badtofu » footwear

Clae Ellington

eric — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:29:40 +0000

Early this year, Clae released their “Ellington” silhouette in an effort to define what a sleek, stylish, simplistic sneaker should look like. Mixing the aesthetics of a derby shoe, with a low profile sneaker, double takes are definitely something you should get used to seeing. This particular colorway of walnut suede upper, with a brick rubber sole, has to be my favorite release thus far. I’m definitely looking forward to to what Clae has in store for next season.

Nike Air Max 90 Infrared

eric — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:52:12 +0000

“Fresh” taken to another level. Fuck all the oxfords, loafers, mocs, and desert boots, deep down I’m a sneakerhead. When the re-release of the Infrareds was announced, I was ecstatic that I’d finally be able to grab one of my grails at retail. Don’t let hype confuse you though, the Air Max 90 isn’t some technical running shoe masterpiece. It’s the more the combination various aspects that made this so sought after. The overall comfort of the shoe is excellent, the long panels of the AM90 that give each color equal balance on the silhouette, and the Infrared colorway itself. The majority grey and white upper, is just enough to balance out the black and red hits, but not mute the entire shoe. Thats enough, I don’t need to write a thesis on this shoe, all I can say is, my patience has finally been rewarded, and if you’re on the hunt, I’d advise to pick up a pair or two before they disappear again.

Visvim FBT

eric — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:38:46 +0000

If I was to describe myself, I’d honestly have to say I’m a realist, not a person to waste time bullshitting you. So if a month ago you asked me if I’d ever own a pair of Visvims, I’d have flat out responded, NO, while crying a little on the inside. Its not that I’ve never tried to obtain a pair, there are just hurdles that constantly stone walled me from my goal. The first hurdle is the resale price of Visvims. I can honestly say I understand the relatively high retail price point for their shoes. Given quality of leathers sourced, and the hand construction of each pair, they can easily command 300$ minimum. But the kick in the teeth comes by way of the resellers, who mark up the shoes north of 100$ over retail. The fact that very few shops outside of Japan actually get any to sell makes it a bitter pill that you sometimes have to swallow.

The final problem is, the size runs. Most of the releases seem to only go from size 8 – 11(US), with 12 being a rarity. I’m guessing this is because the Japanese brand might have a tough time selling the larger sizes within the country, or that Nakamura just plain hates me. Now at some point a bit of karma finally came my way, and I manage to secure a pair of FBTs in the rare size 12(fits more like a 12.5/13) at a bit under retail price. To describe the shoe kinda doesn’t do justice, and is something that you really should see in person. The buttery suede make these moccasin style shoes, feel more like slippers, and the removable collar allows you the versatility to wear your FBTs in stealth mode, or dress them up to break necks. Now if i could just secure a pair in honey/dark brown leather, or sand suede, I can die a happy sneakerhead.

Footwear: Taka Hayashi x Vans – Priz Hi Lace LX

eric — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:01:02 +0000

Anytime the name Taka Hayashi and Vans appear in the same sentence, you can probably expect the unexpected. The latest Vault released, dubbed Prix Hi Lace LX, is no exception to that rule. Combining durable suede with a leather upper, and various Native American embellishments, make this a truly unique silhouette. Don’t let its “fashion sneaker” appearance fool you though, this shoe was built to be skated and take a beating.

Available now for 120$ at DQM, HUF, and Bows & Arrows

1901 Carson Oxford

eric — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:37:30 +0000

One thing I’ve discovered recently, is that its pretty difficult to find a high quality pair oxford shoes, that won’t put a hurting on your future plans to eat or have a roof over your head. After a lot of four letter words and praying to my bank account, I luckily I stumbled across Nordstrom’s 1901 Carson Oxford. A classic blucher-style oxford, these shoes have a suede outer, with leather lining, rubber sole, and footbed padding that makes you feel like you’re walking on pillows. The Carsons cover a pretty nice range of colors as well, from white, to dirty buck, to a very fashion forward red, even light blue. For some strange reason they don’t come in a black though, odd. Regardless, at a price point of 99$, they are going to be pretty hard to pass up. That being said, if you have the bread for a pair of Churchs or Mr. Hare, by all means, get them, and loan my twenty bucks since you’re so damn rich, ha.

