4/6/2010 - Puma Mostro

So I decided to take a detour from classics to take a deeper look at a modern classics. In1999, Puma decided to rejuvinate its struggling business with a huge risk in fashion athletic. Puma banked on the metrosexual movement to boost the Mostro to popularity. Well, it worked! This rock climbing inspired sneaker sported no laces, an elastic velcro hook and loop, puma wings on only one side and trainer-like spike soles. The combination filled an assortment gap in the market and the crowd basically went wild.

I've never owned the Mostro but remember a friend from New York walking into a room with these on back in the day. I thought they were loco but, by then, the Mostro had already caught fire with its sleek design. The Mostro even gets kudos from Chris Bangle, the group design chief for BMW. No to shabby for a clubbing trainer sneaker.

4/5/2010 - Vans Classic Slip On

The Vans Classic Slip On is another shoe that has defined an era in sneakers and a sport. Much like the Converse All-Star defined high tops and basketball in the 1950s, the Vanc Classic Slip On defined the comfort and ease of California's beach culture. Vans spent the better part of the 1970s becoming the shoe brand that embodied all things California.

Known as shoe #44 for the Vans Doren Rubber Company, it became all the rage of Southern California and then the nation when Sean Penn wore the shoes in the 1982 hit Fast Times at Ridgemont High. While the Van Classic Slip On remained popular for a long time, the family owned Vans company went out of business due to the lack of success in other shoes that came to market and the company is now owned by the VF Corporation.

The thing I like most about the Vans Classic Slip On is the unique checkerboard pattern. Unlike the Converse All-Star which was all white or all black, the checkerboard pattern on the Vans Classic Slip On allowed the BMX riders and skaters to have a unique style. This theme of unique style is still embedded in today's Vans Classic Slip On with thousands of pattern styles to choose from. This has driven the popularity of the shoe so much that it gave birth to Vans Customs, a rebirth of a former business model, that monetizes the uniqueness of each Vans customer. When Vans was still a small company, customers could bring any type of fabric they wanted and Vans would create the Vans slip on with that fabric. Now, customers can create these own Vans shoes on Vans.com to continue the tradition of uniqueness.

With all the popularity because of the Slip On's style, the Vans Classic Slip On is actually a very comfortable shoe. Because they had help from skaters and BMX riders in developing the shoe, the Van Doren family included a padded collar and a durable, form fitting canvas material. BMX riders and skaters do lots of jumps and the Vans Slip On counters this with a shock absorbing footbed that is backed up by a Vans signature Off the Wall gum outersole with a waffle performance tread. The Vans Classic Slip On, #44, is iconic and continues to grace the feet happy customers today.

4/4/2010 - New Balance M574

I remember 4 years or so ago, the local New Balance store in Pittsburgh started selling a Classic version of the M574. This grey suede version was the only silhouette but sold out like hot cakes. I'd never wore New Balances prior to buy this style because I perceived them to be running shoes and I was not a runner. Boy was I wrong! Needless to say, New Balances are extra comfy, especially for lazy bums like me.

The thing I appreciated the most about the M574 is its simplicity. Normally, I would say no way to any shoe that have 5 different shades of grey on it but the M574 solidified its hall of shoe fame status by how versatile it is while being so simple. Suede and mesh uppers paired with extra padding around the ankles result in a light shoe but the iconic "N" on either side sings New England prep. The simple looking soles actually include New Balance's sophisticated injected molded EVA midsoles which might seem common among trainers or running shoes. The only difference in this case is that its a New Balance shoe and these guys know how to make cushioning for runners. Love this shoe!

4/3/2010 - Converse All-Stars "Chuck Taylor"

If there is one shoe that bridges generations, styles and geography, its the Converse All-Star "Chuck Taylor". Iconic. Unique. Dynamic. These are all easy ways to describe Chucks. One thing that can't be put into words is the impact these shoes have had on sneaker history and culture.



