Thirty & Thanks
Transitions don't always occur gracefully in life, but when they do, the natural forces at work are rarely acknowledged and commonly under appreciated. Over last few weeks I've been witness to and played a part of an awakening number of life transitions that have been both expected and unexpected, both graceful and clumsy, and both welcomed and unfortunate. Sharing all of these recent developments would require that I open my personal cabinet a little wider than I think is appropriate at this time, but in the spirit of keeping it light, the net effect on me has been positive and I aspire to be a part of more positive transitions than negative and have them be more graceful than abrupt in the future. So we'll start with this blog. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my opinion and life experiences through the voice and attitude of Tommy D., and perhaps that precocious young man will become anxious and inspired enough to resurface in another forum or format on the internet, but for now, this is it. However, before this all comes to an end, I figured I'd share a final 30 images. Some of these you've seen before, some you haven't, but regardless, I'm putting my sneakerdrobe all out on the table (literally, that's my black wooden table) and then blowing out the candles.
"I'm not a collector nor am I a sneaker connoisseur, and I probably don't have the most impressive or exclusive sneaker collection you've ever seen, but I've got an opinion, and I like to believe I know what looks fresh. I started this blog as a change of pace from the grey and blue life I live Monday-Friday so if you like my posts...rock on...and if you don't then kiss my Converse!"
We out,
2011 Nike MAG
I realize that I'm not nearly the first to market here, but these Nike MAGs represent a breakthrough that should be documented in some capacity by all sneaker sources. Direct your largess toward michaeljfox or eBay and google co-founder, Sergey Brin will match your generosity. If you're lucky, you'll win the auction. Winning bidders are shelling out serious ducats despite pricing that appears to be, fully-valued to say the least. Another example of how nobody can seem to make people loosen up their wallets quite like Nike.
Look out for pairs with auto-lacing technology some time in 2015 according to Nike's sneaker designing deity Tinker Hatfield.Ronnie Fieg x ASICS Gel-Lyte III “Salmon Toe”?
C'mon Ronnie, Salmon Toes? What kind of name is that for a collaborative colorway? This just doesn't conjure up a delightful image my man. I am confident that a title including salmon and toes (in fact anything and toes) will not enhance the allure of any product. Nevertheless, despite unshakable images of sockless feet covered in creamy dill sauce stuffed inside of a suede Asics toebox (squish), I did watch this clip. Mission accomplished? Not quite Mr. Fieg. Based on the name and the few images I've seen, I'm more inclined to throw these back in the Atlantic rather than to reel them in for immediate consumption. Salmon Toe lovers will enjoy the clip below and catch these sometime this Fall. Stay tuned.
Ronnie Fieg x Asics Gel Lyte III “Leatherback”
"When I say the boy has got his own money I mean the boy has got his OWN MONEY (thunder rolls)!
As critical as it may seem, photos of recent releases from Ronnie Feig have been helping me go to sleep during restless nights, the splotchy colors on the inside of my eyelids have been putting out more interesting images than the last few Gel Lyte III colorways by Mr. Feig IMO. However, I came across these and my eyes opened wide with piqued interest, my neck darted forward and my arms extended outward in acceptance like Mr. McDowell after learning Akeem was the Prince of Zamunda. Ronnie did his thing with these Gel Lyte IIIs, and now that he has parted ways with retailer David Z, I hope he does his thing on the distribution end and packs a little extra power in his servers as these kicks are sure to bring the thunder.
