UMBRO Customize Your Speciali Competition
The competition will run for just 2 weeks, between February 26th and March 12th. Interested participants can go to www.umbro.com/mydesign
The Prize -
The overall two winners of the competition will have their design incorporated into the outsole of a pair of football boots which will be worn by players in South Africa this Summer. The overall winner will be presented with a pair of their personalized football boots to keep.
There is 1 runner up prize-winner who will have their design incorporated into the outsole of a pair of football boots. The runner up prize-winner will be presented with a pair of their personalized football boots to keep.
Zeha-Berlin Team up with Lark for Olympia Inspired Sneaker
Legendary German shoe brand, Zeha-Berlin and local Vancouver boutique, Lark celebrated their limited edition sneaker with a successful launch event at Lark.
Named after Carl Haessner, the founder of Zeha, the sneaker, the Carl Haessner IIX, is inspired by the Zeha sneakers worn by the Olympic athletes of Germany and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Gold and black motif; trademark double-slash stripes, with golden embroidery, incorporates the spirit of the brand’s history and events in Lark’s hometown.
“We are excited about this collaboration with Lark and adding this sneaker to the Zeha legacy,” said Axel Menzler, the North American distributor of Zeha-Berlin. “It fits perfectly with the store, and the city, as Olympia meets high quality and high fashion.”
Handmade in Italy, from the finest Italian leathers, in vegetable tanned gold and black, the Carl Haessner IIX continues to carry the torch for tradition, craftsmanship and style.
Available only at Lark Clothing, 2315 Main Street, and onlinewww.lark.me
Lark and Zeha-Berlin unite for limited edition sneaker in celebration of the Vancouver Winter Games
Local Boutique, Lark and German footwear brand, Zeha-Berlin unveil their limited edition sneaker, this Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at Lark Boutique at 2310 Main Street, from 12pm to 5pm. This is a first time collaboration in the last century, and all in the spirit of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
The special edition sneaker, the Carl Haessner IIX Olympia, is a nod to Zeha-Berlin’s Olympic history, and in great anticipation of the Winter Games in Lark’s hometown. The sneaker captures the elegance and character of Zeha’s golden history, merged with the Carl Haessner luxury collection.
True to tradition, the Carl Haessner IIX Olympia sneaker beautifully connects the present with the past all in one step.
When: February, 7th, 2010
Time: 12pm – 5pm
Where: Lark – 2310 Main Street
CIPHER 2010 LIBERTINE
The 2010 LIBERTINE still maintains the essence of the last years most outrageous and original sneaker offering. Conceived by visions of the (in)famous Oscar Wilde and his treatise on aesthetics — with a street culture edge. The LIBERTINE is an ode to the flamboyant one-upmanship of urban-street culture fused with the luxuries of high fashion.
This new inception continues on the same trajectory extending into the contemporary, modern, high- end street fashion, but with a more refined and sublime offering.
High grade leather uppers and the same “Wilde” style attitude remains with a completely new archi- tecture. Refined aesthetics, sophistication, the 2010 LIBERTINE is a testament to discerning tastes and elitist bravado. Boldly stand out and declare your stylistic genius in the Libertine.
Available in Full Grain Ivory Leather with Black Quilting, Full Grain Quilted Ivory Leather and Full Grain Quilted Black Leather. US$179.99.
Manny Pacquio x Nike Trainer 1
THIS SATURDAY Livestock IS RELEASING THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED MANNY PACQUIO X NIKE TRAINER 1. INSPIRED BY HIS 2ND ROUND KNOCKOUT OF RICKY HATTON, THE ‘LIGHTS OUT’ TRAINER 1 WILL FEATURE KEY AREAS WHICH GLOW IN THE DARK. KEY DETAILS INCLUDE AN EAGLE LOGO ACROSS THE BACK AND SPECKLED SOLE. TO COMPLIMENT THE SHOE A LIMTED ‘PACMAN KNOWS’ TEE WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE. MUCH LIKE HIS OPPONENTS THIS SHOE AND TEE WILL NOT LAST LONG SO ARRIVE EARLY OR FACE DEFEAT. GASTOWN & TORONTO ONLY!
STOLEN RICHE$ REEBOK PUMP 20
Twenty years after the first pair was launched, Reebok is collaborating with 20 of the world’s most iconic sneaker stores to create 20 limited edition versions of The Pump. Featuring stores from across Europe, Asia, the US and Australia these collaborations celebrate the iconic nature of The PUMP while giving each retailer their chance to customise the design classic in a fresh and exciting way.
