Come on the Blog like duh duh duh duh, With Some Fugazi Tickets & a Fitted...

Jay-Z- Jigga That Nigga


If anybody knows Martin @ 212-960-3080 tell him I'd like to speak with him. There seems to have been some sort of miscommunication. I said I wanted real tickets that admitted entry. Not the kind that leave you embarrassed at the gate short $250. I need to be more clear next time. Cocksucker.

But at least I get to create my own rendition of the Mastercard Priceless ads:

Fresh out the box BX Nike Air Force 1s- $135.

Crisp Yankees World Series '09 fitted- $40.

Section B4 Jay-z/Eminem tickets with invalid barcodes- Priceless. Literally price-less.




50 hours have passed since realizing I was duped, played, treated as a mark, etc. I'm over it. Nobody wants to lose money, but more importantly I really wanted to be posted up in centerfield in Yankee Stadium. Hallowed ground where the Mick, Joe D, Rickey, Bernie Baseball and so on snagged fly balls and grabbed their crotch. I am aware that none of these players ever played in A-Rod's cribbo but we're discussing the legacy of New York's CF. It's all for naught since I never made it past the turnstyle.

I was giddy all day. Shit, I wanted to get fresh. How Fresh? Easter in September. Hit several sneaker spots but nothing caught my eye. Not that I don't have special event jumpoffs, just aware that kicks could get mightily fucked the fuck up when there are a lot of feet around. Point is I was hyper than the hyper.

I was comfortably lounging on the BX 12 stuck in traffic over the Harlem River when I got the BBM telling me the terrible news. Somebody tried the tix and was denied entry. To say my mood changed with the quickness would be quite the understatement. Having copped off a dude from Craigslist we joked that we'd be cloud 9ing it till we got 86ed at the stadium. After the laughter comes...

From what I caught on 161st St., the show sucked. Sound was terrible. Haha. Nah, I make chistes. Jiggaman brought out Mary for "Heart of the City". That right there was worth the price of admission. Everything else would be a bonus. Especially Drizzy and Nicki. Pardon me while I fart. Who am I kidding, peep the H-Pod and you might catch me with the baby bills crew screaming "Free the Baby F Weezy!!" Then again you might not.

The conclusion we came to is as follows: The tickets were real but the barcode was used with a matching e-ticket or the tix were put on Stubhub thus invalidating the barcode. The black circle is from a scalper I was talking to. He put a lighter to the bottom and said that if a black circle appears and the ticket doesn't burn it's a real ticket. Exactly what happened. Doesn't make matters any better. Just taught me and others that this ticket shit is not a game. Doubt I'd cop tix off C'List ever again unless escorted to the gate.



You didn't think this would end on a sad note? Never that. Headed into the city with my drunk corporate connects. I was sober and fairly miserable. After several attempts at finding grub after 11pm on a Tuesday we found ourselves at PJ Clarke's under the Empire Hotel on 63rd and Columbus Ave. Open till 1am 365 days a year, so they say. Through the glass I saw "Kusshis" on the chalkboard over the raw bar. The mood changed. Puppydogs and ice cream came back into play. Amazing how an oyster can change the color of my mood ring. Ugh, pardon and fuck me for that one. Just paraphrasing my boy Sammy Sifton who paraphrased...

Not the best Kusshis I've had. Smaller and not as firm as usual. Also lacking that dynamic taste experience- no briny, sweet, cucumber combo. Salinity was the main note. Shell fragments were a tad too many. Graveyard shucker needs to hone those skills. We split 2 dozen in which I must have consumed 18? Good looks Arc-doggy. And the skirtsteak? Wow. Impressed. Butter soft, no gristle. Delicious. Fall off the bone baby back ribs? Yes indeed. Tender as the talent (not on stage) in Yankee Stadium.

One last thing for shits and giggles: Waiting for a cab on 161st and the Concourse during Em's show I pulled out the camera to take a pic of the fireworks coming from the stadium and what appears? "No Memory Card." Now imagine I was in there and no card? Aw man homie. Rookie moves coming from a vet are the true definition of hustling backwards.

Wack on the Walls but Dope on the Dogs- A Black Friday Fable.

To be clear, this isn't a fable. There really isn't any moral to be learned. Maybe some behavior to avoid. This is more of a story, a tale. I just wanted maximum alliteration.

