WDJWT 7/27/12 & 7/28/12

Been in a Kobe mood lately.

L.A. all day...

WDJWT

Nike Air Max 97

Live From World Foot Locker: My Pops Vs. Laser

In the first post on this blog, I mention that my Dad was a Manager Trainer for Foot Locker when I was a kid. My love for kicks was born on the many days I spent going to work with my Dad, running around Foot Locker stock rooms, climbing the ladders, and looking at kicks. Shit was so much fun to me.

The best part of having your Dad work for Foot Locker is obviously the sneaker-related perks, but one of my other favorites were the wild stories. Stories about theft, crazy purchases, and Jordan lines were all common but my favorite recurring stories were always about when celebrities would show up at the store. My Dad was always assigned to the high volume stores in the L.A. area, so it was pretty common to see celebs come in, but this story tops them all.

It was some time in the early to mid 90s, and my Dad was working at the World Foot Locker in Thousand Oaks California. For those of you who don't know about World Footlocker, this was the specialty Foot Locker before there was House of Hoops.

As you can see, these stores were massive. It was real cool to me when he was working this store. They had big screen TVs and the Thousand Oaks mall was real dope at that time, so this was my favorite Foot Locker that Pops worked at.

Well one day at the store, Laser from American Gladiators came in. If you don't know about American Gladiators or Laser, here is a pic and video:

Well anyway, Laser came in wanting to return a pair of shoes (I wish either me or my Dad could remember what shoe it was. They were definitely Nikes). No big deal, except the shoes had been worn and he didn't even have a receipt. I guess he rocked them all day even though they didn't fit him right. He tried to play the whole "don't you know who I am?" angle with the employee and then got rude with her when she wouldn't let him return the kicks. Laser then asked to speak to the manager, so the cashier called my Dad over:

Dad: "What seems to be the problem?" 

Laser: "I want to return these shoes. I don't see why that's a problem." 

Dad: "Well I could maybe help you out if you had the receipt, but you're trying to return shoes that you wore without a receipt. There's nothing we can do for you." 

Laser: "Do you know who I am?" 

Dad: "It doesn't matter who you are if you don't have a receipt." 

Laser: "Well these shoes are defective..." 

Dad: (inspects the shoes, sees nothing wrong) "These aren't defective, sir."

Laser: (grabs shoe, flips out, and RIPS OFF THE FUCKING TONGUE!)

"NOOOOW THEEY AAAAREEE!"

At this point, Laser was in a full on 'roid rage and causing a scene in the store. He looked like he was ready to smash a glass display when my Dad told him he had to leave or he would have mall security kick his ass out. Laser came to his senses, like when Bruce Banner's inner self can get the Hulk to chill the fuck out and not smash shit.

I remember my Dad telling me this story over the phone right after it happened. He was so pissed. I was, and still am, hyped about my Dad stepping to an American Gladiator and not getting mollywhopped. I also was excited because I HATED Laser even before that happened. He seemed like a royal asshole to me, and I was right. My favorite Gladiator was Nitro, so I was like "fuck Laser". 

Laser, if you're reading this...Fuck you. You ain't shit, you buff for no damn reason, try to intimidate female retail employee-ass, shoe tearing, 'roid raging, broke, lying ass punk. 

#TeamNitro.

Sneaker Rant Vol. 2

Nike, for the love of God, stop making new Penny Hardaway kicks. I think the Penny V looks like a solid shoe, I just don't understand why Nike insists on making new shoes for a guy who has been retired for five years and hasn't been an impact player for about twelve years. I get that the Penny line is legendary, but I feel like Nike is cheapening the classics by creating new shoes. I also can't stand having to see Penny at sneaker events and on blogs all the time because it depresses the hell out of me. Most young sneaker heads have no idea how good Penny was before his Microfracture surgery in 2001. It's a damn shame that kids today know him more for kicks than his game.

Pic Via DEFTRONIC.COM

There's an epidemic that's been ravaging the sneaker culture for the last couple of years...RENT-A-SNEAKERHEADS.