“The products that we carry in the shop are as diverse as the clientele – from pure sneaker heads to customers that really just want sneakers to walk around in.” said Hung Lam, owner of Stolen Riches in Toronto.
“The design is inspired by the city of Toronto. We really wanted the people who bought the kicks to see that these shoes scream ‘Toronto’ and everyone that worked here had input into the design” added M. Lam. “The materials that we’ve used actually relate to the climate here. From the Teflon fabric all the way to the bottom of the midsole which is treated for snowy winter days, to the warm inner liner especially for those sub zero days, plus the smoked out outsole idea that came from slippery ‘black ‘ ice. We wanted to represent the city, the shop, and Canada with the relaunch of a classic sneaker that everyone in Toronto will want to get their hands on come November 20th.”
This limited edition PUMP20 collab will be available from Stolen Riches in Toronto on 20TH November 2009.
Cement — Holiday 2009 DC LIFE Collection
Done up with a classic wing tip toe for a touch of luxury, introducing the Sector 7 WT and Admiral WT of the Holiday 2009 DC LIFE Collection. Built on DC’s slim and comfortable dress sneaker outsole, filling the uppers are premium leathers and construction, a trademark of DC. The incorporation of cement and concrete colors, a staple element in skateboarding, runs as a key design thematic, and the honed stone effect on the collar and straps represent what ledges look like after they’ve been grinded. A unique double ankle strap—a first for DC—adds flare and class for days on the high top Admiral WT. We could all use a little class, right? Right.RANSOM x adidas, Season ONE
Introducing Season ONE: Ransom Footwear by adidas Originals. Footwear crafted to withstand a rugged lifestyle and made for individuals continuously searching for a life well-led and a good story to tell. Available world wide October 31st.
HI-VISIBILITY OR LO-VISIBILITY — Holiday 2009 DC LIFE Collection
Safety first. Or not. With both uppers constructed of tough and unique ballistic nylon, the bright fluorescent lime of the Admiral TX and Xander TX stand crazy-bright next to their blacked-out cousins (again, the Admiral TX and Xander TX). The shoes, from the exclusive Holiday 2009 DC LIFE Collection, are a play on bright, highly functional colors and tough durable materials. Be noticed. Or not.”Lightning” Bolt Strikes Twice at 12TH IAAF World Championships In Athletics in Berlin
Three-time Jamaican Olympic gold medallist and PUMA athlete Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt shattered his own world record and delivered a stunning first place finish in the 200m on Thursday night at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Competing on the hottest day on record this year in Germany, Bolt and the track were literally on fire.
The Jamaican sprinter surged ahead of his opponents and raced to victory with an astonishing 19.19 seconds finish. Bolt shattered his own world record last Sunday in the 100m race when he clocked the fastest time ever recorded for that distance in just 9.58 seconds. Previously the world records for the 100m and 200m were set by Bolt exactly one year ago this week at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Wearing the now infamous custom-designed Theseus Pro sprint spike, dubbed the PUMA YAAM, after his favorite food, Usain Bolt exploded out of the starting block and powered past the pack, running hard through the end, again cementing his title as the “Fastest Man in the World”. The PUMA YAAM sprint spike that propelled him to victory twice in the last week was developed by a team of PUMA designers and technicians who studied and measured Bolt’s stride and foot form. With this information and ongoing track-testing, they created a custom-made sprint spike that best suits Usain’s unique body kinetics. The vibrant orange color was chosen to contrast Olympic Stadium’s signature blue track. The shoe is designed to provide power, speed and stability. The “engine” of the show is a carbon plate, which adds speed and power but no weight. PUMA has also designed an athletic, low-profile version of Usain’s signature track spike, called the PUMA STREET YAAM, which will be available at select retail locations later in the year.
ROB DYRDEK TO BEGIN SECOND SEASON OF “ROB DYRDEK’S FANTASY FACTORY” ON MTV
Second Season Begins August 27th at 9 PM ET/PT
MTV has announced that “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory” will air on Thursday nights beginning August 27th at 9 PM ET/PT. The show will follow Dyrdek as he runs Dyrdek Enterprises from his office turned playground, the Fantasy Factory.
DC Co-Founder and professional rally car driver, Ken Block joins Dyrdek for the second season as he takes on Ken’s infamous Gymkhana course with his own custom mini-Ken Block car. Also look for DC athletes Dave Mirra, Travis Pastrana and Jolene Van Vugt to make appearances on the new season of the show.
