Three Kicks If I Could
If I could, these are three kicks I’d get for this summer season:
Classics in black.
Ultraaaaaaa….
For a pop of color.
sneakers
Passed on the Adidas Techfit Response Boost Runners
Long story short, I passed on these Adidas Response running shoes I found at Ross. I was surprised to see Adidas decked out with their Boost technology already discounted. The shoe was comfortable in the heel and midfoot but tight in the toebox. Even after going a half size up, my toes still felt crammed in the otherwise wide-looking toebox. Also, there were only a few laces holes making a snug fit hard to achieve. Nice neutral colors though.
Passed on the Second Scoop of Saucony
I would have rather indulged in the first scoop of Saucony’s limited Scoops Pack. I sadly slept on the minty green chocolate chip, so when the second scoop of Strawberry Vanilla released, I was there. But then decided these pinky kicks just wasn’t my style so I passed on the second scoop.
Loving Leather Soul
Thanks to Leather Soul Downtown (LSDT) for a great shoe buying experience. While I don’t venture into Downtown Honolulu very often, I’m thinking I’ll be a more frequent visitor after learning of LSDT’s solid collection of New Balance sneakers. Making a name for their upscale and high class shoes, Leather Soul diversified their offerings with select New Balance lines. Periodically, New Balance releases models made in the USA, and there are some great creations. More recently, there’s been a NB collaboration with Reyn Spooner of the aloha shirt fame that redefines local kine business attire.
Don’t expect to find the entire New Balance line at Leather Soul. Think of Leather Soul and their brand, and you’ll understand what kind of New Balances you’ll find. Think Distinct Weekender and Connoisseur Guitar collections that exemplify quality in look and workmanship. I went coveting the pistachio-themed M996CPS but found so many irresistible choices.
There’s even discounted models (in limited sizes) to check out.
While trying on different NB models, I spied this last pair of 988 that I couldn’t stop looking at. Rich colors, an old school silhouette, a modern tech Fresh Foam midsole, and a last pair discount of 50% off was just too compelling.
Thanks to Justin at Leather Soul Downtown for a great shoe experience. Here’s my five-star Yelp review of LSDT.
Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Air Jordan Clock
No sense waiting to collect potential gift items for this upcoming holiday season. Like this clock of Air Jordan shoes. Any shoehead would love opening this on December 25. The hours of the clock are replaced with the corresponding Air Jordan model. Simply ingenious.
Rules of Kicks Coppin’ Consider Alternate Stores
The days of stopping by Foot Locker at the mall to look for new shoe releases are long since gone. In this modern, connected times, there are no kicks secrets. Sites publish release dates way in advance and build the hype as releases gets closer. Now with software-based bots to speed up online purchases, coppin’ popular favorites is very difficult.
A simple suggestion for this dilemma is to increase your view and look to alternate stores. Everyone knows about nike.com, Footloocker, and the neighborhood boutique kicks carriers. But you might be pleasantly surprised at what’s available elsewhere. Like where? There’s the hit-or-miss searching at Ross and other discount stores. You just never know what you’ll find. Zappos sells mainly mainstream shoes, but it doesn’t hurt to search their site for a specific model.
One of my recent favorites is Nordstrom. Yup, that Nordstrom. Not only do they carry a variety of athletic shoes, they feature their Sneaker Project collection. This upscale retailer doesn’t only offer conservative kicks; they have an eclectic collection including Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Saucony, Asics, and more. Online inventory is expectedly much better than what’s in brick-and-mortar stores, but I still nod at what I see in-store.
An alternate shoe source in Hawaii is the luxurious Leather Soul. Leather Soul is a purveyor of the finest, so carrying lifestyle sneakers may seem far-fetched unless you’re a New Balance fan. Just don’t expect just any NB model at Leather Soul. Think upscale like the NB Connoisseur lineup.
I saw @ryankanno wearing these NB M1300BK from the Connoisseur Painter’s collection and with the pop of color, these kicks polished off his look.
The world of kicks is a big place. Take a look around, see what’s out there, and you’ll find kicks that you can indeed cop.
Kicks with Aloha
Maybe it’s purely coincidental or it may be an effect of Hawaii-born Marcus Mariota, but Nike has been releasing several Hawaii-themed goods. There’s the Mahalo Marcus shirt, and now there’s the Air Huarache “Aloha” and Roshe One Print for the women.
Then there’s the “hot lava” colorways like this Air Jordan 5 for girls.
The feet of the wahine are well taken care of, but where’s the aloha kicks for the kane? I guess there is this upcoming LeBron 12 low hot lava.
And the Air Max Lunar90 Breeze Hot Lava.
Oh wait, it’s just not Nike. Looks like Hawaii is a theme destination for this season’s kicks designs. New Balance has their Luau Pack.
