Sneakerpimps Chicago - September 23rd @ HOB

Once again, SP rolls into the Windy City bringing sneaker lovers and hip hop heads.  This year, the music line-up includes Mos Def and Talib Kweli.  Check out the details below and save the date!

Windy City Sole Summit Recap

Just a few pics from the Windy City Sole Summit which took place on September 5th.  I arrived super late and everyone was just about packing up but I managed to catch up with a few of my sneaker friends and snap some quick shots.  I'm really glad Chicago is getting more and more sneaker events - it's about time! This was also the same day that Monica (teamSFS) and I met up with AstroWifey for the sneakHer nail art party (if you follow me on twitter, you might've seen me talking about this).  A sneak peak from the shoot is below as well.

sneakHer events: Windy City Sole Summit, Tomorrow, September 3rd

We haven't had any many sneaker-related events here in Chi-City this year, so its nice to see an event like the Windy City Sole Summit come around.  Sponsored by sneaker e-tailer WindyCity Sole, the Summit is sure to bring out some of the Go's best and brightest sneaker collectors and enthusiasts.  Check out the flyer below for full details. Hope to see you there!

Beedee featured in SneakerShoeBox's 1st show!

If you are like me, you can appreciate innovative programming created specifically for sneaker enthusiasts.  Well you are definitely in for a treat! JStar of SneakerShoeBox.com has created a show which encompasses a variety of elements from the culture that will keep you entertained and informed.  In the first video - you'll be able to see JStar's popular "Real vs. Fake" segment, as well as his search for an alusive pair of kicks in the "Sneaker Hunt".  You'll also see a special visit from yours truly in the "Meet the Culture" segment.  I was so happy to be apart of the first episode and am so gracious for the opportunity! I hope you all enjoy the show and definitely check SSB periodically for new ones! Thank you so much J, it is so appreciated! Wellz, enough of my gibber-jabber - head over to sneakershoebox right now to watch!

You Should Know: #CSHPS goes down TOMORROW @ Millennium Park

That's right folks! This Saturday, June 18th, yours truly along with Chicago's own, Tyler Jones will be at Millennium Park for Ty's Chicago SneakerHead PhotoShoot.  Should be a great opportunity to mix and mingle with sneaker-minded individuals from our hometown and also be nice way to highlight yourself and some of your favorite kicks.  Don't worry if you don't have anyone to come with or don't "know anyone" who will be there, we don't bite! It'll be fun times for sure! Hope to see you there :)

You Should Know: Chicago Sneakerhead Photo Shoot by tyfotos

Chicagoans! Lend me your, eyes! There only comes an opportunity like said opp above every once in a blue moon, and I am very pleased to announce that the Chicago Sneaker Head Photo Shoot (“CSHPS”) is set to take place Saturday, June 18^th! Chitown’s own tyfotos will be showcasing sneaker dudes and sneakerettes alike as a way to highlight our way of indulging the culture.  Get all of the details HERE and I hope to see YOU out at Millenium Park next month!

And They Say Chi-City: Akin North 1 Year Anniversary Party

It's funny to think that a year has nearly gone by since the Akin Northside opening my crew and I went to last summer.  The weather was certainly not as agreeable as it was back then, but the guys at Akin through a great shindig to rep their 1st full year in business at their second location.  This year, all the stops were brought out including a Nike NSW customization truck in which you could add text and appliques to Nike hoodies, tees, and track jackets.  Additionally, right outside the store was a "Paint War" battle of grafitti and paint artists, who were really brave to stand out in the cold rain to showcase their skills, lol.  There was also entertainment provided by a hip hop instrumental quartet (whose name I didn't catch =/) who did their thing thing, along with The Odd Couple, who's performance I didn't get a chance to see but I'm sure they did awesome.  I had to leave early because of another engagement so I missed the raffle but there were some great prizes including a Air Jordan Defining Moments Pack & Year of the Rabbit AJ7 & Nike AF1.  Lots of folks came out to the event, sneakerheads and spectactors and I got to see some old friends and make new ones, like SOLEhead tyfotos - Chicago's own ill photographer (info on his #CSHPS coming soon!), he's really cool and very talented.  Anyhoo, check out all the photos from the event below and if you are in Chicago, head over to Akin Chicago to give the boys a congrats!

You Should Know: SoleSearch App now available in the Android Market

Yes Yes Yes YES YES YES!!!

