Adidas has an enterprising shoe design; the Decade Lo “Dia De Los Muertos”. In Spanish, “Dia De Los Muertos” means “The Day Of The Dead”. This Day is celebrated on November 1 and 2, together with the Roman Catholic celebration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. The Decade Lo, as its name suggests, has a low cut at the heel. This shoe is entirely black. The festive day is commemorated with the prints. There are two basic graphic illustrations of the skulls. One of these skulls has a hat-like structure encircling it. This hat looks like the Mexican sombrero.

I like the colorful print. The sober darkness of death is dispelled by the colorful skulls. I like the smooth finishing of the shoe. It allows me to clean my shoe easily by using a damp cloth to wipe away the dust. Black is a good color for outdoor shoes. The smooth surface allows the superficial stains to be wiped off and the shoe will look as good as new. The black soles are purposeful in function. On those two festive days, the living relatives visit the graves to pay respects to the dead. The black soles are good for stepping around in the open cemetery.

Adidas Decade Lo “Dia De Los Muertos” is available as a special, limited edition at Sold Out, for €125 a pair.

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I swore off the Nike Cortez and other recent remakes by Nike after owning a pair of the Air Cortez about five years ago. I did not care for the updates made on the Cortez and other vintage shoes in Nike’s effort to capitalize on the trend toward clean style and leather. I know that designs and technology have advanced since the 1970s and 1980s but I have a pair of shoes for running already. I want the old school Nikes just to wear around without worrying about keeping my shoes clean.

The release of a slew of Nike classics like the Cortez and the Elite this fall shows that this formidable shoe giant is responsive. They must have heard my desire for the yellowed laces and outsoles of these classics as I cursed the natural yellowing of my new pair of Air Cortez. The vintage shoes made by Nike combine the subdued colors like crimson and Kelly green with the comfort that will keep you strolling along.  

This Prada Linea Rossa Croc Sneaker is sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus.

This luxury shoe features red or black crocodile leather and a contrasting grey mesh. Prada is one of the top names in fashion, so you know these shoes are great quality. But how much would you pay for a pair of sneakers? $500? $800?

Well then, these may not be for you. These sneaks will set you back $995 a pair. I actually like the look of them a lot, but come on. A thousand bucks for sneakers?

You can get them at Neiman Marcus stores or order them online at NeimanMarcus.com.

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A few months back, we posted here about the Reebok Halloween Pack. Now as October is approaching, these shoes are finally coming out.

The shoe above is the “Chucky” Ventilator. These sneakers are available right now at Mita Sneakers and will be in stores across the country within the next week or two.

Though I’m a fan of the Chucky movies, I’m not sure about this shoe. The red, white and blue colorway is decent, but there’s nothing special about the styling.  The swirling is okay, but more than that, they look a little out of date and cheap.  But hey, maybe they are supposed to look this way.

Check the next page for more photos.

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Reebok Pump plans to launch its new line, called the Pump Omni Lite “Year Of The Rat” in 2008. The price tag is $99.99 at Reebok. The Chinese use the Rat as the zodiac calendar mascot for 2008. The sneaker upper is in rich burgundy. This is better than the traditional blood-red that the Chinese use as their ethnic color during Chinese New Year. The symbol of the Chinese zodiac for 2008 is the rat. A white rat is printed on the sole of the sneaker. The sole has another special feature. The Chinese word of rat is printed to cover the entire bottom sole. The unique touch in the design is again seen when the main character word sits atop the white rat’s tail.

Another feature which I appreciate is the use of red speckled gold plastic reinforcement for the side of the shoe. The white outer sole sets against the red and makes the colors prominent. The gold-red “Z” adds the feisty touch of style to break the monotony of the burgundy. I think the black shoe laces are a stark contrast to the red. Since the basic colors are already used for different parts of the shoe, the designer reused the black for the laces. However, shoe laces can be removed and substituted with your own preferred color. I will do that to customize my sneakers!

The recent release of the Puma Zoo O’ Lux pack by Solebox Berlin helps meet the needs of sneaker fans who want a little bit of everything. The classic low top RS100s can be purchased with a mixture of pedestrian colors and wild accents all set in lux leather. The foundation of the Zoo O’ Lux pack is the Puma Clyde and you can get this classic in three colorways to match your other selections. The final part of the package is the high top First Round which gives the average shoe owner some variety as they head out on the town. You can purchase all three shoes separately through Solebox or purchase the entire pack if you are in need of a shoe makeover.

