Footwear Archives | Page 7 of 32

Converse ‘One Star Pro’ – New Colourways

Posted on July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 by bythelevel

Last month saw the return of one of the Converse ‘One Star’, one of the brands most iconic styles since it’s initially release back in 1974, resurfacing as an updated skate ready pro shoe in two colour options. This week saw the introduction of three additional colour ways in the hugely popular silhouette as red, off white and navy joined the staple black edition.

The low-cut shoe features the brands iconic star logo, drawn from the Chuck Taylor’s famous ankle patch and placed into the mid-foot panels. All colours feature tonal lacing and piping, except the off white option which features complimenting red on the piping and white laces. The functionality arrives in the shoes lightweight lunarlon sock-liner which provides cushioning upon impact, the memory foam gusseted tongue that stabilises the foot and the grippy gum rubber outsole. Aside from the technical updates, little has been done to the look of the shoe, keeping it as close to the original as possible and because of that, it remains a highly wearable classic.

The Converse One Star Pro is available now at selected retailers including Slam City and Parlour Skate Store.

Supreme x Nike SB ‘GTS’

Posted on July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 by bythelevel

In a timely release, following the Wimbledon buzz of the last few weeks, Supreme lift the lid on their latest collaborative venture as they team up with Nike SB to rework the Nike GTS (Great Tennis Shoe).

The GTS was originally introduced back in 1993 as a tennis shoe from Nike’s Sportswear department, but was also promoted as an ‘off court’ shoe for the lifestyle market. Thanks to its low profile silhouette, flat chunky sole unit and accessible price point, the style was quickly adopted by skaters in the 90’s, including the likes of Guy Mariano, Pepe Martinez and Drake Jones. We haven’t seen much from the GTS over the last few years, which is surprising considering the resurgence of tennis shoe styles and the shoes rich skateboarding heritage, but in biding its time the GTS is back with a bang this season. As the collab kings have shown in the past, with the likes of the high top Vans Native American, they have a knack of bringing forgotten styles back into the limelight, and for me, this is one of their best efforts yet.

The no-frill GTS has been updated with a hard wearing, herringbone cotton canvas upper and arrives in a variety of bold colour options which include black, white, yellow, red and also a custom denim edition. Each shoe sits on a white vulcanised midsole with black piping detail, small swoosh branding on the side panels and gold embossed Supreme type on the heel. The design is kept simple, no groundbreaking technology or materials, but less is definitely more with these.

To celebrate the release, Supreme and regular collaborator William Strobeck have put together this short promo edit aptly named “Swoosh”, featuring riders Alex Olson, Kevin Bradley, Brian Anderson and Sean Pablo skating the shoes on the streets of Paris.

The Supreme x Nike SB GTS will be available in-store at Supreme’s London location and online from Thursday July 16th.

HUF footwear present “The Gillette”

Posted on July 12, 2015July 12, 2015 by bythelevel

HUF footwear present “The Gillette”, the first signature shoe release from team rider Austyn Gillette.

The latest release from HUF’s ever growing footwear line follows on from the “Dylan”, the much talked about effort of fellow ‘team handsome’ member Dylan Rieder, that was introduced around the same time last year to a mixed reception. At first glance you would be forgiven for mistaking the Gillette for the Dylan, both opting for a slimline look and referencing a more dressy style, but as you look closer there are differences that appear. Gillette has been fairly quiet over the last year or so, following knee surgery and a lengthy recovery time, he’s now back on the board and has returned with this considered and honest design, as well as a solid video part to promote it. He’s largely respected worldwide for his skateboarding and work ethic, and Gillette’s shoe reflects his style both on and off the board, designed to be versatile and still deliver a performance silhouette that can handle the rigours of skateboarding.

The low profile shape features a hard wearing, full grain leather on the upper with a one piece toe box and minimal stitching. The shoes sole unit shows a slight heel which is a new feature in a skate shoe, however it still provides the same levels of protection and cushioning from the rubber cupsole and molded PU insole. Avoiding any bold details or logos, a subtle H is debossed into the quarter panel while the ‘Gillette’ emblem has also been embossed into the tonque. The shoes tread is also a new feature to HUF’s footwear designs with the flexible outsoles hexagonal pattern only featuring on this signature design for added grip to the board. All round it’s a far cry from Gillette’s past footwear ventures with previous sponsors Habitat Skateboards.

Whether you love or hate the shoe, it brings something different to the table and thats everything we would expect from one of skateboardings most exciting riders. One thing that is undeniable though is Austyn’s skating ability, which is perfectly showcased in the short but awesome promo clip below, following him through various cities including New York, Berlin and Copenhagen. The HUF “Gillette is available at all good skate retailers now including Flatspot. and Slam City.

Be sure to check out this INTERVIEW from the guys at Sidewalk, who caught up with Austyn Gillette prior to the shoes release.

Nike SB P-Rod 9 Elite

Posted on July 7, 2015July 7, 2015 by bythelevel

Paul Rodriguez continues to push boundaries of footwear technology in skate shoes, as he introduces his ninth instalment of his signature line in the Nike SB P-Rod 9 Elite.