These are the dudes who cop a shoe that's hyped, wear it long enough to be seen/have pics taken, and then try to resell them for over retail...FUCK THAT. This shit is beyond lame to me. This shit is the epitome of the "GOT MINE"/competitive attitude that is ruining sneaker culture. People copping for all the wrong reasons. All you Rent-A-Sneakerheads need to fall back and let someone who intends to actually keep the shoe get theirs. If you're gonna wear some shit once and then sell it, at least have the decency to sell for retail or less. 

Also, DS is DS motherfucker...it is or it ain't. I don't give a fuck if you rocked them on a magic carpet, if you put them on, they're no longer deadstock. So many people have a fucked up interpretation of what DS is. Deadstock means the shoe has not been tried on. Most heads consider DS unworn, which is acceptable also. 

Anything less is not DS...sorry, I didn't mean to get all Jesse Jackson on you with a rhyme. Moving on...

I can't rock with this lazy reboot of the Galaxy KD IV. All they did was switch the silver to gold and replaced the glowing sole with a translucent blue one. They already have 385,973 colorways. Less is more Nike, less is more.

How you gonna make a Jordan shoe look like a monochromatic AIDS quilt? This bullshit right here makes me wanna run up in the offices at Jordan Brand and fuck up whoever thought of this sorry ass shit.

Mad As Hell...

Man I missed out on those "What The Kobes"... fuuuuuck. 


FULL RAGE MODE!

Celebrity Kick Clownin' Vol. 1

     

     Yo, I dig Stalley's music. It's not the greatest shit ever, but it's solid. But I can't stand how my man will constantly take these fake candid pics of trying to look deep while rocking some recent release kicks. Like "Yo make sure I look troubled, like I'm in deep thought...Oh no closeups tho, gotta make sure you can see these KDs." This dude is out here meditating on a paintball course.

Here's a pic of NBA free agent, Nate Robinson, rocking Lightning Jordan IV's while sitting on the steps of his daughter's dollhouse. 

Here's bum ass Miami Heat Center, Eddy Curry, rocking some Miami Vice LeBron 9 Elites and looking at pictures of bacon and donut pizza. Dude just riding around in a golf cart while stealing NBA checks since 2001. 

My man Delonte West rocking Huarache 2K4s while hooping with his bosses from his offseason job at UPS.

T.I. rocking the black Elite LeBron 9 and his wife, Tiny, rocking the black/pink GS LeBron 9. Is it just me, or does Tiny look like the female Gremlin?

YUP!

Sneaker Rant Vol. 1

"Sneaker Rant" is a weekly post where I share opinions quick-fire style on anything sneaker related I feel like speaking on.

    The Jordan VI/VII "Golden Moments" pack is looking pretty nice. Jordan Brand will always kill it in terms of packaging/presentation. The US flag dust bags are dope. We'll see how the shoes come out quality-wise. I'm usually pretty skeptical when it comes to Jordan retros, but since these will have a price tag of $350, I think we can expect above average quality on these. These are scheduled to drop Aug. 18th.

"I ain't trying to stunt man, but these Yeezys jumped over the Jumpman"

     The sneaker world went wild when Kanye West spit the lyric above at the BET Awards. Countless sneaker blogs have chimed in on the subject, and so will I. I doubt Kanye even believes that line, given that his shoes have been heavily influenced by Js. He did that shit to get everybody talking and it worked, so Kanye won. I've also noticed a lot of sneakerheads getting defensive and upset, saying that 'Ye disrespected Jordan. I don't get why people get offended about someone dissing Jordan Brand when they disrespect sneakerheads weekly by putting out plastic leather kicks covered in glue stains for $160 retail.

Air Max 96+ Evolve

     I fucks with this shoe. I've always been a huge fan of the Air Max 96. It's a very under appreciated shoe since is dropped between two classics, the Air Max 95 and 97. For whatever reason, I can't tolerate when brands mess with basketball classics but I don't mind when they apply modern tech to runners. Would I love to see the original 96 come back? Of course, but I'll be happy with these in the meantime.

