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A Waste of Paper?

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Why do I have the feeling that these raffle tickets for the upcoming Yeezy Boost 350 “Blue Tint” are a waste of paper?

Do I trust that Foot Locker and Foot Action will hold legitimate raffles for these shoes or will “associates” of employees coincidentally be rocking them Blue Tints?

Update: Yup, waste of time. Got no call back and sadly, the Foot Action reservation system via its mobile app was invalidated, changing to a first come, first served system. I kinda liked the mobile app reservation system since it felt less prone to human tampering.

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My Greatest Pickup Ever!

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Truthfully, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. On Instagram, I was seeing a lot of images of resdesigned, classic Nike silhouettes with that telltale red zip tie. These images were tagged #offwhite and #theten. Then I learned “The Ten” was a collaboration with designer Virgil Abloh. But as soon as Nike announced the launch of The Ten on the SNKRS app, the hype went into overdrive. Every few hours Nike would release a few models of the Off White collaboration starting with the Presto and ending with the Jordan 1.

off-white-presto-confirmationHad to try, right? But also had to expect disappointment when taking the loss. But then I didn’t. Instead of “taking the L,” I got a confirmation from Nike for my Presto order. Despite online ordering delays caused by invalid payment types (yes, my credit card is not a debit card, Nike), my order went through quickly. Too easy so must be a wide spread release I guessed. Then I checked the demand at Stockx and was amazed.

After getting the Prestos, I knew why. It’s the details and the amazing number of details in this collaboration remix.

PB244313 The laces, the stitching, the folds, every aspect of the shoe appears to be tailored to be different yet the same as the classic Presto. I can understand why there’s banter that this model could be one of the top releases of 2017 and easily my greatest pickup. Alas, I didn’t luck out with any other members of The Ten. But these Prestos… PB244324

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Scored Yeezys with the Foot Locker App

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The second lucky pickup of the week was thanks to the Foot Locker mobile app. For the launch of the Yeezy Boost 350 Beluga v2.0, Foot Locker was promoting their Launch Locator and reservation system in the mobile app. Being a super duper old school member of the Foot Locker VIP club, I signed up for the Yeezy launch and was given a 6-minute headstart.

Then I forgot all about this. On the afternoon of Black Friday, I got this notification.

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Checking the FL app, I stopped as I saw this.

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But wait, pickup was set for Friday by 3pm?!? It was already 1pm, and I still had time but in my mind, I thought I was misinterrepting this message. Only one way to find out!

Surprisingly getting to Waikiki in the middle of the day on Black Friday was super easy. No traffic or slowdowns whatsoever. At Foot Locker, there was a line for the Yeezy reservation, but guess what? It seemingly meant nothing since you couldn’t actually pickup the Yeezys that were officially launching on Saturday, November 25. The FL employee had a (long) list of reservation winners, and he simply made sure your name was on the list. He didn’t cross off or mark your name indicating you showed up by 3pm as the app instructed. Why I had to go down there I still don’t know and neither did a lot of other irate Yeezy fans who wanted their shoes then and there.

Anyways, being on the list meant my pair was reserved, right? I didn’t want to take a chance of pairs running out, so I came back early-ish on the 25th. Others had the same idea with a queue about 10 deep.

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The line moved along as pedestrians asked what the line was for. After about half an hour, I had my first pair of Yeezys.

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Thanks Foot Locker!

The Adidas Outlet at Waikele Is an Outlet

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Okay, let’s keep expectations in check. The Adidas store at Waikele Premium Outlets has recently been renovated with its grand re-opening today through November 12, 2017.

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But just remember that this is not an Adidas store but rather an Adidias outlet, located in Waikele Premium Outlets. You get where I’m going with this? Don’t expect the high demand merchandise. Don’t expect to see Ultra Boosts (discounted or even at regular price). Don’t go looking for NMDs. A PureBoost may make an appearance, but for now, the AlphaBounce line reigns at this renovated outlet. There are rows of different AlphaBounce colorways. They’re cool, but at $80+, I’m happy with my $45 pair of “worn and refinished” AlphaBounce from Nordstrom Rack.

Other than that, I didn’t see anything worthwhile. In fact, the shoppers wore better shoes than what’s avaiable in-store. There were Harden Vol. 1 in red and white and some EQT. Otherwise, there were CloudForm variations of higher end lines. Probably the most catchy shoe I saw was the Tango indoor soccer shoe in a sky blue to black fade colorway.

Compared to the old layout, the men’s section is flip flopped, now on the right side of the store with the womens and kids on the left. Gone is the section with oddball finds, but I’m hoping this potential trove finds its way back.

Go ahead and check out the grand re-opening deals but just keep your expectations grounded.