Adidas is featuring “Hawaiian camo” on the body of the Tubulars or just the laces.
I just can’t decide which of these is my favorite.
Rules of Kicks Coppin’ Know the Return Policy
So you know not to sleep on’em, and while that may be scary to plunk down cash on a pair of unknown kicks, the second kicks coppin’ rule will alleviate your concern. Know the return policy.
I’m surprised at how good return policies are. There are a few businesses that make returns difficult or costly, but for the most part, many offer liberal return policies. No cause for returns, no restocking fee, no shipping charges – look for these clauses with the business you’re dealing with. Most do have a return timeframe, usually 30 days, but that’s sufficient time to figure out if you’re keeping your kicks. Even after the 30-day window, some vendors may accept the return but issue store credit instead of a refund.
Nike has free shipping for orders more than $75 for members (membership is free). This is okay for regular kicks purchases, but you may run into issues with clearance kicks that are less than $75. But you can always buy more to get over the minimum cost then return the unwanted items. Who knows? You may keep everything.
Rules of Kicks Coppin’ – Don’t Sleep On’em
If you’re shopping for shoes aka kicks coppin’, there are a few rules you should know and heed. The first rule is don’t sleep on’em, meaning if you see a pair of shoes that you’re interested in and your size is available, you should buy now and return later.
If you wait and sleep on your purchase, the shoes will be gone. The kicks game moves so fast now, especially with limited runs, special releases, and a very competitive connected marketplace out there. This rule just doesn’t apply to online purchases but in real life as well. You may be able to sit on your purchase at a retail location like Foot Locker, but at a discount store like Ross, most definitely buy now. You never know about Ross’ inventory so you may never see that pair of kicks again, even at other locations.
Don’t sleep on’em was a lesson driven home today. This morning I came across the Saucony G9 Shadow 6 Mint Chocolate Chip, the first from its Scoops Pack. When I looked at the online sizing, there was every size, and since I didn’t know much about Saucony, I wanted to read up. Time passed and when I re-engaged two hours later, guess what? Yup, sold out. No mint chocolate chip for me, and I’m guessing ever again since I doubt there’ll be a restock.
If you see’em, get’em, and don’t sleep on’em!
Major Props to Marcus Mariota
Major props to Marcus Mariota for his collegiate football career that led him to the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. But that’s not all. I’m very impressed with this commercial highlighting the ohana aspect of Mariota’s life.
Did you see that brand lineup? Yes, this production is from Beats by Dre, now owned by Apple. Marcus palms an iPhone in preparation for his workout while garbed in Nike and wearing swoosh-y cross trainers. It would have been totally over the top if Marcus beach workouts using rocks and coconuts flashed an AppleWatch on his wrist. Only that would be able to top these crazy sick Nike Lunar Force 1s custom made for Marcus for the NFL Draft event. Only two of these were produced to include the all Koa wood box. Props Marcus, props.
Air Jordan 1 Mid Black History Month 2014
Found this unusual Air Jordan 1 version at Ross the other day. The AJ1 silhouette was apparent, just not the makeup. Then I saw the “BHM” insignia that goes along with shoes specifically designed for Black History Month. These Jordans were part of the BHM 2014 collection and meant for the ladies??? So this size 13 may be a WMNS 13. Still big for a men’s equivalent of 11.5 though. It’s a catchy colorway with nice details and accents and only $50.
Passed on the Adidas Tubulars
I so wanted to love these shoes, but in the end, I had to pass on them. The Adidas Tubulars have been out for a few months and while they caught my eye, I just didn’t act…until I saw someone wearing them. The silhouette of the Tubulars was distinctive, but the texture and colorway muted the uniqueness into sneaker-ish sophistication. Then I saw the new batch of colorways announced by Adidas, and I had to go looking for the Tubulars. Hawaiian camo!?!?
Sadly, when I tried on a Tubular size 10, they were considerably too big. A half size down to 9.5, and they were still too roomy. Dropping to a 9 was just too snug. This unusual sizing might be due to the single layer bootie-like makeup of the upper. Instead of your typical shoe with a tongue, the Tubulars upper is like a sock made out of Neoprene. Because of the construction and material choice, the upper is also very pliable like the Nike Roshe Run and Adidas ZX Flux. With stretchy Neoprene, you just won’t get that lockdown feel or rigid structural support no matter how tightly laced they are. Me and my flat arches need more TLC.
Surprisingly, the exaggerated EVA outsole felt pretty good. Even with its hollowed out middle, the ring of EVA was firm with tacky traction. Overall, the shoe is very light in weight. But that size. I just couldn’t find a size that fit just right. Too big or too small. It’s like I needed a size 9.25.
Even more sad, Champs Sports had a few (original) colors discounted $30, going for $80 instead of $110.
I wish I coulda loved me some Tubulars…