You know how it goes. A sneaker gets hyped on the internet. The images look pretty good so you consider the cop. Then you see it in person and think damn, that shit is wack. Doesn't happen that often, seldom in fact, however this is precisely what happened with the Eddie Cruz "West" Nike Air Force 1s. Purple and yellow is my thing- Kobe all day, but the red outsole really freaked me out. I know my style isn't considered "progressive", but red? Shit didn't make any sense.



Store after store these shiny purple joints kept bugging. This is a sneaker that historically I should like sans the patent swoosh. My disdain runs deep. It's an air force. It's a premium air force, it has snake skin, it is purple, it has different stitch on the tongue tag and the O.44 sticky rubber logo is embossed on the heel. The little intricacies I gets downs with. But no, not interested. Not even a second chance. Like they did me dirty and were left to rot. Until I peeped them on feet. I was like, Hold Up!! Wait a minute!! My man Wes, being the astute Nike employee that he is, had them joints on for the ultimate sell. On some, "yeah, I thought they were pretty weak sauce too, but peep now." It worked on me. I'm not sure exactly why, maybe the new perspective of looking down as opposed to eye level. My style's over your head, I enjoy the aerial view. The red wasn't as noticeable and the shiny snakeskin wasn't as overwhelming.



So now they're on the radar, but for $135 not a necessity. Plus I have the purple with yellow LA forces so I'm thinking I'll call these skip. But the textures are different so that thought is thrown at the window. My boy tells me he can get them for $81, so that entices me more, but I'm still not fully convinced. Until Black Friday. When all sense and rationale gets thrown out the window and the lunacy ensues. No, there weren't any fly pony hair jumpoffs this year.



I'm in Goliath when I see the purple piff (not really, but again, my alliteration obsession) on the wall with a 40% off sign, thus making them $81. No longer an eyesore, I grab the joints to do some last minute recon. As I'm holding them, I hear 2 dudes ask for an 11 and 11.5, my size. I didn't even get a chance to make a play on them. Uh oh. Call it territorial, call it mania, attack mode is instantaneously triggered. I run to catch Dee, malt liquor extraordinaire, as he returns from the stock room. Stop him and ask on the humble if that's the last 11.5. For those in the know, an 11.5 is pretty rare, and usually only 1 pair per size run. He nods affirmative. Ask if there are more 11s, he throws up the "3" sign. Seeing I want them he says I got you, hitting me with the box just as Jim Kelly used to place the pigskin in Thurman Thomas' bread basket.

Feeling like I just stole the last Linden's cookie from the cookie jar, I quickly sit on the bench in the back sliding the pair underneath, hiding all evidence. I don't turn around, feeling like I just snaked some dude for his kicks. Dudes make their way towards the back, me thinking I'm going to have a problem. Never that, they just want to know about DQM, so I hit them with the bullet points, they say good looks and leave me be. Do the right foot try on. All signals say go and I'm at the register. Rose bags them (What up Rose!!), AMEX debt increases, and I'm out the door. Once that cool November air hits, waking me from my semi-delirious sneaker blindness, I look at the kicks again and realize why I never liked them in the first place.



Fuck it, what's another pair of kicks? Just another albatross around my neck. Another nail in the coffin. But at least my feets will look oh so fresh.

I've been racking my brain to think of other kicks that might have looked wack upon first glance and then flipped the script on me. I'm coming up blank. However what you see below might fit the bill. Shits offended me on the wall, but after trying them on and feeling the rabbit ass on my toes, yo, I might need them in my life. It's a big step for me though. Hold my hand.

Cease & Desist- the Ari Menthol documentary 7 pm tonight @ Barbes in BK.

If you're in the NYC tonight be sure to make it out to Barbes in Park Slope to check the screening of Cease & Desist a.k.a. Ari can't talk about it directed by John Carluccio, responsible for treats such as Battle Sounds, Scratch and a variety of other documentaries and shorts ranging from hip hop, to art, to food and so on.



Cease & Desist follows the release of the Ari Menthol sneaker, one of the most hyped releases during the sneaker heyday of 2006. The sneakers had a strong likeness to the Nike Air Force 1, with packaging fairly similar to a pack of Newports. The hype grew, kids waited on lines, legal issues ensued and a creative concept turned into a headache for Ari Forman. Carluccio was there at the release and linked up with Ari years later to discuss the legal quagmire brought on by 2 corporate behemoths. Sneakerhead or not, the film touches on general issues ranging from the creative drive to push the envelope, the fickleness of trends, and the power of corporate America.

