Sneaker Roundup

Two pairs of skate shoes in six months of downhill skateboarding. And the number of unfortunate casualties will only keep growing. To lament the death of both pairs, here’s a few sets of sneakers I wouldn’t mind on my feet (and in my collection as well).

Vans Rowley SPV
(Photo: HKnowledge)

I’m a sucker for simple and clean design, and you can’t go wrong with the colorway. I wouldn’t say I grew up idolizing Geoff Rowley (Reynolds/Greco/Steve Caballero were my idols), but his Vans have been nothing but solid, especially his recent releases. The Rowley SPV (Super Pro Vulc) is said to be a light sneaker with a great amount of board feel, and you can’t miss that classic Vans side stripe.

Converse Skateboarding KA-One

Despite the awkward sounding name, this fairly new Kenny Anderson signature release from CONS appeals to both my appreciation for simple design and retro-styling. The silhouette is pretty no-frills, without the extra bells and whistles of technology that isn’t needed. It’s a skater’s skate shoe, made to skate first and foremost. The toe-stripe detail and outsole material remind me of the Nike Bruin, sans the check and a whole lot of unwanted hype.

Adidas Busenitz Pro

This came out a while back, but turned into an instant classic upon release. I’ve seen a few here and there, and subsequently kicked myself for passing on them each time. The football inspired shape reminds me of a time where I was vaguely athletic, playing fullback during school street soccer games. Then I discovered skateboarding and started to wait for the games to finish so I could skate the area. The long tongue is reminiscent of Adidas classics like the Samba and Copa Mundial. Retro. Functional. All-around-awesome.

Nike SB Koston 1 (Koston x Kobe Pack)

I’m all for collaborations that transcend boundaries. Eric Koston, always in the discussion of the best skater out there now, and Kobe Bryant well, let his NBA Championship Rings do the talking (that’s 5 and counting, Lebron). I just threw this one in the mix for fun, as this is a special release of Koston’s first shoe under Nike SB. It’s got some new tech that makes it a pretty comfy ride, and is made up to look like Kobe’s latest basketball sneaker under the Nike banner hence the black “snakeskin” print and purple/yellow accents. The special release comes with the box pictured, a special pair of Kobes, and a few other neat things like golf balls. It’s also worth noting that the release was limited to 24 pairs (go figure), all of which were sold at the Staples Center for the very reasonable price of USD1000.

They’re cool and all, but no thank you.

Converse x Dickies Chuck Taylor High

Blame bad marketing for how Dickies is commonly known in this side of the world. Dickies is a classic workwear brand that just last year ventured into creating footwear built to satisfy the needs of those who do actually do gruntwork, and those who like to imagine they do (like myself).

Coming off the heels of their first collection, Dickies teamed up with another American icon in Converse to release a limited-run collection of footwear using the timeless Chuck Taylor All-Star silhouette and a new model called the Chuck Taylor All-Star Classic Boot. Essentially, the collection consists of solid colors fit for everyday wear, a tougher canvas upper, branding from both sides, and subtle workwear-inspired details which you’ll see below.

I got myself a pair of black high-cuts during my last trip out in Hong Kong. To this day, they’re still deadstock, but they won’t be that way for long.

Exactly what the tag says.

Branding on Both Sides

 

A Hidden Dickies Print

 

The Classic Star Patch+Lace Hook Detailing

 

 

Converse and Dickies, a match made in workwear heaven.

Vans Sk8-Hi Hiker Pack

A couple of years ago, back during my sneakerhead heyday, I was part of a feature that came out in my school’s newspaper that shed some light on some school sneakerheads, asking the usual questions of kicks in quantity, and the motivations that go into collecting. If memory serves me right, in terms of what I liked the most about collecting, I remember mentioning something along the lines of how shoes could take design cues from movies, artist collaborations, and other forms of inspiration.

I may have toned down my collecting ways but I’ll still cop a pair should the means be there, and either if they’re cool in concept or great for everyday wear, and the frequent skate session.

One pair I copped as a Christmas gift to myself was this pair of Vans Sk8-Hi’s which are part of the Hiker Pack. The Hiker Pack marries the classic Sk8-Hi silhouette with elements found in a hiker boot. Hook eyelets, leather, suede, canvas a good mix of browns and blacks, a hiker-ized, waffle sole, and some pretty cool lace details that immediately bring Navajo print to mind (and my ignorance of any other American Indian tribes).

Now I doubt I’ll be hitting the mountain trails with these. The least I can do is wear them on a trip to the movies to catch127 Hours when it starts screening.

Here they are.

the "hiker-ized" waffle sole

lace details

the iconic sidestripe

Vans California Collection Spring 2011 Lineup

I’ve always loved Vans. And I was pretty ecstatic that they came back to the Philippines with force, opening a slew of concept stores around and out of the metro, and making more of their iconic footwear styles available to the Filipino consumer than just the Classic Slip-Ons.

Should that have happened a few years ago, I would’ve burned myself out from thinking which pair of sneakers I’d blow my savings on. And now at the ripe old age of twenty, I guess I’m a little more discerning with my spending habits. Although it always hurts to pass on a great pair of sneakers, I’m glad there’s more to choose from here without having to wait at a chance of finding things abroad.

Vans brought in a great number of collaborations with artists and other brands in terms of footwear and apparel to our shores. They also brought in the Vault, OTW, and California Collections, the latter of which I’ll be showing some pictures I found of their Spring 2011 releases.

Vans California Collection Spring 2011 Era

Chukka Del Barco CA

106 Vulcanized CA

My personal favorite of the bunch. The Eras come a close second.

Sk8-Hi CA

Style 31 CA

Zapato Del Barco CA

All in all, a spring collection that’s pretty subdued and materials great to wear all year round. Here’s to hoping the good folks at Vans here in our little group of islands can pull some strings and get these sneakers in soon!