Nike Air Max Pillar

     Pillars were the shit to me back in '98. I'm really happy that Nike brought these back, but I can't fuck with that $180 price tag. These drop this weekend, but I wouldn't recommend copping them yet if you can wait. These should hit the sale rack/outlets fairly quickly, then you can come up on a classic. 

Juicemanji's Top 15 Releases of 2012 So Far

So now that 2012 is halfway over and many of the year's major sneaker releases have come and gone, I thought I'd share with you what I believe to be the 15 best shoes of the year so far. This post is based strictly on my opinion. I personally think a great shoe combines style, quality, comfort, good pricing, and attainability.

15. Nike Lunar Flow Woven QS

This shoe was the first shoe featured on my weekly "Quality Cop" post. The woven upper on this shoe makes it very wearable, but far from plain. The classic Air Flow upper sits on a lunarlon platform, making this shoe exceptionally comfortable. Despite being a quickstrike, these can still be copped in several boutiques as well as some Nike stores. With a price tag of $135 retail, this shoe is a pretty solid value given the quality of the materials. This is just an all around dope shoe.

14. Ronnie Fieg x New Balance 999 "Steel Blue"

I've never been crazy about Ronnie Fieg's work because I've always thought that plenty of sneakerheads could come up with equally dope designs if given a dope silhouette and premium materials. However, most 'heads don't have the hustle to even be in the position to collab with Asics, New Balance, Sebago, etc. But I do love this shoe. The 999 is one of my favorite NB models and I like how Fieg was able to capture the spirit of the 1300 and recreate it with premium materials on the 999. While the colorway is very simple, less is more in this case. So with that said, salute to Mr. Fieg. 

13. Air Jordan 2012 Deluxe "Jordan Brand Classic East"

The Air Jordan 2012 has been slept on by most sneakerheads. Whether it's the high price point ($180-$223), or the unconventional look, most sneaker lovers have found an excuse to not cop this shoe and I'm okay with that. I love this shoe and was able to cop for half price. The quality on these puts Jordan retros to shame. It's upsetting that JB puts so much quality and innovation into the Jordan signature line, but they cut every corner possible with the retro line. In any case, I'm happy with the way these came out. Incredibly comfy, loud, different, and easily copped. I fucks with it.

12. LeBron 9 Elite "Miami Vice"

I'm a big fan of the LeBron 9 Elite. The silhouette is my favorite of the three LeBron 9 styles. This colorway was destined to cause a shit show in the sneaker world. Since the success of the "South Beach" LeBron 8, pink and teal have found their way onto other shoes, custom sneakers, and anything even remotely related to kicks. Hats off to Nike Basketball for designing a worthy sequel to the "South Beach" 8 despite the fact that the colorway has been played out for months. I personally like the shoe very much, but I didn't feel like it was worth the $250 price tag and the trouble. Luckily, I was able to cop at a House of Hoops restock a couple weeks after the initial release. Patience and networking go a long way towards getting the tough releases on a consistent basis.

11. Nike SB Dunk Low Premium "Premier/Petoskey"

This Nike SB collab with Premier Skateshop in Michigan is my favorite SB of the year. I really enjoyed seeing university blue and an icy blue sole, two features usually reserved for Jordans, on an SB dunk low. The upper features a stone-like pebbled leather meant to resemble the petoskey stone found in Lake Michigan. In my opinion, Quickstrike SBs will always be one of the best values when it comes to sneakers due to their dope concepts, quality materials, and reasonable price points. This shoe can still be had for a decent price. I highly recommend copping a pair.

10. Air Jordan IV White/Cement

When one of the greatest Jordans ever retros for the first time since 1999, you don't whine about the quality. Just cop and be happy, or pass and shut the entire fuck up so those who copped their first pair can enjoy without your trollin' ass bringing down the vibe, brother.

9. New Balance MT 580 x Burn Rubber "White Collar"

The Burn Rubber "Workforce Pack" featured two MT 580s, one of which was this "White Collar" colorway. High quality, black suede and light grey mesh make up the upper. The sock liner is made of the same material as a white dress shirt to maintain the theme, while khaki highlights set off the white collar look. I look for any excuse to cop from independent shops and boutiques like Burn Rubber and they make it very easy when they're putting out collabs of this quality.