Here's a little taste:



This screening is part of the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series.

Barbés
7 pm
376 9th St (at 6th Ave)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
(718) 965-9177

Rakim @ Highline Ballroom 8/13- The HFE H is for Holy Are You Ticket Giveaway.

We have a winner.

Shouts to Incilin for his knowing the ledge. Thanks to everybody that participated.

The answers were as follows:

1) Name 2 food items mentioned on the Paid in Full LP, including the lines they were used in.

"Me and Eric B. and a nice big plate of Fish, which is my favorite dish, but without no money, it's still a wish."- Paid In Full

"Thought I was a donut, you tried to glaze me."- Eric B. is President

2) What group was sampled for Rakim's "Holy Are You" single? Include the album it was on and the producer of that album.

The Electric Prunes (had to keep it food related). The album was Release of An Oath and the producer was David Axelrod, no Obama.

3) On which album did Rakim wear Nike Air Force 1 Highs with a royal blue swoosh? What cap was he wearing? For the true heads- who remembers the official Nike colorway on the box? (just for fun, won't count towards the answer)

Don't Sweat the Technique was the album and he's wearing a Knicks cap. Needed the binocs for that one apparently. I'm pretty positive the colorway was white/ultramarine.

Welcome back. I have a pair of tix for the Rakim concert at Highline Ballroom Thursday night, August 13th. Be prepared for all the classics as well as a sneak preview of the forthcoming The Seventh Seal LP.

Thursday is pretty busy. You can either catch the 18th Letter or peep De La Soul backed by a live band. Seems like a no-brainer. No disrespect to De La. Don't forget to get all your NYC concert info HERE.

Similar to the previous giveaways, I'll ask several questions and the first person to respond with the correct answers, both factually and grammatically, will win the tickets. Email all answers to the address in red on the upper right. You must include a phone number so that I can reach you. I will contact the winner by 3 pm Thursday and the tickets will be available at the venue prior to the show.

I got some questions, that're serious as cancer...

1) Name 2 food items mentioned on the Paid in Full LP, including the lines they were used in.

2) What group was sampled for Rakim's "Holy Are You" single? Include the album it was on and the producer of that album.

3) On which album did Rakim wear Nike Air Force 1 Highs with a royal blue swoosh? What cap was he wearing? For the true heads- who remembers the official Nike colorway on the box? (just for fun, won't count towards the answer)



What would an "H is for" post be without a fitted? On some mighty Zeus-like mythical shit I'll hit you with the lightning bolts. Rakim is an exalted figure so it works. The mighty 8th letter.

A Pair of Bright Sport Red Air Max Hit the Racks, Snatch Them Up Son- 92 Beans, No Tax!!!

Ghostface Killah- Apollo Kids


I guess we have a new series. And in order to progress it, I need to cop more Air Maxes- oh well. We dooos what we dooos. This might infringe on my Air Force pick-ups, or better yet my Wildwood acquisitions. Or as of late, my Asics jumpoffs. I need to diversify the portfolio so this might be a worthy venture.



A couple of weeks ago word began leaking about the retro of the Air Max 1 OG red and grey colorway along with the royal blue pair. I got a bit excited and was a bit surprised. These dropped as part of the History of Air pack in 2005. But you know how Nike does, if it sells, drop it, and drop it again. I didn't cop then because I had acquired a pair around '01- plus I didn't like the materials and construction of the new pairs- and the red wasn't as rich. Fast forward to 2009 and while I still have issues with the details and don't love the mesh material on the toebox, my pair has yellowed over the years and the left foot toebox is fucked up so a new pair was close to necessary.



So I'm at 21 Mercer and they just got them in- not even on shelves yet- so a size 12 was definitely available. You know that early feeling, like you're fucking with an exclu-si-vo, even if it's for 5 minutes- haha check me out family- I got that new shit that you ain't even up on. Pre-internet that might have been the case, but not today. 92 beans just made it easier. If they were $110 and up I still would have left with them but there would have been a little self-hate. Absolutely no self-hate here. In fact, I was pretty excited. These are just a dope summer shoe- and that bright white toe box is super crispy. Only problem is once that line of dirt appears you might as well hang these up. I'm looking for a cleaner or method that can clean the mesh- or maybe a shoe repair guy with some skills. For some reason whenever I treat the stain I make it worse.



