Complex’s Joe La Puma takes Ben Baller to RIF LA to shop for sneakers and talk about how reselling has changed.
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Showing posts with label Sneaker Collectors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sneaker Collectors. Show all posts
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Ben Baller Goes Sneaker Shopping With Complex
Complex’s Joe La Puma takes Ben Baller to RIF LA to shop for sneakers and talk about how reselling has changed.
Subscribe to Complex for More: http://goo.gl/PJeLOl
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Interview: Bata Shoe Museum Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack
WRITTEN BY: BRAD CLARKE POSTED/GreenLabel
We recently visited the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto to check out their exhibit, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture, to get schooled on the history of the sneaker. The exhibit was developed by Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, Elizabeth Semmelhack, who has worked at the museum since 2000 and has also consulted for other institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. We sat down with Elizabeth to find out more about how she developed the exhibit and the plans for its future.
How did you come up with the idea for Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture?
Historically, the Bata Shoe Museum hasn’t collected sneakers, yet sneaker culture is such an important part of the history of footwear today. I saw an opportunity to not only engage with the long history of the sneaker, but also bring it up to contemporary times and work with contemporary collectors. It was a really interesting opportunity. I’m always interested in why something has been made, and why the sneaker was invented in the first place is fascinating. Since we engage with all types of footwear, I think that hopefully this exhibit has expanded what people think we do here at the Bata Shoe Museum.
How many pairs of shoes are included in this exhibit?
There are about 130 pairs of shoes, and given that we don’t collect sneakers, it meant that there had to be a lot of participation from major archives and major collectors. Once the idea was out there, everyone really came on board. It was fantastic.
Who were some of the first people to reach out and contribute to the sneaker portion of this exhibit?
The first people I had to call were Run-DMC. I called them and Eric Blam, and immediately got a very positive response. I knew that was setting me off on the right foot. Christian Louboutin was also extremely willing to lend to the exhibition, and he actually donated to the museum’s collection. I also worked with Dionne Walcott from Toronto Loves Kicks, and she allowed us to look at local collectors and also expand into an international web of people. We got sneakers from around the world like Ponys from Hong Kong. I was so impressed by how enthusiastic everybody was to participate.
What’s the one shoe everyone talks about or focuses on in the exhibit?
There are a couple of really important shoes. Obviously, the fact that Nike designer Tinker Hatfield picked the shoes that defined his career is a really important contribution to this exhibition. For me, though, the ones I really love are the Stewie Griffin Nikes. I think they’re so beautiful and eye catching. They’re also a media darling. They’re very photogenic. [Laughs]
What’s next for the exhibition?
The American Federation of the Arts, which is based out of New York City, has taken on Out of the Box as a traveling exhibition, so we’re now in negotiations with a number of large museums across the United States. We’re hopeful that a major museum in the New York City area will exhibit it and that it will go all the way across America, ending on the West Coast. It should travel for about a year, there will be a book that accompanies it, and it will be updated to reflect the most recent sneakers as it moves across the United States
We recently visited the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto to check out their exhibit, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture, to get schooled on the history of the sneaker. The exhibit was developed by Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, Elizabeth Semmelhack, who has worked at the museum since 2000 and has also consulted for other institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. We sat down with Elizabeth to find out more about how she developed the exhibit and the plans for its future.
How did you come up with the idea for Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture?
Historically, the Bata Shoe Museum hasn’t collected sneakers, yet sneaker culture is such an important part of the history of footwear today. I saw an opportunity to not only engage with the long history of the sneaker, but also bring it up to contemporary times and work with contemporary collectors. It was a really interesting opportunity. I’m always interested in why something has been made, and why the sneaker was invented in the first place is fascinating. Since we engage with all types of footwear, I think that hopefully this exhibit has expanded what people think we do here at the Bata Shoe Museum.
How many pairs of shoes are included in this exhibit?
There are about 130 pairs of shoes, and given that we don’t collect sneakers, it meant that there had to be a lot of participation from major archives and major collectors. Once the idea was out there, everyone really came on board. It was fantastic.
Who were some of the first people to reach out and contribute to the sneaker portion of this exhibit?
The first people I had to call were Run-DMC. I called them and Eric Blam, and immediately got a very positive response. I knew that was setting me off on the right foot. Christian Louboutin was also extremely willing to lend to the exhibition, and he actually donated to the museum’s collection. I also worked with Dionne Walcott from Toronto Loves Kicks, and she allowed us to look at local collectors and also expand into an international web of people. We got sneakers from around the world like Ponys from Hong Kong. I was so impressed by how enthusiastic everybody was to participate.
