Monday 23 March 2020

First Look: adidas Yeezy Boost 380 - 'Mist'



The Yeezy Boost 380 Mist features an upper composed of multi-toned re-engineered Primeknit in a sock-like construction, providing a snug yet adaptable fit. The translucent monofilament window is woven into the upper, adding visual interest and breathability.

A re-engineered full-length BOOST midsole elevates the cushioning experience, offering optimal comfort where consumers need it most. The herringbone rubber outsole offers unique design cues and improved traction.

The adidas Yeezy Boost 380 - 'Mist' drops 25 March at selected retailers.

Friday 20 March 2020

First Look: PUMA x Charolotte Olympia - Debut Collection Which is Inspired by Old School Glamour

PUMA and Charlotte Olympia, have teamed up for a collection of footwear, apparel and accessories that merge boxing-inspired silhouettes with the brand's penchant for Old Hollywood glamour. Bold leopard prints, fringe accents and feline touches add detail to feminine PUMA silhouettes.


The collection showcases Charlotte Olympia’s iconic spiderweb logo, signature leopard print and feline 'Kitty' embroidery on classic PUMA streetwear styles, resulting in glamorous and playful looks with a sporty twist.

The flashy PUMA x Charlotte Olympia Rise (R1 999) sneaker has a sequined heel overlay and a pale pink midsole finished with a metallic TPU back piece. The mesh upper features black patent leather overlays and red zig-zag stitching. The PUMA x Charlotte Olympia Deva (R2 199) also takes on glitzy accents, with standout details such as a gold laser-cut leopard print graphic.

The velour leopard print PUMA x Charlotte Olympia TFS AOP Track Jacket (R1 899) has a luxurious feel and the PUMA x Charlotte Olympia AOP Shorts (R999) are marked by fringe details on the hem. The PUMA x Charlotte Olympia Crop Top (R1 199) boasts a spider-web-inspired back construction, with other parts of the collection presenting feminine takes on fitted midi dresses, tees and track pants.



The PUMA x Charlotte Olympia collection drops 28 March on PUMA.com, at PUMA Select Cape Town and PUMA Sandton stores and selected retailers.

Thursday 19 March 2020

First Look: Nike Air Max 90 LX - '90s Dancefloor'

The sneakers feature an 'Illusion Green/Sunset Pulse-Black-White” colourway highlighted with leopard print mudguards, faded denim wash on the panels, tumbled leather toe cap, Pink translucent Swooshes, towel soft Neon Green on the ankle and Black fury liner.

The look is completed with daisy logos on the tongue and insoles. 


The Nike Air Max 90 LX - '90s Dancefloor' drop today at selected retailers.

Wednesday 18 March 2020

First Look: adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 - 'Cinder'

 
The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 'Cinder' features an upper composed of re-engineered Primeknit with a post-dyed monofilament side stripe woven into the upper.

The heel tab provides a visually appealing look and allows for easy on and off access. The midsole utilizes adidas’ innovative BOOST technology.


The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 - 'Cinder' drops 21 March at selected retailers.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

First Look: PUMA x Central Saint Martins“Day Zero” Collection



PUMA has teamed up with the BA Fashion course at London-based design school Central Saint Martins to explore more sustainable technologies in textile manufacturing, the results of which can be seen in the new “Day Zero” women’s collection.

The name “Day Zero” is inspired by the water shortages in Cape Town, South Africa, where ongoing droughts forced the local government to set a date, “Day Zero”, when the city’s taps would be turned off. To highlight this link, the map of Cape Town can be seen across the collection, which consists of footwear and apparel.

Throughout the collection, PUMA has implemented cutting edge dyeing technologies such as “Dope Dye”, which eliminates one step of the dyeing process by using less energy, water and chemicals, and the digital printing of logos directly onto fabric, resulting in reduced use of chemicals and water. With these initiatives, PUMA reduced the water consumption in the “Day Zero” collection by up to 17.4 percent, depending on the type of product. After being tested in the collection with Central Saint Martins, PUMA will also roll out these technologies in other parts of its product range.

Looking beyond the production cycle, PUMA has delved into new ways to make its marketing more sustainable. The campaign images for the “Day Zero” collection were digitally sampled, using technology of Dutch digital fashion house The Fabricant.

