shoes
Kicks at Disneyland Are Bright and Bold
If you’re going to visit Disneyland any time soon, be sure to bring your brightest and boldest pair of shoes you own. Don’t worry, you won’t stick out. In fact, you’ll merely fit in with the rest of the masses.
What did I see during a recent visit to Mickey’s hood? Many Nike running shoes, primarily from the Lunar and the Free family. And like I mentioned, these were bright, but their vibe resonated with the Happiest Place on Earth theme. Of course, Michael Jordan’s jumpman silhouette was easily found from Jumpman-branded shoes to retro Jordans to contemporary Jordans. What surprised me was the plentiful presence of Reebok’s ZigTech. Creative colors combined with the telltale wavy sole make Zigs easy to spot. Bravo to Reebok!
So of course, inspired by these bright and bold kicks, I was in the game to pick up a new pair. And you know there’s a Nike Factory Outlet at the Block at Orange just a few minutes away from Disneyland right? So what do you think happened when I spied some Nike TR Vapor Trainers with Hyperfuse technology? Sure they’re half a size smaller than normal, but at only $50, it was a must buy!
Bid on Your Nike Mag NOW!
It’s now Day #7 of the Back for the Future auction for Nike Mags worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future. There’s only three more days to get the Mag, limited to 1500 pairs in the world. Thus far, over $3.6M has been collected for the Michael J. Fox Foundation to fight Parkinson’s Disease, and your winning bid will only further this inspiring total.
Now is definitely the time to strike. Overall, Day #6 brought in the lowest donations meaning bids were low. The most expensive Mag went for a paltry $4K and the day’s average price was $3.2K. But as we get closer to the final tenth day, you know prices are going to soar once again. So take advantage right now!
Kick Parkinsons with Back For The Future
Great Scott! The auction for the Nike Mag as seen on Marty McFly in Back to the Future II is underway on eBay. Designed by the kicks god Tinker Hatfield of Air Jordan fame, 1500 pairs of the futuristic Mag are on auction with proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to find a cure for Parkinsons disease. Here’s Michael J. Fox introducing Back For the Future.
Every day for 10 days, 150 pairs are auctioned off and while not recommended for sporting activities, these rare kicks are sure to command attention, especially with its electroluminescent outsole. I mean who from the past, present, or future wouldn’t turn their heads as you proudly strutted in your Mags?
While I’m sure you’d like a pair of the Mags and contribute to a great cause, there is a steep price for uniqueness. The very first pair of the Mag sold for $37,500 (hat tip to Ryan Ozawa)! And on day 2 of the auction, bids are brisk with the average cost per pair hovering around $5000. Oddly enough, shoeheads with money must wear a size 12 since bids in that size are over $8000.
If you don’t have that type of disposable income handy, you can still contribute and buy some “mini” Mags in the form of a ceramic replica ($88) or a pin ($10). Limited quantities available at select Nike Stores.
More information at back4thefuture.com.
Bid for the 2011 Nike Mag on eBay before Marty McFly rocks them in 2015. We’re not talking about the experimental Power Laces either.
Unwearable Memories
Sad, but it’s time for these kicks to go. They’ve been in storage for years and despite their looks, are unwearable. But such memories! Played in the Air Jordan XIs back in the day. Quite possibly the greatest No Ka Oi colorway!
These retro AJ8 toured through Italy and Greece with my wife and me back in 2003. Heck, I think there’s still dust from the Colosseum ingrained in the durabuck.
Thanks for the (unwearable) memories.
UGG Sparkles, All Wins
I LIKE:
These new UGG boots are so much wins that I’m speechless. Gold or ninja-ish black, either for $170 on Zappos.
Ready to Run
Loving my Zappos-bought Nike Zoom Structure Triax+, the 14th edition of this stability running shoe. I’ve owned and run in a few Triax over the years so my feet were accustomed to the shoes’ shape and feel. Right out of the box, I could comfortably run in them without needing a break in period.
This 14th version adds FlyWire to provide additional stiffness and support without adding weight or bulk to the shoe. And for running shoes, these actually look pretty good, especially with the high contrast white and grey laces.
Rad Rider… in Heels!
I definitely did a double take when I saw this motorcycle rider on the road. The rider is a she who’s wearing high heels!!
What are those red coverings on her toes? Are they to help keep her heels on? Are they to protect her feet? Whatevers but I do like the red and white color coordination going on with the overall look.
But Can You Ball in These?
Check out these new kicks from Adidas. These “shoes” are made to mimic your natural foot (along with some added cushioning) and are supposed to help your overall fitness routine. But can you ball in these? No, since the Adipure Trainers are strictly training shoes. Besides, you’d be laughed off the court if you wore them.
But for fitness training purposes, these are intriguing and have more athletic stylings than the Vibram Five Fingers. For the cost ($90), I think I’d stick with the more traditional kicks like the Nike Free series, but I’m willing to giving these a try.
Zappos Powered by Service
It’s 2011, and only now have I made my first purchase on Zappos.com. Was in the market to replace worn out running shoes and took a look at Nike.com and Footlocker.com. Then I went to Zappos and found the same shoe, the Nike Zoom Structure Triax 14 with no tax and free shipping. So I placed my order on Sunday night.
On Thursday, the off-roading mail carrier came by with a Zappos box in hand. I must say, the Zappos box is enchanting. It’s a regular cardboard box but check out the adornments reiterating the Zappos way.
It’s Gotta Be the Shoes!
Mars Blackmon, paging Mars Blackmon. One Eldrick Woods needs to hear your famous words, “It’s gotta be the shoes!”
It worked for His Airness, Michael Jordan, and will it work again for Tiger Woods? We’re talking kicks, specifically Nike’s new shoes made for Tiger himself. These new golf kicks haven’t yet been named, but Tiger has been a part of its design process. Nike FREE is there, so is Hyperfuse, recycled Air Max, and even Flywire in the lace loops.
If Tiger mounts a successful golf comeback, it’s gotta be the shoes!
Cloudy Kicks
It was a matter of time, and I would have guessed Nike would have adopted the thematic moniker first. The “cloud” is becoming more and more ubiquitous thanks to the likes of Google, Amazon, and Apple, allowing users to store content in the cloud. This latest cloud trend hasn’t been lost on the sneakers scene with upstart, On Running, introducing the On CloudSurfer featuring CloudTec.
With CloudTec:
as the foot hits the ground with forward momentum, the CloudTecâ„¢ element folds back, allowing the foot to glide to a softer halt. After the element is compressed by the weight of the runner, it locks together and becomes firm and ready for the push-off.
Is CloudTec technically sound or just playing to the cloud frenzy? For $150, you can find out.