New Balance USA 'Tall Tales' Pack

Another day another New Balance. The brand really are making even greater strides than the previous 2 years could have forecast, it seems everything coming out of the NB camp whichever side of the ocean seems to be gold. This trio of terrifically crafted 574's makes up the American Made 'Tall Tales' Pack. Each take their colorway inspiration from a male icon of US folklore and with rich suede and mesh uppers and as always with NB a high quality finish I really all three, tracking them down in the UK could be an issue though...


Johnny Appleseed

John Henry


Paul Bunyon

Kenzo x Vans Era Collection

I think its fair to say Kenzo are mounting a fairly aggressive assault on the industry since their first catwalk show back in January. With Opening Ceremony founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim now at the helm don't expect this to be the last collaboration we see from the Parisian brand. But when they achieve results as good as this it is very much welcome. These neon, net patterned Era's are the first in a slated line of Vans collaborations. Given that Leon and Lim were both raised on the West Coast its probably not a surprise to see how such a collaboration was born. I can't wait to see what is next for this brand which seems to be moving a some pace in recent weeks, watch this space...

Nike HTM Flyknit

Primarily I created this blog to showcase my love of trainers, I have over the last couple of years steered towards other areas of fashion and lifestyle. But I still have a continued love of the creative process and innovation of footwear so it is nice when I am pulled back into the field that brought me to this point in the first place. And the Nike HTM Flyknit collection is just the project to do it, heralding a collision of old and new. By taking processes garnered from knitwear and the continuing innovation of flywire material Nike have been able to create a material which is super lightweight, breathable, superbly well fitting and comfortable. They are calling it the perfect running shoe which is probably a bit premature but it easy to see why there is alot of buzz surrounding this product line. They are easily my favourite looking shoe since the free runs and I love how the Flyknit adds a depth of texture that mesh cannot match, I cannot wait to see how this will be used across the rest of the Nike ranges and to get a pair onto my feet and out on the running trail...

Cole Haan x Nike Lunargrand Wingtip

Hybrids have always been a somewhat contentious subject in the sneaker world often due to the dismantling of a fan favourite, but when it comes to the above I have to say im converted. After Nike designer Jarrett Reynolds blog revealed his pair of custom lunar saddle shoes in late 2010 it must have got the creative cogs turning in the design kitchen. If like me you are wondering how exactly this collaboration came to fruition the story goes something like this. Founded by Trafton Cole and Eddie Haan in Chicago, Illinois, back in 1928, Cole Haan quickly became renowned for making fine quality shoes for men. In 1988 the company was acquired by Nike and began integrating parts of Nikes innovative technology into their own footwear, so with this in mind the Lunargrand Wingtip seems the inevitable next step in a seemingly organic partnership. Bearing in mind that a wingtip and a lunar running shoe are virtually polar opposites in ever way apart from being worn on the feet this shoe does not look wrong at all on the contrary in fact they grow on me more after every viewing. I do think however leather would have been a more appropriate upper material but i'm sure this is not the last we will see of this specimen...

Missoni x Converse Auckland Racer AW12

Many of you might have noticed the original version of this sneaker gracing my Top 10 of 2011, but to my dismay as with many collaborations they never saw release. But having garnered serious amounts of interest over the last 6 months their second iteration debued down the catwalk in Milan and will release this October and I simply cannot wait. It does however seem their may be a slightly more romantic scenario for the release of this shoe in 2012 the London Olympic year. The last time the games came to London in 1948, Ottavio “Tai” Missoni, an international athlete and track suit maker qualified for the finals of the 400m hurdle race and went on to meet Rosita Jelmini at Wembley. They married in April 1953, and five years later showed their first Missoni collection together. The rest is history. I love the woven wool upper against the pure white sole, it is a great contrast and as always the pattern is perfectly busy, this is definitely on my to buy list for 2012...

TOP 10 OF 2011

Firstly Happy New Year to all my readers, for many people I have spoken to it has been a hard year so we welcome you to 2012 and hopefully a much better year. Secondly as usual I have my Top 10 of 2011 albiet slightly late as the festive season for me has been more excessive than usual. It has been a year of huge releases and but also a huge amount of recycling. Only 1 of my top ten in a brand new model all the others are reimagined designs and colorways and retros, this was not a conscious effort on my part but more a sign of the nature of the current industry. That said there was a huge amount of innovation in materials in 2011 as we saw the introduction of hyperfuse and vacuum technology from Nike, Helium lightweight from Adidas and also a strong year for Reebok who although they didn't make the list have come on leaps and bounds and I expect to see them on the list in 2012. So lets get in there...


