The showstoppin "De Stijl" Hiking Show Boot by Raf Simons

The young adventurous backpacker has a futuristic revalation on his journey?... That's what I got from watching Raf Simons S/S2008 mens collection. He's one of the few menswear designers who are bringing new ideas to the table - specifically regarding shape; whether it be the clothes or his ambitious signature hiking show boots the models wore through out the show.

Here is a cleear example of something that works perfectly and looks good on the runway, but does NOT translate into a regular man's wardrobe. Ok, I lied; they'd look good on the slopes in Whistler or Banff, but that's it. The idea is definitely pushing the boundaries but personally, its gone over board. Does anybody else find it ridiculous that these boots/shoes or w.e the hell they are, are being sold? Obviously being a Raf Simons product, quality materials are used such as patent leather on the exterior and black suede for the interior lining of the boot. The models are all wearing different versions/colour-ways of the boot, which I could not see anyone rocking in the real world (Denver was the best season). Also, the cork heel is ridiculous and quite random.


The multicoloured straps, especially on the white version are way too much. They add visual interest, but come on - and let's not even get into the wacky layered rubber sole. Seriously, I'm a fan of the concept but not so much the actual execution. With a few tweaks here and there, I think the boot would look decent: the white version on the first model above - solid colour for all velcro/adjustable straps and minimize the # of straps, "normal" shaped sole, and white patent leather rather than cork. With MY logical version of the boot, it would be worth every penny of the $1,800US price tag.




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Alessandro Dell'Acqua 8731 high-tops - love at first site?..

Soooo, why haven't I seen these before? I thought I was on top of the hottest silver sneaks on the market - apparently Alessandro Dell'Acqua slipped right through the cracks. I can only describe the 8731's straight from AD'A's Fall/Winter 2007 show in 2 words: Seriously severe. Who doesn't love a flashy sneaker - that's what its all about. People better be on the prowl for these babies as they are pretty rare - and it shows.
(The 8731's are perfectly in sync with the models outfits.)

4 delicious colour schemes(Black, Silver, Red, Bronze) properly accommodate the complex design and practicality. The 2 trends nowadays for sneakers, especially high-tops, are either very minimal laces or none at all,as well as straps; the 8731's clearly speak to both trends making them a priority on my wishlist. The straps are unique as they're not velcro, but snap on - and each strap can adjust to make each section of the sneak tighter or looser - genius. The bold, thick, velcro strap up top is my favourite part as it let's people know you've arrived rockin Alessandro Dell'Acqua. The sneakers exterior is covered in leather and fabric which compliment each other very well, especially on the silver and bronze versions. The rubber sole is stamped "Alessandro Dell'Acqua" which adds that desired extra touch.


Ok now, let's get serious. The 8731's are pretty rare. I found some online for $300.00US but that price is ridiculously discounted. If you manage to find them (which you won't - but if you do msg me), be prepared to dish out the benjamins.

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Balenciaga leather sneakers - yuck

Nicolas Ghesquière, or whoever the hell in in charge of the MENS division of Balenciaga, were not thinking straight when this was launched in their F/W2007 collection.
Talk about "tickity tack", Yugh - I'm all for a sneaker that stands out, but seriously - it looks the the 80's-early 90's puked all over a nice, clean pair of white hi-tops. BOTTOM LINE = colour scheme is very poorly styled. What a shame; Nicolas his house of Balenciaga are making the greatest strides in the fashion industry today, in the womenswear anyways - not so much the mens, as you can cleeeearly see. You know these are gonna cost an arm and a leg too. Oh ugly overpriced merchandise - what would the world be like without you...

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Umm... insane?...

Ummmm... ok... well i haven't posted anything related to women's footwear but wow --these are pretty crazy. Balenciaga's F/W2007 collection fuses lego and footwear into a sexy combination. I don't even know what to say... You're probably thinking that they are impossible to wear and just for show/the runway - Wrong. Beyonce was caught rockin these bad boys - woops, bad girls. Like everything and anything Balenciaga ladies, you can look at dropping just over $4,000US. Talk about pushing the fashion boundaries. Better phone AMEX and UP that credit limit...

