It's Trash Day - Trashing All T-Shirts Today!!

It's Friday time to take out the trash.  I wanted to trash a t-shirt today, but there are so many bad ones lately I figured I would trash all t-shirts today.  I am so tried of going into stores and seeing mediocre t-shirts; what I mean is certain brands have gotten so lazy that they screen print their name all over the shirt and sell them in different colors.  What happened to putting a little time and effort into your product. I understand you want people to see your brand, but putting you name in the center and having a shit ton of crazy designs around it is not art.  Sometimes the simplest shirt are the best; take a picture and put incorporate you logo somewhere in the picture.  You are still getting the message across, just in a more subtle way.  I blame the high octane, go fast, live hard lifestyle everyone leads; people ordering ten shots of espresso and slamming energy drinks like it's keeping their heart pumping.  I am not saying we should all wear blank tees or am I trashing corporate brands; I just want some of those brands to stop releasing 10,000 t-shirts a season that look exactly the same. You wanna win the battle of t-shirt supremacy?  You've got to think outside the box, put a little effort into you product, a little style and maybe those who have shunned your products for a millennial will start to show a little interest in your brand. What does that means for your company?  You will have less waste, a.k.a t-shirt returned to you because nobody wanted your crap; unless you like your brand being bastardized and sold at every store possible, but hey most corporations are all about making money as possible even if that means alienating your loyal fans.

I guess I am just talking to a brick wall, because owning a garage full of Ferrari's is more important.  There is hope; some companies have figured out how to make t-shirts with their brand displayed but in a tasteful manner and finding them requires the consumers to say, " I am not going to wear this crap anymore."  I hope that my readers will join me in doing so and spread the word.  If I learned one thing in art class; it's negative space is just as important as the image on the canvas. Let's not take this anymore, let's not settle for the mediocre; use your voice and tell this companies to try something new for once.

Wednesday Rant - Exclusive Shoes

I may be late to the party on sneaker collecting, but I have been through most of the drama. I have seen the Nike Air Yeezy's and dreamed of owning these gems; but I don't have $800 dollars.  I waited up for the Nike Air Tim Tebow (actually Nike Air Trainer 1.2 NCAA 2011) and I well asleep before they were released. Now they are sold on eBay for $300+; don't get me wrong I am not the type of person to buy a shoe and sell it directly on eBay.  I enough shoes far too much and hate the people who sell exclusives hours after they buy the shoes.  I don't hate exclusives; we need certain shoes that don't cost a lot of money, but are still rare and sometimes unobtainable. For instance, the Air Tebow only cost $100 dollars when it was released from Nike.com.  Ok my real beef is something I can even really talk about, right now.  Let's just say me current, money paying, job just shared some incredibly exciting news about shoes.  A certain shoe to be exact; I did Google the shoe in question and now other blogs are talking about or have mentioned this shoe.  I will tell you if you read the blog, you will probably be able to decipher my coded message.  The shoe is a collab between Nike 6.0 and one of my favorite movies; the problem is the shoe is only being sold at certain retailer on a certain day that I know I will be working.  It only cost 90 dollars and I am hoping since there is no buzz yet that I will be able to find this shoe.  I know this is a weak rant, but I had to get this out, before it killed me and I just heard it today.  Rest assure dear readers that as soon as this shoe is in my possession there will be a blog. I will be triumphant in my quest, I hope.  Being a sneakerhead is about loving shoes and the quest to obtain the ones you love.  Half the fun is the pursuit and when you open that package or shoebox, and you pull out that brand new pair, a wave of pleasure and satisfaction rolls over you. That sensation is heightened when you are one of only a few who owns your pair of shoes, and that is the greatest feeling a sneakerhead could ever feel.  Enjoy the pursuit fellow collectors.

Vans Wingtip Era

I know you have been sitting there before, thinking "I wanna wear wingtips, but I still wanna be comfortable." Well Vans has once again answered your prays, with the Vans Wingtip Era.  All the look of the classic dress shoe with the feel of the very comfortable Era shoes.  I have the Era's in blue and, like the slip-on, the Era is super comfortable. Just look at these and tell me you don't wanna throw on your 501's and roll a pack of cigarettes in your sleeve.  The 50's brought us rock n' roll and started the denim trend, which never ended, and started saw the resurgence in wingtip shoes.  Even if you don't like the Black and White combination, these come in more muted colors and one solid color with the wingtip look. This style is a classic style, but I has lived on throw the swing dancing phase and for hipster who wanna revive the early eras. I haven't seen these in person, so I don't know if they look hideous or gorgeous.  I am guessing from the pictures that they are awesome. You can through these on instead of hard sole dress shoes, go to your dance and not have you feet killing you at the end of the night.  That also means you don't have to polish the bad boys and the more you scuff and get dirty will only enhance the look.  I have a good feeling that most people won't agree with me and hate these shoes; but come on get out of your shell and try something new. Don't go with the norm and embrace the early 1900's and don't forget the grease in you hair.