10. BEAUTY & YOUTH X VANS

Vans have had another huge year and they seem to get more popular by the day especially with the Vans Vault collections which are constantly reinventing the extensive Vans back catalogue in premium materials and also creating great new models in their own right. But my pick was not from the Vault series but a collaboration with Japanese brand Beauty & Youth, which gave the Era a trio of cord uppers. For classic comfort and wearability the Era is second to none and I love the idea of the cord wearing in like it does on trousers these will look better and better with age, I just love these...

 
9. NIKE SB 'STATUE OF LIBERTY DUNK'

Nike SB have definitely been accused in recent years of releasing colorways without any inspiration or originality. But the release of the 'Statue of Liberty Dunk' was a ray of hope along with Cheech&Chong colorway which was also another highlight. With a beautiful satin green leather upper with its ability to shed an outer layer of paint, revealing an unoxidized copper finish that mimics that of New York’s iconic landmark. This was a really genius sport specific idea, one of the best SB's in years...
8. NIKE AIR FLOW 2011 RETRO

The Nike Air Flow is a classic, it paved the way for the now commonplace minimal runner. Looking at it now in 2011 it is still very much a modern looking runner and with the Lunar Air Flow also dropping in 2011 it really showcased the successful design as the hyperfuse and lunar technology took effortlessly to the model. But it is on the foot where this model shines and in several eye popping colorways and with more to come in 2012 this is one that is well and truly out of the dark for the foreseeable future...
7. RONNIE FIEG X ASICS 'ULTRA MARINE' GT II

If you are a regular reader then you'll already be familiar with Ronnie Fieg and his now infamous Asics collaborations. Now with the opening of the Kith NYC store run with several other creatives their is now an outlet for his continually great catalogue. With buttery 'ultra marine' perforated suede on the upper and aqua/white highlights this is a powerhouse of a colorway, but don't be fooled into thinking this is easy this one has apparently been 3 years in the design kitchen, all that effort to look effortless...
6. NIKE FREE RUN+ 2 'CITY SERIES'

The Free Run+ 2 was without a doubt the best looking new release of the year, the overlays on the upper with the fine mesh underneath create brilliant texture and depth to the model with being too busy. And the fit is incredibly comfortable. I have such a huge array of people wearing these shoes on the street from kids to businessmen across the board this shoe delivered. The 'City Series' was my highlight of the colorways and the London Colorway although im biased was a simple triumph, the two tone colorway let the textures and design do the talking and it shouted...
5. MISSONI X CONVERSE 'AUCKLAND RACER'

Missoni's SS12 Collection was one of my highlights this year in Milan. Not least because of the above Auckland Racers. These will unfortunately not see a general release at least not yet anyway. I'm ever hopeful as these would be a serious addition to my summer wardrobe, their is nothing like these out there at the moment, with a knitted Missoni patterned wool upper and contrasting white sole these were always going to make the cut...
4. NEW BALANCE 996 'GREY/BLACK'

The New Balance 996 are one of the lesser known models in the NB arsenal but this colorway is without a doubt one of my favourites of 2012. I'm not quite sure how long these have been on the market as I showcased them here at the start of 2010 but have not seen them on the market till now. NB and grey colorways seem to go hand in hand and it is testament to their quality materials and construction that they still manage to keep us hooked with such a somber colour palette, I only have to look at the mesh on these to know they are special...
3. 2011 NIKE AIR MAG

2011 was the year that we will never forget as the culmination of years of debating, petitions and prayers were answered as 2015 came to 2011. The 2011 Nike Air Mag came to fruition and although it was without the fabled self lacing system (see you in 2015) and the huge price tags this was without a doubt one of the best releases of the year. With all the proceeds going to the Michael J Fox foundation it was a brilliant cause and an amazing campaign all round. People well outside the industry were nattering about these and im still sore that I dont own a pair, when I finally perfect my time machine ill go back and get them...
2. BODEGA X NIKE AIR WOVEN FOOTSCAPE

The Nike Air Footscape seems to be one of the hardest shoes to get hold of these days. Despite tending to divide opinion wherever I go you will never see these making it to the sales shelf. They have a kind of mystic about them and despite my orinal reluctance to get onboard they have continually grown on me over the years and although I missed out on these, they will be a target for 2012 in some form. Released as one of a trio this earthy colorway from Bostons Bodega, who have done such stirling work with Saucony over the last 2 years, was much coveted and for good reason the colorway was epic and looked especially good against the woven uppers. They have a really native feel about them and it just works, these very nearly pipped the J's...
1. JORDAN III 'BLACK CEMENT' 2011 RETRO

What can you say about this icon other than with a shape closer to the original than any other retro and quarms about construction and materials aside (these could have been made from paper and I would still have bought a pair). The originals are probably one of the greatest sneakers ever created, their popularity is testament to their brilliant design and forward thinking. They are still without a doubt one of the best looking shoes and having worn mine virtually every other day since release they still get more than enough attention, my favourite release of the year...