Having become the SB brand’s longest-running signature athlete, celebrating the lines 10th anniversary this year, P-Rod marks this landmark with the most technologically advanced signature silhouette of the Paul Rodriguez series to date. The aim of the design is to protect, adapt to and support the foot through the rigours of skateboarding, from bombing hills to clearing stair sets. The low profile silhouette draws from Paul’s personal style and combines Nike’s knowledge in forward thinking functionality.

The 9 Elite is constructed from a lightweight and breathable Hyperfuse panelling on the seamless upper which meets with a durable suede on the toe box and heel, giving the shoe a premium feel. Moving the laces further back from the toe avoids unnecessary wear, while the Flywire cabling at the lacing system gives a ‘dynamic lockdown’ of the foot, keeping the foot stable through sketchy landings. The sole utilises several of Nikes key technological features, with the Air sole unit built into the shoes sock liner for optimal cushioning while Nike’s Hexagonal Zoom Air sole has been utilised to provide flexibility in the forefoot. The translucent and multidirectional rubber outsole is highly durable and also offers traction to keep your feet on the board.

Although most P-Rod footwear releases are met with a fair amount of opposition from those who aren’t too keen on the high tech shoes, Nikes and P-Rod’s willingness to explore new opportunities in skate footwear has continued to develop the search to create the best skate option possible. With all the protection and comfort you could want in a skate shoe and more, the Nike SB P-Rod 9 Elite continues to build on the legacy of one of the most respected riders in world skateboarding. You can pick up the Nike SB P-Rod 9 Elite, in two colour ways, at nike.com and selected Nike SB retailers.

Nike Roshe LD-1000

Posted on July 1, 2015July 2, 2015 by bythelevel

The Nike Roshe LD-1000 was introduced to the world as the subject of a NikeLab and Fragment Design collaborative release which launched at the end of last year and was of course met with a great reception, selling out fast. This season sees Nike drop an inline version of the hugely popular silhouette in a variety of colour options, allowing those who missed out on the shoe the first time around to get in on the action.

The Nike Roshe LD-1000’s design concept is fairly simple yet highly effective, fusing the iconic shapes of the Cortez and the classic LD-1000 on the upper with the NM Natural Motion sole unit. The latest iteration of the silhouette arrives in nearly the exact same make up as the Fragment Design collab, with a lightweight, breathable mesh meeting with a tonal suede on the toe and heel counter. The shoes contrasting swoosh branding arrives in a crisp white leather which compliments the heel branding, lacing and sole unit.

Once again, the Nike Roshe LD-1000 is sure to be a popular release throughout the market, and sizes in all colour ways are sure to go quickly. Head over to nike.com or sneakersnstuff.com to pick up your’s up now.

ASICS Gel Lyte III ‘Seamless’ Pack

Posted on June 27, 2015June 27, 2015 by bythelevel

ASICS continue to give classic silhouettes contemporary updates, this time looking to the Gel Lyte III to develop their ‘Seamless’ construction technique.

The iconic runner maintains its form fitting shape but loses some of its bulkiness, as the shoes overlays are stripped back for a sleek, futuristic look. The upper combines high tech mesh and a plush suede in its construction, with synthetic panelling on the heel. The latest iteration of the shoe’s upper is available in 3 simple colour ways of black, red and silver, all of which feature tonal lacing and sit on top of the hugely popular white speckled Gel sole unit. Additional features include white embossed branding on the heel detailing, the famous neoprene split tongue and a durable rubber outsole.

At the minute, we are only going by what we can see from the images in regards of information on the release, which is set to drop in July. But I’m sure there will be able to share more information on the pack when the release gets closer. But its another solid release from ASICS who continue the classic runners 25th anniversary celebrations as they introduce pioneering technical fabrics and production techniques to bring the classic designs into modern day. The ASICS ‘Seamless’ Pack will be dropping at Urban Industry early July. Keep your eyes peeled for further information on the release!

PUMA X Solebox XS850 “Adventurer” Pack

Posted on June 26, 2015 by bythelevel

PUMA have teamed up with Berlin sneaker institution Solebox to produce two new iterations of the brands classic XS850 silhouette for the “Adventurer” Pack.

For part one of the three part “Adventurer” release, with drops scheduled throughout the year, Solebox draw inspiration from the committed and resourceful members of the late 90’s, early 2000’s European sneaker community who frequently travelled near and far in search of the rarest, most exclusive footwear drops that were only available in specific locations. For those who braved the journey and managed to source and collect these exclusive shoes, a foundation for a lucrative business was laid, as the sell on values for some of these imports would be high enough to fund the opening of their own stores. This was the story of Solebox founder Hikmet, whose ventures into the US saw him build a rare, highly sought after sneaker collection, and along the way develop an addiction to Berry Blue Jelly Belly sweets, which serve as the colour inspiration for the collaborations design.

The latest rework of PUMA’s classic Trinomic runner sees the XS850 arrive in a suede, mesh and nubuck mix on the upper with neoprene added for a snug fit. Additional features include speckled detailing on the heel, perforations on the toe box for breathability and Solebox branding on the heel and insole. Maintaining the shoes comfort enhancing Trinomic technology, the premium upper sits on top of a crisp white mid sole and tonal outsole.

The PUMA X Solebox “Adventurer” XS850 is set to drop this Saturday, the 27th of June, at Hanon, Footpatrol, Oki-Ni and WellGosh.