Air Jordan V Retro - Black / Metallic Silver (Released Today)
Today, Saturday, August 20th, the black AJV's will be released all over the galaxy and although the numbers will not likely be limited, in usual AJ fashion, there will be a initial rush to cop them. The black Vs probably don't rank in the top quartile of my favorite AJs released to date (there are 26 total), however, I distinctly remember being all googly-eyed over the Vs at one time. I was in the 2nd grade when I first saw them. My neighbor was the first to be so fortunate, he quickly rumbled down the stairs sporting them for the first time. It is a good thing he didn't slip and fall because their banister would not have offered the necessary grip for recovery, it often appeared to be polished with chicken grease (they weren't known for keeping the cleanest house on the block). Most buyers of the Vs simply would not be able to function in such an untidy environment because this particular Jordan made a sneakerhead's apprehension toward dirt, dust, sauce, gum, dander and yes chicken grease, even more magnified. Concerning oneself with keeping the micro suede upper clean, dry and well groomed just wasn't enough, 'heads had to be conscious of every jab-step, shuffle, shimmy, slide and stride they took because the floor/ground contained elements that were threatening to the cutting-edge clear bottom design. It was indeed a beautiful design, but it caused nightmares for owners with sneaker-specific OCD. Tinker Hatfield is credited as the genius behind the OG design and later someone (not sure who) came up with the bright idea (sarcasm) to make a few additions. Specifically, Jordan's number was stitched on the rear side panel and the Nike Air logo was swapped out for the Jumpman insignia on the back. Both turned out to be foolish and unnecessary moves IMO. There would never be any confusion about whose signature shoes these were/are, no need for the number 23 to make an appearance...and the same could be said for the Jumpman logo on the back. But if they could subtract those additions, I'd be much more inclined to part with $150.
Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2011 Sneakers
Douchebag. A$$hole. Jer&-off. If he hadn't already designed his own pair of all red Louis Vuitton sneakers to match, these would win as a more attractive compliment to the saturated red suit ensemble. I represent the Midwest but d@mn, I don't have enough Chicago in me to pull these off. I wish I did though. The more I admire the clean silhouette, fully attached tongue and D-ring detail, the more I want to have a run at them. Illest kicks (not yet) out right now.
Converse All-Star x Barneys
I bought a pair of Chucks a while back for the sole purpose of ruining them during J'ouvert in Trinidad...and ruin them I did. By the end of the night/morning my once very serious, all-black, crispy Chucks became soggy and marked-up with mud and yellow paint. D@mn, my water-logged kicks meant $50 down the drain. Or did it? I allowed them to dry and they looked surprisingly satisfactory, worn and nostalgic. A converted Carnival keepsake. It's not easy to kill a classic.
Converse has created a Barneys exclusive Chuck T that if worn by a smart consumer, will never see the sun come up on J'ouvert morning. Barney stripped off the classic low cut canvas coat and put on a premium perforated leather jacket, but premium leather comes with a premium price tag of course. Good 'ol Barney is asking for 2.5x the price of the common canvas version. More does not always mean better and a classic is a classic for a reason, as such, I personally I'm not too much into these but I appreciate the high-touch attempt.
Balenciaga Men’s Sport Shoes from A/W 11 collection
Questions about theoretical losses are answered with the silent sound of crunching numbers while flashing red lights on flat panel displays tie knots in the stomachs many men. Although eight exasperating days of trading at a loss have come to an end, it is times like these when playing the stock market feels like playing yourself. However, you can't just walk away from that potentially lucrative circle in the back alley now that you've theoretically crapped out. You haven't really lost until you've walked away. So you have to create some theoretical gains to offset those theoretical losses. You gotta ante up. Double down. Roll again. Why? 'Cause baby needs a new pair of shoes.
Jil Sander Espadrille Sneaker
I've been trying to improve my vocabulary by saving all the words I'm unfamiliar with into my iPhone, so I can refer back to them during down time of which there is plenty while riding the subway to and from work. And although I don't claim to be writing from a high etymological post (I actually need a booster seat), I think I've come across some pretty impressive words in a short period of time. Ascetic, puerilism, raconteur, scurrilous and the list goes on. But I learned one word in particular a few months ago and it stuck with me...espadrille. It was used by a fashionable young lady in a sentence like, "I really need to buy some fly espadrilles for the summer". I paused after her statement, pretending for a few moments that I was equally fashion conscious and knowledgeable. Then I broke and simply asked. She answered with a quick Google search that mocked me by coming up with hundreds of thousands of results in a fraction of a second. That was the search engine's way of saying "duuh that was so easy". So from that point on, my definition of an espadrille was a lady's shoe with a sole that looked like some kind of hemp basket weave. Needless to say when I read the headline, Jil Sander Espadrille Sneaker, my mind imagined something much different than the photos you see here. At the very least I assumed they would be "For the ladies", these however are not. My personal definition of espadrille is a bit too narrowly focused but I'm going to maintain my belief that espadrilles are largely, if not exclusively for the ladies...and that definition is that much easier to subscribe to because these half-chewed-up-looking shoes are not for me!
Nike Talaria Boot QS
Unique design? - Check