The Converse Rubber company started business in 1908 and produced the first Converse All Star in 1917 after an increase in basketball's popularity. The original color ways was a natural brown fabric with black trim and sales were relatively slow at first. That was until Charles "Chuck" Taylor became the companies lead salesman. Chuck Taylor was a basketball player for the Akron Firestones and travelled across the US hosting clinics and promoting the Converse All Star. For his success in promoting the shoe, Converse added his name to the signature ankle patch in 1932.

Today, the Converse brand and history is owned by Nike and has flourished as the current generation has taken an interest in the classic. The shoe can currently be found in hundreds of colors and designs but all still have the unique design and mark that captured Chuck Taylor's imagination so many years ago. The sneaker was one of the first athletic shoes to give support to athlete's ankles with the canvas upper and used there rubber technology to create nonslip rubber soles. What's been most impressive about the Converse All-Star is its appeal to a non-athletic consumer. From being the shoe of choice for greasers in the 50s to the Ramones and rock-n-roll heads in the 1970s, the Chuck Taylors have always been a staple of comfort and versatility.

4/2/2010 - Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 by ASICS

My Gf recently purchased me a pair of Onitsuka Tigers and I was curious why they weren't named ASICS. I did some research the story behind the shoe is awesome. According to Onitsuka's website.

In the 40s, basketball grew popular in Japan and Kihachiro Onitsuka decide to create the perfect basketball show. All honesty, the shoe was super ugly by todays standard but it gave birth to the Onitsuka brand in Japan.

In the 60s, Onitsuka started making shoes for the Olympic games and for the 68 Olympics it released shoes with stripes, similar to those on the Mexico 66, calling them 'Meixcan Stripes".

We can actually thank a young MBA student from Oregon named Phil Knight for the popularity of the Onitsuka brand in the US. After he finishing his MBA at Stanford, he was began selling Onitsuka Tiger shoes from his trunk for a business he created with Bill Bowerman, his former track coach at University of Oregon. The business was called Blue Ribbon Sports but later evolved into Nike.

Mr. Knight was very impressed with the quality of the Tigers and that quality level continues to this day. The leather and suede uppers are incredibly durable. Aside from the original shoe's colorway, the soles are the coolest part: gum soles = bad ass. The suede fabric lay on the nose of the shoe is often replicated by other shoes and give an aerodynamic feel to the shoe. Onitsuka Tigers by ASICS come in just about every color combination possible and are must haves for the true sneaker historians.

4/1/2010 - Nike Air Max Plus (TN)

The Nike Air Max Plus TN is another sexy shoe! According to Solepedia, it was released in the fall of 1998 was the first running shoe to feature Nike's Tuned Air system. Nike Tuned Air consisted of two opposing polymer hemispheres that rebound against each other to absorb shock.

The Hyperblues were, by far, the most popular version of the shoe. I owned two pairs of the TN: one was a suede mid-grey and the other was white and grey. Both were super comfy and there was great padding in the heal and mid-sole. My concern was how to take care of suede. I purchased the cleaner for suede but it only seemed to make the show fabric worst.

The cushioning in the inner shoe was clutch. It had great support and felt like they were easy to move in. The Hyper blue were the rock-star versions of the show. My grey pair had the same type of color fade from white to blue. Awesome shoe!

3/31/2010 - Adidas Rod Laver

Classic Adidas Rod Laver, colorways white/green of course! Zappos describes the Rob Laver with the following points: A shoe for the traditional stylist and old-school player AND Canvas/leather upper and dual-density polyurethane midsole.

Before today, I'd never heard of a dual-density polyurethane midsole. According to ShoeBacca, the polyurethane offers a harder substance for stability and the two densities combined allow the foot to be cushioned and supported in the necessary places. Who knew this is what Adidas and Rob Laver were after in the 1970s when they created this beauty.

When I saw these, it was the first time I considered what green would look like on feet. My feeling was they were green because they were money and they definitely are. As a non-tennis player, I would rock these as casual shoes and the extra cushion provided by the midsole made these mamas super comfy. The leather uppers with the diamond pattern give the uppers style and the canvas lip just gives it a touch of spunk. I'm a huge fan of these classics and own them in white/green and black/black. You can find them here.