Here is the pair from early 1999. Even though the sole has yellowed and the left toe box is kind of fucked up, they are still oh so fresh. How they were acquired makes them that much better. Back when I used to hit Fordham on a fairly regular basis, I'd always do the same route- hit the Fordham Ave. spots- Dr. Jay's, Freddy's, VIM's, an Indian spot or 2 and then hit the Concourse and hit all the spots down to Young Star by 188th St. Mimi's was the spot closest to Young Star- unfortunately they have recently shut down. The shelves were always packed with joints but the diesel Spanish dude would always talk your ear off. I need some peace and quiet when absorbing all the product. Anyway, I see these- fresh, crisp, and clean. I ask for a size 12, turns out the only pair they had was a 12.



I was shocked they had them since no other spot had them. That's when dude said they had just found them in the stockroom earlier that day. The label had fallen off the box and they had been sitting there for a minute, a long minute. At least a year plus. I'm sure they would have sold that day, I lucked out. They cost no more than $70 and I was out the door.



A quick comparison between the two. The '99 pair is a better representation of the '87 original. That said, even if I criticize the new pairs, I'm hyped to have them and have rocked them almost everyday since the purchase. To see an original pair- 1988 really, click HERE.

Air Max 1 Red- 1999 vs. 2009

1- The mesh on the '99 pair is similar if not the same as the original. A thicker, tougher, more matte finish, like real mesh. Not as shiny and smooth. 2- The older pairs fit much more snug. The heel is narrower and envelopes the ankle much better- shit feels locked in. The shoe itself is narrower, or at least feels that way. Sole to sole there is no difference so it must be the use of thicker/better/more materials. Many newer retros are roomier than their predecessors- the product isn't made with the same care. Mind you these were a performance sneaker in '87, the first of it's kind. 3- As mentioned earlier, the red isn't as rich. The red should be a blood red, the '09 and '05 versions are brighter.



4- The mudguard (red material running above the sole around the entire shoe) is thicker on the '99 version, and thinner on the newer version. I always considered this a chunky sneaker and the older versions exuded that with the tighter feel and look. The '99 version seems more compact, though the dimensions of each shoe are very similar. The newer versions are too low to the ground, too sleek. Also the toebox is flatter and bigger on the '09 pairs, almost boxy, while more rounded on the '99 pair. There is at least 1/2 an inch more material wrapping over the toe.



5- The '99 sole is all red, while the '09 pair is white, black and red- here the newer version copies the OG version, the red sole was only for '99. 6- The grey and red materials on the '99 pair and OG pairs were a nubuckish material while the '09 pair is felt, similar to the feel of a pool table.



6- The air bubbles in the '99 version are red while the '09 pairs are white. Not really the plastic air bubble, but the spring type structures in them. The 1987 OG pairs were white.



7- The lining on the tongue is red on the '09 pair and white on the other pair. Neither of the tongues are like the OG which had a stitched lining around the edge.



And last but not least, 8- The new pairs don't come with the Anatomical Arch Supports. I never used these but it was always cool to see them in the box, like the prize in Cracker Jacks.



The Air Max 1 is responsible for my get fresh on my feet steez. It was a dirty pair of Air Max 1s that made me switch things up and ultimately turn my swag on, no soulja boy. My co-worker/friend Kim T. commented on my dirty kicks- the exact pair you see above- and that was it- never again. I was into kicks back then, just not as OCD about maintenance. Nowadays I don't really care as much if a pair gets a little dirt, but absolutely nothing dogged- you never know who's watching.

When the royal blue pairs drop best believe I will tear them shits up. Literally, and literally.

April Showers Bring May Air Force 1s.

Uptowns baby, uptowns baby...

It was a long winter. But the hibernation is finally over and look at what the nice weather has brought us. On some ninja shit, these joints tip-toed into the stockroom and nobody knew. No sites, no blogs, no forums, no internets- nothing. On Thursday I was told to hit 21 Mercer on Saturday and that was it. I was able to get a little more info and a peek at one of the supposed releases and my interests were piqued.



