Tag: sneakers

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ASICS x Highs and Lows Gel-Lyte III “Silverscreen”

Posted on by bythelevel

 

Asics continue to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their coveted Gel-Lyte III design by teaming up with another notable name from around the world, as they present the Asics x Highs and Lows “Silverscreen” release.

The shoes design draws inspiration from The Astor, and iconic cinema house located in Mount Hawley of HAL’s native Perth. First opened in 1919, The Astor remains one of the cultural and artistic hubs of the city, and a premiere destination for independent cinema, various global music events and stage shows. The Gel-Lyte III silhouette is reworked with a premium suede, leather and nubuck mix, decorated in soft mint pastel and a contrasting deep red on the Asics side panel branding, inspired by the decor of the theatre.  Additional features include crisp white laces and midsole, 3M accents throughout, and an embossed Mayan motif on the heel detailing. The “Silverscreen” reference is completed with a silent film countdown print on the pairs custom innersoles which sit alongside a soft leather lining.

The Asics x Highs and Lows Gel-Lyte III “Silverscreen” is available now at select retailers.

 

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Vault by Vans x WTAPS “Original Classics” Collection

Posted on by bythelevel

 

With almost a decade of collaborative projects behind them, the Vans x WTAPS releases have grown to become one of the most highly anticipated events on the fashion and sneaker lovers calendar. Coming together once again for Fall 2015, Tetsu Nishiyama’s WTAPS delve into the Californian skate giants extensive archive to produce an eight-piece footwear collection full of clean designs.

Earlier this year Vans released their collaborative Sk8-Hi with respected Russian creative Gosha Rubchinskiy, and seemingly things couldn’t get any better than that in terms of execution and design. Well WTAPS may well have just come along and trumped it as they rework 3 key styles: the OG Era LX, the OG Style 36 LX (the original Old Skool) and the beloved SK8-Hi, all completed with quality in craftsmanship and an attention to detail that is undoubtably WTAPS. Aligning with WTAPS unique approach to aesthetic, the “Original Classics” collection looks to footwear silhouettes in their truest forms – their original forms, and unlocks each styles full potential.

The bold OG Era LX rework draws inspiration from traditional Japanese school uniforms known as the “uwabaki” concept – applying red, blue and green to the sole units, which originally signified a student’s grade level. The shoe arrives with a true white canvas upper, tonal lacing and a custom WTAPS tab. The OG SK8-Hi LX was chosen because its a personal favourite of the WTAPS founder, and for the capsule release, it has been infused with elements of the styling from the Vans Caballero, which was first introduced back in 1989. Embossed reptile nubuck and a durable suede mix graces the upper, and is available in grey/black and all-black colour options. Rounding off the release is the OG Style 36 LX, reworked with a premium brushed suede in 3 rich colour ways of black, burgundy and navy iterations. Once again featuring the custom WTAPS tab, nice touches in the leather side stripe and WTAPS tongue label complete the look.

The Vault by Vans x WTAPS “Original Classics” Collection drops tomorrow (12th September 2015) in limited quantaties at select retailers including Dover Street Market, Goodhood, Sneakersnstuff & Offspring

 

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UBIQ x Asics GEL-Lyte Speed “Cool Breeze”

Posted on by bythelevel

 

 Asics and UBIQ come through with one of the strongest collabs we have seen this season, as they give the slightly lesser spotted silhouette – the GEL Lyte Speed, a Summer ready rework dubbed “Cool Breeze”

Following on from their popular “Hazard” release from earlier this year, the two parties continue their fruitful partnership as Phillies’ UBIQ apply their creative direction to another classic running style.  Harnessing the refreshing hues of the ocean waters and clear blue skies, the GEL Lyte Speed dons various shades of aqua, sky blue and navy for a bold yet highly wearable look. The shoes upper is reworked with a soft perforated nubuck on the toe box, with suede on the mudguard and overlays, finished with a soft leather on the side panel branding. A speckled GEL midsole adds a bit more pops well as high comfort levels for the wearer, with the tri-coloured outsole complimenting the rest of the design. Added touches in the dual-branded sky graphic insoles complete the summery vibes.

