In Hong Kong, a boycott has begun of skateboard lifestyle brand Vans after the company pulled the above design from their annual Vans Custom Culture competition. In the contest, the public is invited to submit their designs in competition for a cash prize and having their shoe design manufactured. This particular design is themed around the current anti-government protests in Hong Kong and it was apparently doing quite well in the competition. From CNN:

The design, attributed to a Canada-based user named Naomiso, features a red bauhinia, the flower on Hong Kong's flag, and one of the yellow umbrellas synonymous with the city's 2014 pro-democracy protests. Illustrations on the sneaker's side depict a crowd of protesters wearing gas masks, goggles and hard hats.

On Saturday, with over a week of voting still to go, the submission was removed from the competition website. In a statement posted on Facebook in Chinese and English, the brand said that "a small number of artistic submissions have been removed ... to uphold the purpose of Custom Culture."

"As a brand that is open to everyone, we have never taken a political position and therefore review designs to ensure they are in line with our company's long-held values of respect and tolerance, as well as with our clearly communicated guidelines for this competition," the statement said, without referring specifically to the protest-themed design.

The statement drew condemnation on social media from Hong Kong protest supporters, where a number of posts were accompanied by the hashtag #boycottVans.

Woody and Buzz's friendship catchphrase -- "The important thing is that we stick together!" -- becomes quite literal in these new mismatched "Toy Story 4" sneakers. You get one shoe fashioned after Sheriff Woody and the other after Buzz Lightyear.

Reebok collaborated with Pixar and BAIT on this limited-edition Instapump Fury model in anticipation of the film's release. No word on when they drop or their cost.

(HYPEBEAST) Read the rest

K-Swiss and esports organization Immortals is releasing sneakers designed for playing videogames.

Bloomberg reports that the "performance" version of the sneaker, called the Grandmaster, "will include the ability to quickly kick the shoes off hands-free. That should help provide comfort during long matches."

(via NextDraft) Read the rest

In 1986, Puma gave new meaning to the word sneakernet with the introduction of its RS-Computer running shoe that integrated a digital pedometer in the heel that could interface with your Apple IIe or Commodore 64 computer. See vintage video below. Now the RS-Computer is back with contemporary technology. I just wouldn't recommend wearing them through airport security. From Hypebeast:

Updating the 33-year-old trainer for today, PUMA’s updated version no longer requires a 16-pin cord. It can be charged via USB and can now connect wirelessly to your mobile phone via Bluetooth. Other updated features include a miniature 3-axis accelerometer, an extended memory that records 30 days worth of running data, LED indicators, and a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.

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David Lynch has directed many television commercials but this one from 1993 for Adidas, titled "The Wall," gives any surreal perfume commercials (including Lynch's own) a run for their money. (See what I did there?) You can find a directory and clips of Lynch's other commercial, ad, and promo work here.

(via r/ObscureMedia)

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Ugly Christmas sweaters are out. In 2018, ugly Christmas dresses and, yes, sneakers are in. The latter are serious road running shoes: Brooks' Ugly Sweater Levitate 2 ($150). Well, as serious as jingle bells, candy-cane-striped laces, and a festive knit pattern can be.

(Popsugar) Read the rest

Oklahoma City Thunder basketball star and retro-videogamer Paul George worked with Nike and Sony on a new pair of PS1-inspired sneakers. Due out December 1, the PG 2.5 x PlayStation design follows on the heels (sorry) of the black PG2 x PlayStation sneakers that were released in February and sold out in a hot minute.

"For those who know me, gaming is a big part of who I am – I love the fans and I love this community, so it was amazing to see the gaming and sneaker worlds collide with the original PG2 collaboration," George writes. "This time around, I wanted to take the design old school, back to my earliest days of gaming. For me – as I’m sure many of you can relate – those memories date back to the original PlayStation."

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Sculptor/filmmaker/installation artist Tom Sachs, perhaps best known for his incredible recreations/reimaginations of NASA missions in gallery spaces, has revealed his next sneaker designed in collaboration with Nike. According to Hypebeast, "the Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard Overshoe is slated to release at DSM London on Oct. 11 and roll out with a global release in the future, at a retail price of £390 (around $511 USD)." From an interview in Vogue:

As an artist and collaborator of many other artists and companies, what appeals to you about collaborating with Nike?