What we have here are 2 treats, both exclusive to 21 Mercer. The light grey pair was what got me open. Only thing was that the pair I saw was a dark gray, closer to graphite with the ice sole. Shits are so mean. Instead a metallic platinum/matte silver pair was released, style # 381663 001. These are a rare treat and actually the try on pairs for the Air Force 1 Low Premium MX ID, the newest version of the Air Force 1 ID. The try on air force pairs are always a shade of gray and always dope.



This newest version of the IDs have a supreme air force sole, meaning a visible air bubble. There has always been one, thus the "AIR" in air force 1, but until recently it was tucked away. Now you're able to create a sneaker with that sole. The IDs retail for $300, but don't worry, I didn't pay that much. All they cost me was some donuts, not just any donuts. Doughnut Plant donuts. And the Blackout joint. Fucking incredible. Words can't express the greatness. That's the new shit- donuts for kicks. Barter (batter) makes the world go round.



The quality is next galaxy. Creamy soft leather with a suede swoosh and heel tab and the ill sole. Simple. I'd compare them to a a really basic pasta dish with great ingredients. Home made pasta, some fresh mushrooms and a little butter from a local cow named Betty topped with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. Capiche? I'm going to call these shits my tagliatelle con funghis. So Italian.




The next joints are part of the Nike 1World series, "18 global influencers harking from the fields of sport, design, music, art and fashion. Each one a visionary. Each one a lifelong devotee to the Air Force 1." That comment is a bit of a stretch but until I'm a 1Worlder I can't say shit. Remember these?

Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United designed these and I have to admit, he did his thing. Again, really simple, but the little touches here and there make these shits say uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh- Nah nah nah nah. Several gold swoosh on white air forces have been released over the past couple of years but the quality was terrible and they didn't validate a purchase. Not true- I copped the 25th anniversary pair but never wore it so does that count? If a sneaker is purchased but never worn and then sold- was it really part of the lineup? I think not.



Like the ID samples, these are on some next level quality. Premium leather sitting on an opaque ice sole. The air unit is visible if you look hard enough. The ice sole raises a red flag as it has the potential to turn piss yellow, but time will tell. The box labels are getting really confusing. No longer does it just say "Air Force 1." As the pair above has to be deciphered, so do these. Air Force 1 Low Sprm INFL6. Sprm being Supreme and INFL6 being Influencer. Not sure why the number 6. Colorway is white/metallic gold- university blue, style # 352633 171. That's another thing, why are there so many different style numbers- the first 6 digits- for air force 1 lows? Whatever.



The toebox, side panels and heel tab have crocodile textured leather and it should be noted that at all seams the leather is pleated, showing no stitch. I don't really dig that look as it makes the back and toe panel appear puffy, but I'll ride with it for now. The eyestay has gold stitching which works real well, and the tongue label is baby blue with gold letters. Baby blue and gold is a win. UCLA, Minneapolis Lakers, Nuggets, etc.



On the right foot a "V" is stitched on the heel tab and on the left a "5" is. For some reason I've always dug the intricacies such as heel tab, ankle and insole graphics, especially stitching. The dubrae on the right foot reads LF-1 06 while the left foot reads TF-1 08. No clue.



The insole reads:

"IF...."I got to play just 1 minute of professional football, I would die a happy man!"

Rio Ferdinand

Not that it really matters who Rio Ferdinand is, because I would have copped anyway, but he's highly celebrated as the centre back for Manchester United and a member of the England national team. Since Man U is sort of like the Yankees in terms of dominance and he's the stand-in captain for the team and he's of mixed descent, he's kind of like Jeter. Rio, if you're reading this, you should be extremely flattered.

Why Can't Life Always be This Easy...I Get a Call Like You Won the Yeezys.

The second installment of the Nike Air Yeezys dropped this past Saturday, May 2nd, to hype beyond hype beyond hype. The Yeezys have generated the most hysteria for any sneaker in recent memory. Both releases had the skinny jean army bugging. Shuffling like crazy, getting denim burn. Whoa. The first pair, a gray colorway, dropped a month or so ago and I had no clue. It felt great to not be aware of the nonsense. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. The problem is I need to be that ear to the street for my 30 plus married with kids peoples, so it's imperative I grind hard. This kid is slipping.

If by now you're still unsure, yes, these were designed by Kanye West who apparently designed these to be a "doper person."



