Vote Steve Nash!
If you have a second today, please consider using your facebook/twitter networks to help Steve win the NBA Cares Challenge — go to facebook.com/nba to vote for his Educare project . . . and please spread the word!
Educare is a catalyst for change, bringing best-quality early learning resources to bear on the most at-risk kids and families. With the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and other local collaborators, the Steve Nash Foundation is working to change lives and better communities by providing a center of excellence for Early Head Start- and Head Start-eligible children ages birth to five years, and their families. More about Educare is at educarearizona.org, or stevenash.org.
Vote for Steve today and each day this week! http://apps.facebook.com/fanappz/poll/vote?id=6432
Gordon Named to Sophomore Squad
Clippers guard Eric Gordon has been selected to the Sophomore team for the 2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam to be held on Friday, Feb. 12 in Dallas during NBA All-Star Weekend. Gordon to compete in Slam Dunk-In
This is the G EXPERIENCE – Courtside for Toronto Raptors v Los Angeles Lakers
THIS IS THE G EXPERIENCE
Experience G gives sports fans the opportunity to score some unforgettable major league tickets – from court side at the Raptors to up close with the Habs or killer seats at the Grey Cup – there are over 100 chances to win.
Canadians qualify by becoming a fan of the Gatorade Canada Facebook page and uploading a video of themselves completing a specific challenge that tests their ability, talent and will to win – anything from showing their best game face or touchdown dance to an intense slapshot or crazy ball-handling skills. Check out the Facebook page for more details.
Experience G will be running for a whole year (from January 18, 2010 to January 31, 2011).
TEN ‘G EXPERIENCE’ COURTSIDE OBSERVATIONS
1. Kobe stepped on my left foot in-play
2. Raptors win! Raptors win! Raptors win!
3. Two Raptors sat in the chair directly beside me and took shots during pre-game warmup
4. Yelled “Hey Machine, they let you off the bench?!” and he responded
5. Up close and personal look to agree with Phil Jackson, that Ron Ron’s Peak sneakers truly are made of concrete
6. Drake has two bodyguards in the wings & Superfan has a lot of roll in the ACC
7. Flip minoHD is all you really need to capture proper footage
8. Hedo runs out of gas and Coach Triano keeps him in the game
9. CB4 is a silent assassin!
10. The Cheerleaders are good from far and far from good.
Facebook: facebook.com/GatoradeCanada
Twitter: @Gcanada
YouTube: youtube.com/GatoradeCanada
Steve’s In the Race!
Steve Nash is joining Athletes for Hope “Who Gives? Racing for a Cause” campaign, featuring 55 other athletes in a competition to find out who can do the most good. In support of the Steve Nash Foundation, he’ll be going head-to-head from now until January 15th in a race for the grand prize of $10,000 and much more.
Steve’s a tough competitor, but he can use your help getting as many new donors involved and existing donors excited; for as little as $10 anyone can help the Steve Nash Foundation bring quality early learning opportunities to at-risk children.
Steve’s project page can be found at http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/steve-nash-for-educare-arizona/ ( http://bit.ly/4ZBG4Y ) where you can donate and learn more about Educare Arizona, the initiative Steve is supporting. In order to win the race, Steve will need all the support he can get, so please share this with your family, twitter, facebook friends, and the good people you know, and ask them to help, too. At the bottom of Steve’s project page ( http://bit.ly/4ZBG4Y ), there are widgets available for free download, or you can forward this email on . . . and on . . . and on.
Thanks for your assist!
STOLEN RICHE$ 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.
RON RON SIGNS WITH LAKERS
Congrats Ron Ron…
Three Stripes High & Rising
It’s safe to say that Ben Pruess sees the sneaker game from a higher altitude. His bird’s-eye view of what the world is doing comes from his close connection to all of the major players in boutique retail, and a history of seeing things globally. Growing up as skateboarder from NYC turned pro snowboarder at 16, Pruess worked for the French brand Salomon until they were bought by adidas – leading directly to a job over on the side with the stripes. If you’ve noticed adidas Originals coming with a stronger
line and cooler shoes, consider Pruess the catalyst who helped step their game up. Hot off the heels of their aZX initiative – which was over a year in the making – the global vice-president for adidas is currently in full swing, but spared some time to share insights into where the brand is at now.
By Ace Six
How satisfied were you with the reaction to the Originals aZX project last year? The 60th anniversary of adidas was a good time to take stock and celebrate how far we’ve come, and
what we have to bring to the table for six more generations. Our brand is about creativity, fun, and
inclusiveness – and, if you look at the visuals we created, you can get a sense of how eclectic the
party is and how it is comprised by a diverse group of people. Whether it’s Jeezy, or Beckham, or just
some cool kid showing up, we are the kind of brand that can bring people together and let them be
themselves.
