Sneaker Fest Live

Windy City Sole Winter Summit!!

Windy City Sole is coming back with its Winter edition of the Windy City Sole Sneaker Summit!!

December 3rd at The Marmon Grand

2230 S. Michigan

Chicago, Illinois 60616

$10 for tickets! Buy, Sell, and Trade sneakers!!!

12- 5pm !

I can't wait to see you guys!!

Sn'eads Unite!!!

Join The Los Angeles Sneaker Community for a day

To unite with some of LA's finest sneaker heads

Check out collector/connoisseur exhibits from

FRANALATIONS, AFROKIX, ESCO, NELL BX, SNEAKER SENSEI & MORE.

Also Live Sneaker Inspired Art from R E E of SN'EADS.

BUY/SELL/TRADE

MUSIC ALL DAY

FOOD

CAR WASH OUT BACK

JUST COME KICK IT!

And Free giveaways!

DON'T FORGET!

Give back by bringing any old sneaker to donate to sole4souls.

All donations from the event will go to benefit Valley Center Retirement Home.

Latest custom sneaker designs!!! HELLO KITTY & SMURFETTE AF1!!!

Last week was so crazy with sneaker events that I didnt have a chance to show you my latest designs!! Both pair were for one customer..the Smurfette's for her daughter's birthday coming up, and the Hello Kitty's for her neice that loves my designs! These were both part of my annual BACK 2 SHOES sale! 2 colors and a graphic for only $100!!! Take a look and leave a comment!

adidas honors Grete Waitz

Thanks adidas, for honoring Grete Waitz, an amazing marathoner who passed away this past Spring. In her heyday she won 9 New York Marathons, more than any other runner in history.



Now adidas is paying tribute to her by creating shoes in Norway-inspired colors (the one above patterned with her marathon times) and donating 100% of the profits to her AKTIV Against Cancer foundation.






Footwear will be sold at adidas' marathon booth and sport performance store in SoHo. adizero Adios 2 ($115), adizero Boston 3 ($110) and Supernova Glide 4 ($115)

Other fun marathon-inspired tees coming out too:

Jordan X Carmelo Anthony M8 release

Another release event this past Thursday was for Jordan and New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony! The event was held outside, unbelievably at Pier 54 in Manhattan, which is also the pier the infamous and grand Titanic was supposed to dock! FETTi Fact! The new M8 consists of a black leather upper featuring flywire, and 6 Rings Blue patent leather! I like the front air pockets, as well as the shox like air chamber on the heel of the sneaker. This is Melo's 1st pair since coming to the NY Knicks, and from the responses last night at the event, it seems this may just be NY's official sneaker this Fall!

Melo kept us entertained by HOT97's DJ Enuff and Angie Martinez, and had a special performance from NAS!!! Alot of attendees were students from Eagle Academy in both The Bronx; which Swizz Beatz is involved with, and Brooklyn, which Melo is involved. The other highlight moment of the night was when sadly, Angie had to announce that Mr. E's class had to leave in the next 10 minutes! HAHA!! Put on BLAST!!!

Carmelo sported his sneaker with a very sick custom made jacket by an artist Frank Morrison, which had graphic of Melo on the court with the M8 on the tail of the jacket. It was cold but we were all warm with sneaker love between us! Check out MORE PICS!!!

John Wall X Reebok ZigEncore release

Sorry for the delay on this, but the posts to follow will explain why..GRINDING!!! On Wednesday, Washington Wizard's John Wall stopped by Footlocker on 34th St. to unveil and talk about his latest collab with Reebok, for the new ZigEncore which is a nice follow up to the ZigTech Slash. Wall invited kids from the Parks & Recreation Dept. and they all had on a pair of his new sneakers and apparel! HOT97 DJ Funkmaster Flex was on the 1 and 2 and asked John various questions about the shoe.

Available in 2 colorways of black/white or blue/white, these sneakers are lighter and more fashionable than the 1st pair from John Wall last year. The toebox is perforated on both pair; the black ones is nubuck, while the white pair is leather. The rest of the upper consists of leather and breathable mesh with patent leather piping on the black pair. Wall even raffled a few pair and gave up the pair on his feet, all with autographs!!

The epic moment at the event was when a kid got up to ask a question and did the Dougie for Wall, who is known for doing the dance himself; then joining the kid in the dance!! He drove the audience crazy with that! Check out MORE PICS!!!