On a side note, the pair I’m wearing are actually deep navy blue, outside of direct light they look black. Also, damn I have some big feet…

Footwear: Vans Sophie

eric — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:58:23 +0000

Vans has been steadily pumping out some nice colorways and vault releases for the 2010 spring/summer, and while in most cases I’d have to flip a coin to pick a favorite, skimming through whats been released thus far, I have a clear pick in mind. My choice is, the black and white leather Sophie. Yes, the Sophie, new women silhouette. The pictured Sophie model comes in a new two-tone colorway in an all-leather upper and a mini-checkered lining. Its pretty slick shoe on its on, but with the vintage saddle shoe styling of this colorway, it could easily be used for a more “dressed” situation. If you are interested in getting you hands on a pair, check your local Vans store or online for 55$.

Want: Mr. Bathing Ape Regal Slip-on Loafer

eric — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:27:38 +0000

To me, Bape, was a brand I avoided like the plague. The products they were putting out were more geared towards kids that would probably need a ride to get to the mall. The all over prints, the Air Force 1 cloned pantent leather Bapestas, and the silly, complete zip up hoodies, were just way too much for me. I thought for sure that Nigo would run this pattern till the end, and I would never have to worry about Bape again. And for a time, I thought my assumption was spot on, until some time last year, there was an announcement that Bape would be teaming with United Arrows, to put together a dressier line of clothing under the name, Mr. Bathing Ape. This line would consist of suits, hats, shoes, and other accessories. In the past month or so, there have been several images floating around of pieces of this collection which indeed looked promising, causing me to shut up, if only for a brief moment. Yesterday, a more detailed set of snaps, of piece from this collection finally surfaced, and I for the first time, am actually excited about something Bape related.

Pictured are the Mr. Bathing Ape Regal slip-on loafers. These stood out to me, more then any piece I’ve seen so far, partially because I’m addicted to shoes, but mostly because of the clean, polished look. I could honestly see myself wearing them on a regular basis, without feeling over dressed. Full details on the material used have not been released, but I pray it’s not patent leather, as it tends to make items look cheaper in my opinion. You will notice the mustache stenciled into the upper of the loafer, this is Mr. Bathing Ape’s primary branding, and pretty damn slick placement on these shoes. The loafers are scheduled to be part of the spring/summer line, but with no hard date or price point, all I can really do is sit and wait. My only concern at this point is that, 1) the won’t be released outside of Japan, and cost me a fortune to import, 2) they won’t be released in any size over 11, or a combination of both, as is usually the case. Oh well, at least I have my pictures.

If you are interested in seeing the other items so far in the collection, head over to Culture Shoq to see the remainder of the pictures.

Footwear: Red Wing F/W 2010 Work Chukka

eric — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:16:08 +0000

Recently I managed to procure a pair of the Fall/Winter 2010 Red Wing Work Chukka, in sage suede, sooner rather then later. What can I really say, if you’ve ever owned a pair of Red Wings, you know the material and build quality will be spot on, the fit will be like a glove, and you’ll probably wear them till they fall the fuck apart, which will likely never happen. With SF’s never really hot weather, I’m surely planning to try to toss them into regular rotation whenever possible.

Style in simplicity: Nike tennis classic HF

eric — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:28:57 +0000

Footwear styles come and go like the wind, as well as people’s taste in general, but for myself there is always one constant, and that is a love for simple shoes. Clean panels, simple colorway, comfort, and lifespan, are the keys to my painful selection process. I’m not looking for some patent leather monster of a shoe, with 30 straps that doubles as a pair of shin guards, that I would surely be embarrassed to tell my child I ever wore. And during a recent this quest for shoes, a friend of mine put me on to a complete deadstock set of Nike Tennis Classic HF, which are the epitome of my check list. These are pretty much like slippers on my feet, I love the simple primary color selection, and I really love the dropping of the stitched on swoosh for a perf swoosh in the panel. The Small fragment logo hit on the back is a perfect addition to cap off a shoe that I will probably wear until there is a hole in it.

Now Hiroshi Fujiwara is probably one of the designers I respect the most, and I always bitch about how hard it is to obtain his collabo work, so to pass this up would be insane. Once it finally stops rain for 2 mins, I’m gonna give these a proper wear. In the meantime I’m hunting for the recent white leather with gold heel tab and the AC ND sail/obsidian release in a size 13 :)

Warriors of Radness x Gourmet Tre preview

eric — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:36:13 +0000

Warriors of Radness, Gourmet, two companies I know very well, but never expected to do any type of collaboration, very happy to be wrong. The guys over at Culture Shoq, graced the internets with the first pics, of what will be a summer time staple shoe for me, the collabo Tre. Gray striped cotton canvas, with teal interior, should make this a very light weight, breathable shoe for the summer 2010. Price and release date have yet to surface yet, but keep your eyes trained on the Gourmet site and other retailers.