Dyrdek joined DC in 1995 as the third member of DC’s infamous skateboard team. Over the years he has been an integral part of the brand, helping to shape some of DC’s most notable campaigns, products and videos. In October 2009, DC will release the Dyrdek Collection, Dyrdek’s first ever footwear, apparel and accessory line. His shoe for this collection, the RD1 Mid will be his 15th shoe with DC.
KIXPO 2009 SNEAKER AND STREET WEAR EXPO - Dallas, TX – July 25th, 2009
Kixpo 2009 is the largest Sneaker and Street Wear Exposition to ever be organized in the state of Texas. The event is being presented by Dead Stock; a group of collectors, vendors, and designers based inDallas, TX. The event will display and exhibit products from sneaker collectors, urban fashion designers, vendors and sponsor companies from around the country. The displays will include rare collectibles, custom products and promotional goods from established companies involved in the rapidly rising Sneaker and Street Wear Culture. The event is being held at Life in Deep Ellum, 2803 Taylor St., in the Deep Ellum area ofDallas, TX from 2:00pm to 7:00pm on July 25th, 2009. The increased exposure of inner-city lifestyle has opened the door to a new wave of fashion trends. This wave has spread internationally, provoking several tradeshow events and expositions along the way. The opening of several boutiques and shops that carry Street Wear products in Texas has prompted Dead Stock to provide a platform to raise awareness for businesses, collectors and consumers alike.
The event has garnered support from over 20 sponsors, both on a local and national level, that include Sport Sole, Puma, Scion, Reebok, Vitamin Water, Akomplice and Red Bull to name a few. The list of giveaway and raffle items grows daily, including over 25 pairs of limited release sneakers, pairs of custom sneakers, clothing pieces and several accessories. Kixpo is a community event that is free and all ages. The 2009 event also features a new sneaker donation center for the Shoes for Orphan Souls organization. Dead Stock has also launched www.kixpo.com to keep the public updated with the latest information and to provide a forum for feedback.
How Bun B keeps his Yeezy’s clean
Bun B - Keepin’ Air Yeezy’s Clean from zachwolfe.com/live on Vimeo.
Oh Brother, Here Comes Big Game James
By J.R. Ewing
Delving into the annals of sneakerology, we find one of the unsung heroes of performance basketball footwear: New Balance. A brand that now strides through running and cross-training footwear once made mincemeat out of competition in the L, with its high output design and signing showtime basketball players to lucrative deals.
While most shoe companies signed egotistical contributors that made front-page news with their stats, and mouths, New Balance took the high road by signing the most congenial team player as their cornerstone athlete: James “Big Game” Worthy, an MVP with college powerhouse North Carolina and the Los Angeles Lakers. Throughout, he did nothing but win with New Balance on his feet.
The popularity of the Worthy sneaker line culminated with the best-selling 790, a kick instantly endorsed by the hip-hop community because of its sleek and high silhouette along with being available in all kinds of ill colourways. When the signature model, the Worthy Express, came out in the 1987 season, NB battled all the sneaker heavyweights. But powerhouses like adidas, Converse and Nike were literally throwing the bank at athletes and television spots, and New Balance took a different path.
While the Worthy has been out of production for nearly a quarter-century, it still commands some of the fondest memories from throwback ball fans and vintage sneaker collectors: a rare pair of all-black 790s ended for nearly $400 on eBay, more than the going rate of Nikes from that era. A re-release of the legendary New Balance was rumoured for years, and the 790 was ultimately put back into production, in all its original glory including foam ankle padding and signature west coat colourway.
New Balance might not be pumping out record numbers of collabs with key athletes these days, but what Big Game James brought to the hardwood during the L.A. heydays of Cooper, Kareem and Magic says more than any new tattoo or diamond earrings emblazoned on the overrated celeb-ballers in today’s NBA.
Feelin’ Out Fila - Merrill Lyons, Footwear Design
Interview by J.R. Ewing
Women’s sneakers have always been a tricky market to win – yet Fila are winning. What is the secret formula? Not trying to do anything else instead of that. The shoes are built at a very high cost and are well designed with a higher-end background in mind. When we run our prototypes they are always expensive – we take everything from those shoes and offer them at a lower price. We don’t think in terms of making a $40 shoe, or a $55 shoe, we just make it work and make it good. Then we’ll fit it into the price point. We can drive down the prices afterward.
