To Darrin Hudson

The Complete Works of jeffstaple.

My Photo
Name: jeffstaple
Location: New York, New York, United States

I think everyone had a "Darrin Hudson" in their lives. Darrin Hudson was in my high school, back in Marlboro, NJ. You know, that person that you had to one-up all the time. Didn't matter what it was: Gear, hair, grades, sports, whatever...it was ON. Well for Darrin and I...it was kicks. Plain and simple. Oddly enough, in a school with over 1000 kids, me and him were the only 2 really into sneakers back then. This is my blog dedicated to Darrin. This is to tell Darrin that I'm still out there, and if he wants to battle, here it is son!! Bring it!! I've since lost touch with Darrin, but thanks to him, you all get to check out the kicks I have amassed over the years. So it is here, that I will archive every pair of shoes I own. It’ll include detailed photos, a grading system, a little tidbit behind each one and every single one will be available for purchase. (Simply POST A COMMENT with your offer). Some other little goodies sprinkled throughout also. Even if I updated a different shoe every week, it would take me about 3 years to complete this project. So sit back and enjoy! The project begins January 1st, 2006...

Friday, May 09, 2008

NIKE TRAINER MAX '91.

nike_air_trainer_max91.jpg

COMPANY (会社): Nike
STYLE NAME (スタイル名): Air Trainer Max '91
ALIAS (別名): Bo Jacksons
COLOR (色): Grey Stone/Med Yellow-Blk-Wht
STYLE # (スタイル#): 309748 071
SIZE (サイズ): US 10
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE (製造国): China
DATE MANUFACTURED (製造年月日): August 2004
CONDITION (状態): A-
ACQUIRED (購入先): Niketown New York
OTHER COMMENTS (その他): I'm actually only 90% sure I got these at a Niketown. The price tag on the box ($90.00) looks like a Niketown tag, but I can't actually recall getting them there. Ah well...that's what happens in your elderly years. According to sneaker lore, there was a legendary day where Tinker Hatfield went into the gym with his usual duffel bag of assorted shoes: A running shoe, a basketball shoe, and a tennis shoe. Then it hit him. Couldn't he create a shoe that was made to handle all those activities? You know, something that could be utilized for cross training. He went back to Nike and pitched the idea. They hated it. Why would Nike want people to stop buying 3 pairs of shoes and just buy one that could do them all? Luckily, Tinker didn't listen. (it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.) And lucky for Bo Jackson, Nike's biggest multi-sport athlete, he had something to rock when he said "Bo Knows." In retrospect, the entire collection of Bo Jackson endorsed Cross Training shoes were WAY ahead of their time. These 2004 retros of the 1991 originals were a must have for any true sneakerhead.
ほぼ90%の確率でナイキタウンで購入したと思います。箱に付いている値札($90.00)はナイキタウンのものに見えますが、そこで買った覚えがないんです。まあ、年をとると記憶力も低下しますからね。とにかく、伝説によるとTinker Hatfield がいつものようにランニングシューズとバスケットシューズとテニスシューズをスポーツバッグに詰めてジムに通っていると、突然ひらめいたのです。これらの競技が全部できるような靴をつくれないものかと。クロストレーニングに実用的な靴を。彼はNikeに行きこのアイディアを提案しました。Nike側はこれを大批判しました。多目的なスニーカーを発売してしまったら、今まで各競技の靴をそれぞれ買っていた人が1足しか買わなくなってしまうのではないかと。幸い Tinker はそんな事ではあきらめません(謝ることは許可を得ることより簡単でしたから)。そして幸いにも、当時Nike がサポートしていたアスリートの中で最もマルチであった Bo Jackson にとってこの靴は最適だったため、"Bo Knows" 広告で多いに露出されました。いま振り返ると、当時 Bo Jackson が推進していたクロストレーニングシューズは時代の遥か先を行っていたように思えます。2004年に復刻された1991年オリジナルモデルはスニーカーヘッドにとってはマストアイテムです。

Labels:

Saturday, April 26, 2008

NIKE AIR FOOTSCAPE.

