Dig Your Sole
STYLE + COMFORT = A HAPPY STAN
I was lucky enough to spend some time in Melbourne recently and over the coming week’s I’ll be sharing my fave finds, sights and stories with you.
Up first is Stan, an sneaker lover who won’t sacrifice comfort when he looks for style.
As an ex-skater he loves the Nike SB line, and specifically these great Eric Koston skate shoes. A shoe heavily influenced by the iconic Bruin, Koston also added some design detailing of his own which includes a Lunar insole which all up gives Stan the comfort and style he has been craving. These are his first Koston’s and he swears they won’t be his last!
TOBY IS OVERCOME
Toby is a skater and graphic designer who only moved to Melbourne in 2011. As you can see he has something of an individual look and feels right at home in his new location.
He embraces the edgier side of urban style which is reflected in his skate influenced clothing and heavy inking, which he caps off with Vans.
It’s amazing the range of people that go for this brand – from skaters to everyday people there can’t be many brands that attract such a diverse following and although their styles are worlds apart the shoes look just as natural on Toby as they do on Tom who I focused on recently (see here).
HIT’M CREW; MELBOURNE
James (left), Junior (middle) and Chris (right) are all members of Melbourne’s HIT’M Krumping crew.
HIT’M is a collective designed to spread the word about Krumping, and without realising it the guys are also spreading the word about some serious sneaker loving too.
James is a Nike die-hard, and even works for the brand at one of their Melbourne stores. However, when it came to picking up some shoes recently he decided to mix things up when he saw a great deal for some red hot A Lifes.
Junior is another Nike fan whose collection is split between Air Max and Jordan shoes.
Chris’s Air Flight’s are his favourite shoes from his collection and only wears them rarely. He picked them up from a Melbourne market where they were being sold without the owner knowing their true value, so he hussled and got them for a knockdown price.
All up, they were great guys and if their dance moves are as fresh as their shoes I’m sure they will go far!
Its’s Personal – Air Jordan 4
Word up my sneaker fresh people!
As we are just about to drop the latest serving of Jordan 4 reissues at SoleHeaven I feel it is only right to share with you my thoughts and experiences with this delightful and super fresh sneaker!
Here is a Slammo style incite to my favourite ever Jordan shoe the ‘classic Air Jordan 4′.
Before we begin I must confess that this is just my opinion and that I am no way as clued up as some of the Jordan fans that exist in this world. Damn these guys don’t front! Respect! What I do know though, is like them I can see the real difference between the original shoe and the ones we are so luck to buy today. The Jordan shoe has a story to tell that is very interesting not just because it was able to change the face of basketball but also my experiences growing up being obsessed with Hip Hop culture and fashion.
Jordan 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 have been visual memory tools of good times growing up as a child and the Jordan 4 black was the one shoe that stood out the most. I have never owned a Jordan 4 black, not back then or ever since but it is without doubt my favourite Air Jordan shoe. When Nike introduced the Jordan 4 Red back in 1988 I was blown away and since then I have obsessively wanted a pair.
The fact that Spike Lee alone was on the side of this fresh sneaker made me go DAMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I must, Iwant, I need!
When the re-release Mars version came I was desperate to get a pair but this never materialised. My closest encounter was in Manchester a few years ago when a shop in the Northern Quarter had a Mars edition pair for £200.00. I knew it was the reissue instantly and for some reason was not convinced. The colour of the red was totally different and the Nike logo and patch on back of shoe was smaller. The cut was lower and colours on shoe was not so bright! The shoe fit was good but I decided to continue the quest and continue to find the original.
In all the re-release Jordans I have had I must give credit to the 4 model as this is the one shoe that the fit remained almost the same in my traumatic reissue experiences.
The current 3 model is totally out of shape in my opinion and just like the Air Force One you gotta have massive toes to fill the foot bed. It feels like the day when in primary school I wore my brothers size 12 Nike Vandals with pairs of sock’s in the fronts! It didn’t give me massive toes, just a broken nose ha ha!!!!! My bro beat me up good.
This reissue like I said is just my opinion and I only say this as I am the first to be standing in a shop looking at a pair going
WT…? Why have they messed this up? I really wanted to buy a pair. For now it’s all about the Cement edition February 2012, I am so excited as I have a good feeling about these little gems.
Remember SoleFam You gotta rock it before you knock it!
They maybe Fresh2Death and worth the money in ya pocket!
Woody and the gang already got their names on the first order of boxes!
Nike Cortez Classic OG
As you know 2012 is a big 40th anniversary year for Nike and through out the year they are dropping stacks of OG classic’s, and the Nike Cortez Classic OG is one of the first.
Back in the days of Bill Bowerman, when Nike was called Blue Ribbon Sports they admired the Onitsuka Tiger Brand in a big way. They imported the products into the US from Japan and also started to rebrand the products.
The Nike Cortez was technically Nike’s first sneaker silhouette and it was based on OT shoe called the Tiger Corsair.
We’ve done a little photo comparision between the Nike Cortez Nylon, and the Nike Cortez Classic OG just to show you how the silhouette evolved for the decades.
The OG has a much more tailored shape to the foot.
When Nike evolved the Cortez the bumper disappeared and the t-bar swelled
Again, the evolution lead the midsole to grow in height. The swoosh changed shape and the heel patch extended upwards.
The outsoles still look almost identical
Introducing the Nike Cortez Classic OG
Insane Engineering from Nixon
Nixon must have a screw loose because the amount of engineering that goes into their luggage is insane!
