It may seem hard to imagine, especially if you’re in the United States with COVID-19 rates steadily rising as we stumble into the (happier) new year, but we will be travelling again. We will be— like David Bronkie, founder of Koya got tired of doing— awkwardly packing dirty runners into carry-on luggage, stuffed in plastic bags or wrapped in something weird. Bronkie came up with the Koya system of trail running sneakers (the Rove) that can be folded relatively flat and packed neatly into a carrying case (the Roam) that resembles a CD envelope. Check out the video:
Koya is presently in the crowdfunding stage, which appears to be running far past its goal. The presentation is comprehensive and impressive so it’s no surprise other trail-running light-packing travel bugs seem to agree. We look forward to following the journey of this innovative offering into 2021 and beyond.
I like a good phone as much as the next guy, gal or gender X— just got this device a few weeks ago and was inspired to drop a little Who, What, When, Where, Why(in reverse order) for anyone interested. My first phones were rotary. Then came push-button. Cordless evolved into mobile with little retractable antennae, to flip & candybar to these infernal things we have now..
Smart. When I’m rolling with the Palm I get a feel of my favorite cell phone of yesteryear, the Motorola PEBL (which was an SUV’d-up RAZR). Knowing I have all the modern maps and apps at my disposal is a better feeling than using them frivolously. This isn’t a phone that begs for your attention, so we like it more. Someone was bound to do this sooner or later, and I’m happy with what the new iteration of Palm brought to market.
My favorite celly back in the day
WHY?
Because who wants to lug an impulse-driven power-phablet around all the livelong day especially since they’ve become so devilishly smart? Mentally the new Palm lends lends itself to the essence of what our mobile phones were circa 2005. It’s the tiniest a phone can be without even being a thing at all. A bit like the watch (on your bill at least), but something else (you could strap this to your wrist and make it so). Not every blip needs action, and this gives you plenty of options to let only VIPs through. Cloud notes can be scribbled for later access on bigger screens. Synced-up contacts and a simplified version of Android allow you to create a mini version of your phone, but one with a size advantage that can go any way depending on your imagination.
WHERE?
Wear wherever! Preferably pocket. The Palm is so small— uncased it could so so easily fall beneath a carseat, in a grate, down a chute— faster than you could say shh. It’s wearable in that it’s your responsibility to keep it from falling—or falling out of the wrong hands. This means you shouldn’t let anyone examine it, which is fine because since it’s barely a thing at all, it looks much better hidden. One of the reasons I wrote this article is to direct curious askers to it if they ask to see mine.
WHEN?
When you want to be polite, social, busy. When you bicycle, go to dinner, play handball. You can always switch back to your main phone when you’re done with your minimalist mission. Face it. Socially, once you’ve reached the people you need to be with, the big boppin’ phone isn’t always a good look. The Palm is great for times you want to go against the obsessive, phone-addicted, picture-fiend aesthetic that’s so common in today’s public spaces.
WHAT?
Palm calls this a cell phone the size of a credit card. They’re right. I’m using the companion version. It is also available as a standalone. It runs a simplified version of Android, has one single button and one USB-C slot.
WHO?
palm.com (no affiliation)
Less = more is my philosophy with this and I’m slowly adding apps based on how essential I deem them. “Subway Time” works fine on here as does the freelancer-friendly work app “When I Work”. I checked into flights, used the flashlight, took some pictures— having another smaller phone with the same number is something I’ve wanted as a consumer so I was happy to buy into this. I’m looking for suggestions on a good weather app. Feel free to tweet us with tips. Here’s a raw unedited Palm camera photo of the Ferris Wheel at the Brockton Fair a few days ago:
Popdiatry occasionally writes about apparel and accessories in our feature Off The Path.
We love natural materials on the inside of our footwear. Leather, suede and cork do a superior job of molding to our footprint and absorbing perspiration. What about wood? A brand called Zederna manufactures these ultra-thin insoles made of cedar wood, and I’m giving them a good walk-around.
Cedar is the world’s go-to freshening wood. Layering a thin piece of 100% cedar over 100% cotton to create a shoe insole seems brilliant at first impression. The pleasant smell is there. The soles are stiff, pliable, and about as thin as a penny.
Zedernas come in fourteen different sizes (women’s 5 to men’s 14), and are not intended to ever be cut with scissors. This product worked best in shoes with a relatively neutral insole shape and would not be ideal for sneakers or footwear with orthotic-style footbeds. More on that later.