Vans Classic Slip On

 Who doesn't have a pair of these?  When everyone thinks of Vans they think slip-on. I have two pairs in the closet right now and I can tell they last forever.  Thick padding around the ankle and great support, much better than Converse.  They are especially good for people with arches, which if you standing all day long you need good arch support.  They look great with any kind of jeans, but really compliment skinny jeans.  To me it's gets no more classic than the black and white check print, but the slip-ons come in some many varieties that I can't even list them all here.  The themes range from bands to t.v. shows; and come the widest variety of colors in any shoe line; not even Nike ID can compete with Vans.  Plus the slip on does just that, slips on your feet, so if you are rush no hassle of tying a shoe.  They even look good with no socks, but if you want this look and want your shoes to last then go with so no show socks and people won't even be able to tell the difference.  Vans have been around since the 60's and were primarily worn by surfers, now every generation is wearing them; why not wear a piece of history everyday.

Deluxe x Vans Zapato del Barco

 The boat shoe is a classic shoe, but lately has garnered a negative stigma and a staple on college campuses.  The fashion world is taking back the boat shoe and companies like Vans and Nike are making there own version.  The Zapato del Barco has become a regular where Vans are sold, just like the slip on and the era.  Vans wants to take this shoe to a new level and have collaborated with Deluxe Clothing; who is Deluxe? Well it's a Japanese clothing company that specializes in classic Americana apparel. Which is why the have chosen the boat shoe as the project.  I love the color combination here; black, tan and pure white.  They remind me of the Woodside Nike boots and you could even replace them with the outfit I put together. Imagine walking around in the brisk cold with a pair of khaki and sweater with these on your feet, it's almost the perfect day.  The good thing is you don't even need a boot to wear these around; you can also wear your, soon to be the future of denim, straight leg jeans.  The point I am trying to make is the boat shoe is going to replace the flip flop in you wardrobe. Take your sandals right now and through them away and run to the nearest vans retailer and get two pairs; even if you don't get this gorgeous pair at least look at the regular Zapato del Barco.  Take back the boat shoe!

Top 5 Nike Classic Basketball Shoes

I am not the type of person to buy basketball shoes for their functionality; I like playing recreationally, but not enough to drop the money on the shoe for it's playing ability.  I am more the type to drop money on a shoe because it looks amazing and it's a classic.  Let's countdown the top 5 classics.

#5 Nike Air 1/2 Cent Eggplant

So at one point in his career "Penny" Hardaway was a great player, being compared to Jordan. Penny along with Shaq and Horace Grant led the Orlando Magic to the NBA finals, only to get beaten by the Houston Rockets.  After that the Magic fell apart and so did Penny; but he did have some awesome looking shoes.  The 1/2 Cent was my favorite; most sneakerheads would tell you the Foamposite is the best Penny shoe, but I would have to disagree.  The foamposite does look nice but it's too much foam and doesn't have the basketball look.  This shoe looks similar to the foamposite but has more of a basketball stance.  All in all, Penny may be long gone, but he will always have his shoes to look back on.

#4 - Nike Air CB 34 "Phoenix Sun"

I remember watching Charles Barkley play with the Suns, against the likes of Ewing and Jordan.  Now people know Barkley as the TNT commentator or the guy with the worst golf swing in the world.  Whatever you know his as he was most dominating power forwards in basketball.  This is the classic 90's basketball shoe and even though Barkley wasn't my favorite I still love this shoe; Phoenix colorway and all the classic features.  The only drawback is it looks kinda like a dinosaur foot, I guess that made it more intimidating.

#3 Nike Air Flightposite 2

I have seen this shoe more and more recently and at first I thought it was the ugliest shoe, but after seeing it again and again I have grown to respect the shoe.  The Nike Flighposite 2 was Kevin Garnett's shoe introduced in 2000 and really pushed the boundaries of the modern shoe.  This shoe looks futuristic even 10 years later, the black asphalt look and angular lines; it's almost like the shoe would transform with the push of a button.  Even the zipper covering the laces was brilliant, imaging never have to re-tie your laces and keeping a secure fit.  The Flightposite has won my heart, with it's technology and sleek look.

#2 Nike Vandal High

The Vandal High reminds me of the shoes guys in 50's used to wear while playing hoops. It has a body like a 
Nike Dunk and an Air Force One; it's the strap the reminds me of a classic shoe.  The Vandal still looks like a comfortable basketball shoe, even though technology as advanced; unless you're going out for varsity or playing competitively, you don't need $150 dollar shoes. If you are going old school, you really have two choices; the Blazer High or these and I have the Blazers.  The Blazers are not very comfortable on your ankle and tend to rub your leg raw. Go old school and show everyone the Vandal still has life on the court.

