Totally unplanned but totally meant to be – collaboration with Nike, CNCPTS, Reyn Spooner, and Godzilla!
Nike and Concepts Air Max 1 in the “Heavy” colorway paired with the Reyn Spooner Godzilla aloha shirt from the Japan Series. Both limited editions, and both sold out.
While I didn’t plan for this pairing, obviously it was meant to be.
Posted in @reynspooner IG story.
I just don’t know what to expect from Nordstrom online. Will they or won’t they?
Did you see that Nordstrom “restocked” the Air Max 90 Mars Landing shoes that recently released? I’m guessing this was more returns rather than a restock, but for a short while, a few (small) sizes were readily available for purchase.
I’m kinda glad I passed on these sneakers. Althought they have a cool backstory and look interesting, the value in these have not been too good.
In the end, I guess it was just meant to be. In January of 2016, I had ordered the Nike Air Max 2015 in black and white from Nike’s online clearance section. Priced at $149.97, down from $190, the shoes felt good but not $150 good. So I returned them.
Forward to November 2016 and guess what showed up at Ross…in black and white… and in a size 10? Yup, the very same shoe model, but this time, the price was $70. This is high for Ross standards but at half the price of a clearance price, you know it was meant to be.
In July/August 2014, I was stoked that I was stocked with the Nike Air Max Lunar1.
The Lunar update of the Air Max 1 has been awesome (and stylish too), but the other day, this happened. A part of the outsole separated from the shoe itself. I thought I had something stuck to the bottom of my shoe as I was walking, but it was the shoe itself!
Not major, but from what I can remember, this is the first time I encountered a defect like this. Sure it’s years later, but usually, my Nikes are retired after too much wear and tear. Anyways, after posting my pic on social media, I get a response from Nike via @nikestore. After exchanging some information, I submitted for a return.
@geewhy Got it. Let's have you start the online return process here: https://t.co/vxBneOJ8Gf
— Nike.com (@nikestore) July 24, 2016
My original shoe purchase is right over the two-year warranty period, so I don’t know if my return will be accepted. But at this point, what’s there to lose? I could glue back the outsole, but I think that’s really an indication that other parts of the shoe are failing. We’ll see what happens…
Was fooling around with the build-your-own Nike iD service and came up with this pair of Air Max Zero.
I like them but not at a $190 price tag. There are a lot of options to customize on the Zero so you could spend a ton of time playing around.
So my shoe tech of choice for trips has been Nike’s Air Max, preferably a full length Air Max setup ala Air Max 360. Several years back, the red-bubbled Air Trainer 1.3 protected my feet at Disneyland. In 2013, the Perry the Platypus-colored Air Max 90 rocked Alaska and Disneyland. Last year for HIChina15, I was hoping for the Nike Air Max PacFly but could never find them so instead, the old faithful (and Air Max-ed out) Griffey’s traveled China. But in 2016, finding a full length Air Max is not that easy.
As a default, there’s the annual Air Max runners but the 2015 didn’t feel right in the right places. Only old school retro Barkley’s and Chris Webber’s included Air Max in the forefoot. However, these were full priced and bulky so I passed them over. But I would have considered the crazy olive, bright crimson color way of the Webber/Air Max Sensation if I saw them.
Anyways to get back on track, I couldn’t find a suitable Air Max shoe to provide that endurance and support I like while on travel. So instead, I looked elsewhere and saw that popular Adidas Ultra Boost runners were available in a stability model, the Adidas Ultra Boost ST. While there’s a general consensus of the plush ride of the Ultra Boost, the regular models don’t work with my flat arches but a stability model addresses the shortcomings so I committed and went with Boost over Air Max.