There’s a huge community with Nike, and I think probably the biggest thing that inspires me is that we have these shared ideals of: work first. It’s not just about winning the marathon, it’s about training for it. It’s not about finishing the sculpture, it’s the act of making things. For me, the advantage of being in the studio is I can make something one at a time, 19th-century-style. Nike doesn’t have that advantage, but has the ability to build thousands of products. As a result you have to make different kinds of decisions, and that process is very inspiring and challenging for me. I only do things that are interesting and keep me on my toes . . . . It’s a really major achievement, the shoe. I’m very, very proud of it. It’s something that I started working on in 2007 and just came to life this year. It’s something I didn’t know for sure if it was ever going really happen.

Would you spend $530 on a pair of sneakers that were described like this?

Crumply, hold-it-all-together tape details a distressed leather sneaker in a retro low profile with a signature sidewall star and a grungy rubber cupsole.

Yeah, neither would I, and neither would these folks (aka "the internet"):

Golden Goose comes out with a pair of sneakers listed at $530 that are worn down and kept together by tape. Since when is it a trend to glorify the appearance of used sneakers and poverty? pic.twitter.com/1yLTuitIBX

— Bryan Heckman (@b_hecky) September 20, 2018

Poverty is real, I’ve been bullied for wearing thrifted clothes before thrifting was “cool”, and now we have high end brands capitalizing upon many people’s past and current poverty related suffering. Thank you Golden Goose. I hope the designer that came up with this is happy. https://t.co/iixNhxip7T

— 1-800-ARE-YOU-DYIN (@evelyn_art_) September 20, 2018

The new fashion is wearing worn out looking shoes that include taped one that costs a bomb from $530 to $1340. Glorifying poverty or making a mockery of poverty, can't decide. #fashionstyle #GoldenGoose pic.twitter.com/k8mxvchw4n

— Kumar Manish (@kumarmanish9) September 20, 2018

There's a quote from something, wish I could remember what, but it goes something like "the rich kids all want to be poor and the poor kids all want to be dead". Seems relevant

— steph 👻 (@Thespookysteph) September 20, 2018

Once available at Nordstrom online, these held-together-with-tape sneakers by Italian luxury brand Golden Goose are currently sold out (or removed??). Not to worry, they have plenty of other filthy, overpriced shoes to choose from. Read the rest

These Hanao Shoes are two mints in one. They are a combination of geta sandals (those traditional Japanese clogs/flip flops) and white sneakers. They're made by Who Love Kyoto and appear to be sold out at this time.

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. HANAO STORE Craftsman #1 ENAMIの商品が全て完売いたしました。 この度は待望の試みであった 伝統文化の職人と"新しい鼻緒"を制作・発売ができたことを、とても嬉しく思っております。 ご購入いただいた皆様、誠にありがとうございました。 祇園祭にて菊水鉾のお茶席を担当しておられた皆様に履いていただきました。 今後のWhole Love Kyotoの取り組みにもご注目ください。 . . #京都 #Kyoto #WholeLoveKyoto #wlkonline #wlksnap #真田紐 #真田紐師江南 #HANAOSHOES #HANAO #鼻緒シューズ #鼻緒 #職人 #伝統工芸 #伝統文化 #碁盤の目 #ギンガムチェック #ginghamcheck #gingham #madeinjapan #madeinkyoto #shoes #sneaker #fashion #祇園祭 #gionmatsuri

A post shared by Whole Love Kyoto (@wholelovekyoto) on Jul 20, 2018 at 5:32am PDT