Under Armour Curry 2.5 and Ankle Braces?!?!

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Just how does Steph Curry wear his signature Under Armour Curry 2.5 shoes while protected by his preferred Zamst A2-DX ankle braces?

PORTLAND, OR – MAY 9: The shoes of Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors are seen during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2016 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Even with the adjustable, wrap around fit of the “burrito lacing system,” I just don’t see how SC30 achieves a good fit as seen in the image above. It seems nearly impossible to close the tongue around the added thickness of the brace. Is that why he writes “I can do all things” on his shoes?

Customizing the Dame 4

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Although I’m not willing to pay a premium for customize designed kicks, this doesn’t stop me from playing around with the design process. Here are some miAdidas Dame 4 customizations.

Black, white, and pink
Onix and tech gold

Think I’ll just wait for Adidas to release yet another one of their many expected color ways for Damian Lillard’s signature sneaker.

Adidas AlphaBounce “Worn and Refinished”

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In the bottom row of men’s shoes at Nordstrom Rack was this nondescript box.

What’s in here?

Peaking over the edge of the box, I noticed something out of place, the Adidas AlphaBounce running shoes.

Adidas AlphaBounce HPC

 

Amazingly this relatively new runner found its way to the discounted shelves. Must be flawed I thought while pulling them from the box. Then I spied its price and label of “Worn and Refinished.” But at $45 (down from $110), I had to take a closer look.

59% savings?!?!

I couldn’t see any major issues or any flaws. There was this dirt spot, but it easily cleaned up with water.

A dirt spot that cleaned up easily

Talking to a Nordstrom Rack employee, the “worn and refinished” label is often given to shoes that are bought and returned to the upscale Nordstrom. But when returned, the shoe is out of season so instead of trying to sell the shoe there, it’s transferred to a discounted Rack location. It doesn’t necessarily mean the shoe was actually worn and refinished. So now, I’m an owner of a slightly large Adidas AlphaBounce HPC (reflective model) in black/utility black/white.

This definitely works for the price!

A few more pics.

Lonzo Ball Should Reboot Converse

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In the NBA Summer League, rookie Lonzo Ball played and earned MVP honors while wearing a variety of kicks. Of course he represented the family’s Big Baller Brand, but he also sampled signature models from Kobe, Harden, Curry, and Jordan. Check out Lonzo’s performance analyzed by SBNation.

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Who knows what this all means. But if Lonzo is actually going to sign with an established shoe company, he should consider Nike, specifically Converse. While Nike owns Converse, let’s be honest – Nike has no apparent plan for this brand. Nike tried reviving Converse with DWade, but Wade ultimately landed with the Chinese Li-Ning.

So why Converse? Well why not? I admire Lavar Ball’s crazy albeit true sentiment regarding athletes being their own brand. But a partnership could be synergistic especially for a brand that currently has no identity and for the Balls who have an identity (and the balls).

So again, why Converse? Let’s harken to the history of the Los Angeles Lakers who drafted Lonzo. Remember that other time the Lakers drafted a big point guard? Showtime was born with Magic Johnson leading the break wearing Converse Weapons.

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So why not see if history can repeat itself? Let’s see Lonzo lace up the Weapon ZO2 and get to work.

My Japan Education: Nike ACG 07 KMTR

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Just look at this new Nike creation, born from Nike Labs under the All Conditions Gear (ACG) label. The NikeLab ACG 07 KMTR is built for the urban commuter.

Featuring no laces but instead a draw string to tighten the upper and a forefoot strap secured by magnets, the KMTR is meant to be easily removed and worn. This setup sounds perfect for an experience in Japan where shoe removal is all too common.

Of course, I’m wondering about the overall support and stability of this shoe since there are no traditional shoe laces for lockdown. Granted, I really can’t see wearers working out in these, but they have to stay put.

Update: Looks like the KMTR is just about sold out.

Adidas NMD_ Is Nomadic

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I’m guessing that the NMD line for Adidas is a shortform of “nomadic.” Because after getting this pair of NMD_R1, they’re already on the move, headed back to Adidas.

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That glitch colorway is fun but subtle. It’s that PrimeKnit upper that is of issue. Because it’s a single piece construction without a separate shoe tongue, there’s just not a whole lot you can do to adjust fit. The laces essentially just cinch up the unstructured woven “sack” that is the shoe upper.

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The NMD looks distinctive and is popular, but its fit is definitely not for everyone.

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Good Bye Easy Mint

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(Not) so easy come, but easy goes goes this Easy Mint colorway of the Adidas Ultraboost. Adidas’ inconsistent sizing strikes again where this women’s size 7 was bigger than a women’s size 7.

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Oh well. I still love the color, but if it don’t fit right, there’s not much choice…

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