The game is all fucked up now. First cats started lining up days in advance and now stores are having raffles to prevent the rowdy crowds. I don't blame them. At least order is preserved and every pair is spoken for. Never again, at least for the foreseeable future, will you be able to casually walk into a store and cop a "limited" or "exclusive" sneaker. Not when stores get 18-30 pairs. Shit is ridiculous. I was at Nike Mercer on Thursday around 6pm and people kept rolling in to sign up for the raffle. It closed promptly at 6, so if you were a minute late, you lost. The boat left the dock. You should have seen the disappointment on the faces. Girls trying to use their sex appeal to sway a no to yes but the Nike massive would not waiver. Cold hearted cats. Ice box in the chest status.



On Friday, May 1st, at approximately noon, I got the call. Better than being offered a job. Better than that chick you had that super crush on calling you on a Friday night. I would compare it more to getting a call from the Yankees telling me they were going to draft me in the 16th round and were excited about HowFresh joining their organization. I had been chosen. They were allowing me the opportunity to spend $224.41 on a pair of Air Yeezys. All of those "please, you're welcome and thank yous" finally paid off.



Well, here you go. One of the ugliest sneakers I've ever seen. Kanye, you're crazy for this one. Though not as crazy as the Leweys. Black lycra-type toe box that stretches towards the back around the ankle, light gray suede mud guard, black patent strap, black leather back panels and eye stays with the letter "Y" lasered all over, neon pink lining, ankle straps that have "Yeezy" stitched, a pink lace lock designed in a letter "Y", a glow in the dark outsole and a Jordan 3 midsole. I believe that covers this footwear hybrid. The Jordan 3 outsole is cool. That's about it. The shits are high. Taller than Air Force 1 Highs. More on that Supra hipster bullshit. I'm just not that stylish. I'd like to believe that if I was in high school and around all these terrible trends that I wouldn't succumb to the peer pressure. And if I did, that my parents would beat the balls off of me to teach me a lesson.

Catch me stunting hard in these shits. And I'll be singing...

"50 told me go head switch your style up and if they hate then let them hate and watch the money pile up... the good life."

Are These Really Crispy As Fuck?

I don't think so.

Undeniably, the white with gum sole Air Force 1 is one of the greatest sneakers ever created. EVER. Gum soles on forces are like fine lox on a bagel. Like getting out of work early on a Friday. Like meeting your boy at the game who has an extra front row ticket. It takes something that's great, and makes it even greater.



This past Saturday, March 14th, Alife Rivington Club in the LES released these to what I believe was lukewarm reception. Dubbed "Crispy as Fuck", the $225 price tag definitely wasn't "crispy." Shit was soggy. In a healthy economy that amount is sort of OD, so you can imagine the response in this shit. I'm sure the quality is next level with the insideout leather midsole and the quality leather uppers, but it's a throwaway. Alife has designed some crazy shit in the past and this is too easy. We expect a little better. Come to think of it, most of their recent designs have been pretty mundane. The New Balance were eh and the Sauconys were a follow-up to what they did last summer. I wouldn't be surprised if there are still pairs available. Years ago, an Alife-Air Force collabo would have sold out in hours.



The sneakers were supposed to have lacelocks on each shoe reading "CRISPY" on one foot and "ASFUCK" on the other. (The above photos have them because they were samples or renderings) But that wouldn't have been a good look for the family friendly corporation known as Nike, so Alife had to remove them from the sneakers. I love curses as much as the next man but sneakers should remain chaste. Inappropriate. On a side note, if anybody knows the synonym for lacelocks- sounds French- starts with a D or B, please let me know. Shit is driving me crazy. 3/22/09- The word is dubre, pronounced Dew Bray.



The embossed stars on the leather look terrible. Reminds me of Bapes. If I never saw a pair of Bapes for the rest of my life I wouldn't be upset. The sneaker looks too puffy. Too diddy. Too take that, take that. Just not a good look.



These are a pair of white and gum soles from early 2003. They cost $75 and they are perfect. Too perfect to wear in fact. I had a pair that I killed and am scared to wear these. They just look so nice in the box, crispy you could say. Point is, these are perfect as they are. No need to do anything to them. No need to gussy them up. Come up with some different shit, some new shit. Step your game up. The market isn't the same as it was last year and years prior to that. It's almost as if the zenith was reached and now a slow and steady decline is upon us. You can't get away with bullshit anymore.