Warehouse Edition of Animal House VI: We have the Secret Location

WE HAVE THE SECRET LOCATION TO THE

WAREHOUSE EDITION OF ANIMAL HOUSE VI!!

600 W. CERMAK!

It's going to be crazy!! Make sure you bring your masks and hottest outfit for the cameras and Dj's tonight!!!

Here is a list of all ways to get the party on public transportation. Remember always travel in a group, and don’t be flashy with the iPhones!


From the University Center / Red Line :
Harrison Red Line towards 95th
Exit Cermak Rd.
Take Cermak bus west to Cermak & Lumber/ or walk (Approx.. 11 min)
This Route will take (Approx.: 18 min)

Walk to Harrison and State st.
Take bus #62 towards Harlem
Exit Archer and Canal
Walk down Canal take left at Cermak rd to Cermak and Canal
This Route will take (Approx.: 21 min)



From Dwight Lofts:
Take bus #24 at Harrison and Clark
Exit Wentworth and Cermak
Take Cermak bus west to Cermak & Lumber/ or walk (Approx.. 10 min)
This Route will take (Approx.: 17 min)

or

Walk to Harrison and State st.
Take bus #62 towards Harlem
Exit Archer and Canal
Walk down Canal take left at Cermak rd to Cermak and Canal
This Route will take (Approx.: 21 min)

From UIC /Halsted Blue line:

Take Bus #8 south at any stop on Halsted
Exit Cermak and Halsted
Walk east to 600 w Cermak (Approx. 6 min)
This Route will take (Approx.: 14 min)


Getting From Animal House:

The #62 Bus. (Stops on Roosevelt and Halsted, Roosevelt Red Line, Dearborn and Harrison.)

“This Bus runs all night, and will be the only way for those with out transportation to get home unless you want to walk to the Red Line on cermak. It will stop near all major colleges in the south loop and Jackson Blue line.”

Chicago Juke Mix Bang Bang Bang - Skeet Skeet Skeet

#ThrowbackThursday I thought due to all the cold winds and rain here in the Chi we could all get a little juke session!! Bang Bang Bang Skeet Skeet Skeet! Thank you to the wonderful @MostOfficialBee for thinking of this track!!

AstroWifey Nails comes to Animal House on Friday!

Animal House is BACK!!! This Friday, October 21st from 9pm-3am Location: TBD!!!!

As always Fly Kite Media is ready to throw another EPIC night in Chicago with their WareHouse Edition of Animal House!!

This time around I am extremely excited because my favorite and Chicago's favorite nail artist @AstroWifey will be in the house throwing down her skills on anyone who thinks they can handle her amazing talent and creativity!! Ashley pulls inspiration from all ends of the earth! Some her self entitled creations have names such as gold and caviar, diamonds are forever, evil eye's and cuticle care, and my favorite set of nails I have seen so far are her nails that were inspired by the ever so innovative pop culture icon Andy Warhol! Not to mention all the special designs for her customers!! I absolutely LOVE me some @AstroWifey!! You can check out more of her work and who inspires here at Astrowifey.worpress.com

Here are some examples of her AMAZING work!

So ladies have your nails ready to be dressed to impress Friday night!!

DEEJAYS:
CHAISE MARCEL (HIP-HOP/TRAP/HOUSE/ELECTRO) TREATED CREW - @Chaise
STEFAN PONCE (HIP-HOP/JUKE) - @StefanPonce
THE CAR THIEF (DUBSTEP)- http://soundcloud.com/the-car-thief
THIEVES (ELECTRO)- www.soundcloud.com/thievesmusic
MANNY MUSCLES (DANCE HALL) -@mrMannyMuscles
FRANKIE B (THAT RADIO SHIT)

PERFORMANCES
BLINK - @IAMBLINK
CHANDLER LONDON -@Chandler_YO
G-Scott
ShowYouSucK


TEN PHOTOS (HONORARY GUEST)
http://www.10photos.net/
-----------------------------------------------------
$10 Dollars At The Door!


Under 21 College ID Required!!!!!!!!!!


Email: Animalhousechi@gmail.com FOR PROMO CODE!!


(With this code you will be able to get a discount at the door as well as a heads up on what we have planned for what is going to be the CRAZIEST night in CHICAGO!)



ANIMAL MASKS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR
$1 AT THE DOOR

New flava for your ear: New Pair- Von Pea feat Josie Stingray

There is nothing like a great sneaker track! Especially when it has female sneaker fiends rhyming on it. Check out this dope Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff/Kool in the Gang infused track by sneaker connoisseurs Von Pea feat Josie Stingray called New pair.

