Comedy Kicks #3

July 31, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

POPDIATRY TALKS SHOES WITH COMEDIAN HAYWOOD TURNIPSEED JR.

P. Adidas is supposed to be coming out with an app/service where users can put a custom photo on a pair of sneakers. Can you think of anything that could go wrong with that?

Haywood: Boobs. You’re going to see people putting boobs on their sneakers. If you can upload any picture you want, unless they have some type of guidelines… but I didn’t see that when I was looking at it.

P. That has to be a tough call for Adidas- choosing whether to say yea or nay- like what if you did that but had pasties on them?

Haywood: Remember when Nike started doing the customized sneakers? It was okay for a minute. You could make it your own color, you could put your birthyear on there- but nobody really took advantage of it. My brother made a pair, I know another kid that made a pair, but nobody really took advantage of it until the last few years when people started getting custom Air Force 1s and what not.

P. Sneaker Con was just in New York City last week. What’s your take on sneakerhead culture in general?

Haywood: I’m torn- I shouldn’t say torn- that comes from the hip-hop generation- it really does. Hip-hop heads- sneakers are part of the culture, part of the gear, part of the outfit that we wear. It’s taken on a life of its own. My cousin has a booth- he sells sneakers- the kiosk at the mall with custom sneakers. He went to Sneaker Con and he was just telling me how ridiculously good it was. There were people from all over- Japan, Europe, and they had limited editions. They’re talking about thousand dollar- ten thousand dollar sneakers. I was like “Are you serious?”, and he’s like “Yes”.

P. They’re investments to some people..

Haywood: Yeah, exactly. Cats like Fat Joe will put them in glass boxes to keep them. They had a pair of Jordans that had 24 karat gold eyelets, and all I could think of was cars- like when people used to get cars customized- when they first started putting on gold hood ornaments. They don’t have those anymore, so sneakers have become the new ornaments for this entire culture. On one level I dig it- it’s great- but please save some money (laughter). It’s like comic book culture, it will ebb and flow. Right now it’s really good, but in four, five years what are you going to do with those gold-plated Jordans?

P. Yeah, it’s like- do you like to read comics, or with sneakers- wear them? A lot of materials in sneakers aren’t meant to last a long time. I’ve heard stories about people unboxing unworn Jordans from the 90s and the glue has come unattached, and they just fell apart. The pressure of your foot actually serves to mush the entire product and keep everything in place.

Haywood: Jordans, that’s kind of what changed the culture- Jordan getting his own sneaker deal. When they started having automotive guys engineer the sneaker based on the foot- it’s like- Jordan used to wear a different sneaker every game because they would break down and wear down. If you’re wearing it on a regular basis it’s gonna break down, but if you don’t, it’s still going to do the same thing. Like you said, it’s not designed to be put up, they’re designed to be worn. That Foamposite thing- that stuff cracks in dry heat. Now we’re talking about it like a cigar. You gotta keep ‘em in a humidifier.

P. I’m sure there’s someone out there with a special climate controlled chamber just for their sneakers

Haywood: I know- an oxygen chamber for their sneaks…

P. A giant freezer or something…

Haywood: I would like to know cuz I have a couple pairs I would like to put in there.

HaywoodTurnipseedStormtrooperAdida — #ShellToes “…a pair of (Star Wars) Stormtroopers that I’m rocking the wheels off of… “ -HTJ

P. Do you have any observations on kid’s shoes today? When I was a kid, the concept of big brands was more low-key. Now kids have on Adidas and Nikes before they can even walk.

Haywood: When I was growing up the brands were Stride Rite, or Kangaroos- with the pouch on the side so you could put your money in there, and you had the Hush Puppies if you wanted to get dressed up…

P. Or Buster Browns.

Haywood: Exactly, and now it’s like- part of the sneaker culture bleeding over. One of my neighbors- she bought her kid some Jordans. I’m like “You know he’s going to grow out of those in two to three months.”. You want something that they can grow into, not something to shape their foot, but to just house their foot. Personally I still go to Stride Rite for my kids. They’ve got on a pair of Stride Rites right now!

P. Out and about in DC, have you noticed any blatant footwear fashion violations lately where you’re like “What the hell…”

Haywood: We were talking Adidas and sneaker culture- I see a lot of kids these days- they’ll rock an Adidas track suit- not just the jacket, but the full track suit and then a pair of Jordans just because they match with the color scheme…. No! That’s a hip-hop faux pas. You don’t do that. You don’t just throw stuff together. Skateboard culture can get away with that. Hip-hop culture can’t get away with that.