What’s the one shoe everyone talks about or focuses on in the exhibit?
There are a couple of really important shoes. Obviously, the fact that Nike designer Tinker Hatfield picked the shoes that defined his career is a really important contribution to this exhibition. For me, though, the ones I really love are the Stewie Griffin Nikes. I think they’re so beautiful and eye catching. They’re also a media darling. They’re very photogenic. [Laughs]
What’s next for the exhibition?
The American Federation of the Arts, which is based out of New York City, has taken on Out of the Box as a traveling exhibition, so we’re now in negotiations with a number of large museums across the United States. We’re hopeful that a major museum in the New York City area will exhibit it and that it will go all the way across America, ending on the West Coast. It should travel for about a year, there will be a book that accompanies it, and it will be updated to reflect the most recent sneakers as it moves across the United States
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
NIKE BLAZER MID PREMIUM VINTAGE | FLORAL CITY PACK
WRITTEN BY: KEENAN HIGGINS/GreenLabel
New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are sure to be heating up this summer, and Nike pays homage to their blazing pavements with a new pack of floral-themed Blazers.
All three kicks come with vintage branding, nylon tongues, and intricate colorways on the floral-covered canvas uppers. Each sneaker also comes with its own city motif: the LA edition uses “Birds of Paradise," the Chi-Town version has a chrysanthemum design to represent the city's official flower, and the New York Blazer uses a dandelion to show “wishful thinking and the quick pace” of the Big Apple.
All three will be available at select NSW retailers and Nike.com on May 31.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
NIKE LEBRON 11 2K14
Could LeBron James be the next leader in tech innovation when it comes to gaming?
Thanks to his latest partnership with Nike Basketball, it sure is looking that way. To honor Bron-Bron's current NBA 2K14 game cover, Nike Basketball created a limited edition “2K14” version of the LeBron 11 that could only be earned through gameplay.
Players unlocked the shoe by reaching several in-game milestones — like winning 60 games and creating a signature shoe in the Nike Innovation Kitchen. A few lucky winners of MyPlayer mode are currently waiting on shipping details of the surprise shoe — featuring a jungle cat print and deep red upper to symbolize the heart of a lion — which will arrive in the coming weeks.
WRITTEN BY: KEENAN HIGGINS
Friday, May 16, 2014
Sneaker Con Chicago | May 17
Sneaker Con Chicago – Saturday May 17th, 2014
Sneaker Con is the premier traveling event for sneaker connoisseurs to buy, sell and trade some of the most sought after footwear on the market.
EVENT DATE
12:00pm to 7:00pm
Saturday, May 17th, 2014
EVENT LOCATIION
Broadway Park Armory
5917 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660
Sneaker Con is the premier traveling event for sneaker connoisseurs to buy, sell and trade some of the most sought after footwear on the market.
EVENT DATE
12:00pm to 7:00pm
Saturday, May 17th, 2014
EVENT LOCATIION
Broadway Park Armory
5917 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Keith Haring | Reebok Workout Mid Strap
Keith Haring x Reebok Classic Spring 2014 collection.
Today we are granted a detailed view of the electrifying neon green Workout Mid Strap from the collection.
Covered tip to toe, there’s no mistaking the iconic line work and imagery that was the work of Haring, which is served here on top of an eye-popping neon green upper, complementing the laces and contrasting white outsole.
Hopefully this is one of many more pieces from Reebok to carry the legacy of the great artist – scope out a pair of the Workouts now through SNS.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
AIR JORDAN 2 RETRO INFRARED 23
The new Air Jordan 2 dropping this weekend fits in perfectly with the other "Infrared 23" drops we've seen from Jordan Brand this year.
While black covers the majority of the upper on this shoe, hints of the popular Infrared are balanced out on the Wings logo, heel, and piping accents. For added effect, speckled platinum panels on the ankle and toe are featured to complete the look.
Pick these up at your local sneaker shop and other Jordan retailers this Saturday, April 12th.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Sneakers: The Complete Limited Editions Guide by U-Dox
Books don't get the respect they deserve these days, but if you're one that loves the feel of an actual hardcover, and are a sneakerhead, this is a book for you!
Creative agency U-Dox recently completed its latest project, a book entitled Sneakers: The Complete Limited Editions Guide. Published by Thames & Hudson, the 256-page tome features over 300 of the best and most coveted limited edition sneaker releases from the last decade from 15 different brands, from Nike to BAPE to Saucoy to Adidas and it represent 100 of the finest in sneaker collaboration history.
Sneakers is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com and is set to drop on April 1st from London’s U-Dox creative agency.
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