TOP 10 OF 2010

Things done changed.... 2010 has been massive in my eyes for two reasons. Number one runners are my new thing, as you can see from this years list. Number two the variation has been immense this year and I think in some ways this has over saturated the game, there has been way too many releases and as such competition has been huge. But its nice to see some of the smaller brands getting the praise they are due and it has shown me that there is still more to life than the swoosh despite my number 1...

10. VANS X TAKA HAYASHI PRISON ISSUE

I know I will get some stick for putting two pairs of Vans in the top 10 because to purists im sure they don't even come on your radar. That said they have had a huge year and I would not feel right not putting these in the top 10, they have everything, leather suede, a crazy aqua sole, patterns laser etching, the list goes on, these are still on my wish list.

9. NIKE LAVA DUNK

The outdoors theme has influenced the industry hugely this year, and this is probably one reason we have seen the return of the ACG line this year with avengence. It was a very hard choice between these and the Lunar Macleay which is also pretty special but the Dunk is such a classic and year after year, reinvention after reinvention, its still here looks amazing.

8. UNDERCOVER X NIKE GYAKUSOU SPIDER TT+

One of the most exciting collections of this year was the Nike Gyakusou collection, bringing the highest quality technological materials, the inspiration of the Gyakasou runners and the cutting edge fashion design of the Undercover crew. The Spider TT+ is a great shoe, bursting with Nike technology and two great colorways I'm sure we havent seen the last of this model.

7. VANS CALIFORNIA MID SKOOL 77 HIKER

Along with the above Lava Dunks we have seen many hiking boot inspired designs. But ever the underdogs Vans I have to say just got it bang on with this model. Great rustic colorway,the d-ring lacing and round laces just set it off perfectly...

6. CONVERSE BY SAK

I was in DSM when I spotted these, the classic converse look with the perfection of build that only a true shoe maker can provide, flawless...

5. NIKE X FRAGMENT ALL COURT LOWS

The All Court has had an unprecidented return to the spotlight in 2010, with collaborations with several high profile brands. Nikes long running relationship with Japanese Fragment brought us by far my favourite versions of the year early in 2010. The removal of the Nike Swoosh was the a genius manouvre as it gives the shoe a much cleaner look and the quality materials and two tone colorway hit the right spot for me

4. NEW BALANCE M1300 JP

New Balance have had another huge year in 2010, with scores of great releases. The M1300 is argueably NB's best sillouette and the retro release of the Japanese original colorway is just great. The subtle combination of greys is inspired I still can't explain why but it just works so so well.

3. SLAM JAM X ASICS GEL LYTE III

The Asics Gel Lyte III has been a phenomenen this year, with Ronnie Fieg bringing the heat with several colorways of note, Sneaker Freakers Alvins and Asics themselves bringing several of their own colorways. But my favourite colorway was Slam Jam Italys III's. The colorway works so well with the light grey suede and red fading sole, everything down to the subtle 3M and aqua accents just fits into place, a great shoe through and through.

2. SAUCONY X BODEGA SHADOW 5000 ELITE

Saucony have made a huge comeback during 2010, with Bodega at the helm of their Elite range the Shadow 5000 came with not only with exquisite materials but amazing colorways. My personal favoutire the teal/grey combination is just perfect, and they look even better on the feet.

1. PARRA X NIKE AIR MAX 1

Parra is already a legend in the game with several heavyweight colaborations under his belt. This years Air Max 1 was no different and easily deserves its place as the best release of the year, the colorway is unbelievable the burgundy upper in premium suede with white outsole and the aqua accents are just crazy, made me fall in love with the Air Max all over again. They truely turn heads and look so good on the feet, his next pair have a lot to live up to...

Business Week Top 25 Sneaker Designs of 2009

Agree or Disagree that is the question? See the full article here...

New Balance 996 Grey/Yellow/Black

New Balance 996 work great in this amazing grey suede, black mesh combo with the bright yellow accents they are a reasonable price too, available now at the NB Webstore

Nike Ace ‘83 Autoclave

This is a classic and this is a very nice understated colorway that is perfect for the winter, available at all good Nike retailers now...