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Air Yeezy's - I WAS RIGHT, HE WAS ROCKIN NIKES!

Ok ok, so if you take a look at an earlier post (May 2008 archives), I posted a video of Kanye rockin out during his concert during the Glow and the Dark Tour. We had amazing seats, but not amazing enough to see what sneaks he was rockin. I had a hunch they were nikes, but wasn't sure. Now, FINALLY I have confirmation. They were Air Yeezy's - Kanye's collab with Nike. I noticed them when he did a costume change for the encore with Lupe. He was wearing like suede/tan/sandy beige ones which were so sick. Not too fond of the purple ones which apparently he wore during the entire concert prior to changing, but it works + Ye can rock anything. The all black is pretty fresh. So yeah... I was right.

Reebok Pump Omni Lite Auduet Sneaks on my feet

Friday's low-key Voltron release party @Uncle Bob's was big success. Sneaks were flyin all across the store from the back straight to the cash register. Wanting to join in the fun, I tried on the Reebok Omni Lite Auduet sneaks by Reebok, Auduet and Mita - which I had my eye on all night (look how they SHINE). Within 5 seconds after trying them on, I whipped out the plastic, swiped, and they were mine. The colour way is what got me in the first place - Gold rush/Cumin/Sandstorm are executed perfectly pleasing the eyes in ways some can only imagine. The gold snakeskin adds a sexy, expensive touch to it along with the japanese Auduet stamp at the back. The collab for this sneak also made a model in silver (shown) which my friend got minutes before I got to the party. Luckily, I got them at a good price - elsewhere or on the net, you're lookin at droppin anywhere from $150-200, maybe even more. First time I've ever actually tried the pump feature - it's tight :p The Reebok Pumps are def on my 'to watch' list...

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Reebok "Voltron Pack" has finally landed - in YWG anyways...

Inspiration is a crazy concept - literally, anything can be inspirational. Maybe even a 1980's anitmated television series called "Voltron: Defender Of The Universe"...? Yeah - Reebok's "Voltron Pack" has finally becomes accessible to the sneaker freaks in Winnipeg. I've been reading all about them, and these bad boys are the talk of the blogs - reason being cause they are SO fresh. The concept of taking a mecha robot and breaking down its 5 components into 5 different sneakers - like a task force = brilliant. It's almost like you need to own all 5 pairs of te Voltron Pack to be complete (smart marketing move also...) I've never actually seen the show as I was just being born as it was on the air - but those of you better be familiar with the Power Rangers and how each of their special animal battle machines (zords) came together to become an Ultrazord - same concept. The Voltron sneaks are actually not pricey considering all the hype - you'd just auto assume it would be rare. Nike made a Transformers type sneak with thei Air Trainer III's - guess robots with sick colours are the new craze?...






p.s. for the Winnipeggers - Uncle Bob's is have a VOLTRON Release Party Friday June 13th - I must and will be there - hitup facebook for the details

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Ummm... insane?...

Honestly, all I can say is WOW. Established Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger created this amazing showpiece for their 2008 campaign. They call it the "Electric Light Shoe". If you can see closely it was designed to reflect and represent the "the incredible ambience and energy of Japan". It's totally unique and I've never seen anything like it - too bad they don't sell actual shoes like that, I'd cop within a minute. The making of this masterpiece or more pics can be found at http://www.asicsamerica.com

Copping Adidas Ecstasy Hi's in white...? I think so...

So I hit up UNCLE BOB'S after work today - to see the Adidas Ecstasy's in person. They had the Blue/blue and White ones for show and tell. I remember them being priced at $134.99 but not too too sure. But they are hot - the silver adidas across the back and logo on the side in silver caught my eye instantly - the silver adds a little bling which everybody likes. It's summertime, and I need fresh whites, so I'm debating whether to cop - unless i find something else that's"way more fresha, with way less effort".