Since your best-selling shoe is the Melrose, are there any other styles to look forward to this spring or fall? We’ve spun it in a bunch of great new colours, and are coming out with a low version of the Melrose. Based on the same tooling we’re coming out with more casual and athletic-inspired stuff, as well as more sporty trend-based styles that are totally different than the Melrose, but equally interesting.
Do you have anything coming out other than a padding or leather? For example, there’s a different treatment on the Melrose Scarf … It was sort of a wacky idea that proved quite successful. I saw a lot of kids wearing scarves, and wondered if I could put one on a shoe, and it worked. I’ve decided to continue with some sort of dressing on the collar. The following season, we worked with geometric patterns, and I’m really excited – but they aren’t coming out until fall.
Fila in particular have a strong presence in the vintage market. Do you draw on that for inspiration in the women’s line? We know what worked in the past, and we definitely have our favourites in the office. I try and bring hints of previous styles – whether it’s a colourway, or the way a logo treatment is done, or some sort of pattern. I try and make the line cohesive and relate it back to our history. The company was established in 1911 so there’s almost 100 years to draw from.
What’s your favourite Fila shoe of all-time besides one you designed? I really love the M Squad. They no longer make it, but hopefully will again, it’s a basketball shoe reminiscent of great ‘90s basketball footwear.
Do you have any plans to do that kind of thing in women’s wear? We did a collaboration that involved Sportie LA and 3M – 136 pair with a jazzercise theme. We’re just feeling it out for the future.
Would you consider yourself a sneakerhead? Yes and no. I’m a designhead, really. I love fashion, footwear, industrial design, and graphic design … any design.
And how did someone originally from Toronto get to be one of the creative directors for one of the world’s largest footwear brands? There was a lot of hard work. I got a degree at Dalhousie University. Then I went on to study at the Rhode Island School of Design, and I can’t speak more highly of how that school helped my career. Sometimes, in the design industry, you have to move out of your comfort zone. No one told me to do this. No one told me to get off my butt and come into Fila and make a whole line. I just took it up myself and know the best kind of work is self-motivated. But it all comes down to me loving sneakers and wanting a sneaker I never saw before.
Feelin’ Out Fila - Mark Eggert, Design Director, Footwear
Interview by J.R. Ewing
What exactly does a director of design do all day? Well, I’m overseeing the footwear design team,
consisting of four people including myself. I do design work wherever possible and interface with marketing and sales, and trying to keep everything on the same track, basically. I’ve had this job for about a year and a half after being with Fila for three years. We’re trying to draw inspiration from who we are as a brand, and where we’ve been. Historically,
we’ve had a pretty good play in both technical on-court arenas, as well as a detailed Italian lifestyle look
– so I feel we can go in a few more directions than some of our competitors.
How did the whole collaboration on the NAS collection come together? Nas came into the store in New York, and was just shopping around, and our corporate office is right upstairs. Someone went down there from our
marketing team and just started talking with him – and offered to give him something to wear on tour, because he was shopping for a trip to Africa, I believe he was playing some shows. It turned out he’s a huge fan of the brand. Back in the late-’80s, it was the one thing he aspired to wear as a kid. We got talking about what he was interested in, and that became the vintage collection. At the same time, we had him get behind some of the newer products.
Do you plan to put any original pieces out from that late-’80s era? We have our velour suit, which was one of the iconic products, which we continue to make. As part of the NAS collection we re-released some of the originals he identified with, as well as footwear. We’re always trying to go back through the catalogue and find
those products that really made us who we were, and bring them back in a nice way.
And you brought back all the Bjorn Borg stuff, which had a big impact in the Canadian market, because a lot of people remember him – especially the Sentanta jacket. Things have kind of cycled around. I’m 35, and everyone my age and older knows the Borg and Fila from back in the day. We brought back the original pieces as close as we can get to them, without any
effort to modernize, because it’s starting to look like a relevant look again. Sentanta is the Italian word
for ‘73. When we talk about who we are as a brand, there’s always a piece from that era because it’s so important, a reflection from when we were firing on all cylinders, and as great as we’ve ever been.
Personally, what is your favourite Fila product of all-time? My favourite shoe is unquestionably the Grant Hill II
– or the 96, if you wouldn’t mind calling it that today. I wasn’t necessarily hopping in it, but I recognize it
was a great shoe, and I was happy we were able to bring it back.