 

These retro-inspired sneakers have a modern twist with black and yellow patent leather.

The Dsquared Patent Logo Sneakers are a little too wild for my taste, but I can see why some people might like them. They are really unique with the bright yellow patent leather stripes and trim contrasting with red laces. The golden “Kick It” hardware and message on the tongue are nice touches.

These shoes are quite expensive - $400, but they will certainly stand-out in the crowd. You can get them soon at Saks Fifth Avenue or other major department stores, or pre-order them right now online at saksfifthavenue.com.

 

Hugo Boss is a known name in fashion, but not normal for sneakers. This Hugo Boss Wolfram is shaped like a sneaker but can be worn almost like a dress shoe. The sleek styling features fabric panels and a soft suede toe cap.

The dark brown color and subtle stripes add to the cool look, while the embossed logo on the heel is a very nice touch. I can see these shoes being worn with a business casual outfit or when you get dressed up to go out, but don’t want to put on dress shoes.

They are priced at $195 at Nordstrom and several other department stores. Check out the rest of the pictures for views from all angles.

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This continues the special tradition of commemorating the anniversaries of Air Force One (AF1). Charles Barkley was a great basketball player and Force was created just for him. He played with all his resources, fighting hard to score with every ball. He needed the best pair of basketball shoes to help him move with athletic ease. Air Force 1 was created especially for him.

This year’s commemorative set of Air Force 1 shoes has two designs; Air Force 1 Supreme and Air Force 1 Supreme Max. These are made from premium leather. There are two color combinations. The black design is entirely black, while maintaining the detailed workmanship of the traditional Nike shoe pattern. The joints at the seams are meant to allow flexibility of the shoe to accommodate the feet. The thick soles will cushion the feet while running and jumping. The bottom sole has a fine, ridged surface. This enables grip on the basketball court surface.

I prefer the other color combination of black, white and green. The green layer on the sole provides a dash of relief from the sober black and white shoe upper. However, I dislike the white bottom sole. I think white will be easily stained with use. Anyway, these are basketball sneakers and should be worn only for that purpose. I wouldn’t worry too much about sole discoloration and dirt when the basketball courts are relatively devoid of dirt.

These shoes will be available for sale on October 1st at Nike.

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The British shoe website Oki-Ni has recently partnered with Puma to create a classic looking Puma Clyde for rare shoe collectors. The Puma Loakes Clyde features a magnificent looking crest, calf skin upper and an understated style that would make Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier jealous. These shoes are only available at the Oki-Ni website and only 100 pairs will be created.

You will likely find these shoes on eBay or other auction sites for more than the $360 price tag. I love the design of these shoes and I am impressed that Puma has been willing to transform the Clyde in so many ways. I know that people who have read my previous posts about Puma may notice a bit of a turn regarding Puma’s originality. I may not be able to tie a pair of these shoes on my feet but I can put on my own Clydes while enjoying the majesty that is the Puma Loakes Clyde. Sorry, I think I may have salivated on this post but once you give it a second look you will understand why.

The Reebok Ice Cream Board Flip II Black/Fennel colorway was released this week.

Though I have never understood the mass appeal of these shoes, a lot of people really love them. The Black/Fennel combination looks pretty nice compared to some of the other colorways that have been released in recent months.

The skate look from Pharrell Williams and Reebok features a textured toe cap and the signature skull and crossbones ice cream cone on the heel.

You can get this shoe (as well as pretty much every other colorway) from The Finish Line or Zappos.com for $74.95.

Check out the rest of the pictures for views from all angles.

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The Saucony ProGrid Paramount is one of the best running shoes on the market today.

These shoes are climate controlled with their Comfortemp system. The fabric cools and warms your feet to maintain 82 degrees. The mesh fabric helps stop blisters and the full-length ProGrid system gives you extra cushioning and shock absorption.

There’s a lot more technology that goes into these sneakers that make them a top shoe for runners. But more than that, they look cool.

The styling of the white mesh against the gold is pretty sweet. The black trim and red detailing enhance the look. The women’s version (pictured on the next page) combines white and silver for a similar look.

Check out Saucony.com to find a store near you. They retail for about $165.

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