I have been waiting on this app to become available on the Android OS for the longest! Originally only available thru the iPhone market, the app takes our infatuation with finding our perfect pair of sneakers to an outstandingly convenient level - allowing the search of sneaker boutiques in your area or just about anywhere.  I personally took every opportunity to hit up SoleSearch's creator, Brandon Williamson, about looking out for the Android folk, as I'm sure many others did.  I'm so glad to finally be able to download this app for my phone (mytouch slide).  As a special promotion for the launch, the app will be available FREE OF CHARGE for 24 hours starting at 12:00 a.m. Central Time - $1.99 thereafter. GO HAM!!!

Nike Air Max Lebron 8 GS "South Beach" - Detailed Shots + Men/GS Comparison

*cues dramatic victory music*

Yes, the moment you all I have been waiting for! After last week's release DEBACLE (you might've seen my twitter rant), I was seriously starting to think the whole GS South Beach Lebron 8s thing was a fluke.  But oh hoo hoo, Niketown Chicago came through for your girl in a clutch! Now, to my understanding, our store may have been one of the first to actually receive their GS shipment - upon hearing of the drop, I quickly tweeted the deets out and sneaker chicks went to work on the phone lines! Unfortunately, our store has sold out but yesterday's release leads me to hope that other Niketown stores throughout the nation have/will be receiving their shipments this week.  In addition to NT, Footaction and Footlocker stores are expected to get GS product in the next couple of days, so it is pertinent to keep track by calling your local stores.  You might also be wondering if these will be available online. As of Monday, Nikestore's twitter page tweeted about an online release becoming available "mid-week." That, to me, sounds like they could be available tomorrow, Wednesday the 8th.  This information, however, hasn't been confirmed via Nikestore's twitter page.  As stated before, it'd be a good idea to start following their page (if you're not already) to stay updated.  Of course, when new information becomes known, I'll be sure to tweet it so you should DEFINITELY be following our twitter at twitter.com/SneakHerbox.  Anyhoo, hit the link below for more shots of the GS release as well as some comparison shots & info!

YSK: Air Jordan XI "Cool Grey" Midnight Release 12/23 @ Niketown Chicago

Oh yeah, you want em, and you're not going to wait til 10am to get em.  Not to fear, Niketown Chicago is here, with a Midnight Release for one of the most anticipated sneaker releases of the Holiday Season.  On December 23rd, these babies will be flying off the shelves so get there early, as I'm sure there will be a line.

SneakerPimps Chicago 2010 - Recap

Over the weekend, SneakerPimps rolled into Chicago with a “back to the essence” feel that only this kind of event could achieve. Live music mixed with previews of upcoming sneaker releases from Nike and Jordan Brand really set the tone for a great evening. Couple that with the dope game station set up by NBA Jam and a few drinks, and you’ve got yourself a grood Saturday night.  Some of the highlights for women's footwear in 2011 include new colorways of the Nike Gladiator sandal, as well as the use of sexy satin on the Nike Air Royalty Mid (will be updating with pics later, camera is being a wuss).

Among the musical guests keeping the crowd hype were Phil Ade (check out his mixtape The Letterman here) and PayPa of Project Mayhem, as well as Chicago’s own Mikky Halsted and GLC (G.O.O.D. Music!!!).  Special Guest and Wu-Tang capo Raekwon was also in the building and ended the night on an awesome note.  I had a great time catching up with sneaker friends and fam – I look forward to many more sneaker-friendly events in the city. Special shoutout to  Sergio for the pics on behalf of the Sneakherbox team.  Check out all the pics belowzies J

And They Say Chi-City: Sneaker Pimps - October 16th @ 8pm

you see it & I hope to see you too :)

And They Say Chi-City: Sneak n Eat Recap

Over the weekend, Nike teamed up with the boutiques of Chicago to create a great buy/sell/trade event called Sneak N Eat.  The day begin as an all-ages sneaker extravaganza full of young sneakerheads and OG heads as well (I lay somewhere in the middle I suppose lol) along with vendors showing their hottest footwear and merchandise offerings.  The evening opened with the 21 and older crowd with food a-flowing and drinks a-pouring! A special VIP section held a sneak peek of upcoming footwear releases for Nike.  Very schwanky! All in all – a good event for the city and hopefully, just one of many more to come.  Special shoutout to Oscar, Jose, V.Dot, and Flipjays! Check out some of the pics below

And They Say Chi-City: Chicago Sneak n Eat Sunday, September 19th

A new kind of Sneaker Event will be dropping down in Chicago this weekend.  Check the flier for more details - hope to see you there!