What is the marketplace feeling like in the early months of 2009? Customers are a little bit nervous, and honestly have bigger concerns than getting their newest pair of sneakers, but others had harder times during the last holiday season. The campaign is keeping people with Originals at top of mind. And the positive message is resonating more. It’s a good break from the other messages going on.
There have been rumblings of retro-ing the Dikembe Mutombo shoe and package … I love the sneaker community because they can find out everything we’re doing as we’re doing it.
But there isn’t a reissue of the shoe because we didn’t resign a contract with Dikembe – the model
will get its own name after that. The same issue exists with the Patrick Ewing collection, where there
was a contractual relationship back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, which did not continue afterward. We
have the attitude and the rivalry in the range of colours that people know even if we don’t have the
logo on there. Luckily, people still associate their memories with that certain athlete.
We’re spoiled for choice with so many shoes to choose from. Even the most obscure of obscure
has a fan base somewhere. The internet allows us to have access to it. And then, it’s partially about the
management of our range, since we can only bring out so many products each year. A lot of these niche
products are important to us, though, because it shows that we’re listening. But we can’t do one small
program after another. You’ve got tools you bring out each season wisely. Some have to bring the image,
and some have to bring the business – and so it’s just a balance. Selecting it is a fun process, though.
Do you see ‘90s basketball back on the rise? Do you see people getting tired over over-the-top graphic sneakerhead looks? Are they going back to more simple stuff? What about the environmental approach taken with the Grün program? These philosophies are permeating different parts of the brand. The Grün initiative is a responsibility that we are trying to incorporate in bigger and more seamless ways. We take that responsibility seriously, and are progressing each season, putting those ideas into bigger-volume shoes, and bigger-volume apparel programs. Grün has been a great place to start because it showed how committed we were.
Where are you headed for fall 2009? Definitely continuing under the umbrella of 60
years. We took a little bit more time to focus on the stripes story. And you’ll see a bit more of back to
basics: some great suedes with adidas Originals colours – burgundy, dark blues. And we’re seeing
the Campus coming back. There’s a skinnier profile in denim right now. We got a great response with
the SL 72. A lot of the guys in Scandinavia are doing a little bit of the roll-up thing and showing more
attention to their footwear. The classic shoes are a little cleaner, where it’s not so much a big graphic
story as a strong colour and perfect design. There are still sneakerheads who want to see over-the-top
graphics, but I think things are balancing out.
Jordan 2009 Designer, Jason Mayden
Jordan 2009
Excerpt of upcoming interview with Jason Mayden, Designer Jordan 2009
Did your own Chicago roots contribute to your role with the Jordan brand? Well, I had the privilege of watching Michael play, and those ties entitle me to give back to the community here and around the world. Regardless of where I am, I have something attached to my name that keeps me focused on a greater mission. Locally, we have athletes like Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton and Michael Finley who show up and do skills camps and breakfast clubs. I mentor students who want to get into design. We have a national program called Jordan Fundamentals. Internationally, we’re involved with a French street ball tournament, and MJ went to China several years back. Normally, there’s a barrier between athletes and their audience. We try and treat our consumers like family.
When did you first get to see Michael Jordan in the flesh? My dad took me to my first Bulls game in 1996, when they were playing the Philadelphia 76ers, just as Alan Iverson was coming into the league. We were in the nosebleed seats and I remember every head in the crowd turning in unison as he ran back and forth. Back then, wanted nothing more than to design a Jordan, and when I finally got to witness him as a living, breathing person, I knew my dream could come true.
For the latest Jordan shoe, were you drawing on past designs, or taking new inspiration from anything? We derived the aesthetic primarily from MJ’s sophistication on and off the court. If you look at the complete line, each shoe has a specific direct language that makes them unique and distinctly Jordan, so we continue forward with that look.
There was a time when it was all synthetics, and a lot of plastics, so how did you end up with satin and pleating on the upper part of the shoe? I’m a huge fan of martial arts, and the sport of fencing was an easy connection to make, since the footwork can also translate to basketball. The satin represents the clean aesthetic of Michael; the pleats build structure into the material. We wanted to reduce the amount of layers, increase the strength, but keep it sophisticated. The satin won’t get messed up, either – it’s engineered to outperform a lot of synthetics out there. The shoe is really based on MJ’s defensive mindset.
NIKE LAUNCHES FIRST SIGNATURE PRODUCT LINE FOR CHRIS BOSH
The 3-time NBA All-Star and Olympic Champion presents the CB4 Apparel Line and
CB4 Nike Hyperdunk available exclusively in Canada
The Hyperdunk combines two of Nike’s latest and greatest innovations: Flywire technology and Lunarlite foam. Flywire redefines footwear construction, shaving off weight and adding strength, allowing athletes to be lighter on their feet and faster on the court. Lunarlite foam features a unique cell structure making it lightweight and ultra responsive as a cushioning system. The Nike Hyperdunk is worn but athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Amare Stoudemire. The CB4 product will available at Champs, Nike Toronto and Centre Sports in the Air Canada Centre.