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Kicks Analysis 2015 #2: Conference Sponsorships

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Like 2014, the Big 12 is well represented with seven teams in the 2015 tournament. But this year, the Big Ten tied the 12 with seven teams as well. The Atlantic 10 halved their conference representation going from six to three while the Pac-12 lost a deuce with four teams (but represented by all three kicks companies).

The Big West was bound to be represented by Adidas with either  UC Irvine or UH. But with UCI’s Big West tournament win, they got the bid with stripped big man, Mamadou Ndiaye.


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Kicks Analysis 2015 #1: Shoe Sponsorship

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Nike picked up the pace in 2015 with a 75% representation of the teams making the Big Dance. 48 of the 64 teams (not counting the First Four) don the swoosh. Adidas had a significant lost from 2014, going down seven teams from 18 to 11 in 2015. Who gained from Adidas’s losses? Up and comer Under Armour. From a single team last year, UA sponsors five teams in the tournament, translating to 8%. UA has a good showing with Maryland, Notre Dame, St. Johns, Utah, and S.F. Austin.

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This year saw no representation from Reebok, And1, Converse, or New Balance.

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Pickup of the Week: Air Jordan 4 Retro “Legend Blue”

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Forget pickup of the week, this may very well be the pickup of the year in the young 2015. At a fully restocked Ross, I spied these white kicks on the top shelf with a carolina blue Jumpman logo on the tongue. Grabbing them, I recognized them as Air Jordan 4 but different, more leather, less plastic. But at $55 at Ross, you buy first and ask later.

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After doing some research, the style code, 314254-107, corresponds to the Air Jordan 4 Retro “Legend Blue” or “Columbia.” Oddly, these remastered Jordans were released in January of 2015. Ross typically stocks shoes that are around two years old. And these are size 10, my size. You’ll see some quality kicks at Ross but usually in huge or tiny sizes, rarely in the common size 9-11 range. I don’t know why or how these $190 Jordans showed up at Ross, but this kicks collector is rocking’em. 🙂

A 1-2-3-4+ Morning

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This morning featured a major, six-plus car accident on the H1 westbound. Not wanting to be stuck in that snarled traffic, I sheltered at Starbucks in Kaneohe and snacked on a bacon, egg, gouda breakfast sandwich that earned me 3 bonus reward stars.

Checking Waze and Twitter for traffic updates, it still didn’t look good, so I killed more time at Ross. Looks like they had just restocked the men’s shoe department with shelves filled. What did I find? Nike Air Trainer SC II in black/volt-grey and a real surprise, the Air Jordan 4+ “Columbia.” And what these are going to be redone this year as well? Or are these the rereleases? I have to take a closer look later.

My steal of a deal #kicks #aj4

A photo posted by @geewhy on

So there it is, my 1-2-3-4+ morning.

My Inevitable Journey to the Apple Watch

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I’ve come to rationalize realize that the Apple Watch is in my future. The journey to this latest in wearable tech started back in 2005 with the advent of the Nike+iPod Sports Kit. The alliance of Apple and Nike, two of my favorite brands, materialized the idea of data-driven workouts for the masses. With a sensor in my Nike+ shoe and a transmitter connected to my iPod Nano, data about my runs was collected on the Nikeplus web site. From this, I knew I hit 100 miles run in 2008 and surpassed 600 total miles in 2010. But even then, my stats showed me that actually I slowed down in 2010. In 2015 as I approach 1000 walks ands runs, I’ve traveled 2417 miles in all.

Related to the Nike+iPod Sports Kit, I was an early adopter of the Nike Amp+ watch. This short lived product acted as a remote control for the iPod which made it more convenient to control your tunes while running, and hey, the Amp+ even told time (albeit poorly).

In April 2012, I had my next interaction with wearables, pledging to the Pebble watch Kickstarter project. Not completely convinced this watch could be become a reality, I became a believer.

Later in 2012, I took another step in my journey supporting the Misfit Shine project. I intended this activity tracker to capture more of my life, thinking I would more conveniently wear this tiny monitor. But after close calls almost losing the Shine and it being washed, I became more conservative with it, not taking it everywhere.