Just because we're on the topic of gum soles, one of the flyest pairs out there. These are a 1 of 1 for Bobbito and they're so clean. Crimson on white with gum. The gum sole is never used on whites with a colored swoosh, but just imagine the possibilities. You can ID a pair, but $250 is pretty steep. Disregard the "coming soon" tag because they're never going to be released.

Photos courtesy of Ebay and various sneaker sites.

Happy St. Paddy's Day and WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH A-ROD????

Now that I live in a non Irish neighborhood, March 17th is just like every other day. Granted Irish Eyes and the Liffy Bar are down stairs, but the debauchery doesn't even compare to Behan's, Celtic Cross, Rambling House and of course, the Lark's Nest. I miss the sloppyness in green, but not what happened to me last year.



Now on to the injured 3rd baseman that plays for the world's greatest franchise. Truth be told, the more shit this guy pulls, that "greatest" tag is slowly eroding. Hal and Cash, wake the fuck up. With all the steroids hoopla, followed by the hip injury, 10 weeks of A-Rod less media coverage was a good thing. I've said this numerous times, I used to be a fan of the dude, but that has worn off and I'll root for him strictly based on the fact that he wears pinstripes.



So Details magazine just hit stores with none other than Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez gracing the cover. Really? Really? Seriously? Really? What the fuck is wrong with you? I understand that magazine lead time is months in advance, presumably before the steroid news leaked, but Alex, have the humility, or just the common sense to pull the plug. Turns out the turnaround for this story was around 6 weeks or so. The interview was conducted a day before the Peter Gammons interview addressing A-Roid. I've got to admit that A-Rod sure played it cool knowing the shitstorm was approaching.



Alex- What more do you need? You are extremely wealthy. Extremely talented. Extremely ubuquitous. And extremely maligned. For good reason, as proven by this and you're obsession with doing the wrong thing. We hear you've hired an army of marketing and publicity specialists. Fire them immediately. For 10 grand I'll fix your image. Fly you to an undisclosed location so you don't have the ability to be seen or heard. Sort of like putting mittens on a kid with chicken pox.




This shit is too crazy to be real. Right? It can't be real. He must be fucking with us. He must have the greatest dark sense of humor and get off on this. I hope so. Kissing a mirror, pulling his shirt up, crying in the mirror? What the fuck is going on here? Kissing a mirror? He must be saying- "You think I'm narcissistic? Well here you go you fucking nobodies. Get off my dick, I'm the shit." At least I'd respect him for saying fuck off, I'm doing me, and you'll never be me. But that's doubtful. I wonder how the photographer managed to get those poses. Where was your PR dream team? Maybe Jeter had a disguise on and was snapping away. Interesting.



Below are several excerpts from the interview that I found amusing, or some might say "vomit inducing." I won't even comment on these gems. Other than the dude is fucking crazy. He actually called the writer up to ask him not to print his favorite Madonna record because "The last thing I want to do is go to every stadium and have them play that song" every time he bats. INSANE. I know for a fact that Shelly Duncan takes the subway. But A-Rod??????? The author stated it best with this, "Responses are wiped clean of anything raw, off-message, or authentic."

But what irks me the most?? This motherfucker is wearing Air Force 1s. Nah- not acceptable. You my friend do not deserve to rock these. Stick to a safer sneaker, like the Air Max Ltd. I don't think I've seen these. They aren't white on whites- the sole is either light gray or icey. Either way, not a good luck for AF1s.

To read the entire article go HERE.

On New York:

"New York is one of a kind," Rodriguez says. "It's made me ask all the tough questions. It's brought out the best in me. There are some things I have to work on. And that part is fun." He pauses, and then, perhaps alluding to coming events, says, "Revealing the truth about yourself is always good."

On what he wanted from the old Yankee Stadium:

"What I really wanted I couldn't get," Rodriguez says. "There was a scale in the training room that had been there for years. Very cool, rustic, gold. Babe Ruth weighed himself on that scale. Joe DiMaggio. Mickey Mantle. I would have paid a funny number for that."

On taking the subway:

"I've taken the subway to the stadium," he says, smiling. "For night games. The day to do it is a Friday, because traffic is horrible."

When asked if he really has taken the subway?

"Yeah. I have a hoodie on, but all it takes is one person and then you're done. But it's great. The fans get a kick out of it, I get a kick out of it. We talk about who's pitching tonight, and what we need to do. It's like being on sports radio."

All photos courtesy of Details.