NikeAirFootscape.jpg

COMPANY (会社): Nike
STYLE NAME (スタイル名): Air Footscape
ALIAS (別名): Footscapes
COLOR (色): Grey/Blue/Yellow
STYLE # (スタイル#):312006-071
SIZE (サイズ): US 10.5
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE (製造国): Taiwan
DATE MANUFACTURED (製造年月日): March 2006
CONDITION (状態): A
ACQUIRED (購入先): ABC Mart. Tokyo, Japan.
OTHER COMMENTS (その他): Finding this Footscape is a great example of sneaker hunting. It's not always about going to the sneaker boutique or Tier 0 account. A true sneakerhead will dig in all places. I found this dope style in ABC Mart which is kind of like the equivalent to Payless Shoes in the US. Finding gems within the in-line catalogs in other countries is a great feeling. The Footscape is the ugly duckling in the Nike family lineage. Great technology and great comfort, but people weren't quite ready to put this potato sack on their feet. It was a huge hit in Japan, but never really took off in The States. Hence you can usually find these at your local Nike Factory Outlet. They've recently been resurrected with hybrids like the Free and Woven Technology. But there is something about these little guys that will forever have a place on my shelf.
このFootscapeを見つけた時はスニーカーハンティングの醍醐味を感じました。スニーカーブティックやTier 0のアカウントに行くだけではダメです。真のスニーカーヘッドはあらゆる場所で掘り出さないと。僕はこのヤバイ一足をABC Mart、アメリカで言うPayless Shoesみたいなところで見つけました。外国のコレクションカタログでこういう当りを見つけるのはとても気持ちがいいものです。FootscapeはNikeファミリーの中では醜いアヒルの子のような存在です。すばらしいテクノロジーと履き心地だが、この見た目の悪さであまり人は履きたがらなかった。日本ではヒットでしたが、アメリカでは人気が出まなかったので、Nike Factoryのアウトレットではよく見かけます。最近はハイブリッドのFreeやWoven Technologyで復活しましたが、この形は僕にとってどこか特別で、僕の靴棚にはこれ専用のスペースをいつも確保しています。

Labels:

Monday, April 21, 2008

VISVIM PAIK MAMMOTH

visvimpaik.jpg

COMPANY (会社): Visvim
STYLE NAME (スタイル名): Paik Mammoth
ALIAS (別名): N/A
COLOR (色): Sand
STYLE # (スタイル#): V016/02-03
SIZE (サイズ): US 9.5
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE (製造国): Korea
DATE MANUFACTURED (製造年月日): 2003
CONDITION (状態): B-
ACQUIRED (購入先): Chapter, Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan
OTHER COMMENTS (その他): In the 80s and early 90s, Streetwear was born. Somewhere in early 2000, companies with a streetwear mentality started making shoes and this idea of an independent footwear company was born. One of the earliest and best was Visvim from Tokyo. The founder of Visvim is Hiroki Nakamura who's lineage comes from Burton, Gravis and Idiom. This was my first pair of Visvims. Definitely not your average sneaker, but really eye-catching to say the least. The outer was inspired by a Woolly Mammoth Elephant. This would be the first of many Visvims for me. I love that with each season, I was able to witness the progression of this small brand. Today, it is one of the most innovative and well executed brands in the world.
80年代と90年代の初期にストリートウェアが誕生しました。2000年のはじめあたりにストリートウェアのメンタリティーを持った会社がシューズを作り始め、独立したフットウェアという観念が誕生しました。その中で最も古く、最高の会社の一つが東京のVisvim。Visvimの創設者は中村ヒロキ氏で、BurtonやGravis、Idiomからのテイストを引き継いでいます。これは僕のはじめてのVisvim。いつもの見慣れたスニーカーでなく、すごく惹きつけられる風貌。アウターはマンモスにインスパイアされて作られています。これは、僕にとってのたくさんのVisvimスニーカーの中のはじめての一足。毎シーズンのスニーカーで、この小さなブランドの前進が見られるのがいつも楽しみでした。今や世界で最も革新的で実力のあるブランドの一つです。

