The Chosen Shoes

Ugly? The Chosen Shoes is normally about shoes I’m...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:35:29 -0400

Ugly?

The Chosen Shoes is normally about shoes I’m lusting after. But in the instance of this Converse First String x Stussy NYC collaboration, I’m posting this pic because of how disappointed I am with the ultimate product. Please note that while I am a big fan of these two brands, collaborations can result in a misstep.

Yes, using “misstep” because this is a shoe blog.

At first, Stussy teased the shoes unofficially known as the “Patchworks” with a coy from the heel-pic. I was completely intrigued, and by completely, I mean, I was as intrigued as one can get about a shoe. But then months later, there was the reveal. And…it’s just too much in the back and not enough in the front. It looks schizophrenic, like two shoes just merged together in a designer’s fit of insanity.

And the corduroy/ denim/ tartan patches has some semblance of blend, but then what is going on with the American flag? What is patriotism doing there exactly? All this opportunity, and, ultimately, we’ll left with this mess. Oh, and they’re limited to 125 pairs, but I think that’s 125 pairs too many.

I’m turning Japanese. For some inexplicable reason, shoe...

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:46:00 -0400

I’m turning Japanese.

For some inexplicable reason, shoe manufacturers like Vans and Converse release more stylish models overseas, particularly in Japan. I have no idea why this is so. Maybe they think that as Americans, we prefer tacky and generic. Whatever the reason, Japanese commerce sites make it exceptionally hard for the more fashion inclined Yankee to purchase shoes like this Converse Japan Tartan model. I’ll try not to take it personally.

Good deed. Lest you think this blog is all about mens shoes,...

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:54:00 -0400

Good deed.

Lest you think this blog is all about mens shoes, here’s a women’s pair that I would love to call attention to. See? The Chosen Shoes is very equal opportunity.

This limited edition Bixie pair, a handmade collaboration between Uganda’s Krochet Kids and Vans, is not only a cute pair of shoes (ugh. Hate using the word “cute”) but it also an opportunity to give charity and support a truly worthy organization. Get some more information about it here.

Jurassic. Dear friend and co-worker Lucy sent me an email...

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:46:22 -0400

Jurassic.

Dear friend and co-worker Lucy sent me an email moments ago which insisted that “these are the chosen shoes.” I think she may be right. The brilliance of this shoe is that the evil red eye actually glows. Which of course you can see here. Well done, Detective Swope.

Houston, we have a shoe. Artist Tom Sachs collaborated with...

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 -0400

Houston, we have a shoe.

Artist Tom Sachs collaborated with Nike on the NIKEcraft project and created the Mars Yard Shoe. As far as shoe collaborations go, this one is pretty fascinating. The shoe itself is created from various NASA materials in celebration of Sachs’ latest exhibition titled Space Program: Mars. At $385, it’s out of my league but the outsoles made to look like moon boots at least make it a shoe worth fantasizing over.

Give me Liberty, II. Dr. Martens x Liberty collaboration. Made...

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:34:00 -0400

Give me Liberty, II.

Dr. Martens x Liberty collaboration. Made for women, but can you not see these with a khaki suit? Can you not?

Why aren’t you answering me…?

Air force gone. I’d like to write a long paragraph about...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:56:16 -0400

Air force gone.

I’d like to write a long paragraph about these shoes but frankly, I can’t. First, I’m not in the mood to really write. These things happen. Secondly, there’s isn’t anything that revelatory about the shoes. They’re Air Force 1’s and they’re camouflage. I mean, they’re nice and I would buy them if I had $200 to spare but I don’t and this is a non-conversation. I like looking at them though.

Thom Browne’s Black Fleece for Brooks Brothers Cricket...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:55:49 -0400

Thom Browne’s Black Fleece for Brooks Brothers Cricket Sneaker should come with an official WASP membership card. Pompous, preposterous, pretentious, but also preppy beyond prep. I’d wear them. On a golf course. Maybe.

Yum, sherbet. X-Girl and Converse are collaborating on a Chuck...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:59:26 -0400

Yum, sherbet.

X-Girl and Converse are collaborating on a Chuck Taylor that looks so refreshingly delicious that you may be tempted to lick them. Granted that’s hyperbole, but of all the summer themed shoes I’ve seen of late, this is the one that epitomizes the hot months of July and August, it’s these puppies. Just put a popsicle stick on ‘em and call it a day.

More info here.

Next victim. “All things denim” could be my mantra....

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:58:00 -0400

Next victim.

“All things denim” could be my mantra. But then again, as a Chosen Shoe reader, you already knew this. Sperry just released these Denim Tri-Tone 3 Eye Boat Shoe by Band of Outsiders on its website and I’ve been anticipating them since some street wear blog posted pics from a Sperry booth at some fashion fair months back. I’m not exactly sure why these shoes are $175.00, but then again, you’re probably paying for the BoO name, which, if Sperry is reading, is there a discount if they come without the branded insole?

Fish sticks. Of the many things Kanye West aims to accomplish...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:17 -0400

Fish sticks.

Of the many things Kanye West aims to accomplish this coming year, so far, only the release of the Air Yeezy II is a tangible thing. This bizarre fish-like/alien hybrid shoe is undoubtedly unique, almost ugly to the point of being admirable.