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. 【News】 7/16（Mon）18:00-7/22（Sun） HANAO SHOES Craftsman #1 ENAMI（SANADAHIMO） . Whole Love KyotoのHANAO SHOESは、京都の伝統文化の職人と協働して"新しい鼻緒"を制作しています。 この度、その初めてのコレクションとして秘密の紐として知られる「真田紐・江南」とのコラボレーションが実現しました。 . 祇園祭で賑わう八坂神社にてsnap撮影をさせていただきました。 前つぼに真田紐を用いたHANAO SHOESです。 爽やかな浴衣に青と薄あずき色の真田紐が夏の足元を 素敵に演出します。 . . 本日よりONLINE STOREにて販売中です。 Whole Love Kyotoのホームページよりご購入いただけます。 ぜひ、ご覧ください。 . . #京都 #Kyoto #WholeLoveKyoto #wlkonline #真田紐 #真田紐師江南 #HANAOSHOES #HANAO #鼻緒シューズ #鼻緒 #職人 #伝統工芸 #伝統文化 #碁盤の目 #ギンガムチェック #ginghamcheck #gingham #madeinjapan #madeinkyoto #shoes #sneaker #fashion #祇園祭 #gionmatsuri

A post shared by Whole Love Kyoto (@wholelovekyoto) on Jul 16, 2018 at 5:48am PDT

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A French company has made it possible to take ordinary kicks and turn them into roller skates. Flaneurz' On Wheelz can put a set of wheels on sneakers (or other shoes like Doc Martens) simply by clicking them on. (Well, that's after you send your shoes to the company to be modified so the wheels can be simply clicked on. Or you can buy one of their pre-modified pairs.)

Voila! Insta-skates.

Something this cool doesn't come cheap. A set of On Wheelz with modified shoes costs between 380-475 euros (that's about $467-$588).

(Ufunk) Read the rest

You probably missed out when Nike auctioned off 89 modern-day replicas of Marty McFly's self-lacing sneakers, but that shouldn't stop you from having a pair. While they don't tie themselves, these handcrafted slippers inspired by Marty's futuristic Back to the Future II Air Mags should do the trick. Read the rest

Never let your pristine kicks touch the filthy ground with these thick-soled shoe-sandals. They strap onto another pair of shoes, in this case a pair of military-style, high-top sneakers.

Both pairs are the latest offerings of Chinese fashion brand Sankuanz who unveiled the bulky combo on the runway at Paris Men's Fashion Week in late January.

NPR reports:

[Sankuanz] sent male models down the runway wearing high top sneakers — that never actually touched the runway.

"They're transformable sneakers that have an outer layer of protective sandal that you can enter Velcro into and you can strap them on or off," is how Sankuanz publicist Courtney Wittich describes the concept.

But ultimately, they look like big-cushioned, rubber and plastic orthopedic Birkenstocks — with Velcro straps — and you strap them on top of your existing shoes.

Or they look like open-concept galoshes. That's up to you...

"You can walk totally normal in them and it gives you an extra layer of protection and then also height," Wittich says.

I wonder if they were inspired by these vintage Space Boots from the late sixties:

Or maybe by these Moon Shoes:

Either way, the shoe-sandals will be available in August for $355 and I don't think the sneakers are included in that price.

image 1 via Hypebeast, image 2 via Ebay, image 3 via Amazon Read the rest

Fix Your Kicks proprietor Joshua Marin, 20, is a third-generation cobbler whose specialty is restoring classic and highly-collectible sneakers. (Great Big Story) Read the rest

This charming line of sneaker-shaped candles and soap by Russian company What the Shape was surely created for "the sneakerhead who has everything."

Each one measures a little over 5 inches long and costs $15.

Some are even dyed and scented like fruit.

Check out their Instagram for more styles/colors.

(Ufunk) Read the rest

The new Vans x Peanuts sneaker collaboration is killer. These are just a few of the many shoe styles and graphics available.

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There are some things I will never understand. This pair of high-tops by "Paris-based fashion house" Maison Margiela is definitely one of them.

Looking like something the cat dragged in (after ripping it apart with its claws for hours), these heavily-distressed, pre-destroyed --sorry "Future Destroyed"-- sneakers will set you back $1,425/pair. Oops sorry, you're out of luck, they're already sold out of them over at Neiman Marcus.

Instead, may I suggest you go find a nice wood chipper and mangle a pair for yourself? (I checked, the majority of wood chippers out there are cheaper than these sneakers.)

(TIWIB) Read the rest