Labels:

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

NIKE AIR MAX 180 ID.

airmax180futura.jpg

COMPANY (会社): Nike
STYLE NAME (スタイル名): Air Max 180 iD
ALIAS (別名): Air Max 180 Armstrong's
COLOR (色): Grey / Livestrong Yellow
STYLE # (スタイル#): 313765 991
SIZE (サイズ): US 10 / UK 9 / EUR 44 / CM 28
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE (製造国): Thailand
DATE MANUFACTURED (製造年月日): Dec 2004
CONDITION (状態): A-
ACQUIRED (購入先): 255 Elizabeth Nike iD Studio.
OTHER COMMENTS (その他): I'm not by any means Nike iD's #1 fan. But every once in a while, a style comes out that I feel I have to take part in...just because. After Lance Armstrong won his last Tour De France, Nike pulled all the stops on their celebration. This shoe really kicked off his 10/2 collection. (10/2 being the day that he was diagnosed with cancer.) The famed artist Futura was asked to do numerous collaborations with Lance and he developed a set of graphic icons that correlated to stages in his life. For the iD version of this shoe, you got to choose which Futura icon you wanted on the back. I took my customization one step further and ask the artist himself to sign these joints for me. He lay the perfect tag on the heel side. Thanks Lenny.
その他:僕は決してNike iDの#1ファンではありません。でも時々、僕がどうしても欲しくなるスタイルが出ます。Lance Armstrongがツール・ド・フランスを優勝した後、Nikeは盛大なお祝いをしました。このシューズで彼の10/2コレクションがキックオフしました。(10/2は彼がガンと告知された日です。)有名アーチストFuturaはLanceと数々のコラボレーションをし、Lanceの人生の各ステージに関連するグラフィックアイコンを作り出しました。iDバージョンはシューズの後ろ側にFuturaアイコンを選んで入れることが出来ました。僕はさらにカスタマイズして、アーティスト本人にサインしてもらいました。かかと部分に完璧なタグをしてくれました。ありがとう、Lenny。

Labels:

Friday, July 07, 2006

NIKE AIR KUKINI



COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Air Kukini
ALIAS: None
COLOR: Cool Grey/University Gold-Black
STYLE #: 104209 071
SIZE: US 10, UK 9, UR 44, CM 28
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: CHINA
DATE MANUFACTURED: 03/01/2000
CONDITION: B-
ACQUIRED: Paragon Sports, NYC
OTHER COMMENTS: As I sift thru my collection, I realize some shoes are like tattoos. Meaning; some kicks mark a particular chapter or era in your life. The whole aesthetic of the Kukini was that Late 90s/Early 2000 craziness. Kukini in yellow worked in 2000. But not in 2007. I cherish them away. These are such comfortable shoes. They are part of the Nike Alpha Series which led the way in experimental footwear. This definitely was experi-fucking-mental. The follow-up Kukini's just never lived up to this forerunner. (Even with the help of those cool ads with the water faucet running thru them.) For a while this was my official shoe for going to Six Flags Great Adventure. Now they reminisce over you.

Labels:

Friday, April 14, 2006

NIKE AIR RAID II.




