My Boston Sneaker Experience

 

When's the last time you walked into a sneaker shop and walked away with something you were legitimately pumped about getting? No, I'm not talking about after you've camped out for hours and frozen your proverbial nuts off. And I'm not counting getting your name "randomly" pulled from a box to win a raffle. I'm talking about walking off the street, going into a shop, and grabbing something dope. Think hard. It might take a while; I know it did for me. Until tonight, that is.

On Monday I flew into Boston for work and found myself with some free time. There were so many places that I knew I wanted to go (Concepts, Bodega, AWOL), but unfortunately I didn't have any personal transportation and only a few hours of free time. I cut my losses and did what I typically do when I'm in a new city; I started walking. I found quite a few stores a couple of blocks away and Googled to see if I was close to any sneaker shops. Voila! I was three blocks from a Nike Store and a New Balance (Boston-based)!

Being from Kansas City, I'd never gotten to go to an actual Nike Store. Yeah, I'd been to tons of factory and outlet stores, but I'd never been to an actual Nike Store. It's a sad situation for someone who is supposedly a "sneaker enthusiast." That all changed Monday night.

And it was a complete disappointment.

I'd always imagined that when I finally got to go to a Nike Store it'd be some magical place of (sneaker) unicorns. I thought I'd be able to walk in and just grab a bunch of Nike Sportswear sneakers I wasn't able to get over the past few months. Boy, was I wrong! It, honestly, was like walking into a much nicer, well organized, Nike-specific Footlocker. By that, I mean, there wasn't really anything there that I couldn't walk into my local Footlocker and get. Yeah, they had a couple shoes that they don't have at Footlocker, but they weren't anything you'd want; I guess that's why they're still there. I at least thought I'd be able to contemplate buying and eventually pass (again) on some Flax Air Force Ones, but they didn't even have those.

New Balance wasn't much better, but God, does New Balance put out the best damn general releases on the market or what? It's honestly not even close in my opinion either. I suppose you get what you pay for though ($250 GRs). I was hoping I could find some old GR goodies on deep discount, or some collaborations or something, but I wasn't in any luck. I did find some gorgeous GRs that I was interested in but not for full price when I know I can get them on discount at some point down the road. Here's some of the ones I liked though:

It 'kicked up a notch' on Tuesday though; that's when I hit the jackpot. I was on my way to Patagonia to look for my girlfriend a Christmas gift (she wants a Patagonia beanie), and I just so happened to run across an Adidas store on my way. I didn't even consider an Adidas store being in the area! Again, we only have an Adidas outlet in KC; the more I think about it, KC is a depressing place to live if you like sneakers. But, anyways, back to the point. Adidas had a sign outside that they released some Ultra Boost today, and I had to think "what Ultra Boosts dropped today?" And then I thought, "well it doesn't really matter because they're going to be sold out anyway." That is, until I walked in and set my eyes upon something gorgeous; the Ultra Boost LTD "Glow Pack." I instantly gravitated toward them like a magnet. By gravitated, I mean, if Joe Thomas was trying to block me from them it wouldn't have ended up well for him.

I asked the guy who welcomed me if he had a 9.5 or 10 (remember that for me if you see the cream ones), and he said they didn't have a 10. Then he paused...

......

................

They had a 9.5 though! He immediately rips off the tag for me to try them on (ugh!), but I knew I was buying them already. He rung me up, and I sent a picture (no flash, of course) to some of the other writers from Kickin' Up a Notch, and they went nuts. It's awesome to have a group of guys who don't care about hype and can appreciate a gorgeous shoe. Unfortunately, I couldn't oop any of them because they didn't have any other sizes left except an 8.

After one of them (Wes) started looking for a pair for himself, he found that they were called the "Glow Pack" and weren't supposed to release until December 4th. Then, I started wondering, "I wonder why they're called the Glow Pack?" So, I flipped on my flash and took another picture. That's when all hell broke loose. The upper weaving has 3M reflective threading. My mind was completely blown at this point. Did I just walk into a store, pick up a random shoe I thought was beautiful, purchase it, and come back to the hotel to find out it's actually even better than I originally though? Hell yes I did; That. Just. Happened. Thank you Boston!

Maybe my expectations were too high for Nike and New Balance. Maybe that's some of my naivety not being from a place that has those stores. Either way, I hit the jackpot, in my eyes, with the Ultra Boost LTD. They're absolutely gorgeous, and I'm extremely glad I was able to grab them before Kanye undoubtedly wears them and the hype goes through the roof!

We back.

And we back.

And we back.

And we back. And we back. And we back. And we...

