January 23, 2009 by hunter.

Reebok announced job cuts of 300 workers. An odd part of the article highlights Adidas-owned Reebok’s difficulties increasing market share for US athletic footwear. From 2005-2008, Adidas and Reebok fell from a combined 18 percent to 9 percent market share! I blame their Kool Aid collection. Actually, Adidas/Reebok might fare better when you consider market share of ‘lifestyle’ footwear instead.

Brace yourselves for a bumpy 2009- a shrinking market means less revenue which means companies will take fewer risks on new sneaker designs. To paraphrase (now former) Pres. GWB- ‘Do your patriotic duty and get shopping!’

Posted in Reebok, Business, Pics, Nike, Adidas | No Comments »

January 11, 2009 by hunter.

Last post I wrote about the thousands of shoes that appeared on a Miami highway.

Thankfully, there is a very positive update. A terrific charity, Soles4Souls, offered to collect the shoes and distribute them to people in Haiti. Sneakerheads, take note. This is a charity we should look into if we want to do some good with our sneaker passion. We maintain sneaker collections, yet Soles4Souls estimates that 300 Million people around the world don’t own a pair of shoes.

For more on why Soles4Souls was created and what they have accomplished, check out this video:

If that doesn’t get you in the giving spirit, perhaps this video will.

Now if you’re in the helping spirit and are looking for ways to assist, Soles4Souls offers these suggestions.

Posted in Doing good, Gear, Commentary, Business, Video | No Comments »

January 4, 2009 by hunter.

First, the New Year froze legions of Zunes, and now this. Thousands of shoes were found on Miami’s Palmetto Expressway. Odd. Maybe there are thousands of barefoot hitchhikers a few miles down the road? Here’s a slideshow of the cleanup.

Posted in Odd, Gear | No Comments »

January 3, 2009 by hunter.

FIGHT ON!!! This is January 2009’s Sneak of the Month- Rose Bowl edition! This month we bring you sneakers fit for a Trojan- the Puma Speeder Cup (Team Regal Red/Dandelion).

Start off the New Year right by showing your Cardinal & Gold in celebration of the 2009 Rose Bowl champion USC Trojans! These sneakers are the latest additions to an important subset of my collection- sneakers I can wear to the Coliseum on game day. They get extra points for being Pumas. The Speeder Cups were originally designed for the Spanish soccer team, but they fit in with USC football just fine. Just don’t kick the flagpole on the way to the stadium in these sneakers! As always, Stay Fresh and Fight On!!!

Posted in USC, Rose Bowl, Sneak of the Month, Pics, Art, Puma | No Comments »