Take a peek at the Nixon Shadow aka ‘Night Ops” (love the name, it’s like being in COD) This bag is a serious piece of kit. Inter-changable ballistic tarpaulin pouches, fleece lined pockets and it hold a 17″ lappy. This can be a daily carry, a weekend bag, or you could go on an under cover mission ferrying drugs across the boarder…Hahaha, Such dope bags!
Quintin x Ronnie Fieg x Pendleton (Release 6/1/12)
Both Quintin & Ronnie have had a fantastic 12months or so with countless dope releases, and when I first spotted this Pendleton Wool make-up back in November I got super excited, these boys are special!
The release featured 6 colourways, and approx 110 units were made in total. 80 units were sold in the Kith stores in Manhatten & Brooklyn and the remaining 30 have made it to the UK!
We’re stocking the Navy with Pendleton Crown/Underpeak and Red with Pendleton Peak. (pictured)
These go on sale both online and in-store tomorrow morning at 10am sharp. We only have 5 of each colourway so you’ll have to be quick. The RRP is £39.99
Hit up our Quintin Co product page to Quintin’s offering.
Sneakers in Transition
This is probably a tough question for any sneaker retailer to ask, but and I’m going to ask it. Has the Nike Blazer been played?
Hmmm, part of me says yes, even though in the right colourways it still looks fresh. The issue I’ve noticed is that young teenagers are desparate for Blazers, and i’ve see some kids dropping down two sizes so they could have a pair. i.e. UK9 down to UK7. Crazy!
I’ve coined this impact as the ‘Superdry Effect’ – basically it means that a brand/product that was once worn by adults, is now being rocked by teenagers.
Most students or young professionals are able to show their maturity by the brands and style they wear. When a 22yr old walks passed a 13yr old and he’s rockin’ the same kicks or jacket, it becomes a problem! 
In my view being a sneakerhead is having a love of sneakers, not just one brand. Some cats only rock Nike and will not touch Vans, Supra, Puma or Adidas, but surely a sneakerhead takes every design & colourways based on it’s own merits?…Sadly, thats not always the case. But It’s my job as a retailer to encourage and enlighten people to consider new styles and brands. Essentially getting sneakerheads to enjoy a more diverse range of footwear.
Here’s a couple more questions;
1 – Has the Adidas Gazelle lost its way?
2 – Will the Puma Suede appear in JD in 2012?
Frustratingly, the answer to all of these questions is YES.
Take a serious look at the Onitsuka Tiger Fabre BL-S OG, a silhouette that could stand in for all of them.
The Fabre was originally released as a basketball silhouette back in 1975, and the tread pattern was designed to improve lateral movement on the courts. The name Fabre is a abbreviation of FAstBREak.
The Fabre has true heritage, click an image to take a closer look at each colourway.
Walking With The Waves
Continuing with the whole winter sunshine vibe, take a look at Sole Diggers latest video “Walking With The Waves”
This beautifully atmospheric short film demonstrates the Aussie love affair with beach culture, and you can see why. It’s just one massive outdoor play park for every conceivable activity. Where the street ends, the beach begins and there’s no better end to any street than Bondi
Waking With The Waves – The Video from Sole Digger on Vimeo.
Bringin’ some Winter Sunshine
We all know that The Hundreds are blessed with year round L.A. sunshine, and sometimes they forget us northern europeans get wet and cold winters. HO10 they dropped a range of canvas Valenzuela’s which were totally unpractical when most of the UK was covered in a foot of snow, but this season they have pulled it round with a dope premium pack with gum soles, hiking eyelets and red laces to make the whole make-up pop!
The privileged silhouettes to receive the premium treatment are The Hundreds Wayne High, The Hundreds Riley High and The Hundreds Johnson Mid. My Fav is the Johnson Mid, but i’d happily rock all of them.
But in true Hundreds style they have brought us some winter sunshine with the help of Diamond Supply Co and this limited edition Hawaiian snapback collection. Love it. Big ups to all at The Hundreds & Diamond Supply Co!
Keep it tight, keep it FRESH!
As a sneakerhead, and Buyer at SoleHeaven i’m always looking to stay fresh, and a head of the masses, but its tough. Like you, the hype grabs me by the balls and I want to pick up all the key pieces like the AJ3′s, Concords, Huaraches, Skytop III’s and everything in between. But when I’m thinking clearly I know that theres a lot of dope shit that people overlook, and thats when I can make my kill and stay SUPER-FRESH!
Take a look at these pieces, they’re great silhouettes with appealing make ups.
Nike Hachi LTR
Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81
Nike Air Flytop
The Hundreds Johnson Low
Air Jordan 3 Retro Black / Cement
Over the last 2 years we have been well and truly spoilt by the Jordan Brand. Every 3 months they have delivered retro classics in OG colourways and the global appetite for Air Jordan is as buoyant as it’s every has been. It all started with the Air Jordan 6 Infrared Pack, and they’ve worked thru the AJ3, AJ5 and AJ11….and we’re getting 2 OG colourways in the Air Jordan 4 in early 2012. Times are good people!
You’ll see from the images that this Air Jordan 3 Retro is made up of premium tumbled and smooth leather upper, with a deep embossed Elephant print accenting the toe & heel. The red hits on the eyestays and Jumpman really make this old skool legend pop!
Personally I love the rear angles of the AJ3, I think the “Jumpman Air” logo looks so fresh. I just love it.
These Air Jordan 3 Retro Black / Cement come in at £104.00, and to purchase click this link. Buy Air Jordan 3 Retro Black / Cement
Official release date is November 25th, and will be ready to ship from that date.