COMPANY: Nike
NAME: Air Raid II
ALIAS: n/a
COLOR: (top) White/Black. (bottom) Neutral Grey-Dk Blue Grey-Blk
STYLE #: 130171 001 / 130171 100
SIZE: US 10 / US 9
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Korea / Korea
DATE MANUFACTURED: 02/04/93. 12/02/92
CONDITION: A+ / A+
ACQUIRED: www.vintagekicks.com
OTHER COMMENTS: Ah yes...remember the days before And1, Fat Joe at Rucker Park, Mountain Dew tournaments and "Streetball" on ESPN? There was The Blacktop by Reebok and The Air Raid by Nike. These are supremely ugly yet amazing examples of footwear design. I really love them. Really brings me back to Junior Year in High School. The top one was loosely based off of Spike Lee's monumental film, "Do The Right Thing". Just vibing off that "ONE WORLD - ONE TEAM" theme, complete with Zulu Nation-esque fabric trims on the Velcro straps. I'm not sure if it was an official collaboration, or if the Nike designers just drew inspiration from the film. The bottom one just takes the cake though. WOOD-FUCKING-SIDING on the midsole dude. It's like that stationwagon your grandfather drove with the wood on the side. Referee style stripes on the velcro straps. Then "NO WOOD - NO REFS" on the back. Just amazing balls exhibited in the design of this shoe. Especially for its time. (Peep the new Adidas T-Mac's. There's like this little 1 inch wood patch on the back. Pansies.) I would love to rock these but I am afraid they'll just blow apart now. I got these from Damany at FCNY/Vintage Kicks. Deadstock condition. I remember meeting him in Union Square Park. I handed him the cash, he gave me the bag and we walked away. My girlfriend thought I was hooked on drugs or something. I was hooked on something, that's for sure.

Labels:

NIKE AIR MAX 95.



COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Air Max 95
ALIAS: AM95
COLOR: Grey/Orange
STYLE #: 604069 081
SIZE: US 10
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Korea
DATE MANUFACTURED: 11/1/1997
CONDITION: B
ACQUIRED: Paragon Sports
OTHER COMMENTS: I have about 400 or so kicks in my collection. Guess how many AM95s? One.
I'm just not a big fan. I think the toe box is too sharp. To the point where it almost causes pain for my wide ass feet. And of course, as everyone knows; THEY SQUEAK! You'd think that with all the new versions of this style, they would have fixed the squeaking problem. I didn't even bother trying with the ones that just recently dropped this year. Does anyone have a field test? Do the '06 verisons squeak? But regardless, from a design stand point, these are 10.0. Visually, graphically, colors...just perfection. I don't fault the shoe because of my biological podiatric shortcomings.

Labels:

Sunday, March 26, 2006

NIKE CORTEZ.


COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Leather Cortez
ALIAS: None
COLOR: Met Gold/Red, Midnight Navy
STYLE #: 102011 761
SIZE: US 10
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Taiwan
DATE MANUFACTURED: 06/08/97
CONDITION: B
ACQUIRED: Kichijoji, Japan.
OTHER COMMENTS: The amazing thing about these kicks are their birth date. These blingin' joints date back to 1997...way before any notion of Bapesta's, patent leather and bling culture. These were done for the Summer Olympics. Nike usually does a gold medal themed shoe with red, white and blue trim. Love that they took an old school joint like the Cortez and showed it love. I dug these from their grave at a small shop in Japan, about an hour outside of Tokyo. This small city is known for having some ill deadstock spots for sneakers. Don't even bother asking me where it is, cuz I will not give up the info. I usually keep these on ice but occasionally do break them out for special occasions. I think the last time I wore them was in 2002 for the opening night of Reed Space.

Labels:

Saturday, March 04, 2006

NIKE MACH RUNNER.


COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Mach Runner
ALIAS: None
COLOR: White/Sport Red-Black
STYLE #: 305952 161
SIZE: US 10
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Argentina
DATE MANUFACTURED: 03/05/2003
CONDITION: B-
OTHER COMMENTS: I really like the old school look of these kicks. Very simple and classic. No leather on it either. It's all fabric (either cotton, nylon or poly)...even the Swoosh and backtab are plastic. Which is probably why the shoe cost me US$19! I got these a couple of years ago in Argentina on a snowboarding excursion to the Andes Mountains. (A true head is always on the lookout!) I was very intrigued by the fact that they were actually made in Argentina! Were they bootlegs? How could they be so cheap? The logos looked kinda weird. But then, the store I got them in had some pretty official looking Nike POPs (Point of Purchase) displays. I got the confirmation when I asked my man Marcus at Nike. He said that certain countries and regions have the right to make their OWN Nikes using their own facilities. It's basically a self contained mini-Nike corporation offset in smaller markets around the world. Some reasons for this might be language/cultural differences, economic disparaities and geographical difficulties that would make shipments too expensive. I love the fact that these are "limited edition" for their own unique reasons (how many pairs you got made in South America?). But they definitely have their short comings. They feel more like Skippies than Nikes. I've worn them no more than 5 times and they feel like they're about to fall apart. And all the logos feel slightly "off". But I cherish these more so for the fact that I had to literally go the ends of the earth to get them. If anyone knows of other regions that has the right to do this, let me know...I wanna start collecting kicks from around the globe. That's that next shit.