You Should Know: SneakerShoeBox - 100% Authentic Sneaker Consignment Shop

Its a beautiful day in Chi town when you come across a gem like this - SneakerShoeBox.com or SSB is a one-stop shopping 100% Authentic Online Sneaker Consignment shop. Providing the latest sneaker release info while also keeping their online inventory stocked with the latest and greatest sneakers as well as now hard-to-find kicks - this is definitely a site to check for! Be sure to check it out and hit up the forums as well!!!

And They Say Chi-City: Akin Grand Opening - Lincoln Park

There truly is power in numbers, and the good folks over at Akin Chicago are seemingly mastering the phrase.  The second store of its kind opened over the weekend in Lincoln Park to a host of sneaker heads and streetwear fans.  For the opening, there were "real mannequins" modeling some of the store's merch in the storefront windows as well as on platforms in the store.  It looked soooooooooo sweet, I really dug the idea! The store's interior held clean product sections of men and women's footwear (including Nike, Jordan, and Adidas), along with a great selection of apparel.  There many activities and treats lined up for the store's patrons, including hot dogs, elotes (or mexican corn :), and fruity flavored snowcones.  Entertainment was provided by Chicago's own Footwork Kingz and rap duo The Odd Couple.  Raffles were held throughout the course of the event, with one lucky winner walking away with the original Air Jordan DMP (6 and 11). The Akin crew also kept it FRESH sporting the yet-to-be released Nike Air Max 95 "Grape" model.  Those joints are FUEGO in person - man I hope they drop GS! Anyhoo, as expected, I had an awesome time at the event and am very happy to see the culture flourish in such a manner here in the city.  I wish those guys continued success :)  Check out oodles of pics from the event after the jump.

As part of the Nike USA True Colors Collab collection, the Swoosh along with a number of artists have teamed up to create some incredible customs pieces in the form of pop-up shops across the country.  Here at home, the fellas at St. Alfred will be the ongoing host for the collaboration, which will be kicking off their launch with Mr. Cartoon this Saturday, May 1st.  Hope to see you there!

And They Say Chi-City: This Friday's Event 3/5/10

For you Foamposite Lovers!!! Check the Flyer!

Nike Central Region's Black History Month 2010 Event

The Central Region Nike team held an event on Friday, February 26th to celebrate Black History Month to which I was invited.  With the help of youth art's organization Kuumba Lynx and special entertainment "Footworkingz" the evening focused on empowerment and unity. The night also highlighted this year's special edition BHM Nike Air Force 1 Low, which for the first time ever, released for retail.  The sneaker features the traditional Pan-African Flag colors of black, red, and green with lasered writing and symbols that also speak to the history of African Americans.  What's also great about this year's BHM AF1 is that it was designed by an African American woman, Ms Shaneika Warden.  I enjoyed seeing the youth members of Kuumba Lynx perform their poetry and dance inspired by the current state of the world and their communities.  Special thanks to Nike for organizing such an amazing event, I hope to see it continue on in the future. Pics from the night after the jump. 

On The Daily Launch & Air Jordan Anniversary Retro 2 Release Party @ Succezz

After the Nike BHM event, I headed over to Succezz Boutique, Downtown Chicago's Premier Sneaker and Apparel Shops, to check out the On The Daily Comic Launch and AJ Retro 2 "25th Anniversary" Release Party.  Although the OTD Comic is very new on the scene, I am already an uber fan, what could be better than a comic strip about SNEAKERHEADS from the city of WIND??? Nothing I tell you, NOTHING.  The amazing team behind the drawings consist of Solo RM (pictured with me above) and St!zo - both lovers of sneaker culture and terrific artists.  It was wonderful meeting them and I hope to interview the duo in the near future. Be sure to check the OTD site every Monday for a new comic!

Succezz was also the place to be for the Anniversary Air Jordan Retro 2 release. The white/silver 3M retro 2  is one of many primarly white based AJ models being dropped this year to commemorate the 25th year since MJ entered the NBA and completely REVOLUTIONIZED the game of basketball - likewise for the sneaker industry.  The drinks and food were flowing and the fellas were definitely lining up to cop a pair, I only wish they were available in GS sizes.  I was, however, able to cop the Air Jordan Vivid Pink Spiz'ikes GS which are set to drop next week, SCORE!  The night was slamming and I had an awesome time! Check out pics after the jump!