PUMA has significantly reduced the water use in producing the raw materials for the collection by using cotton from the Better Cotton Initiative. In 2019, PUMA saved more than 13 billion liters of water, the equivalent of 200 million average showers, by using BCI cotton throughout its product range.

The “Day Zero” collection, which includes the AOP Top (R1 099), AOP Leggings (R899), Future Rider Day Zero (R2 199) and RS-X3 Day Zero (R2 199), will be available at PUMA stores, PUMA.com and selected retailers from 19 March.

Monday 16 March 2020

First Look: Nike Air Max Triax 96 QS - 'Camo'

The sneaker features the scattered olive, green, brown and black arrangement across the entirety of its ripstop upper, only deviating at the toe’s black overlay. Stitching arrives in a light olive, which, when stitched into the scrambled ripstop, provides some effective contrast.

A similar shade is used on the profile Swoosh overlays, liners, and midsoles, with the latter resting atop a classic black rubber outsole.

Tongue pulls have been removed in favor of military-like yellow and black patches, and the pair is complete with red and green buttons in the back - perhaps a reference to the accompanying and Infrared-loaded “Reverse Duck Camo” Air Max 90 - and an alternate set of bright yellow rope laces.

 

The Nike Air Max Triax 96 - 'Camo' is available at selected retailers.

Friday 13 March 2020

First Look: adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 - 'Desert Sage'

The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 features a Sage Green Primeknit upper with Vibrant Orange covering the sockliner atop a Gum-coloured rubber outsole.

Highlighting the shoe is its reflective stripe on the sides and heels.


The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 - 'Desert Sage' drops Saturday 14 March at selected retailers.

Thursday 12 March 2020

First Look: PUMA x RHUDE Collection which is Inspired by Motorsports


PUMA and streetwear brand RHUDE have partnered for their second collaboration together, a line inspired by motorsports and infused with RHUDE’s minimalistic designs and colours.

With reimagined badges, branding and fresh graphics, the colour palette of the PUMA x RHUDE collection stays true to RHUDE’s aesthetics, giving a vintage feel to the collection, while reflective elements create contrast and give it a modern look.

A style from PUMA’s rich tennis archives, the Performer x RHUDE (R2 2 99) gets a modern look with a mix of reflective and hot pink leather overlays, muted colours on a nubuck upper with nylon inserts and suede overlays, an EVA midsole and gum outsole and a hairy suede Formstrip. The line also includes the Alteration NU (R2 499).


Designed with reflective elements inspired by motorsports, the PUMA x RHUDE HZ Jacket (R2 799) is a half zip jacket with a kangaroo pocket for storage, a graphic rubber print at the lower back, and elastic cuffs and waistband with drawcords for an adjustable fit. The collection includes additional apparel pieces.


The PUMA x RHUDE collection is available on PUMA.com, at PUMA Select Cape Town and Braamfontein and selected retailers.

Wednesday 11 March 2020

First Look: Levi’s x New Balance 1300 Sneaker


Levi’s® and New Balance have teamed up to create a special edition Levi’s® x New Balance 1300 sneaker. Celebrating the traditional NB 1300 silhouette—which this year celebrates its 35th anniversary—the shoe is constructed using a combination of Levi’s® back patch-coloured suede and deadstock White Oak XX52 denim, which was provided by Levi’s® from their limited stockpile. The White Oak Mill, which closed its doors at the end of 2017, was one of the last manufacturers to produce selvedge denim in the US. And the New Balance 1300 is manufactured in Skowhegan, Maine – one of the five New England manufacturing facilities that New Balance owns and operates. The combination of the two makes the Levi’s® x New Balance 1300 a must-have, authentically American sneaker.

Other details include orange accents, including a Levi’s® Orange Tab on the outside left foot, a White Oak woven label on the shoe tongue, and a special hangtag with a “Levi’s® for feet” logo, inspired by graphics from the New Balance and Levi’s® archives. The Levi’s® x New Balance sneaks also come in a special edition Levi’s® for feet and New Balance® orange and tan collector’s box. And, though the collaboration with New Balance will be ongoing, the Levi’s® x New Balance 1300 will be released in a limited supply. Which makes them a guarantee to be the most coveted sneaker of the season.

The Levi’s x New Balance 1300 Sneaker drops on 26 March at New Balance Canal Walk, Shelflife and X-trend Sandton City.