Labels:

Friday, March 03, 2006

NIKE CLOGPOSITE


COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Clogposite
ALIAS: None
COLOR: Neutral Grey/Orange Poppy
STYLE #: 624030 081
SIZE: US 9
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Taiwan
DATE MANUFACTURED: 10/30/2000
CONDITION: C+
ACQUIRED: Transit, New York.
OTHER COMMENTS: I just had a very interesting discussion with Weekly Drop about a subject matter that pertains to this style: UGLY KICKS. I am a closet fiend for UGLY KICKS. I have no explanation for this. I cannot trace it back to some childhood traumatic experience. I, for some, just love butt ugly shoes. It's not so much the physical appearance that allures me. It's the audacity of the designers mindset that I applaud. I look at this shoe and say, "Whoever did this has some balls. They do not give a fuck!" This thinking, I support fully and hence, justify dropping $200 for.
The Clogposite is of course, the ugly little sister of the Foamposite (which I have, and love for the same reasons). I mean, the Foamposite was ill enough. It looked straight out of Aliens with Sigourney Weaver. But to then take that, chop it in half. Turn it into a sandal. And then make it off-white and orange?! Props!
Nike decided to replace laces with this strange neoprene like fabric. Its actually quite amazing. It really sucks your foot into the shoe and makes it difficult for the clog to fly off your feet. I've never seen them use this fabric on any other shoe, so I'm not sure if this bombed for them or what. One problem might be how easily the fabric gets dirty. They also added some mesh vents on the medial of the shoe. A nice touch. All in all, an oddity in Nike's lineage, but a respectable design attempt. Kind of like mother nature's manatee.

Labels:

Thursday, January 26, 2006

AIR PRESTOS.


COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Air Presto
ALIAS: Prestos
COLOR: (top-bottom)
Medium-Grey/White-Comet Red (011) (China) (05/07/2000) (B)
Lt Graph/Scrmg Blu/Met Zinc (042) (Vietnam) (06/10/2000) (C-)
Harbor Blue/Wht Mt Slvr-n-Gry (411) (China) (05/07/2000) (B+)
Black/Zen Gry Harbor Bl-Gl Bl (002) (China) (05/07/2000) (B+)
(Olympic) Ntrl Gry/Comet Red-Obsidian (104242 461) (Vietnam) (05/07/2000) (B-)
White/Oriental Poppy Skylt-Black (181) (Vietnam) (04/06/2000) (D)
White/Orange Peel-Black (182) (China) (02/04/2000) (D)
STYLE #: 104231 (except Olympics 104242)
SIZE: All Medium (Mens 9-11)
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Varied (See above)
DATE MANUFACTURED: Varied (See above)
CONDITION: Varied (See above)
ACQUIRED: Varied
OTHER COMMENTS: Welcome to the Presto explosion. Really, this is the anithesis of my sneaker obsession. I had more. Part of what I threw out, but this shoe was really the equivalent of crack cocaine for me. Priced right ($84.99), mad colors, the right season (hot summer), and comfortable as hell. In retrospect I probably went too far. The top 2 grey ones were good with jeans. The next 2 were sort of a mistake. I actually wanted the light blue lightning model (4th one down), but accidentally bought the dark ones. I blame Nike.com for misrepresenting the product shots. The light blue lightning joints looked hot with my Evisu jeans. (That was 2000! Betta recognize.) The Olympics has a funny story. HF managed to convince me that Prestos are even better if you remove the laces and cut off those plastic finger cage things on the side. So of course I tried it and they sucked! Maybe my foot was wider than his or something, but they basically fell apart on me. So what does any self respecting sneakerhead do? Buy another pair of course. You owe me Hiroshi! The last 2 are dogged to death. I remember when I just got the Orange ones, it was my first time breakin them out and I was riding my bike to work in the hot summer. I was near Union Square Park when I hit this crazy Exxon Valdez like oil slick on the street and completely wiped out (IN OIL!) with my new kicks! White kicks! Why God why!?! Anyway, as you can see, the effects of the oil damage are still prevalent after repeated washings. Makes you wonder what the Alaskan Coastline must look like today.
Some funny things I noticed about these shoes: A lot of them were made on the same day. Even in different countries! Does Nike manage its production schedule this strict or am I just lucky? Also found it interesting that the Olympics got their own style # even though it's exactly the same shoe but with different graphics. Finally, I find the color code on these shoes dumbfounding. How does the lighting joint get a color code of 002? I know 001 is white. And these are 002? Must be a nightmare to organize the colors at Nike.