#1 Nike Air Jordan "Hare Jordan"

The shoe that got away.  This time it really did get away or some lucky person got a free pair of the hard to find gems.  I ordered the "Hare Jordan" about a year ago and waited for it to arrive at my house and waited and waited; everyday checking the tracking info to see where they had traveled. Finally the day arrived and the shoes were out for delivery, I had to work that night so I wouldn't be home to receive the package; this didn't scare me because they usually drop off package on the door step.  I checked on my phone and the package was delivered.  I rushed home to see my shoes and nothing; checked the mailboxes and the office, still nothing.  I was crushed and it was the last pair, I still have never got over this tragedy.  Anyways, the Jordan 1 is the first Air Jordan by Nike and it is the only Air Jordan I love and would wear on any regular day.  I know people love their Jordans and get every pair no matter what; well I guess I as more picky then most people.  It's the classic shoe from the 80's and doesn't have all the bells and whistle of the new shoes, but who wants a window in the middle of the shoe.  Plus these shoes are made to resemble the one Bugs Bunny wears in the movie "Space Jam," and even has his likeness, in classic Air Jordan pose, on the tongue.  It's still my favorite basketball shoe of all time and probably will never be dethroned.

*Bonus* Sunday Blog - What to wear this winter,

I wanted to give everyone a complete outfit they can wear for the winter.  Let's start from the ground up with my favorite part, the shoes.  I know that I have already done a blog on these boots, but I just bought then and I wanted to recap.  Since most winters are cold and rainy, I would go with a waterproof boot or thick leather made to withstand harsh conditions.  I picked the Nike ACG Woodside Boot in British Tan/Gold, to me it looks like the type of boot you think about when trekking through the snow or woods in the winter.  I have read reviews that say this boot is not waterproof at all, I plan to either prove or disprove this through video.  This boot has the perfect look for winter.

Socks should be thick and long.  You are going to want to wear your boots slightly open and you pants rolled, so sock choice is very important.  I would go with a medium gray or off white, tan would clash too much with the pants.  I would go stylish, small stripes or little designs.  You can find these sock at most retail stores but the ones I really like are Obey's new socks. The Obey Sierra socks come in heather gray or brown, I would go with the gray for this outfit; since you are wearing brown boots.  These are socks you wanna show off.

Now comes the pants portion.  Khaki pants would be my only option; you can experiment with different colors, but khaki seems to be the best fit.  I would stick to skinny or slim, since they will fit into the boots better.  You do want to tuck the pants into the boots; not in the tradition sense, but rolled 4 or 5 times and then tucked into the slightly open boots with some sock showing. If you aren't comfortable tucking you jeans or wearing the boots open; you can lace them all the way up and roll the jeans even higher, you want the sock to show.  I picked the Levi's 511 Khaki Trousers, they have a really nice fit and look even better when they are rolled a little bit. They are a little more rugged and could last through any outing in the wilderness.  If you don't like the skinny fit, then the 514 slim should work as well.  Just go with the khakis or the cords.

With shirt you have two options. You can either go with a plain t-shirt; I would stay away from graphic tees, unless it's a very simple graphic tee.  The Norman tee, see past blogs, is a wonderful choice.  The shirt is just a simple pocket tee. I would stick with white or light color, baby blue or light green.  The other shirt option is the one color button down; again I would stick with light blue or white.  You can wear plaid or pattern shirts if you aren't going to wear a sweater or jacket, but since it's going to be cold and wet go with a second layer.  Whatever you decide, make sure it matches the rest of your outfit.

The last layer is the sweater or jacket.  This option isn't necessary, but it will make the outfit in most cases.  There are also three options cardigan, sweater or light jacket. Cardigan's are becoming increasingly popular; they used to be reserved for professors or father's from the 50's and 60's.  Now cardigans are for everyone, the designs have improved and so have the materials.  The materials range from cotton to wool to cashmere; I wouldn't recommend cashmere if you are going to be hiking through the woods.  Stick with cotton or wool, depending on your climates; obviously cotton for warmer locations and wool for the colder climates.  Wearing a sweater doesn't mean it's time to break out you favorite Christmas sweater; stick with muted colors and if you are going with a pattern, please nothing too crazy.  A few stripes or patterns will make the outfit work.  Jacket's should be basic and one color.  Go with a gray peacoat for this outfit.

You can wear a hat or beanie, but I don't look good in beanie and I don't like those crazy Russian style hats. It's up to you if you wanna add the hat.  This complete outfit, to me, is the quintessential winter outdoor outfit. Whether you are going on a hike or just braving the elements, why shouldn't you do this in style.  Just because the weather is bad, doesn't mean you outfit should be bad. I will be posting a pic of me wearing this type of outfit, stay tuned into the "Thread."