Guess who's going to be on OSD.....

Legendary footwear designer Tinker Hatfield!! Eeeoow! Percolate! Make sure you tune in this Wednesday to OSD for this exclusive interview!

www.osdlive.com

FootworKINGz with Nike @ Akin

A video of Chicago's FootworKINGZ teamed up with Nike for the Grand Opening of Akin on Clark back in 2009!

The FootworKINGZ show off their skills of Chicago's infamous dance style foot work!

Samples of music from house to club and all in between set the mood for this awesome performance on the day of Akin's Grand Opening back in 2009! This video right here is the prime example of why Akin Chicago is above the rest when it comes to hospitality and love! It feels just like home here!!

Bassment 9 Year Anniverary Party!

The Bassment is the staple of Chicago Hip Hop. Since 2002, the store has been an outlet for people worldwide to promote, purchase, and sell the latest music apparel & accessories. From KRS One to Swizz Beats, people from all over the world have visited this shop. It is the Bassment’s vision to be Chicago and the world’s premier retailer representing the Hip Hop culture as a whole. From the music to fashion to art, the store caters to all elements. There are many other so called "Hip Hop" stores, but there is no outlet that brings it to everyone all in one location. Whether you want the freshest styles in streetwear, the hottest mixtape, to the best selection of graff supplies, if you live, eat and breath in this culture, there is something here for everybody from old school to the new.

With that immense introductory The Bassment is bringing to you:

A concert to celebrate the 9 year anniversary of The Bassment.
performances by:
Mobb Deep
along with The @Alchemist & Big Noyde
with special guest performances by:
L.E.P Bogus Boys
YP
King Louie
V.I.R.U with Sean mac

Regular price: $30.00

Metro-3730 N. Clark

Chicago, Illinois

tickets also available at Metrochicago.com

Ms.Lauren Luna comes to the Windy City: Custom Ladies

The very gifted and very talented Lauren Luna is blessing us with her presence on Saturday, October 29th not only to drop her 2012 Custom Ladies Calendar release of beautiful women in BEAUTIFULLY customed designed sneakers! Just in case you are unfamiliar with Lauren's work she is one of the originals of custom designing sneakers and is so amazingly talented. For the past 10 years she has been blessing us with wonderful creations on canvases and sneakers that have grazed the feet of many radio personaililies, musicians and many under ground fashionistas. As you can tell Lauren is one of the most talented artist out there! And she has recently moved on from sneakers to HEELS! So for all the ladies that need those custom neck breakers you should talk get at her! P.S... On the 29th she is also looking holding an open model call for her 2013 Custom Ladies calendar!! So ladies if you are interested you still a few weeks to get in that Kanye's workout plan so that you can be considered to be a feature!!!

Saturday, October 29th

Leaders 1354

672 N. Wells St. 60654

6pm-8pm

More fun for Chicago--Meet Derrick and Check his new Shoe!

On Saturday, October 15 basketball star Derrick Rose will introduce Chicago to his new shoe, the adiZero Rose 2. D Rose will celebrate the shoe's launch with fans at the adidas store on Michigan Avenue and the Foot Locker on State Street. (Fans are encouraged to arrive early as photo ops with Derrick are on a first come, first served basis.)

LOCATION

adidas Retail store on Michigan Ave (4th Floor)
845 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 409
Chicago, Illinois 60611
9:45-11 AM

Foot Locker on State Street
219 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60604
12:15 - 2 PM

I can't make the event, but I will be testing my new adiZero Rose 2s the next time I get on the court! They're almost as light as the Crazy Lights, thanks to the Sprint Web technology...

Sneaker Nails did Pt 4.

I got some awesome submissions since my last sneaker nails did post! And a lot of sneaker variety too check it!.....

Missoni X Chuck Taylor Sneaker nails did Done by Tout Est Bombe Nails (She does awesome nails! Check her out if you're in the Philly area)

Nike Supreme Dunks sneaker nails did from B-Sole( photo submitted by her good friend SharpSHOEter)

And lastly the homie Golden Yardy's Nike air max 95 sneaker nails did.