The packaging says you can wear these without socks. After trying them in a variety of different types of shoe, I gave them a long-term gig inside my Softstar Portlanders which I tend to wear sockless around at home during the warmer months.
We’ve been a fan of Oregon’s KEEN and their penchant for coming up with eye-catching, functional designs for outdoor types. (I love my left/right socks). I recall seeing their UNEEK line of open-air footwear hit the scene, but it wasn’t until I inspected the latest UNEEKs up close did I get a little mEsMeRiZeD by the tapestried system of interlocking cords that attach the sole to the upper, creating a sturdy, ornamental web around your foot.
KEENfootwear.com
KEEN threw a party last week on Orchard Street in NYC to showcase the UNEEK 02 line, which they feel perfects the build of the 01s with even more thought on how the cords (flat and rounded) work with the natural shape of the foot. I’d knee-jerkedly put them on a list of “things to wear instead of flip-flops”
Photo: KEEN
On display, they had the prototype collection of what would become the UNEEK, including the OG pin & thread over last:
I got to chat with members of the Keen team, and they assured me these would probably be good for river-tubing. It takes a stroke of confidence to uniquely call your thing U-Neek. I’d say that KEEN delivered with what are essentially little engineering masterpieces. I’d consider trying them out on the beach, probably while bumping some Eek-A-Mouse, and maybe a little Chronixx.
Have you heard of Because International– the shoe that is meant to be adjustable from size 5 to a size 12?
A still of a sketch from Vimeo.com/TobinRogers
African kids try out some prototypes of adjustable size shoes. Still from Vimeo.com/TobinRogers
The creator of these wants a lasting shoe that can be adjusted according to the growth spurts of school-aged children with the use of straps and snaps. It’s a great idea. I’d be interested in seeing if it can be achieved in a non-janky manner.
Some day, touch screen devices will be able to transmit a true sense of touch. You’d be able to run your finger over this shot of the collaboration Viberg Boots did with Leffot (Manhattan) and feel the eye-catching grain of the triple bullhide.
Instagram.com/leffot
These beasts went available for pre-order on Leffot’s site Saturday. Are you on the list?
“Joe leaves big shoes to fill – on and off the field… “saidTampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn about Joe Maddon, who announced Saturday he’d be opting out as the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team coach for 2015.
New Balance umpire shoes
Which reminds me; I was flicking through the Zappos app the other day and saw these New Balance MU950 (made in China) “umpire” shoes. According to NewBalance.com the 950 series is the official on-field footwear of Major League Baseball umpires. I like the look of that sole; I’d call it ‘cleat lite’. They even have other styles with big pads over the lace deck. Surely a hit for your umpire Halloween costume.
New Balance screenshot from Eastbay.com
Random
Rapper Shoes: A still of some Birdmans from the Rich Gang video for “Lifestyle”
There was something else I was going to write about but I have to hop off now. I’ll leave you with this authentic robo-crafted piece of spam-poetry. Think of it as an online fortune of sorts: Click to enlarge.
The company is Rollasole. Their line of ballet flats, also available at select brick & mortar spots, now come rolled up plastic cans along with cloth a protective bag ($20- $40) out of a pink swirly machine. They’re perfectly aimed at the “My feet are killing in these heels” demos that roam areas like Vegas, SoCal, and beyond.
Over at 8473 Melrose Avenue in L.A., a man is standing on a circular surface wearing socks that look like something Spiderman would sport to an Oakland A’s game. A state-of-the-art 3D scanner orbits around his feet and takes over 150 detailed pictures from the ankles down.
Said man is taking the first step in getting a pair of custom dress shoes made in Portugal by an American-based company called the Left Shoe . A 3D image of his foot is processed through proprietary software and becomes the foundation (the last) on which the pair will be built.
Guys can pick the color combinations, and even get a custom message laser-etched into the insole of the right shoe.Check out their website(where I got these images)to view all of the styles available.
Did you know that the Oakland A’s are the only major league baseball team that wears white shoes all of the time?
Did you know the Red Wing shoe company launched its own print paper- the Red Wing Post– in Europe last month?
instagram.com/redwingheritage
Ducere Technologies’ Lechal brand “smart” shoes were all in the news cycle this week, but did you know you can get some Lechal Bluetooth-enabled insoles that can make almost any pair smarter?
www.lechal.com
Do you know why someone would want Bluetooth-enabled footwear? Haptic technology can create a vibrating effect on the left or right sole to guide you on walks and rides, eliminating the need to glance at anything (Hells Angels hate looking at smartphones). This makes the Lechals a potential breakthrough for the blind community. Along with counting steps and calories, you can also share fitness goals with other Lehcal users using the connected app (Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile). Check out Lecahl.com .
