Hey all, tis the season of slip ons and espadrilles, and this one from Keds is pretty sweet. The Keds Slip On Jute (for the ladies) is available in a few colors, including dark gray linen, navy/gray prison stripes (these are not the official names of the colors), and my favorite, the Mexican blanket.
Available at Bows and Arrows and Zappos.
Hey everyone, sorry I have been derelict in my blog duties. I wanted to fire this one off quickly. This is the first Air Jordan I’ve seen in a while without leather, and the 1 is a good place to start. One huge caveat though: at least right now, it’s only available in kid’s sizes. But hey, this is a first for us, so for those of you with lil Jordan wannabes out there, this one’s for you!
Air Jordan 1 in canvas, available in Toddler and Preschool at Finish Line.
Source: Nice Kicks
What’s up VK Nation, I haven’t done this in a while, but I wanted to do a special shop shout to my friend Danette and her excellent shop, Duckie Shoes. Located in the Mile End neighborhood of Montreal, this is one of the few shops in Canada that specializes in selling vegan footwear.
I have to come right out of the gate and say, sorry for phoning this one in. I wanted to find something, anything, interesting to write about for 4/20, but… this sort of fell in my lap. You all knew this was coming. This isn’t actually that new, but I have been seeing this Vans Classic “Hemp Pack” popping up all over.
It is a little too apropo, isn’t it? You know, Hemp, Jamaica, Rastafari culture… WEED? Follow the logic here. Except the irony of it is that the whole Rastafarian belief system is likely to be anti-commercialism as personified in the now all too corporate Vans company. BUT, you have to believe that any of those dudes (and dudettes) would be tickled that people around the world are celebrating these colors.
Espadrilles are casual shoes that have been somewhat popularized by Toms Shoes over the past few years. They don’t seem to have caught on too much, but it’s probably too soon to rule them out as a fad.
First, a little background. This style of shoe originated from the Pyrenees (that’s Spain!), and are usually made of a canvas or cotton fabric upper, with flexible sole made out of rope or rubber material made to look like rope. The jute rope sole is the defining characteristic of an espadrille. The name espadrille is French and derives from the Catalan name for the shoe, espardenya, which is derived from espart, the Catalan name for esparto – a tough, wiry grass used to make rope. Originally considered peasant footwear, it is now manufactured widely and sold around the world, and is more likely to be worn by a non-peasant than a peasant.
Hey guys, sorry I’ve been a little MIA lately. I am not updating this blog as much as I should. But I just wanted to fire off a quick one.
This is the Nike SB Harbor in black canvas. It looks like a solid if unspectacular low shoe for skating. The frayed edges on the trim gives it a little bit more of a unique look, but it might not be for you. Like a lot of the Nike SB shoes, it comes with grippy vulcanized sole.
Available at Premier. More pics below.
Hey guys! It’s Steph here. Sorry for not posting in such long time.
Just wanted to show you my new sneakers:
The classic Vans Era. Very nice to wear with rolled cuffs. I’ve got to confess they hurt me a bit in the first days, but now they’re very comfy. I love Vans’ style and the fact that they got lots of shoes and accessories without leather. What do you think about them?
I am vaguely aware of the fashion seasons and cycle, where the next season’s thing emerges even before the present season starts. But my approach is much more day-to-day and more attuned to my immediate needs, i.e. oh crap it just snowed a foot, I better get me some boots! I cannot plan my wardrobe for the fall when it is summer out. Just can’t. Plus, with my broke ass, I’m more likely to look for last season’s merchandise that the store is trying to get rid of.
This weekend actually felt a little like spring. I still had my heavy jacket on, but today I actually drove with the window down. Hopefully the warm weather is here to stay here (I’m in New Jersey), but who knows with this churlish winter in the Northeast.
So, I thought that something a little more summery was apropo. I have to say, first, I’m not a huge fan of all these “summer” or “beach” shoes that seem to be all the rage. Like, what the hell is the deal with those wack “water shoes” with the elastic mesh and rubber soles that people wear in the water. Then the gates of hell opened up with Crocs; don’t even get me started. Second, I was never cool with wearing shoes without socks. I still think it’s pretty gross, but I’m willing to re-think my stance on that. I mean, if you’re wearing shorts or pants that shows your ankle, sometimes socks look really wack.
So this Converse Mesh Chuck It is one of those shoes you can wear without socks on the beach or summat, but they look pretty nice. They don’t seem all that different from regular Chucks until you get up close, so they’re a little bit tricky. And the black color always looks cleaner. So no laces, and the sole is a light rubber, not like regular Chucks.
Available at Urban Outfitters. Go to site for better photos.