8. Nike Air Foamposite One "Galaxy"

I've been a huge fan of the Foamposite since the OG released in 1997. I loved that Nike abandoned the lazy blue and red theme of past All Star weekends and went big with the Galaxy pack. I also can't be mad at Nike taking the opportunity to pay tribute to one of their most successful signature athletes ever, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. This shoe manages to apply design innovation to an all time classic. You can't ask for much more than that. 

While I did not attempt to cop the shoe during All Star Weekend, I managed to win a pair in a raffle with a group of sneakerhead friends and I couldn't be happier about it. I was beside myself for winning the raffle, but even more honored to be associated with such a dope group of sneakerheads. While this isn't my favorite shoe of 2012, this was my favorite pickup due to the sentimental value. Shouts to the Kicks-RX fam.

7. Nike Air More Uptempo "Olympic"

The Nike Air More Uptempo was an instant classic when it released in 1995 and the Olympic colorway, which debuted in 1996, is easily the most coveted colorway of this shoe. Scottie Pippen wore these in the Olympics while playing for Team USA's second Dream Team. The full length air unit along with the dope ass "AIR" design make this shoe unforgettable to lovers and haters alike. I hope Pippen gets some royalties off this shoe to help with his financial struggles. Broke ass Scottie.

6. Nike Air Safari NRG

The Nike Air Safari is back on the 25th anniversary of it's 1987 release. This is one of the most intriguing shoes ever. A runner with premium leather and a never before seen "safari" print. The shoe's boldness was fitting and ahead of its time all at once. As a longtime Safari admirer who has never owned a pair, I'm fucking ecstatic over this release. I can't wait to cop mine, so I can be on my "God's Must Be Crazy" flow. Shouts to 23Penny.

5. Nike Air Yeezy 2 NRG

If the disgusting hype for this shoe wasn't so overwhelming, the Yeezy 2 would absolutely be in my top 3. I think this shoe is awesome. I actually like it as much, if not more than I like the original Yeezy. I just can't get over the pain in the ass it was to get a pair, the bullshit ass prices, and the way this release was the nail in the coffin to many OG sneakerheads. I really wish Nike would have made these more available, but whatever. On to the next one. I'm sure I'll make a trade for them once the value drops a bit in a year or so. In any case, great shoe, bad energy surrounding it.

4. New Balance MT 580 x Burn Rubber "Blue Collar"

The other half of Burn Rubber's "Workforce Pack", the Blue Collar MT 580 is my favorite New Balance drop of the year. Gum sole, premium navy blue suede, and plenty of 3M make this shoe UNFUCKWITABLE. Not to mention the sock liner that is made of a fabric similar to a mechanic's shirt. Burn Rubber really got their creative flex on with this pack. I can't say enough about their efforts on this collab. Salute.

3. Air Jordan XII "Playoffs"

This is my favorite shoe of all time. I wore this shoe to my 6th grade graduation. While these are not as well crafted as the 2004 retro, I ain't complaining. I'm just glad I was able to cop my all time favorite shoe. However, if these still had the metal lace eyelets on top, they might be number one on my list. The chromed out plastic was a huge disappointment for me. Despite that, I still love this shoe.

2. Nike Roshe Run

Simple, stylish, affordable, and incredibly comfortable. The Roshe Run is everything a great shoe should be. These are the most comfortable shoe I own. I can't say enough about this shoe. Nike Sportswear killed it with this shoe. Instant classic. #TeamRoshe.

1. Nike Zoom Kobe 7 "Invisibility Cloak"

While the Kobe 7 is far from my favorite silhouette of the year, this colorway is undeniable. We've seen  shoes that were slightly iridescent before (Eggplant Foams, Pine Foams, etc) but never quite like this. Photos don't do this shoe justice. If you ask most 'heads who failed to cop these, they'll let you know how much they regret passing. This will be remembered as the greatest Kobe 7 colorway and one of the better Kobe releases ever. I also must mention how comfortable the Kobe 7 is. It's form fitting without being too tight. It was a tough call, but I had to pick the Invisibility Cloaks as my favorite shoe of 2012 so far.