Merry Christmas!

Feet On Head.

Just Blame Chad!

Footlocker at it again...

Rotten Sneaker Collection...

Street Fighter Kicks. Pun Intended.

Jordan Wedding Cake?

Best angle Via Nice Kicks. Click for more pics.

Mister Rogers Talks Sneakers!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Tim Duncan & Ali G.

Best of Swift Kick Sneaker Wipes Infomercial.

As you may know, in an earlier post I commented on Fat Joe's Swift Kick product design. Now it's time to let the product speak for itself.

HYPERIZERS.

Dunk Piñata.

Sneakers are meant to be destroyed.

Barrel of Dunks.

Jamming Frequency.

R.I.P.

Rapping About Weapons.

Royal Return.

Footlocker!

Got Cash?

Not Cool.

Dirt. Grime. Other Gross Stuff?

50 Cent Sneaker Skit.

50 Cent makes a promo video for his new album proving he is still hood. 

Airsenio!

Michael talks about life, basketball and Air Jordans. 

ZIPS

Drunk on Nike. And Beer.

Photo by Mike Giepert.

Hard Times.

There was a time when paying money for water someone put in a bottle sounded crazy, but I guess it does taste more watery than free water. That's why when Nike started selling short sleeve t-shirts with their name on it for $85 I was ready to listen. Apparently that's the cost you pay to name-drop loopwheeler, a machine that takes a really long time to make a shirt. I'm going to go ahead and assume that the $60 cotton Nike shirts are some sort of  "special" cotton. Don't try to step to me in a loopwheeler shirt. I bought an expensive Nike shirt in Amsterdam that after the currency conversion and credit card interest ended up costing $2,589.23. Here is an article from Grand Royal Magazine, issue #2 if fancy t-shirts are currently not in your budget. 

Non-Yellowing.

Here is a picture of Fat Joe's new sneaker cleaning product courtesy of The Shoe Game. First off, I want to say that I'm a fan of Fat Joe and I am going to try out this product. With that said, why does the packaging look like it should be sitting on a gas station counter next to the air-fresheners? I mean, have a design contest or something. If your packaging is comparable to peaches and cream blunt wraps something is wrong (those sell themselves). Poor design is not keeping it real, it just hurts the sneaker game and hip hop at the same time. I know that "unique" is one of the most commonly misused words in the English language, but that's more reason not to misuse it on your posters. Anyway, I'm going to go listen to some Terror Squad. 

Just Do One More.

This bar might not officially be associated with Nike, but there is a sports bar on The Nike Campus. I don't know who has the better tapas. My advice to you: stay away from the Marion Jones Jello Shots. If you visit Nike Headquarters you can get this map. Apparently there are more illuminati references hidden in the campus map than on a dollar bill. 

Sneaker Fetishism in Mainstream Culture.

I think people should be able to express themselves however they like sexually if they aren't hurting anyone else. With that said, there's a lot of freaky underground sneaker stuff going on that is just plain wrong! That is not how you "love" Jordans! That mess will hopefully never be mainstream, but here are two examples of recent Nike commercials that have blatant sneaker fetish undertones. The Dunk Wars intro was the trail blazer. I give them props for doing something different, it's just too bad they peaked on the first episode with the cakes. Not to mention the lack of a Dunks cheerleader poster. Just saying....

Kid Cudi Wears Reeboks.

Kid Cudi Wears Reeboks. Read about it here. Kid Cudi would have been my hero if he insisted rocking Jordans at a Reebok party, but instead Cudi claims he wore Reeboks and is confrontational for other reasons. I might not have fame and fortune like Kid Cudi, but at least I have respect for my feet. Another example of sneaker karma at work. Overall I do feel for the guy who's just trying to make it in the business. It must have felt like this.

Don't Lose Your Toenails!

Here are some excerpts from Vicki Cobb's book titled Sneakers. Vicki also has books on fireworks and junk food so you know she must be pretty chill. You can check out the book and get it here on Amazon. I personally think you could lose a toenail just by putting your foot in a nasty sneaker like that. This book is also a great way to justify buying some gum sole Air Force Ones for doing your taxes this year. Write them off as office supplies! 

AF1 Pallet.

The best sneaker paintings are painted from a sneaker pallet. 

Movin' Birds in Nike Boots.

Huh? What? Really?

Project Nike.

These rockets don't have anything to do with Nike running shoes, but you should check them out here on wikipedia so you don't buy a retro missile on ebay by mistake.

Piggy Shoes.

A No-Look Pass to Laughter!

R.I.P. Marvin Shawte 1921-2009.

It was reported that Marvin Shawte passed away this morning. I personally never followed his work very closely, but he is said to be the first cartoonist to regularly feature sneaker themes. These are the only two examples I could find. Most of his work could be considered "old timey." Shawte was influenced by memories of The Great Depression and saw Velcro as "the devil's zipper." He believed nothing good came without work and publicly denounced Velcro numerous times in his cartoons. Velcro actually sued Shawte in 1959, but apparently his health was so questionable at the time the lawsuit was dropped and not pursued later.