P. Where I went to high school in Brockton Massachusetts, you could get bullied for wearing mismatched brands- like Reebok shoes with Puma socks. It was known as perpetration..

Haywood: Exactly- you’re perpetrating. Now cats just do it like it’s okay. A couple of my buddies who rap- they’re actually hip-hop heads- call people out on twitter for that, and Instagram. The old hip-hop guard is paying attention (laughter). They gotta rep the culture right.

Click your way to the comedic stylings of Haywood Turnipseed Jr.

3D Printing, customize, footwear, ingenuity, manufacturing, Shoes, technology

Walk To The Nearest

July 21, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

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 — 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.

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.

All images from this post were grabbed from DontRun-Beta.com

footwear, Shoes

From New York With Love: ARTOLA

July 21, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

I saw their boot with a protrusion that kept your pant legs from fraying, then I saw some of their prototypes that were made in Brooklyn, NY:

I was therefore stoked to have a chance to talk with Mr. J Artola himself, creator and designer of the brand. I learned a lot, not only about his vision for Artola, but about shoemaking itself- manufacturing, and factory knowledge he gained while personally visiting manufacturing plants in China, India, and Mexico while working for Frye, Guess and other biggies.

A Shoe Artola had custom made for rapper Flo Rida

He was of course wearing a one-of-a-kind pair of Artola casual boots, carrying a sturdy new leather Artola bag filled with exclusive and prototypical Artola shoes- a pair manufactured in Arkansas and a couple made right here in Brooklyn, New York. While the multinational brands we know and love rain a seemingly infinite amount of styles and colors on us, Artola takes more of an indie route, creating smaller batches of thoughtfully designed shoes with unique features that pick up where the pant-leg protectors left off: Inside-out blossomy lace eyelets, reinforced heel-sole corners. flavorful buckles and such…

I snapped a few pics of these unreleased made in Brooklyn Artolas. With respect to the Italian shoemaking tradition, Artola believes a product of equal quality can one day be manufactured in New York City in substantive quantities. Reshoring, and the rise of maker-culture are turning up the heat on this concept, along with a more discerning consumer, who may look at shoes as an investment more than a disposable commodity.

ArtolaMens3 — A shoe company grows in Brooklyn

It took a couple old-world artisans two months to craft just twelve pairs of the Brooklyns. You’re not going to see ’em on the clearance rack at Marshalls any time soon. Artola’s current retail line is manufactured in León Mexico- a post NAFTA shoemaking capital of sorts, where the company can deal with packages on trucks rather than containers on boats. Artola can keep a ma and pa type operation going while achieving their designs in a high quality fashion without having to fly across the globe every month.

Nordstrom has Artolas in stock and you can check out this roster of where else to find them. Special thanks to Jury and Olga!

Check out Artola in real time (booth 5019) at Project Sole this July 20th – 22nd at the Javits Convention Center in NYC

footwear, sports

Your Feet and BMX Freestyle Flatlanding

July 18, 2014 Chris Nesti 2 Comments

There’s a flatland BMX freestyle contest going down in southeastern Massachusetts this Sunday.

Flatland freestyle, as you may gather, is done on flat land, and often involves intricate footwork where the rider dances with the bike while trying to avoid touching their feet to the ground. I chatted with the manager of the Flatland Fracas contest series- my old BMX chum- Rick Macdonald, about the shoe angle:

P. What type of footwear do you recommend for riders when flatlanding?

Rick: Mostly low or mid top skateboarding shoes like Vans, Etnies, etc… Some older guys who need the support are using full hightop basketball shoes, but those are getting hard to find with a flat sole, or no devices implanted into them. I don’t know how some of these riders do it with low-top canvas shoes. I would break a metatarsal or something within minutes.

P. Remember those “bear-trap” style pedals? Does anyone use those flatlanding, or were those more for BMX racing?

Rick: Nobody uses those for flatland- one false move and you are talking a few hundred stitches! Actually, flatlanders prefer a plastic pedal. Some even use a flat, grip tape surfaced pedal that looks like a mini-skateboard.

P. Do you ever put extra grip tape on your bike?

Rick: Sometimes I will put a small piece at the base of my seat post (where the platform used to be) for a little assurance on certain tricks, but today’s most progressive riders don’t touch the frame much with their feet, or even scuff their shoes on the tires… it’s all fast rolling and pumping for momentum! It’s pretty crazy to see the evolution of what is possible on these bikes after so long.

P. Do you still have any of those Kool-Stop Vans brake shoes?

Rick: Kool-Stop actually sent us a ton of brake shoes to give out at the Fracas last year! They still make the Vans shoes today, even though many BMX riders use no brakes at all. That trend comes and goes, but brakes will always be part of riding. No brakes equals quicker worn-out shoes.

P. I find a lot of shoes these days come with really long laces. When I BMX freestyled, my worst dread was having the shoelace get caught in the chainwheel. Have you ever laced your shoes “bicycle” style?

Rick: No, that’s an excellent idea though. I sometimes cut them shorter and melt the ends with a lighter- a “do it yourself” aglet.

P. You are running this event, and you also still ride. What’s your current stunt peg scheme? platforms, fork-stands, etc…

Rick: Years ago, standing platforms pretty much disappeared from freestyle bikes, as balance tricks and any frame-standing moves were pretty much phased out. Riding styles change and that drives the design of the bikes, but axle pegs in varying quantities will always be found on freestyle BMX bikes.

P. Do any good foot-plants lately?

Rick: I love foot-planting and boosting over a planter or curb, and it seems like a good footplant or fastplant can always fit into street riding, all you need is the right loading dock! Some things will never go out of style in BMX.

boots, comfort, Feet, footwear, ingenuity, podiatry, technology

Sun, Moon and Hammock

July 17, 2014 Chris Nesti 1 Comment

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 Missions astronaut-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?

FuutFootHammock — 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 Worldwide is 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 Footwear has purchased 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.

comfort, ingenuity, review, walking

Off The Path: FRIGO Revolution Underwear

July 15, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

At a Manhattan pop-up last December, the friendly folks at Frigo were kind enough to flow me a pair of FRIGO 2 boxer briefs. We agreed that along with footwear, good underwear is a key ingredient for great walking. The Frigo 2s are 92% polyamide & 8% elastane (feels like spandex). The revolutionary feature on these drawers is the netted pouch with a patented “soft lock” adjustment system. I’ve been wearing them every couple of weeks for six months, and now that hot temperatures and high humidity are upon thee in the northeast, I’m happiest to have them in my rotation.

There’s an inner line of fabric that is adjustable by a button on each out side of the hip. These small buttons are unnoticeable while wearing. Guys! you put them on carefully and find the right adjustment so that your family jewels are comfortably supported, then you keep the adjustment as is with the buttons. There is some counting involved. The design thoughtfully and structurally acknowledges male anatomy, and is light years ahead of some pitiful dollar store endcap tighty whiteys. Imagine a time when you experienced chafing of the thighs while walking, or underwear discomfort while exercising… chances are underwear like this may offer an antidote for that. You’ve got a smartphone now, why are you still wearing dumb underwear? I like the way they provide a little lift, and are in no way time consuming to put on or take off.

Inside-out Frigos — REVOLUTIONWEAR Inside-Out

In my experiences, most boxer briefs are too short and/or without properly elasticized leg bottoms- they tend to inch up the thigh, leading to wedgie conditions. Longer legged boxers help against wedgies. The FRIGOs feature a 6″ inseam. Along with elasticized leg openings, they also have a strip of silicone material going around the inner thigh that successfully serves to keep the boxer legs from creeping toward the crotch during long wear. The strap-pouch gets all the attention, but these “stay4sure” hem stabilizers are just as cool of a feature- a good step in the war against wedgies.

FrigoRevolutionwearBox — Comes in a VHS style box

Many underwear companies now incorporate some sort of pouch for the male package. How are things in the FRIGO Zone? Keep in mind that these are the entry-level FRIGO “2s”. Their top of the line product has similar construction, but uses pricier fabric. I’m intrigued enough by the design to where I’d invest in a pair of the “1s”. The company is still new, so has an open horizon to grow the line and dream up more innovations. My bros and I are definitely starting to be more accepting of newer underpant designs. Some Joe Sixpacks may balk at the $100 price tag on the FRIGO 1s, but a little math containing X amount of lousy underwear the average dude has probably bought or been gifted, it’s freaking worth it for the long haul. MLB star Derek Jeter, a big investor in the company, is retiring from baseball after this season and- who knows- might devote more energy to Revolutionwear. More visibility and more adoption lead to higher chances that your family or loved ones may buy you some as a gift. Good luck.

I washed them a bunch, air-drying each time on a wooden rack. Aside from a few very small fabric pulls, and a stray thread or two, the sewing has kept together fine. I envision these lasting for years. They are a great choice for walking. Once you put on your favorite overwear, and everything starts to settle, they offer a pleasant machine-like feeling that promotes healthy completion of one’s day.

Popdiatry occasionally writes about other wearable gear in this feature called “Off The Path”