Labels:

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

ADIDAS TORSION SP LO



COMPANY: Adidas
STYLE NAME: Torsion Special Low
ALIAS: n/a
COLOR: Chrome / Mercury / Blue
STYLE #: 010441
SIZE: US 10 / UK 9.5 / EUR 44 / CM 28
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Vietnam
DATE MANUFACTURED: 06/2003
CONDITION: B+
ACQUIRED: Gift from Thomas/Double-Park/I.T. Hong Kong.
OTHER COMMENTS: Adidas never came out with many technological wonders that impressed me, but the one piece that always stood out to me was the Torsion. Essentially a yellow plastic that was embedded in the outsole..supposed to provide stability, resistance and hence, tourque. Hey, it made sense when i was 16. Anyway, this Torsion Special I picked up in HK is a great combination of water resistance in an ACG-ish like styling. The Torsion technology. And some hot ass colors. Too bad Adidas in general, feel like SHIT on my feet! I don't know why? I wish i could rock these all the time but I can't...it's too painful. Regardless, beautiful piece of product design.

Labels:

ADIDAS TOP SALA LE



COMPANY: Adidas
STYLE NAME: Top Sala LE
ALIAS: n/a
COLOR: Black / White / Poppy
STYLE #: 671390
SIZE: US 10 / UK 9.5 / EUR 44 / CM 28
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Vietnam
DATE MANUFACTURED: 06/2001
CONDITION: B-
ACQUIRED: ABC Mart. Tokyo, Japan.
OTHER COMMENTS: Love soccer shoes. Don't play but love the way they look. I think it stems from my days in NJ high schools and the fact that all the popular kids wore Adidas Sambas and slouch socks with Z. Cavaricci pleated pants. Ah...the Garden State. So I can relive my childhood with these dope soccer kicks updated with a modern tech edge. Thought this was gonna be all Nike didn't ya!

Labels:

NIKE AIR DRI GOAT



COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Air Dri Goat
ALIAS: n/a
COLOR: Metallic Silver / Varsity Red / Black / Neutral Grey
STYLE #: 104245 061
SIZE: US 10 / UK 9 / EUR 44 / CM 28
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: China
DATE MANUFACTURED: 08/10/2000
CONDITION: D
ACQUIRED: Paragon. New York City.
OTHER COMMENTS: I'm a big fan of both the Goatek and Goretex. This shoe was the best of bold worlds. And as you can see, I dogged the hell out of these. These kicks have been with me thru hell and back. Backcountry snowboard trips, rained out trails, mud, hurricanes...jut about everything. And to be honest, for all these shoes have seen, they don't look half bad. A definite trooper. They did a Air Dri Goat 2 but less utilitarian and more fashiony. I'll post them also down the line.
This was part of the short lived Alpha Series. Can anyone enlighten me as to what that was supposed to represent? It was like in and out in a year. All these different types of shoes could be categorized as "Alpha" and it was denoted by 5 silver dots. Weird.

