Adidas is adding an extra incentive for prospects to run a 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this year: The player who runs the fastest 40 wearing the brand’s shoes will win $100,000. Kinda weird given that any player who runs one of the fastest times will likely have a lucrative contract coming. But still, nice work if you can get it.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner are following in their big sisters’ footsteps and lending their names to everything from dystopian novels to denim. Now the duo has teamed up with Steve Madden to launch a shoe and handbag collection for Madden Girl. Sandals, platforms and wedges come in a versatile palette of black, brown and tan, with a smattering of metallic and animal print for good measure (they are part of the Kardashian Klan, after all) while bags span crossbody styles to backpacks to totes. Prices range from $34 to $79.95.
Everyone’s favorite feline is lending her features to Minnetonka for Fall ’14. To mark the 40th anniversary of Sanrio’s Hello Kitty, Minnetonka for Hello Kitty will debut in July for women and children, featuring a moccasin and a fringe boot in a suede palette spanning hot pink, brown, dusty brown and black. “Fusing the classic moccasin styles of Minnetonka with the iconic designs of Hello Kitty, the new collection will resonate with fans of both brands,” says David Marchi, senior director of brand management and marketing of Sanrio, Inc.
A state of emergency had been declared. No flights in or out. Highways clogged with abandoned vehicles. Sounds like an episode of The Walking Dead, right? But it was the stark reality leading up to last week’s Atlanta Shoe Market, the semi-annual show which was celebrating its 70th anniversary. But as paralyzed as Atlanta was by the forbidding ice storm, the turnout was testimony to the grit of the people scheduled to attend.
By Brittany Leitner
It was man overboard–in the middle of the night, miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean off Montauk Point, with no life vest, no tracking devices and not a soul in the world who knew of lobster fisherman John Aldridge’s plight last July. Aldridge slipped and tumbled while two crewmembers were fast asleep and the boat was on autopilot. All he could do, bobbing in the water, was watch his boat disappear into the darkness as he faced certain death, be it from hypothermia, predators or exhaustion.
Vans has collaborated with A.skate, a non-profit created to introduce kids with autism to the engaging and therapeutic effects of skateboarding, to deliver the Era Laceless Pro. The shoe features Vans Pro Skate performance upgrades plus the added benefit of an easy closure option. Custom “Obsessed to Skate” insole artwork by Jay Croft calls out autism’s obsessive tendencies and brings awareness to A.skate’s mission to channel that energy through skateboarding. “Autism, like skateboarding, can be unpredictable and oftentimes unruly,” says Crys Worley, founder of A.skate Foundation.
Forget the Delorean and hoverboard–the Back to the Future franchise featured another futuristic design: self-tying laces. In Back to the Future II, Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly slips on a pair of Nike high tops that automatically tighten and adjust to his feet. Guess what? Nike is making them. Yes, yes, we know the company released a limited range of McFly’s Nike MAGs (with manual laces) in 2011, but these new shoes not only look like the ones in the movie, they will feature an automatic lacing system.
Heritage boot brand Palladium is no stranger to collaborations and the latest is one for the books. Women’s streetwear movement Married to the Mob (MTTM) brings a mash-up of feminine and urban influences to the brand’s iconic Baggy silhouette. “One part young, bright and in-your-face attitude, and one part dark and mysterious edge, this capsule is a great representation of the MOB founders and undeniably sets the path for our consumers to walk and talk in MOB fashion,” says Hommy Diaz, global product line manager for Palladium.
Timo Weiland teamed up with Clarks USA for its Fall ’14 presentation as part of New York Fashion Week. A series of classic heritage styles including the Wallabee Ridge, Newby Jump, Desert Boot and Desert London complimented the brand’s collection of casual prep and sportswear-inspired duds, which drew on the designers’ continuant New York concept with strategically placed stripes, muted, checker plaid patterns and leather detailing.
Walk-Over, a division of H.H. Brown, teamed up with two menswear designers to create custom footwear for their Fall ’14 shows at New York Fashion Week. The Greenwich, CT-based brand turned out high shine patent leather wingtips in black, cream and burgundy for David Hart’s L.A.-inspired presentation, while styles from the latest Walk-Over collection complemented Lucio Castro’s Parisian-inspired line.
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