Over the years, most of my wearable tech has gone by the wayside. My Nike+iPod Sports Kit sits idle with the malfunction of my iPod Nano. Even then, my GPS-enabled iPhone 6 has improved and integrated geo-tracking, making the Sports Kit obsolete. My Misfit Shine is still with me, battery-less eating up CR batteries much too quickly. My Amp+ was a poor timepiece, ate batteries, and was eventually stolen. Only my Pebble watch remains viable, even gaining functionality with updates and apps.

Now, here comes the Apple Watch. At the low end price point of $349/$399, the Apple Watch is cost comparable to the first iPod, going for $399 for a 5GB model. With its functionality and growth potential, how can I not get the Apple Watch?



Kicks Analysis 2014 #0: The First Four

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I don’t normally start my annual Kicks Analysis this early, but Yoda808 called me out on it, so here we go… Round 1 of the 2015 NCAA Tournament officially starts with the “First Four” as eight teams vie to enter the Round of 64. Here are the eight teams along with their shoe sponsorships.

  1. Manhattan Jaspers – Under Armour

    2. Manhattan Jaspers

  2. Hampton Pirates – Nike

    3. hampton

  3. BYU Cougars – Nike (based on jerseys)

    4. byu

  4. Ole Miss Rebels – Under Armour

    5. ole-miss

  5. North Florida Ospreys – Nike (based on jerseys)

    6. North Florida Ospreys

  6. Robert Morris Colonials – Nike

    7. Robert Morris University

  7. Boise State Broncos – Nike

    8. Boise State Bronocs

  8. Dayton Flyers – Nike (based on jerseys)

    9. flyers

So that’s six for Nike, two for Under Armour, and surprisingly zero for Adidas. Will the First Four field all Nike swooshes? Probably doesn’t matter since I doubt any of the First Four will make it past the Round of 64. While I couldn’t find pictures of all the team’s kicks, I must say that Robert Morris got their kicks game going with a variety of styles and colors.

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The Local and Mahaloha Burger New to Kailua

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The new year has spurred on new small local businesses in Kailua with the opening of The Local and soon, Mahaloha Burger. Located down the street from the new Target, these businesses are poised to benefit from increased foot traffic in the area.

The Local is a hybrid store selling clothing items in one half and shave ice in the other. The shave ice is flavored with natural syrups such as Mountain Apple, Kona Coffee, Chili Peppa, and 4 Kine Lime.

I haven’t yet sampled their goods, but I want to pick up one of their shirts.

From The Local, head towards Target, and you’ll come across Mahaloha burger. Like The Local, natural is the motif of Mahaloha’s burgers. It’s a two-story location and construction looks well incomplete. Their signs advertise a loco moco burger which I’m surprised I haven’t seen done before.

So next time when you’re in the 96734, you have a few more places to check out.

Tracking #FlyHappy and #IslandAir

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Be sure to track the hashtags of #FlyHappy or #IslandAir on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. A bunch of the Hawaii social media cognoscenti are touring the Four Seasons Lanai, flying from Oahu on Island Air and doing an excellent job showcasing the resort.

What a room makeover!

I had the opportunity to stay at the Four Seasons Lanai in 2009 to attend a wedding, and ever since then, I’ve dreamed of going back.

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LeBron X Low Plum/Electric Green at Ross

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My eyes popped when I saw these LeBron X Lows stashed away in the corner of the shoe section at Ross. In the size 8 area, but really a size 9.5, these kicks are the red plum/electric green colorway. Sadly, I could have fit these 20 years ago, but now a 9.5 is just too squeezy for my toes. If they were a 10 or 10.5, I would have snatched these up for sure, even at a higher than normal $60 price tag.

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I always loved the LeBron Low with its full length Air Max unit. Even though two generations old, these are $100 cheaper and are very, very distinctive, and I’m a sucker for that paint-flecked look.

Poor Radio Reception

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Any Lexus owners out there have poor radio reception with the stock deck? We got a used Lexus that’s newer than our (former) Toyotas, but the radio reception is so bad.

Driving my normal routes, the FM radio reception is staticky and even drops out at certain spots. This didn’t happen with the Toyota stereos. I figured this wouldn’t have been an issue for the luxury Lexus line, but it is, and it’s real bothersome. 

I talked with Bill at Progressive Auto Sounds in Aiea, and he said changing the deck wouldn’t necessarily improve radio reception. It may or it may not. An alternative is to stream radio broadcasts via a smartphone and apps like Tunein or iHeartRadio. But then, I’d still need to change the deck with a newer one that can connect to my iPhone. Guess I’ll be listening to static…

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