Aren't this week's submissions ILL? Keep sending me your sneaker nails did pics to amonee@femalesneakerfiend.com :)

Sneak and Eat Presets: Fashion Warriors

On November 6th Lacuna Artist Lofts its going down again!! Sneak and Eat Presents Fashion Warriors The Main Course. Free for all Ages!! Chicagoans can come out and have a great time with drinks, food, fashion and FUN. There will Giveaways, Sneaker Previews, trades and buys!! If you are a brand, retail store or into sneaker swap, tables at Sneak & Eat are $50 for inquires hit up @JoshBeFresh of @myfreshconnection is an official sponsor and you can contact @JoshBeFresh for vending arrangements!!

Vita Morte Pop-Up Sale

Vita Morte from Chicago's Leader 1354 is having a Pop-up Sale X Open House for the newly opened creative space and showroom! 3 New pieces will be dropping that night Save the Breast, The red Cup Kick-it Crew, London Paris Tokyo New York Chicago sweatshirt and FINALLY the anticipated Vita Morte 5 Panel Hats!! Aaaand the lovely and supportive people over at Grey Goose with be supplying a COURTEOUSY cocktail reception all night!

The Save a Breast Foundation has teamed up with Vita Morte to make a shirt in honor of the cause! But we all know if Vita Morte has anything to do with the designing it will be the epitome of the Vita Morte Style! And they are going to running a cool $35 bones! A portion of the proceeds with be donated the foundation via ChicksNKicks so lets make sure that we cop that shirt before we enjoy our complementary vodka tonics haha!!

Let's get it cracking Chicago!

She's a Keeper! My exclusive interview with Keep Sneaker's own Una Kim

Thanks to my sneaker crush on Keep sneakers, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Keep's CEO Miss Una Kim! Let's take a look at how Una started Keep, her collab with alternative rock band Animal Collective and her upcoming plans for Keep. Check it.....



FSF Interview with Una Kim, Founder, Keep Sneakers

Hi Una, thanks for doing an interview with FSF! Here are a few basics, to make sure we get them right…

Name: Una Kim

Title: Founder and CEO, Keep Sneakers

From: Baltimore, Maryland

How did Keep Sneakers come about? What did you do before Keep, and what inspired you to start the brand?

Keep was born out of a frustration of only finding shoes that were only available in a miniaturized pink version of the guysʼ styles. In the early 2000s I was living in New York and skating a lot and all that was available were puffy pastel (generally pink) shoes that had too much going on.

The womenʼs shoes available then felt like something that had been produced by a corporate machine that assumed it knew what women wanted, but hadnʼt actually asked any of them, or at least none of the women that my friends and I could relate to. So, I decided to fill that gap in the market. From the very beginning, though, guys have liked our product so we expanded our size range to become “unisex” after the first couple seasons. I donʼt design differently for men or for women. I design with the intention of being true to the Keep aesthetic, not based on gender.

Before starting Keep, I worked in trend-forecasting and marketing consulting for the futurist, Faith Popcorn, focusing on youth culture and women in particular. I learned what made a brand appealing to me, and what didnʼt, but I also learned how much large companies spend to figure out their target market, but lack any real relationship or depth when it comes to truly being a part of culture.

I didnʼt have any experience in the fashion or footwear industry so the learning curve was steep, and some days still is, but itʼs been a truly rewarding experience and Iʼm very proud of Keep and the product.

Why the name Keep?

I liked all the connotations that came with the word Keep. Thereʼs the concept of the keepsake, of course, where an object can hold a memory and be valuable enough on a personal level to want to treasure it. But I also like all the other uses of “keep” such as “earning your keep” which signifies independence or to “keep at it” which suggests perseverance.

What advice could you give to someone starting up their own footwear company?

When it comes down to it, you can do anything you put your mind to. The most important thing is knowing who you are, what moves you, what your values are, what your aesthetic is. You have to know what you like and donʼt like. For instance, I wanted something that was personal and actually came from real people at a small company.

Growing up in Baltimore, the punk and independent music and arts community was a huge influence on me. That community and upbringing really demystified the process of creating things. It taught me from my formative years that the difference between those who can and canʼt is simply a matter of those who choose to do.

Also, being the daughter of Korean immigrants, I was raised to believe in some version of the American dream. In many ways, my whole life has been geared towards independence, self-sufficiency and the belief in oneʼs ability to make things happen. The bottom line, though, is if you havenʼt lived and had great experiences, seen things that amaze you and inspire you, itʼs hard to figure out what you want to communicate.

I believe my upbringing made me a naturally hard worker, but also my involvement with things other than academic or professional work; music, playing in bands,booking shows etc, brought together that drive with a broader interest in the world around me.