Hey Ladies! Would you try on this platform heel that was created using a 3D printer?
www.continuumfashion.com
Part art sculpture, part shoe- this kick is generated by a company called Continuum– ran by Mary Huang from Brooklyn, New York.
The above Continuum “Daphne” shoe being printed
Huang’s Continuum was an early adopter of software-based fashion items. Her pieces have been shown in museums, and this footwear- inspired by trees, the Apollo statue, and Tron*- are sure to show up in upcoming fashion photoshoots. They also print dresses and bikinis. Check out ContinuumFashion.com .
* Yori was Tron’s female sidekick in the first movie.
Have you heard about Paul Evans shoes? A couple fellas from NYC are sorta doing for shoe-shopping what Harry’s razors are doing for shaving. They believe they’ve created an affordable product for guys that can match the quality of popular brands we’d normally buy. Think hundreds, not thousands.
Paul Evans Cognac Chukkas
They scouted a factory in Italy to create their designs, and launched a website to sell them direct to consumer. The shoes are very conservative business-guy style, but it might be time you got your suit together and entered the business world proper, bro. With belts and bags to match, you might attain that extra edge to close that deal, increase your EBITDA, or at least get her number. Check PaulEvansNY.com .
Speaking of the Oakland A’s… I mean… the Boston Red Sox- it’s Baseball time- C-ya
A couple of imaginative designers have come up with a system that’ll create a pair of kicks faster than an orthodontist can mold a dental retainer.
The system is called Don’t Run, and is the beta design project of Eugenia Morpurgo and Juan Montero from Europe. A laser cutting machine and some 3D printing guided by computer numerical control lets a creative person participate in making their own shoes like never before.
A single cut piece of leather is folded over over a sandwich of custom cut sole materials connected by small pegs that resemble board game pieces.
The whole enchilada is then secured by a shoelace, which also serves as stitching for key points on the upper. No glueing or machine sewing is involved.
Example of some finished Don’t Runs
The mobile “factory” resembles more of a print shop, with leather instead of paper, ethylene vinyl acetate instead of cardboard, and spools of lace instead of staples.
http://www.dontrun-beta.com/
The system has been travelling around in the mode of an art exhibit, with accomplished designers taking a swing with their own blueprints. It’s certainly the beginning of an interesting experiment. I can’t picture your jogging sneakers of hiking boots being replaced by what is more of a beefed up slipper, but the Don’t Run model shows what is possible using fresh technology. Along with showcasing a streamlined model of production (therefore consumption), it may make going to brick and mortar shoe shops exciting to a new-school consumer who would just assume click “buy” on a Zappos app.
This July 20th marks the 45th anniversary of man’s first walk on the moon. General Electric is celebrating by collaborating with sneaker maker Android Homme on these Missionsastronaut-styled boots, which go on sale Sunday at 4:18pm (time the Apollo 11 arrived on the moon) via JackThreads.com .
G.E. was involved with development of the original space boots in 1969. The new reboots are partially made of the same carbon fiber used for jet engine parts, and are coated with the type of stuff that keeps wind turbine blades ice-free.
Back on planet Earth, more than a third of men and half of women are walking around with shoes that don’t fit right. This has been gleaned from a study done by The College of Podiatry (U.K.). Their data shows that average shoe sizes have risen by two measurements since 1970. Shoe makers and retailers are noticing more bigger sizes, and consumers are not necessarily making better buying decisions in this still new millenium. Flats aren’t great alternatives to high-heels, narrow toe boxes are causing discomfort, and folks have been slacking on having their feet properly measured by a device such as a Brannock.Check out this awesome graphic. <-click.
What’s your take on this under-the-desk foot hammock?
Connect Design Fuut compact hammock
It’s a real thing created by Korea’s Connect Design. It comes in six different colors and costs 30 bucks. I bet a cat would have a blast on this too.
Wolverine Worldwideis discontinuing Patagonia shoes. Patagonia clothing is still cranking, but this will be the last year you’ll see their branded shoes as such on the shelves. LaCrosse Footwearhaspurchased the venerable White’s Boots brand. Serious boot-wearers know White’s as the bomb-proof work boots that are made in the USA. White’s president seems confident that that legacy will continue under the new owner. Canadian hiking & climbing gear company Arc’teryx is coming out with a line of new-school high performance footwear that feature ultra-modern two part designs incorporating an inner bootie, and tongueless outer shells.