Autographed Shaquille O’Neal & Steve Nash size 23 shoe auction to benefit charity
Ever dreamed of owning a size 23 sneaker autographed by Steve Nash and Shaquille O’neal? No, neither did we – but that’s just because, in our wildest dreams, one never existed.
well, you’re in luck – there’s one up for auction right now – and all proceeds will be donated to the Steve Nash Foundation!
As you probably know, Steve Nash, is a vitaminwater guy – and was recently featured in one of the brand’s commercials – which actually shows how the co-signed sneaker came about. Nash showed up at the vitaminwater headquarters one afternoon and happened to stop by Marci’s desk, one of the brand’s employees. Nash saw her Shaq-signed sneaker and decided to “make it better” by autographing it as well. Needless to say Marci was a “bit shocked” by the gesture…so she’s decided to auction it off and let the proceeds go to the Steve Nash Foundation.
The auction is live and the bidding starts at $13 – oh, and we’re pretty sure it’s the only one that exists – so go to facebook.com/vitaminwater and click on “boxes” for the link to the auction – and hurry, the bidding ends april 13th!!
The auction is now live on stevenash.org
‘Tricky Business - Patrick Ewing on Ewing Sneakers
Did you know Ewings are the most sought after shoe in the vintage market? Yeah, of course – it’s a great shoe, great name. I don’t think there are too many out there though.
What are your plans to bring the brand back? People have been asking that for a couple of years now but I’m not sure yet.
You are the first guy to start an independent brand as a player in the NBA. Were there a lot of roadblocks? I’m not going to say that there were roadblocks, because it was very successful for a while. Then the shoe industry as a whole took a turn, so we decided to get out of the business.
Chris Bosh claims his move to Nike from Converse elevated his game
CHRIS BOSH, power forward, Toronto Raptors
What can you tell us about your new shoe? It’s a signature shoe from the Nike Hyperdunk, along with the apparel: hoodies, T-shirts, sweatpants with my logo on it and everything – we’re just trying to get it going. It’s exclusive to Canada, so that’s pretty special. I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a kid.
How does your own shoe feel on the court? It’s very deceiving because it’s such a light shoe but it’s strong, very durable. As a big man, I need to have strong, durable shoes because I weigh a little bit more than the guards. Cutting and moving really takes a toll on shoes but these have turned out pretty great.
And how does it feel compared to what you used last season? Last year was the Air Max. These are lighter, more flexible and just feel better. You can tell that Nike improves every year and that’s definitely the case with this shoe.
How does Nike compare to Converse as far as playability goes? Nike has been around a little bit longer. They have a more technology-based shoe that’s also more comfortable and more durable. I have no complaints about it.
Did your game elevate with the switch to Nike from Converse? Well, yeah, it puts you in a position to be comfortable. You have to be comfortable to play. You can’t worry about your feet when you’re trying to win games. You just have to go out and play and wearing comfortable shoes just helps you out.
You were ranked 22nd out of the top 50 players in the NBA today by SLAM magazine – what do you have to say about that ranking? It gives me a lot of room for improvement. I’m happy to be considered for the top 50 of anything, but I feel I can get a lot better as the years go on. I think this year is the year I can really elevate my game and just prove night in, night out that we can win basketball games. If we get team success then individual success comes with it too.
Did you feel you became a man playing for Georgia Tech? Or did it take you until getting to the Toronto Raptors? Definitely Toronto. You play with men. You get beat up by men. You can’t call your mother to come and nurture you or anything like that – especially as a teenager people don’t have any mercy on you. That’s one thing I learned about the NBA early. Once you step on the court, it doesn’t matter who you are. You’re the opponent and they are trying to destroy you.
OG Stacy Peralta on his thirty year relationship with Vans
By Duane “Sweets” Watson
STACY PERALTA, director/ skateboarder/surfer, Z-Boys
What were your favourite sneakers of all-time? Vans, without a doubt. I still wear them and will probably wear them for my whole life.
What is it with you and Vans? It’s just like heritage, it’s where I’m from it’s who I am. I was the very first skateboarder in the world to be paid by a shoe company. I was one of the very first kids to get a shoe sponsorship, but I was the first to ever be paid to wear shoes: $300 per month, which back then seemed like a lot, but now it’s nothing.
Vans were the sneakers of choice? They were the only choice. There was no such thing as a skateboard shoe back then. It didn’t exist. Now, it’s just a way to make money off people. It’s not like anyone re-invents, they just put a different logo on it, maybe put the stripes in a different direction. But it’s all the same stuff made in China. The revolution is pretty amazing in that people are dressing their feet in an artistic manner now.