More Classic MJ Commercials!

One Bazillion Simoleons!

This commercial is great. It really takes me back to the good old days. Of course, not as far back as a visit to the official Space Jam Website will send you! 

Sneakers O'Toole.

Uh Oh 2K9.

One of my favorite basketball posters remixed. After I was done messing around in Photoshop I saw someone else did a modern version of this as well at bustabucket. Oden is wearing Buck's number for crying out loud! Too perfect. I would definitely donate ten cans of food to cop a 2009 version. Twenty to stand in line and get it autographed? Sorry, that sounds like too much work. If you missed the Blazers talking about their sneakers to Dime Magazine click here.

s-iPhone.

So much heat on that wall! If you share the drunken enthusiasm of the people in this ad, you can get your very own sneaker phone on ebay for under ten bucks.

Time for a New Job?

If everyone wore fresh kicks, the infamous "shoe-banging incident" may have never happened.

Dunks Tat.

If you're going to get a Nike tattoo, don't just get a swoosh... I do not have the original source of this photo.

Tinker Painting.

Here is the first look at the Tinker Hatfield tribute painting. This picture is the painting in the very rough early stages with almost zero detail. This image is going to be put to use on something interesting for sneakerheads in a limited run. I am considering giving a special round out to early followers of this blog... stay tuned.

Tinkle Trilogy.

Hipster's Wet Dream.

Sneaker Slueth!

Recieved this strange photocopy Saturday which appears to be the front and back of a lace lock. No note or return address. Could this mysterious image be hinting at a mystery pack release? Nancy Drew Dunks? Hardy Boys Blazers? Please post if you have any info.

Keys to the Campus.

Doernbecher Jordan by Tony Taylor.

What would your story look like as a sneaker? You probably remember these Jordans dropping last year in November. I thought this was a cool look, but an article in the Oregonian reveals the meaning behind the design which made me appreciate it more. You can read about it here.

Remembering The Pacific Swoosh.

For those who don't know, The Pacific Swoosh was "the swoosh" made between The Portland Airport, Multnomah Falls, Nike Town, and back to the airport. It used to be if you were from out of town with a layover you would get in a taxi and request The Pacific Swoosh. You would drive to see Oregon's tallest waterfall in the scenic Columbia Gorge, drive downtown to Niketown, then drive back to the airport in time to catch your flight. Some claim that they could receive The Pacific Swoosh without requesting it, just based on wearing fresh Nike gear into PDX and stepping into a cab. With the opening of the Portland Airport Nike Store in 2004 and the gutting of Niketown's elaborate displays, the Pacific Swoosh has since been retired to sneaker legend.

WE BUY DUNKS

Last year there were a lot of "We Buy Dunks" signs popping up. I haven't seen any around lately. Could this be attributed to the economy?

Largest Nike ever made.

Sneaker Anatomy

A lot of sneaker sites like to interview designers on how they got their cool sneaker-design jobs. It seems like their answers always focus on extremely hard work, creativity and dedication. If you prefer the "fake-it-till-you-make-it" approach, this handy cheat-sheet is sure to have you designing at Adidas in no time. Refer to a shoe's "foxing" a couple of times in your interview and you're on your way...

Sneaker Heaven or Sneaker Hell?

Kids collect old sneakers to break World Record.

Spizike Piñata

The Spizike unfinished, hanging from the shoelace support wire.

The finished product out at Nike.
                                                   

Shoes are made to be destroyed. I made this pinata as a conversation piece. The inside is lined with classic Spike and Mike posters. There are four more shoes in the works. They are more complex and are taking forever to make.

An Air Force 1 in the beginning stages. 

REWARD FOR MISSING SNEAKS.

Dj Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince won the first Rap Grammy in 1988 for "Parents Just Don't Understand." I am going to go ahead and assume they were wearing sneakers with these outfits. I can't find a picture or video of their shoes. What kicks helped hold up the 1st Rap Grammy? 
Rockin' fives with no laces.

USA! USA!

Shirt made with Nike Patent for first visible Air Sole.
The US Patent Office is a great way to see the breakdown of some of your favorite sneakers. Charlie's Sneaker Pages explains the history of sneakers in detail and also has direct links.

The Burning Question.

"The bigger they are..."

Really makes you think.

Kicks Couch

"I buy too many Dunks, Doc." @ W+K London.

Classic Nike Design.

Sneaker Phrenology

Comp for a sneakerhead parody.

Reap What You Sow.

AF1 Planter. 

Sneakerhead, Son of Man.

Painted for Mark Smith at Nike. In Magritte's original "The Son of Man," the green apple represents temptation. In this version it is a green Dunk.