And we back. And we back, yeah.....

Video Review: monkey time x Puma Blaze of Glory "Secular Change"

Shortly following their Sandlayers GEL Lyte V collaboration, monkey time gives us the "Secular Change" Blaze of Glory. Donning the upper is full grain tan leather  with white and black leather under and overlays. An impeccably wearable and well colorblocked shoe, the Secular Change are flying extremely under the radar. Releasing stateside this weekend, be sure to keep your eyes on social media for more information from your favorite shops. See our review video for more details and on-foot looks!   Click here to subscribe for more content in the future!

Video Review: Rise x Puma Blaze of Glory "Lost Ones"

With their second shoe of the "New York is For Lovers" pack, Rise gives us the "Lost Ones" Blaze of Glory. Composed of full grain leather upper with plush, pigmented black suede overlays, the Lost Ones is a spectacular take on a classic Puma silhouette. Rise also brings awareness to AIDS prevention and treatment by partnering with amFAR for the pack. See our review video for more details and on-foot looks!   Click here to subscribe for more content in the future!

monkeytime x Puma Blaze of Glory "Secular Change" Release Info

Coming off their extremely successful "Sand Layer" GEL Lyte V collaboration with ASICS, monkey time is at it again, but this time with Puma. Featuring a predominantly khaki-colored upper with black and white accents, the "Secular Change" Blaze of Glory looks to be an extremely wearable colorway and reflective of the changes in sneaker culture and fashion. Look for monkey time to drop these on February 6th in Japan with a worldwide release coming at a later date that is yet to be announced. Stick with us here at Kickin' Up a Notch for more info.


UPDATE: AVAILABLE HERE

Photos courtesy: mit_mt

Sneakersnstuff x adidas Consortium "Tee Time" Worldwide Release

As we know, Sneakersnstuff teamed up with adidas to create their Golf-inspired version of  the UltraBOOST. Originally released via Sneakersnstuff exclusively on January 22nd, it has been announced that there will be a wider release available at adidas Consortium accounts this weekend on January 30th. Be sure to follow adidas Consortium retailers like Titlolo for more information on how to get your hands on the "Tee Time pack."

What Happened to the Sneaker Community?

We've evolved.

Throughout the past half-decade or so, the sneaker world has evolved into something more than it has ever been before. Not only as an ever-expanding marketplace (there's even a sneaker stock market!; see StockX.com), but also as a subculture. There are more and more ways for sneaker enthusiasts to communicate, whether it be through forums, blogs, social media or even eBay. Unfortunately, we haven't leveraged that for the better, but instead, have become increasingly discordant.

Just think about scrolling through your Twitter timeline or Instagram feed; you typically see more negative comments than you do uplifting ones, right? Instead of a community that connects one another, it's become a sneaker battlefield where people are constantly getting clowned for their lack of knowledge, collection choices, or inability to conform to what sneaker personalities want.

It can be different.

I've met some of what I consider to be my closest friends through sneakers. These are guys that I talk to literally every single day. We all come from different backgrounds. We're different races and religions. We have different political affiliations and vastly different personal lives. But what we do have in common is sneakers, and from that, our relationships have evolved into much more. We are also willing to do what we can to help one another out both within and outside the realm of sneakers. We've created our own "circle of trust," (cue Robert de Niro) knowing that we are all actively looking out for one another, or at the very least, being truthful with one another about our intentions. Trust and selflessness are two of the major keys (word to DJ Khaled) in all relationships, so don't exclude them from your sneaker relationships.

Thanks to the OG.

I wouldn't have started collecting "limited sneakers," or even know about limited sneakers, if it wasn't for someone reaching out to me after I commented on a pair of his shoes on Facebook. It's not that I wasn't into sneakers before-I've always liked sneakers- I was just ignorant about the full scope of sneaker culture. And not only did he write back explaining how the shoes were only available in limited quantities, but he also helped me get a pair for retail. Rather than making a quick $50, he took the time to introduce me to, and educate me about, something that has devoured my free time ever since.

We have the power.

We can each help to make a difference. We have the power to make changes in all sorts of ways. We have the ability to impact product, brands, stores, and the lives of others. Rather than taking the time to clown a sneaker-noob, take the time to educate them. Rather than conforming to what sneaker personalities want, make your own decisions. Rather than complaining about not being on the most recent list, work harder to make yourself undeniable. Share your knowledge and your style. Don't feed the machine, but instead, change it.




Let us know what you think about the current state of sneakers and pay tribute to someone who has impacted your personal life through sneakers by getting in the comments below or hitting us up on Twitter.