Tuesday 10 March 2020

First Look: Nike Air Max 1 - 'DNA'


The Air Max 1 translates elements of the 'Purple Punch' mostly throughout the heel areas as the focal hue lines the rear paneling and sock liners, but also makes some noticeable changes worth pointing out.

The toe box areas slightly contrast its color-blocking as they get dialed up in a lighter blue hue, and the multi-colored abstract mosaic that adorned the insoles on the first set is now swapped out for traditional “Nike Air” branding.



The Nike Air Max 1 - 'DNA' drops Friday 13 March at selected retailers. 

Monday 9 March 2020

PUMA Debuts New Commemorative Collections with Def Jam and Public Enemy

After first announcing their partnership and debut shoe in 2019, PUMA and Def Jam Recordings are back for their sophomore release.

Celebrating the iconic record label’s 35th anniversary, the collection features fresh takes on two PUMA sneakers: the classic Clyde and the brand’s newly relaunched Sky LX.

The PUMA x Def Jam Sky LX (R2 999) and PUMA x Def Jam Clyde (R2 599) commemorate PUMA and Def Jam’s place in history and both include the Def Jam logo on the tongue.


Celebrating 30 years since the release of the game-changing album “Fear of the Black Planet” in 1990, PUMA is also teaming up with Public Enemy to release new iterations of the Sky LX and Clyde. The eye-popping collection features group lead Chuck D’s famous “Fight the Power” verse on the side of the PUMA x Public Enemy Sky LX (R2 999) while the PUMA x Public Enemy Clyde (R2 599) has “Fear of a Black Planet” boldly stamped on the outsole.


The PUMA x Def Jam collection is available at PUMA Select stores.

Thursday 5 March 2020

First Look: Air Jordan 3 - 'UNC'

Dressed in a White/Valor Blue-Tech Grey colour scheme.

This Air Jordan 3 will look similar to the player exclusive but will include a Jumpman on the tongue instead of the UNC logo.


The Air Jordan 3 - 'UNC' drops 7 March at selected retailers.

Air Max Day: Keep those Airs looking mean and clean



Thirty-three years ago, the iconic Air Max sneaker line was launched on the 26th of March. World Air Max Day now takes place on this date annually. This sneaker line has seen numerous redesigns and colorways over the years, becoming a mainstay in streetwear and fashion culture.

Sneaker LAB have developed environmentally friendly biotechnology, which functions on a molecular level and continues working long after application, to help you Care for your Airs.

Ahead of Air Max Day, Sneaker LAB shoe care expert Cody Felix suggests getting your Airs looking their best:

Protect Your Investment
Air Max Day is a big deal for sneakerheads, especially since Nike drops new releases on the day, so keep your eye out for Air Max Quickstrike, Tier 0 or Nike LAB releases at your local sneaker boutique stores. If you’re planning to grab the latest release, make sure to protect your investment from Day 1, says Felix. As soon as you take them out of the box, spray on a protector product to prevent them from getting grimy.

Freshen Up
If your Airs have seen a few seasons, you’ll want to have them looking their best for Air Max Day. Start by brushing off any loose dust and dirt with a specially designed soft premium brush and follow this up with a cleaning solution that’s safe to use on all fabrics, such as Sneaker LAB’s range of products.

Window cleaning
The window in the soles of your Airs was inspired by the open architecture of Paris. Designer Tinker Hatfield cut a small window into the Air Max 1’s midsole, creating ‘Nike Air’ for the first time. To keep the light streaming through the soles of your Airs, don’t be scared to give them a good scrub, says Felix. Using your sneaker cleaner and soft brush, gently apply more pressure to the midsoles and soles of your shoes to remove any stubborn dirt, he suggests.

Keep The Colours
The numerous colourways released for your Airs make them a great fashion statement, but they can make cleaning a challenge if you’re not using the right product. Chemicals, bleaches and dishwashing liquids can all have disastrous results on your sneakers with fading colours or turning whites yellow. Rather use Sneaker LAB’s environmentally friendly Sneaker Cleaner that works at a microscopic level to clean, care for and protect your shoes in a non-harmful way.

Lace Up

Laces are the first part of your sneakers to show the dirt, but traditional washing techniques can leave coloured laces faded. Fortunately, these are easy to clean – soak them in a solution of water and Sneaker Cleaner to have them looking brand new, says Felix.