.com
Posted by richard ting at March 01, 2005, 02:01 AM
February 24, 2005
Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation
Check out the new book written by Jeff Chang. Here's the review from Booklist.
Hip-hop aesthetics pervade not just pop music but also pop culture, though many still find their appeal a cipher. Chang details the rise of hip-hop and rap from their origins as cultural expressions of the marginalized underclass in Kingston, Jamaica, where bass-heavy, stripped-down sounds and pointed lyrics predominated. There DJ Kool Herc, the nearly undisputed founder of rap, found inspiration and brought the freewheeling Jamaican styles to the Bronx, where they and he found favor with the locals at mid-1970s street parties. Herc's "four hip-hop elements"--DJing, B-Boying, MCing, and graffiti--quickly took hold, and hip-hop culture flourished as a youthful underclass' DIY mode of expression. Hip-hop didn't grow or operate in a vacuum, however, and Chang shows how political and social events affected and were affected by hip-hop's progress. For instance, in Loop (i.e., chapter) 1, he strings together Jackie Robinson, Adam Clayton Powell, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, and rampant arson in the Bronx to explain hip-hop's U.S. emergence. A fascinating, far-reaching must for pop-music and pop-culture collections. Mike Tribby
Posted by richard ting at February 24, 2005, 02:33 PM
February 23, 2005
Sneaker Riot
[from the NYPost]
Talk about sneaker wars. Customers on the Lower East Side were duking it out in the street yesterday over a limited-edition Nike Pigeon (NYC) Dunk skateboarding shoe.
Not even Big 'Twoine — the 300-pound bouncer hired to keep order — was able to control the dozens of "sneakerheads" who rushed the door at The Reed Space store at 10:30 a.m. yesterday.
When tempers flared, cops were called to restore order. It was all in the name of target marketing and the desire to be the first.
"It was kind of crazy," said Nico Reyes, a store manager. Reyes said a fight broke out after a bunch of people tried to skip the line that snaked outside the Orchard Street store.
Posted by richard ting at February 23, 2005, 12:10 AM
February 11, 2005
Really Hot Japanese Sneaker Site
|  |
 |  |
 |  |
I came across this really hot Japanese sneaker site that has a vast archive of old-school and limited edition Nikes.
Posted by richard ting at February 11, 2005, 04:11 PM
February 09, 2005
Sneaker Art from Fresh Heir Studios
Thanks to the guys from Fresh Heir studios for sending over some samples of their work. These cats from Northern New Jersey are working hard to crank out a new line of Spring 2005 t-shirts for their Dinamik Cover clothing line. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for further updates.
Check out the Dinamik Cover site.
Check out the Fresh Heir site.
Posted by richard ting at February 09, 2005, 12:42 AM
January 30, 2005
More Photos from Lebron Chamber of Fear NYC Event
Posted by richard ting at January 30, 2005, 11:10 PM
January 29, 2005
Metrodotpop NIKEid - Air Max 180
The Air Max 180 Artist Collaboration site designed by interactive design powerhouse, R/GA, went live a few weeks ago. On the site, users can order special fun packs which consist of one preconfigured Air Max 180 shoe and the one 180 artist collab t-shirt. The 4 artist collab t-shirts were designed by the likes of Alphonse Holtgreve, Ojas, Marcello Morandini, and Ralph Steadman.
Posted by richard ting at January 29, 2005, 07:03 PM
January 28, 2005
Lebron James Chamber of Fear NYC Event
Here are some photos from tonight's event. I'll write more about it and post more photos later today. Good night.
Posted by richard ting at January 28, 2005, 01:19 AM
January 27, 2005
Picks of the Week - Week 3
The Zoom Lebron II's are a necessity for any collection out there. It's a basketball shoe, but could easily double as a skater shoe. Remove the ankle strap to expose the special Lebron etched pattern. The Adidas Men's KG Attitude looks to have been inspired by the old shool classic, the Adidas Men's Forum ST. Equal hot-ness, give them both a look. Lastly, I round out my picks with the Nike Men's Air Max Turbulence. We all love our active life shoes and our basketball shoes, but every once in a while you need to insert a smooth, sleek running shoe into the mix. Support our sponsor and check out some of these hot kicks on Eastbay. Peace.
Zoom Lebron II | Adidas Men's Forum ST |
Nike Men's Air Max Turbulence | Adidas Men's KG Attitude |
Posted by richard ting at January 27, 2005, 12:20 AM
January 23, 2005
Nike Hypes released at the Lebron event in San Francisco
[also posted on niketalk.com and 5th-dimension.info]
Posted by richard ting at January 23, 2005, 05:40 PM
January 20, 2005
Nike Dunk Low Desmond - at 255 Event
 |
 |
 |
So, I managed to make it out to the Nike 255 Event last night and I was pleasantly surprised to be on the receiving end of some free Nike giveaways. Nike hooked up a good majority of those in attendance with a free pair of Nike Dunk Low Desmonds and a free NikeiD messenger bag. Each pair of the Dunks were individually numbered with a unique laser etching along the sides of the shoe. (see above images) Every NikeiD messenger bag given out was also unique. They were made out of old Nike advertising signage materials similar to the Freitag messenger bags that are made out of old tarpulin. The giveaways and the event were hot, thanks Nike.
Posted by richard ting at January 20, 2005, 11:58 PM
January 19, 2005
LeBron Campaign and QR Codes in Japan
 | |