I’m not gonna lie, at one point in time I was obsessed with Puma. This was a long time ago however and things have changed a lot since then. For starters I’m no longer tricking myself into thinking that size 9 Clydes and Suedes will fit, and I’m not even for a second going to defend the comfort levels of a 40 year old shoe. The leaping cat will always have a soft spot in my heart though, and for years I moaned about the fantastic 90s back-catalogue that Puma was neglecting whilst the whole world was freaking over simpler silhouettes. Fast forward to 2013 and everyone’s into retro runner, low and behold Puma’s decided to re-release the Trinomic XT1! Aside from the odd Disc Blaze or Blaze of Glory (which I still argue is a new-school hybrid creation akin to a ZX750) there hasn’t been much from this period of Puma to enjoy.

This one’s a winner and it should be releasing in the not-too-distant future. Well done Puma, here’s to more great 90s runners getting a chance!

- t, Pics nicked from sneakersaddict.

- T, another year another great show, big ups to the Acclaim team.

Man this dude Taku has gone from strength to strength the last couple of years, now he is hooked up with Sydney crew Well Dressed Vandals and New Era.

- T, personal thank you to Ta-Ku for letting me use his work in some of the videos I posted in the past.

Since first popping up on the blogosphere years ago, the collaboration of Missoni and Converse has been an intriguing project both in concept and execution. Taking the iconic fabrics of the family owned dynasty, Converse’s First String division worked with the Italians to create a project that best represented their work. Whilst the two have released some Chuck Taylors previously it’s the Auckland Racer that has always been the star (unintentional pun there).

Last year’s effort was strong, with the dark fabric chosen relying much more on details in the texture to do the talking but if I’m honest they were a bit underwhelming. I’m always of the opinion that if you’re doing something crazy you need to go all out and finally after all this time these louder variants are hitting accounts this week. Offering a multi-colour and monochrome choice of pattern they don’t make any reservations when it comes to the loud factor. The colourful pair remind me a bit of Mexican Serapes whilst the more ‘subdued’ version has a bit of a snakeskin vibe. I personally think they’re both fantastic and they shall be mine! For others that are keen Up There will be releasing them this coming Friday the 29th online and in-store on the 30th.

- t, just found out these will also be available in Brisbane through Apartment!

Another Nike post from me, something I didn’t think I’d be saying just a few short years ago! This time the interesting new shoe coming out of Oregon is from their hugely successful Free range. The Trainer has always been beloved by buff dudes and mums alike, offering an array of neon colour options and comfort that spans from sidewalk to gym. All hate aside, the Free Run+ 2 has been by far the best shoe from the range in a long while (the 3rd iteration suffered a similar fate to the Lunaracer+ 2) and there’s a reason why just about everyone on the planet is wearing them.

This new 5.0 variant takes on a much more organic appearance than previous generations with some sweet woven action going on throughout the saddle. Turns out they’re inspired by Chinese finger traps and how they change properties when under stress. This video does a better job explaining it all. As you can see, the lead colourway consists of a blue/volt mix to show off the woven features but the pure platinum I showed above with the icy blue sole is much more promising. I think the cutouts around the toe are best as an added dimension, adding a strong colour contrast puts them a bit over the top. The giant Swoosh is a bit unnerving but in person that mightn’t be too much of an issue. Chances are this will hit iD at some point and the potential for a low key grey/charcoal makeup is pretty fantastic.

- t, These will hit stores worldwide on April 1st (no foolin’) and I’d give these a decent bit of consideration.

I’m liking this era or running shoe one-upmanship we’re currently experiencing. I mean obviously it’s been going on forever but it seems that Nike’s recently successes have spurred a reaction from at least adidas. New Balance seems not to care, in stead just doing their own thing cranking out quietly achieving shoes as well as stupidly expensive flagship models and some of the best retro’s.

Adidas has been doing well on the reissue front, showing up Nike at pretty much ever turn, their Consortium range is in full flight and basically they’re on fire. In the hi-tech world though the Swoosh is running circles around the three stripes (the PrimeKnit fiasco can’t have helped). Adidas is set to change the world of running forever if you believe the self-created hype with their “Boost” technology…

- t, Click for ramblings…

That’s a whole lot of names for the title of a blog post, let alone a collaboration. This isn’t some sort of Japanese crossover where 6 different brands are involved in creating a single shoe that in actual fact was made by the dude who does just about every thing you wear though. Instead this is a good ol’ fashioned partnership that just happens to be between two similarly named duo’s.

Lyn & Tony are a couple of Aussies who seem to have gotten sick of just making nifty bits of jewellery and instead decided to give menswear a bit of a crack. Rather than simply grabbing the nearest Polo button up and sending it over to Bangladesh though, they’ve done it their own way. In stead it’s all made in Australia from Italian fabrics featuring a print by Craig & Karl. I’m not going to lie here, I had no idea who those two chaps are but upon researching them it’s pretty obvious I’m familiar with their work; most notably the Darcel Disappoints series. If you haven’t been living under a tumblr-rock for the last 2 years you’ll recognise it as well.

The print itself reminds me of a shirt Mishka did not long ago that featured the sights of New York all arranged in a pattern. For this collection though the print is applied to longsleeve shirts, scarves and ties. It works particularly well when teamed up in contrasting tie/shirt combinations. They’re all confined to a limited run of 50 per each item, which means the likelyhood of seeing another person wearing the same shirt as you is pretty low… Unless your best mate gets one too, then it’s highly likely.

- t, More information there, buy it here

Since it’s inception in 2012; Nike’s Flyknit technology has been changing the way we think about our sneakers. From a performance standpoint, the knitted upper brings new standards of fit, support, breathability and comfort. Over the last year or so the Flyknit Trainer and Racer have been adopted by hardcore runners and the streetwear community alike.

In the time passed since it’s low-key release and subsequent hype it’s been applauded by just about everyone. Whilst I can’t vouch for it’s performance from a serious athletic perspective, in the leisurely realm they shine strongly albeit not the most comfortable shoe due to the Zoom sole unit. Fast forward a year and in comes the Flyknit Lunar 1+, a combination of what one could argue are the two biggest leaps forward in running technology in the last decade. Fusing the Lunarglide+ 4 sole unit (albeit in a softer guise) to the Flyknit Trainer’s upper is a match made in heaven right? Well until now I’ve only been able to speculate but since Nike was kind enough to send me a pair to give a test run I can now come at this shoe with an educated opinion…

-t, Keep on reading…