Wednesday 29 December 2010

What I do in my new kicks

Get some you lazy bum!

Going nowhere fast

Innovative + alternative method for kicks display 

Square Force 1

A crisp new silhouette that would make Bruce Kilgore proud  

Customisation 1

Customisations 2 + 3

Saturday 25 December 2010

Sign of what is to come: The Fruits of Sneakerpedia

Nike Air Pegasus

THE STORY:
1983, Made in Korea. Nylon upper with synthetic suede supports. TomiLite midsole, a mix of EVA and sponge rubber. The waffle sole didn't have the usual rubber square bumps along the central part but featured an element capable of increasing the trampoline effect during the run: the Air Wedge unit beneath the heel. The first Pegasus model was the forefather of a long line of running sneakers: the GXN was a shoe dedicated to neutral runners, particularly long-lasting and suited to long-distance training. The success of the following models has detracted nothing from the charm of the original, which continues to be sold to this day, almost 30 years later.



Air Windrunner Leather "Limited Edition"
THE STORY:
The "Limited Edition" range from the late 80's/ early 90's were the first Nike shoes to be produced for fashion. They were only sold in very limited numbers in boutiques and key stores around the world and given as gifts to rappers/ DJ's etc in the hip-hop scene.


Air Force II "Espo"
THE STORY:

There are only 1050 pairs of this edition. First shoe to use clear plastic panels. Came with extra laces and socks.



Nike Air Stab


THE STORY:
1989, Made in Korea.
The Stab was the top running sneaker in Nike's late-80s catalog; it was the outcome of a technological research centered on the intersole. The combination of the Air with the Footbridge system, specially conceived for runners with pronation problems, made it a simultaneously stable and well-cushioned shoe. Other key features were: dual-layer nylon mesh and synthetic suede; thermoplastic material heel guard; BRS 1000 rubber waffle sole. It was tested for the first time in training by Priscilla Welch, the Nike-sponsored English athlete sponsored who won the New York marathon in 1987.  


Thursday 23 December 2010

Confessions of a Sneakerhead

The work of a Brooklyn street scholar

Rack dem and stack dem 

Point Perfect

New angles of display mean all new silhouettes  

I'll cop them with a bit of duck sauce please

Hanging fresh & ready to go
+ 
It don't come easier than a quick take-away and you knows it

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Two of the best collaborations this year

RVCA Marseille Cap by NEW ERA
& 


Air Jordan 2 Quentin Richardson PE

This ain't no Nike ID customisation

The colours of numbers

Bespoke vs Custom Round 1: someone call it

Nike Air Force 1 Bespoke by Chris Doohan
VS

Self Customization of a plain, crisp, white low uptown

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Let's freshen the game up

Air Jordan take some notes - this cat needing sponsorship

Let me break it down just one last time

You ain't moving forward without retrospective deconstruction

Sunday 19 December 2010

The Creative Process

The wall of ideas

The nitty gritty of it all

New direction for the Air Jordan 1 colour scheme?

The voices from the street: 9 new colourways for the Air Jordan 1 from London Town

Thursday 16 December 2010

A Tribe Called Quest Documentary (Preview)... Beats, Rhymes and Fights


During Rock The Bells 2008 tour Michael Rapaport starting filming his A Tribe Called Quest documentary called Beats, Rhymes and Fights: The History of A Tribe Called QuestWe finally get a preview of this much anticipated documentary which is set to be released in 2011. Questlove (The Roots), Large Professor, Prince Paul & Monie Love are all featured in the trailer. As a die-hard fan of the group I can’t wait to see this documentary. Did I mention that Madlib and Peanut Butter Wolf are responsible for the music and original score for this documentary? Yeah, its going to be tight real tight!

Street Struck: The Big L Story



The documentary, produced by Dangerzone Films, chronicles the rapper - real name Lamont Coleman -'s rise to fame. The documentary includes his work with Children of Da Corn (Ma$e, McGruff, Bloodshed and Cam'Ron), as well as his part as a member of the Diggin' In The Crates crew.




The documentary will, in addition, have stories told by family members, friends and other rappers that collaborated with him.



Fans of the deceased rapper will be especially excited to know that the documentary will feature rare footage of Big L performing with Big Pun on stage, as well as conducting an interview from the set of Fat Joe's "John Blaze" video shoot.



Artists such as Mysonne, DJ Premier, Showbiz, McGruff, Cipha Sounds, and Stan Spit, among others, give their insight on the rapper, who was gunned down February 1999 in Harlem.


Tragedy Kadafi - The Story Of Queensbridge


Here is the first part of an in-depth look at the life of the hip-hop MC known as Tragedy Khadafi, aka Intelligent Hoodlum, who hails from the Queensbridge housing project in New York City. The focus is on Tragedy (Khadafi), telling his life storie through interviews with people around him, older footage plus interviews with the man himself inside of prison. At the same time it's a documentation and cultural journey into the story of the hip-hop mecca that is QueensBridge and if I remember correctly there's footage of Marley Marl, Mobb Deep, Capone N Noreaga, Infamous Mobb, the Screwball clique and many others. This is just the first part but all of it can be found on youtube. 

Wednesday 15 December 2010

The Paper Round 2 = Paper Nike SB x Supreme Collabo: Bruin


An ode to the White Uptown

DJ E-Z Rock Wears AF1s on the "It Takes Two" Cover
Sneaker: Air Force 1
Year: 1988

Now we take Harlemites in fly footwear for granted, but when DJ E-Z Rock chose to rock Uptowns for the "It Takes Two" shoot, the idea was novel. Sneakers were becoming increasingly elaborate, and we pondered why he picked a plain, stack-soled creation like this over the air-bubbled Revolution or a Max, but now we understand. This was major exposure for a regional favorite.




The Paper Round = Crisp White Uptowns



Tuesday 14 December 2010

These sneaks are made for walking


As much as the next man, I have always been jealous of those cartoon characters whose legs turn into blurry, rotating wheels when they run fast, so this newish (c. 2008) invention might be the closest any of us get. The man behind the creation is wheel maker Max Knight, who created this bike for Intersection Magazine by replacing each tire with 8 sneakers (importantly with socks too) and then turning each “spoke” into a sturdy, leg-like bar. 


Sadly the dream has yet to be reached due to the less than high performance nature of the final prototype.  Aside from living this dream, 16 interchangeable sneakers displayed in all their singular beauty is enough of a compensation for any sneaker head I'm sure. 


Saturday 11 December 2010

Better than wearing them yourself

One way to display your new pair of Air Jordan IX's

Friday 10 December 2010

The Tribe Called Quest remix

Mr. Jordan would you please be my mayor? You'll be doing us a real big favor.

Thursday 9 December 2010

The drawing board for customisation

Manhattan keeps on makin it, Brooklyn keeps on takin it... so start wearing your heart on your kicks.

The style of music

my Adidas and me, close as can be, we make a mean team, my Adidas and me we get around together, rhyme forever and we won't be mad when worn in bad weather

SOUL 2 SOLE - David Park

An illustrative history of the few kicks everyone needs to know about.

Nike Sportswear: Max to Maxim