The die-hard fans will line up nearly a week in advance for a shot at buying one, which means, I don’t have a shot. But it’s definitely a pair I’d like to see in person to gauge whether I would in fact want to take them home or not. There’s no definitive release date for these just yet but they were once delayed from the initial April 11th release date.

As far as shoes go, though, they’ve got a futuristic Ridley Scott sensibility, but I can’t help but feel that they’re an improvement from the Yeezy I.

Give me Liberty. It’s rare to see the runner shoe get the...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:46:07 -0400

Give me Liberty.

It’s rare to see the runner shoe get the fashion treatment, but in the case of this NIke Free 5.0, it’s getting the floral treatment. Liberty of London helped design a shoe so, um, pretty, you’re not gonna want to get them muddy.

The shoes are designated for women runners, but I think I could get away with the one featured here—I’m secure like that. Release for these, along with four other Liberty collaborations, will arrive on April 2nd.

Yawn… I’m impossibly bored by these shoes. The...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:23:00 -0400

Yawn…

I’m impossibly bored by these shoes. The colors, the model, the everything. In fact, the new Supreme x Clarks collaboration is such a disappointing letdown that they’re qualified as my very first un-Chosen Shoe. Sorry, Internet dudes. It’s time to step back, take an objective look, and realize that not every new Supreme release is worth buzzing about.

Real talk.

Ssssssssss. I don’t often get the chance to showcase some...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:34:00 -0400

Ssssssssss.

I don’t often get the chance to showcase some of the my personal pairs, but in the past few days, I haven’t seen that many shoes that are worthy of being “Chosen.”

But not so in the case of these In4mation x Vans Chukka Lows. The limited edition pair was available in a run of two hundred only from the Hawaiian sneaker boutique (and its webstore), and as this personal pic on the left indicates, not only were they very much Chosen, but they were also Purchased.

Don’t go thinking that I’m a baller now and I can afford snakeskin shoes—these Vans were actually made from leather but you can’t really tell unless you’re looking at them closely. Which you’ll have the opportunity to do tomorrow when you see me wearing them.

Lucky small feet. I started wearing espadrilles last summer,...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:19:03 -0400

Lucky small feet.

I started wearing espadrilles last summer, and I will tell you this: they are not manly in the least, but they’re incredibly comfortable. Soludos is one of my favorite brands because they’re pattern-wise stylish, and at $42, they’re even cheaper than Tom’s.

I liked the Aztec Red Yellow pair featured here just as soon as I saw them, but sadly, they’re available only in women sizes, and go up to a size 8. I think they’re unisex, and if Soludos decides to make this an equal opportunity espadrille, I’ll buy mine in a size 9.

A Penny for your thoughts. These shoes may look like they need...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:49:50 -0400

A Penny for your thoughts.

These shoes may look like they need a haircut; that’s intentional. They’re called “hairy suede,” and Vans is releasing them sometime in April. The Honey/ Sunrise Penny Loafer is a classy shoe despite it’s unshaven aesthetic but then again, scruff is so very in.

[The last three sentence read like bullet point, don’t they? I’m in no mood to make a cohesive and flowing paragraph. It’s Wednesday, for God sake.]

There’s no more additional info available yet regarding the shoe other than what’s listed above, but be on the look-out at all Vans Vaults accounts.

I’ve discovered a new shoe brand that I would venture to...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:09:22 -0400

I’ve discovered a new shoe brand that I would venture to call inspiring. In an industry where everyone seemingly copies off one another, Volta shoes are pretty damn special.

This pair, highlighted to the left, from it’s 2012 Fall Line, is speaking to me very loudly. Boots made from Jacquard and leather, Volta is also offering two mid-high versions of this model, which you can also see here. I anticipate them being way out of my price range being that they’re Italian. Which is definitely presumptuous of me, but have you ever seen a cheap Italian shoe?

Didn’t think so.

Shirt yr shoes. Comme Des Garcon announced a collaboration with...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:05:09 -0400

Shirt yr shoes.

Comme Des Garcon announced a collaboration with Supreme the other day. T-shirts, button downs, and sweatshirts all go on sale for prices you can’t afford in just two days. But these shoes—a threesome collaboration with Vans—goes on delayed sale in a few months from now.

These vans are purportedly being made from Garcon shirt material, which is probably 100%. Going out on a limb here. And while they’re nice, they’re desirable primarily because of the CDG component. I mean, let’s be honest here; they look like glorified Keds.

The ones that got away, Part 2. Inspired by...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:14:56 -0500

The ones that got away, Part 2.

Inspired by today’s announcement over new Camper x Bernhard Willhelm sneakers, I looked at pics of the older releases. To be honest, I’m not sure why I didn’t get the ones pictured to the left. Bummer.

Zig-zag, I admire these shoes. Not saying I would wear them. But...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:48:26 -0500

Zig-zag,

I admire these shoes. Not saying I would wear them. But I admire them.

You know what…? F*** it. I would wear them. These Bernhard Willhelm x Camper boots are zany and imaginative. Which is admirable when so many shoe companies repeat tricks and ostensibly reference one another in a never-ending cycle of unoriginality. Before the Camper collaboration, though, I wasn’t too familiar with Willhelm, but after a little research (or Google) I found that I’m a fan. His clothes and designs are definitely weird, but not in a cartoony way like much of Jeremy Scott’s designs. Willhelm makes everything slightly architectural, like he had approached his designs with an eye on reinventing function.

Or whatever that means.