Sneaker Freaker

I have a bit of a shoe fetish. Sneakers specifically. I take a lot of pride in finding a pair that fills just the right niche in my wardrobe (latest acquisition). I don't read the blogs, I don't subscribe to the magazines, but I do like to keep tabs on what's going on. In particular, I've had a soft spot for the Nike Cortez for years, which puts me in a shoe-worshipping minority, since the world has decided that the Dunk/Air Force One/Air Max triumvirate is the way to go in the Nike Universe (which is complete and utter crap, since the Cortez' simple, sleek design is exactly the source of its appeal).

But never mind that. This weekend is about Adidas. Goods, who by now should have gained their Tier-1 Nike distributor status, is presenting the newly-released Adicolor White series this Saturday along with new works by Shawn Wolfe. The reception runs from 7 to 9pm, with the festivities continuing at Yo Son.

So why should you care about a shoe release? The Adicolor series predates the NikeiD (which doesn't even have Cortezes) project by decades. In both cases, the goal is to customize a pair of shoes, but rather than designing them online or in an ultra-exclusive boutique, Adicolor (started in 1983) adopted a far more DIY approach, giving customers a set of weather-proof permanent markers with which to color their all white shoes. It's good to see Adidas paying more than lip-service to the retro aesthetic with the re-release of the series, with some design updates as well. It's too early to say whether I'll buy a pair, but I'm definitely going to check it out. If they've got a pair of Titans, I might not be able to resist.

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