The UBIQ x Asics GEL Lyte Speed “Cool Breeze” will be available at selected retailers including END. and Footpatrol from the 1st of August.

 

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Converse launch the Chuck Taylor All Star II

Posted on by bythelevel

 

Introduced to the world almost 100 years ago, the Chuck Taylor All Star has become one of the most popular and most iconic footwear styles of all time. In what is set to be one of the most significant releases of 2015, Converse have announced the first ever upgraded Chuck style, as they present the Chuck II – bringing a classic into modern day.

Originally introduced back in 1917 as an elite basketball shoe, the Chuck’s distinctive make up, which includes a stitched upper, white rubber toe cap and famous ankle patch, has remained largely unchanged up until now. Although the original style will always remain a firm favourite for many, Converse have chosen to give the Chuck a progressive rework this season by listening to those who wear the shoes to work out the ‘nags’ with the original. They have been weary to stay true to the originals DNA without too much alteration or introducing a new silhouette all together. It’s a significant moment for a brand with such a rich heritage as they look to bring their most celebrated style forward with creativity and innovation.

The main focus in the Chuck II rework seems to be comfort, and this is achieved with the addition of a Nike Lunarlon insole and enhanced with a padded foam collar and a non-slip padded tongue for extra cushioning. The new Chuck’s shape mirrors the original but has been enhanced with a durable Tencel canvas on the shoes upper with a breathable perforated micro-suede liner for comfort during extended wear. Additional features include tonal lacing, fully embroidered ‘All Star’ ankle patch, high foxing and monochrome tonal matte eyelets for a premium finish.

The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II arrives this upcoming Tuesday (July 28th) at Converse stores, select retailers and online over at www.converse.co.uk. The ox (low) can be picked up for £55 and the hi-top for £60, available in four separate colour ways of black, white, red and blue.

 

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PF Flyers – Made in USA

Posted on by bythelevel

 

 PF Flyers have launched this short video that pays homage to their home town of Boston and celebrates the unique brands that have come out of the city.

With a heritage that spans all the way back to 1933, PF Flyers have become a footwear favourite for many world wide, known for their unique aesthetic and iconic style that has stayed with them from launch of the line back in 1944 through to modern times. To showcase the brands dedication towards quality in construction and their handcrafted process, PF Flyers have launched their ‘Made In The USA’ campaign and their first line of domestically manufactured footwear in the Made In The USA Centre Hi Shoe.

The Centre Hi is constructed with durability and long lasting quality in mind, made from a 14 oz heavy weight canvas, the Centre Hi features a lux leather toe cap and eye row, with a rich pig skin lining for a premium feel. The hand-made theme is continued throughout the shoe with a hand-drawn midsole stripe, hand-stamped tongue branding and de-bossed ‘PF Flyers’ ankle patch logo. The shoe also features the comfort enhancing PF insole that was originally designed to offer arch support and reduce the risk of straining the leg by evenly distributing the wearers weight, all the way back when the brands first shoe line was release.

The shoe is available in two subtle colour options of all white with hints of black and a  simplistic black, both with tonal cotton laces. The accompanying video looks to local businesses which include Bully Boy Distillers, Repeat Press, Forestbound Bag Co., Redemption Tattoo and Bobby From Boston, all of which share similar values and refuse to sacrifice quality over quantity, maintaining their commitment to delivering custom, one of a kind goods, produced locally.

You can pick up your own PF Flyers ‘Made in the USA’ Centre Hi over at  www.pfflyers.com/MadeInTheUSA

 

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Supreme x Nike SB ‘GTS’

Posted on 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.

 

Nike Roshe LD-1000

Nike Roshe LD-1000

Posted on 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.