Labels:

Monday, January 02, 2006

NIKE AIR PRESTO WOVEN B



COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Air Presto Woven B
ALIAS: Presto Wovens
COLOR: Faded Olive / Walnut / Vegas Gold
STYLE #: 302840 321
SIZE: Medium (Mens 9-11)
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Vietnam
DATE MANUFACTURED: 09/11/2001
CONDITION: B+
ACQUIRED: AD21. Tokyo, Japan.
OTHER COMMENTS: I don't know if people slept on these or if they were limited in release. But I don't see many people with these on and when I rock them, people are suprised to see a Presto and Woven remixed. I fell in love with them immediately. I was already a huge Presto fan (as you'll soon see) so when I walked into AD21 and saw these, I copped them immediately. AD21 was Nike's concept shop in Harajuku. It was located on the ground floor of Hiroshi's office building. For some reason, it closed and it's now a Gravis store. The person who sold them to me was named Takashi. We got a long right away and hit it off. I try and see him everytime I go to Japan. Takashi went from working sales at AD21 to becoming head of Nike SB for Japan. He's a good dude so that's definitely the right place for him to be.
Interesting tidbit about these kicks: Check the manufacture date. 9/11/01. Creeeeeepy.

Labels:

NIKE x KID ROBOT x BARNEY'S AIR MAX 1






COMPANY: Nike
STYLE NAME: Air Max 1
ALIAS: Nike x Kid Robot x Barney's
COLOR: Hot Pink / Chili Red / Pink Ice
STYLE #: XXXXXX XXX
SIZE: US 10 / UK 9 / EUR 44 / CM 28
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Thailand
DATE MANUFACTURED: Jan 2005
CONDITION: A
ACQUIRED: Gift from LK at Nike.
OTHER COMMENTS: This was a very interesting collaboration between the toy store Kid Robot and the high fashion department store Barney's New York. It was released during Fashion Week (Feb 2005). This special edition features a little Kid Robot keychain and custom designed footbeds. There are 4 designs by different illustrators (mine is Gary Baseman). Each comes sealed in a silver sleeve which is what vinyl figures are commonly packaged in. The shoes came in 2 colors: Black and Pink. The Black version was released exclusively at Barney's New York (uptown location). I believe about 300 were made. The Pink versions were not for sale. They were distributed thru promotion directly thru Nike. I believe 50 were made in the Pink. The back of the shoes feature a Kid Robot logo where you would usually find a Nike logo. This is rarely done on a Nike so it's interesting to see.
Little known fact: The box and packaging for this was created by yours truly, Staple Design. We oversaw the manufacturing and delivery as well. Want proof? Check out the tiny copy embedded within the barcode. It reads "4STPL-1905". "1905" is the Pantone Color Code of our favorite shade of Pink. Also, these were so limited and done so quickly they didn't even issue a Style #. We were instructed to just put "XXXXXX" on the outer sticker. In fact, the inside label which usually has the barcode, size and date of manufacture simply says: "PROMO SAMPLE SIZE 10". Holla!

Labels:

AND SO IT BEGINS....

OK, sorry for the delay. Here comes the first posting of shoes from my collection.
Just a few notes before we begin:
1) The shoes are posted in no particular order. Well actually there is an order. I'm going from right-to-left on my shelving unit. So it ain't like "my favorites" are coming first or the "most exclusive" or anything. They come as I grab them.
2) I'll be including some specifics about each shoe. If you find there's a mistake or want to add your own little tidbit of 411...please feel free to post a comment.
3) Theoretically, all shoes are available for purchase. Post a comment and make an offer. There's no bidding involved. It basically depends if I feel like your price is worth it to me or not. Some really crappy shoes might have a lot of sentimental value to me while some exclusives might be meaningless. It also depends on my mood for the day (And how my poker playing is going.) So feel free to keep trying. Upon acceptance of an offer, I will email you directly and we will finalize the details. If you don't hear back from me, your offer is most likely insufficient. Also keep in mind, it does not necessarily have to be US Dollars. I'm open to barters. Be Creative.
4) Other than that, enjoy! I hope to maintain at least one new shoe archived per week. (Along with the usual shenanigans sprinkled in between.)

Labels: