Tag Archives: Nike

May Popgallery

May 20, 2016 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

Rick from Massachusetts and I have been talking about shoes and sneaks since the 90s. When he’s not battling blazes as a member of the Brockton Fire Department, he also does paintings with a sneaker theme; check the lobster Nike piece^

Rick’s daughter graduated from The Culinary Institute of America earlier this month and jumped right into working at one of the premier bakery/cake shops in southern New England. She copped a pair of the Vans Sk8 Hi KS to wear at work.

I haven’t seen a pair since I heard they dropped last year. The idea is the classic Sk8 Hi body is modified to meet the needs of professional chefs; Water repellent canvas uppers, more comfortable footbeds and the inside-out rubber waffle soles make these Sk8 His a stronger version of the originals.

I grew up in Sk8 His and from 1990 to 2010, could not have imagined wearing anything else. I could envision these Vans being wearable in many different workplaces where black shoes are required. They sell for 75$, but it looks like they’re almost all gone. Who knows if Vans will make more.

Spotted on the walls of Delancey St. Essex St. NYC subway station

I’ll be following up to see how she likes them. The KS Vans seemed to get slammed in reviews on Vans.com, but a poster named Jim the Hiker wrote that they are the best hiking shoes ever and that in the woods he stunts on all the people wearing REI gear. I”m sure you can still skate in them too.

I had to know what Rick wears when he’s not in firefighting gear, and he sang the praises of these boots by Keen.

Thanks Rick and congratulations Brianna !

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boots, footwear, pop, Popdiatribe

The Fastest January Ever

January 31, 2015 Chris Nesti 1 Comment

If there weren’t a company called Brooklyn Boot by now, wouldn’t you be surprised? While not made in Bushwick, Flatbush or Midwood NYC- the Brooklyn Boot Company is transparent about their naming and offerings. The small line of classically designed workboots are to be manufactured in Martinsburg Pennsylvania. Leather uppers and linings sewn to some Vibrams sounds hard-to-hate. The bootstrap I see may assist pulling up, but also adds meat against the possibility that your pant leg droops over the rear heel- the dreaded pant-leg condition that affects many. I look forward to seeing if these things are pretty on the inside too.

Image: Brooklyn Boot Company YouTube video

Jumpman Jumpman

You’ve no doubt heard about this photographer suing Nike for using his image as the pattern for the jumpman logo that has appeared on their Jordan-branded sneakers and gear since before many of you were born.

Nike Air Jordan XX9 Black History Month shoe

Not a lawyer- I just feel like.. what about the Polo guy and his horse? This insignia has been around for a spell. For a history lesson on the logo, Jordans and jumping men, you can’t start at better place than this nice piece by NiceKicks.com .

On the lighter side, Nike is playfully feeling the feels of pop culture fundamentalists to deliver on the self-lacers worn my Marty McFly Jr. in the movie Back To The Future II. The company has patents for the complex designs. Tinker is on board. At very least, footwear like this could be great for injured folks, and others with limited mobility.

For all you able-bodies: Tie your own shoes. Yes it would be novel to see real McFlys in action, but many would be much happier if they could simply find some decent 45-inch boot laces. You burn calories tying shoes. How much would these self-lacers cost? Would we need certified technicians? You might be better off grabbing some Mauri crocodiles and saving the difference for that hoverboard.

As much of a reader as a writer- and a guy still learning about women’s footwear- I enjoyed the many stories about shoe business pioneer Vince Camuto, who died this month at age 78.

That’s all for now. Enjoy your Superbowl Sunday.

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P E A C E

footwear, humor, pop, sneakers, sports

The Captain’s Socks or Horween New Balances

September 26, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

Attention: Used Derek Jeter game socks are on sale from Steiner Sports Memorabilia for only $409.99. Peep the screenshot.

Since you bought a baseball player’s sock for so much, it put a huge dent in your basketball sneaker budget and you can no longer afford $240 for these new Titolo Reebok pumps. No problem because Shaquille O’Neal now has his own inexpensive brand of high-tops available at Walmart.

It’s no secret that Nike is chomping their competition in worldwide sneaker and apparel sales. Rival Adidas went and hired three Nike design vets and will stick them in a Brooklyn design studio in hopes they can carve a bigger piece of the North American pie.

Since you bought that Jeter sock, you won’t have enough for a pair of these $400 New Balance Horween leather models

Bus to Philly for a chance to buy some of these limited edition U.S. made NBs on October 1st: $11

It appears the New Balance Berry-compliant 950v2 models we talked about earlier this year may be closer to hitting real ground.

Members of congress visited a New Balance biomechanical research/prototype lab in Lawrence, Massachusetts last month to see how an athletic sneaker is made entirely in The United States using US materials. The Department of Defense is expected to make a decision soon about enforcing a rules that states new military recruits should buy products (sneakers) made in the USA with their vouchers. Read the full article in Navy Times.

footwear, pop, sneakers

Back To School Rapper Sneakers

August 29, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

There’s no way I can knock when a shoe company partners with the stars. I’d have to make fun of myself because when I was a kid I idolized the Beastie Boys and RUN DMC and wanted to get the same kicks they had.

I never did get a pair of the Patrick Ewing Conductors- at $160ish, that was like a thousand teenager bucks. I did have some shelltoes and Stan Smiths though.

That was the late 80s. A quarter-decade later companies collaborate directly with entertainers to come up with a signature product that they hope will get you (or your parents) to open the wallet- especially as the classrooms of September loom over the waning summer calendar. It is virtually raining rapper sneakers. Let’s see:

Detroit Rapper Big Sean has some new Adidas high-tops inspired by the Hawaiian Islands.

Pittsburgh emcee Wiz Khalifa has a whole new collection of Wizzed-out All-Stars with Converse (Nike).

What about these Maison Martin Margiela pony-hair high tops for Kanye West– maybe inspired by Luke Skywalker’s Tauntaun ?

Kid Cudi got with Giuseppe Zanotti and coming out are these:

Rap girl Iggy Azalea is reportedly launching a footwear collection via Steve Madden next year. Madden recently scooped up Dolce Vita for a cool 60 mil last week.

He holds a tennis rod instead of a mic. Tennis pro Roger Federer now has his own Jordan (Nike) branded tennis kicks.

” I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path”– Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Buggin’ Out’

boots, footwear, heels, Popdiatribe, Shoes, sneakers

Say Nikey! New Navy? No Tickle

June 3, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

To squash any debate about how exactly to pronounce the brand with the swoosh, chairman of Nike’s board, Phil Knight confirmed via letter sent with a self-addressed-stamped-envelope that it is definitely pronounced “Nikey”.

Screenshot of letter sent by Ben Martin and Kendal Peters to Nike's Phil Knight — Screenshot of letter sent by Ben Martin and Kendal Peters to Nike’s Phil Knight

Adidas is involved in a little marketing battle with international competitor Nike on who can out-sponsor each other in the glow of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Puma is playing the ‘come get me’ strategy by waiting until after the big match to promote their kicks, hoping that kids will see teams playing in Pumas and then press ma and pa for a ‘back to school’ pair. Does Skechers make cleats?

Meanwhile, the US Navy is wearing boots that they do not love. In an article in the Navy Times called “Building Better Boots”, writer Lance M. Bacon identifies the problem plaguing today’s Navy-issued footwear, and offers up solutions based on feedback from hundreds of current and former sailors. Sentiment says the things are too heavy, uncomfortable, and way out-of-date.

Navy Uniform Inspection — Image cut from photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Ian W. Anderson (via Wikipedia)

I wonder if ideas provided by these suggestions, along with increased commitment to the Berry Amendment can create a solution. Could we see New Balance and Wolverine footprints on aircraft carriers some day? Could another maker meet this need?

Clothing designers dropping shoes:

Thakoon Panichgul is releasing Thakoon Addition shoes this summer for the ladies (made in Portugal).

Tom Ford has line of Italian-made sneakers now.

Hi, I'm Tom and I'm $700 pr. — Hi Stan, this is Tom…

Stories that Boston College was being bothered by a serial foot tickler look to be unfounded according to Boston police on an update on Boston.com . Of course the story has been shared thousands of times by now, but can you blame folks? Serial tickler?

Thanks social media.

boots, customize, pop, sneakers

Popdiatribe: InstaKicks, BasketGolf and WorkFun

May 17, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

The brand with the three stripes is releasing an app this summer that’ll let users get custom photographs printed on a pair of Adidas ZX Flux sneakers.

Adidas Instagram Kicks — Customization is getting crazy with the MiAdidas photo print app coming this summer for Android and iOS

I doubt the brand with the swoosh will ever release high-top golf spikes like the ones pictured below. More likely the image serves as a symbolic reminder that Jordan did enter the golf space this year. The brand’s first sponsored pro Keegan Bradley has been Instagramming a few pics of actual sneakerish golf shoes with the familiar jumpman logo on them.

The Motley Fool does report this week that Adidas’s market position is weakening compared to Nike’s due in part to performance in the golf category. As Nike’s Jordan takes more steps on the course, Adidas swings its putter with the less buzzy TaylorMade brand.

Heartland Footwear, Inc. manufactures rubber-based industrial boots right here in the USA. Over the years, they’ve provided go-to protective footwear for those in the food processing industry, and any job that involves oily, chemical environments. This season they escape the workplace with a new line of women and children’s waterproof boots that will stylishly protect casual wearers from dreaded rainstorm wetfoot.

Another brand known more for work footwear, Wolverine’s Cat (Caterpillar), unveiled their own sporty spring/summer boot line at a fashion show in Grand Rapids Thursday. This pic below has me thumbing through the imaginary rulebook to see if work boots without socks is okay. Since there is no proof that he may be wearing no-show socks, we must withhold judgement at this time.

footwear, ingenuity, Shoes, sneakers

Popdiatribe: Playoff Blues

May 15, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

Four Parsons The New School For Design students are each pitching an idea for a new mens’ shoe to Allen Edmonds and the world via a social media contest this month. I vote for this entry by Michelle Brown, which would feature a combination of both cow and salmon leathers to create a dress boot with a nod to Alaskan heritage.

Brand Eddie Bauer plans to compete for your outdoorsy shoe bucks this summer by offering their own line of outdoorsy trainers. Reebok went Gundam style. Nike did some Kevin Durant MVPs. Crocs hired a new president, but is still looking for a CEO if any readers are interested.

Strong opinions continued to pour out in the press about the recent Vibram FiveFingers legal settlement. The debate about wearing toe-shoes has somewhat evolved into a tiered discussion, with the requisite edgy fringes, and even a piece by the Onion to put a smiley bow on the story.

3D Printing, footwear, Shoes, technology

Popdiatribe: Step Into The Future

February 24, 2014 Chris Nesti Leave a comment

The above tweet was clipped from the account of Feetz, a company that employs 3D printing technology to perfect custom fitting footwear for folks with orthopedic problems such as different sized or abnormally shaped feet. Using a proprietary “SizeMe” imaging process, Feetz asks customers to send pictures of each foot so their tech team can create proper fitting shoes you can slide on within seven days. Check out their site for more information, and a chance to be a beta tester.

Science fiction is indeed becoming reality. Footwear giant Nike, who used some 3D tech in the design of their Superbowl cleats (and at the time of this post, is looking to employ 3D modeling specialists), made news this month via a hint from designer Tinker Hatfield about a self-lacing system that resembles what Marty McFly sported in Back to the Future 2.

Video game company Konami co-branded with Puma to release some Metal Gear Solid high-tops. Eastman Footwear recalled 12,000+ pairs of Coleman branded children’s shoes due to a laceration hazard from poorly designed metal shoestring rivets. Writer Taryn Luna penned a great rundown of the latest batch of maximalist running sneaks. I purchased my first can of Obenauf’s Leather Preservative for boots to combat the snow, slush, and salt of New York and Boston this month; so far so good!

Footwear & Walking

Tag Archives: Nike

May Popgallery

The Fastest January Ever

The Captain’s Socks or Horween New Balances

Back To School Rapper Sneakers

Say Nikey! New Navy? No Tickle

Thanks social media.

Popdiatribe: InstaKicks, BasketGolf and WorkFun

Popdiatribe: Playoff Blues

Popdiatribe: Step Into The Future

Not a doctor. Opinions own. Wear what'cha like. Shoe some love.

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Not a doctor. Opinions own. Wear what'cha like. Shoe some love.