What can I say other than not bad at all. Yep, the prices of the Ultra Boost are still at a premium, but I wanted to see what the hype was about. Ultra Boost did not disappoint and provided a soft cushioned ride. A running shoe, the Ultra Boost ST isn’t made to take a daily beating, but it held up fine while traveling even through light rock climbing, hiking through slushy trails, and walking miles of amusement parks. Along with the mega-padded Boost, Adidas’ Primeknit is definitely a draw. Supple, form fitting, and breathable, I love the knit upper and have gotten spoiled by it great qualities. The sizing of the ST seemed half a size big at first and not true to size, but I went with my typical size 10 though it seemed like I could have gone with a 9.5.
In general, Boost provides a different feel than Air Max, and I’m not sure which I like better. The Boost is pillowy while the Air Max feels more solid. To me, the Boost is passive, absorbing the weight and pressure via the foam nodules. Air Max seems aggressive with the encapsulated air fighting back against your weight creating a supporting underlying structure. There’s less of a sinking in feeling with Air Max compared to Boost. While it’s purely preferential, the stance provided by the Air Max just feels more supportive, creating a solid foot bed.
But hey, you really can’t go wrong with either. But since Ultra Boost is now the marquee of Adidas, it’ll be some time before discounted Ultra Boosts show up. You can find regular Boost shoes at a cheaper price but not yet with the Ultra Boost. Air Max, on the other hand, should be easier to find on clearance, but you’d just need to see if those Air Maxes work for you and your feet.
I’m still undecided over Boost or Air Max. Right now, if I find the right Air Max, I’d go that route with the nod to that solid base and slight fit issues with Adidas.
I knew chances were slim to get the new yellow Air Max Zero, but I had to try for these SNKRS exclusives. But then, these AM0 were not exclusive to the iOS app afterall available on nike.com.
Released at 5am Hawaii time, this is what I saw in the SNKRS app.
Yes, right at 5am, these shoes were out of stock. Gotta be them bots. I tried buying online and was in line to add the Zeroes to my cart, but all my attempts came up empty. Throughout the morning, various sizes popped up in inventory, but I could never add one to my cart, getting the usual error messages. The SNKRS app was totally useless after showing Out of Stock.
So what did I learn from this latest experience?
That’s the question I need to research more. Nike’s Air Max 360 cushioning is a known quantity having worn several shoes with this tech in the past, but Adida’s Ultra Boost is surely making a name for itself, especially with regards to comfort and cushioning. I kinda like the supportive stiffness of the Air Max 360 bubble, but the plush ride of the Ultra Boost would be nice too.
Now, Adidas has the Ultra Boost ST which gives credit to my hunch that the Boost isn’t necessarily good for flat footers. With the stability enhancements for the Ultra Boost ST, maybe it’s time to try them out. I have two reservations buying Adidas – fit and find.
For some reason, the fit of Adidas shoes varies greatly (for me). Half size up, one size up, too tight, too loose – I really want to try on an Adidas model before purchasing since my experience is inconsistent and mixed. That leads to the second problem of finding high-end Adidas shoes. The Ultra Boost line can’t easily be found in Hawaii. Finding online is possible but at a cost. Shipping to Hawaii typically is not free, and returns (if they don’t fit well) could incur additional charges. None of these hassles plague Nike.com. Make a purchase as a Nike+ member and shipping is free both ways. Because there’s no fuss, I’m more willing to try out a shoe. If it don’t fit, I just need to drop the box off at UPS and back it goes.
Price is a factor, but I’m willing to dish out for shoes if need be. But I’m also willing to wear off color ways at a significant discount. Due to the popularity of the Ultra Boost, you really can’t find them on discount.
So what will it be, Nike Air Max 360 or Adidas Ultra Boost?
After sleeping on the photo blue colorway of the Nike Air Max Lunar1 and seeing them sell out within a day, Nike has them restocked online. There’s also a new colorway of wolf grey/midnight navy along with an unnamed watermelon-colored lunar midsole. Still though, I prefer the pop of the photo blue along with the yellow accents.
My recent lineup of Nike Air Max kicks. AM90 with Engineered Mesh (Beaches of Rio and Tianjin) and Air Max 1 Essentials, but not all of them made it into my rotation.