Other entrepreneurs that Iʼve met from school, work and life have also been helpful. The funny thing is, people always say that itʼs the friend-of-friends who help you the most – so talk to everyone and be gracious. Having good relationships with people and keeping things real are so important and so rare; you have to really value it when you have it.

Being a woman in the footwear industry, what hurdles have you faced, if any?

I havenʼt noticed any recognizable differences in the way people treat me or Keep per se and in some cases our niche positioning has worked in our favor.

Our brand isnʼt trying to be a Nike, or a Supra, weʼre a different product and we definitely tread our own path. Some people donʼt connect with Keep but people who have discovered us along the way tend to become real fans. The people who connect with Keep feel something resonate with them on a personal level, typically beyond just the look of the product. Keep fans are the best fans. Thatʼs for sure

I think there can be a boyʼs club of sorts in the footwear industry, but it doesnʼt really affect Keep. We have our own culture, our own roots. Weʼre true to what we are and who we are. If youʼre independent, there is no sense of being on the outside looking in. Weʼre not looking anywhere but at our own world. I think the industry respects that authenticity and overall itʼs been very welcoming.

What inspires you each season that helps you create a collection?

I take inspiration from life, from the books I read, from the music I listen to, from the food I eat (and food is a big part of Keep!), from travel, from everything around me. Keep has a large extended family of creative and crazy minds all of whom feed in to the spirit of the brand.

Our styles are often named after people we know and love. One new design for Spring 2012 is The Rhys, a mid-top version of our high top with a 70ʼs influence and a sportier feel. Itʼs named after the actor Phillip Rhys who is one of the most hilarious, vibrant people we know.

Almost all of our fabric choices or colorways have a story behind them.I love narrative, and I love using design a vehicle for narrative, a language encoded in shoes. To me thatʼs what makes the shoes interesting, not just matching colors.

On the FSF blog, I posted the Keep Nuss from the Pretzel pack you did in 09. The pack is very unique and fun! What made you come up with that?

The pretzel pack was one of my favorites of all time. I loved the concept of having a graphic snack attack. Keeps are definitely craved in munchie-like proportions. When I was designing the pack, it was as satisfying as snacking. I live a very craving driven life, so I embodied those cravings in my designs.

Another fun pack that you did was your collab with one of my favorite bands

Animal Collective. How did that come about?

Animal Collective are old friends of mine from high school in Baltimore. Way back when, weʼd always talked about how rad our friends were and how some day we would do something epic together. I think our crew was pretty tightly knit back then, with lots of different tendrils branching off and intertwining. Ten years later, it was amazing to have gone on separate paths and then be able to bring it all together, and to support the Socorro Island Conservation Fund, an amazing cause.

Itʼs a non-profit that protects an incredible marine biosphere off the coast of Baja California. Two of the guys in the band have scuba dived there and fell in love with the area, so helping Socorro Island was really personal for them. Shark poaching and specifically shark-finning is a real problem in that area and this was something the guys from Animal Collective felt strongly about. We also wanted to work with a small organization like the SICF so we could really see where the money goes to work.

What other artists would you like to collab with? Are there any female athletes, musicians or other icons who youʼd like to work with?

Music, as Iʼve mentioned, was a huge part of my life and still is. X-Girl in the 90s, which was Kim Gordon and Daisy Von Firthʼs line, was one of the first brands I ever loved and was a massive inspiration. Iʼd love to do a project with Sonic Youth.

Weʼre definitely going to be moving forward and doing more charitable projects with other bands and musicians we love. We have some irons in the fire for our next collaboration, but itʼs a bit under wraps right now. Weʼll keep you posted.

What does the future have in store for Keep?

Itʼs been an uphill battle the past couple of years with the global financial crisis, but we were lucky and managed to push through. Weʼre in a good place and are stoked for all the projects weʼve got lined up. Stay tuned for a re-novation of our kidʼs line, more charitable collaborations, and our new season which is out now.

Oh and do you have any shout-outs?

Ipster, Hamburger Eyes, Ramos Worldwide, Animal Collective, Drawlings, Ashley Thayer, Rick and Buddy, Sleepy D, and everyone whose blood, sweat and tears have gone into

Keep.

Shout out to Una from Keep sneakers for doing this interview! And to Helen for making it happen! :) To get your hands on a pair of Keeps, hit their website www.keepcompany.com