SOLECON: LOVE IS IN THE AIR by SOLECHASEHERS

Solecon: Love Is In The Air is going down Sunday, February 16th at Queens College in Queens, NY. This Valentine's day edition is being brought to you by the lovely ladies of the Solechasehers crew and will be hosted by Power 105.1's DJ Envy.  

The buy/sell/trade event will also have vendors, contests, performances and giveaways.  And in the spirit of love being in the air, there's a discounted price for couples.  The event is from 12pm-6pm, so come out and have fun!

For ticket/vendor/performer info, go here.  

FRSHR THAN YOUR AVRGE SNEAKER EVENT RECAP

On Saturday, January 18th, the Frshr Than Your Avrge (FTYA) sneaker event went down in Philadelphia at Temple University and 12 entrants battled for the above trophy. 

The event was DJ'd by Jovi (left) and hosted by Dallas Penn (right)

Finalists of the battle. Rox Fontaine wearing Gary Payton Nike Zoom 4 and Kerry (1 of 2 ladies in the battle) wearing Nike KD Weaatherman

Among the above mentioned pairs entered in battle were Dub Zero, AJ 6(og wht & Infra red), Asic Gel Lyte III(super green/Haiti), Reebok, Air Max 1, AJ 5 customs, Lebron 11 customs and a couple more KD's.  

Though the Ladies were scarce, several did come through to rep.

FSF's @a_the_great

@carolinablukixx

@smrtazshye (second female in the battle)

FSF's own @fee_fsfxosd

@dana_325 @call_it_shoeicide @jodirockstar (last battle's winner)

@livelaughkerry @bringdahruckus

@_marvelousgotsole FSF's @sol3flower @smrtazshye

And the winner is ....... @roxfontaine

The passing of the trophy from the previous winner to the new winner.

The winner along with the FTYA crew and the battle judges

All in all, the event was great, easy breezy atmosphere with sneaker fiends all bonding under one roof.

FRSHR THAN YOUR AVRGE SNEAKER EVENT

On Saturday, January 18th, the folks behind the Frshr Than Your Avrge (FTYA) sneaker battle will be hosting a sneaker event at Temple University in Philly!!!

It's a buy, sell & trade sneaker event with the battle being the main attraction...... Shoutout to Jodi Rock Star who won the last sneaker battle.  If you haven't been to an FTYA event or seen the trophy, this is definitely one to check out. There will also be vendors, raffles, giveaways and a few surprises. 

Tickets and vendor tables can be purchased here.

SNEAKER STORE SPOTLIGHT: JD SPORTS

Being a Sneaker Fiend over 20 yrs, I've come across many hidden gems.  From mom and pop stores to slept on sneaker chains, JD Sports is a great combination of both.  Located in the UK, I've been a consumer of theirs for a couple years now.  

I was recently asked to select an item to try out from the store and I chose Nike Air Max 1. Introduced in 1987, the Air Max 1 has been a favorite of Sneaker Fiends like myself which made my choice a no brainer. Air Max's are one of the most comfortable silhouettes that Nike makes and always stylish as far as the colorway goes.  The package arrived a little over a week from the order date, a big plus knowing about international shipping horror stories that has taken a month or more.

One thing that JD Sports offers are "only at JD" items, which are items that are exclusive to store. Some Sneaker Fiends like to have "exclusives"......still getting the joy of being asked "where'd you get those?!". Another handy lil tidbit being a buyer of international stores, JD has one of the lowest international shipping charges.  

With Christmas around the corner, check out JD Sports.  The website is easy to navigate and if you're in the UK there's several retail locations.  There's something for everyone from sneakers to apparel & accessories and you'll get your package in time for the holidays.

MELODY EHSANI x REEBOK PUMP "LOVE"

Back in August, designer Melody Ehsani posted the above pic on her instagram and I instantly got excited. This will be Melody's second collaboration with Reebok and it's scheduled to release early 2014. Having seen in person what seems like the final revision on Wednesday, November 6th at a Reebok focus group, I must say the pics do not do these babies any justice!   

When I first saw the pic, it instantly reminded me of one of my favorite artists Piet Mondrian because of the colors used.  The pair has a gum colored pump accentuated by a gum sole and features "Love" lace locks.  However, if you're a fan of the gold spikes they were m.i.a on the pair that I saw, which most likely won't be on the released version.  

Until the release of these beauties, you can copp the current "Love" gold sneakers  ON SALE HERE for $100 with sizes 6-11w available.    

ADIDAS ORIGINALS x JEREMY SCOTT HOLIDAY BEARS

With the holiday season fast approaching, Jeremy Scott and Adidas Originals will be releasing a Holiday Bears pack.  Seemingly inspired by Christmas, the pack features gold and silver colorways with an upper reminiscent of  tinsel and a glittered sole.

The pack drops Friday, November 15th, at Adidas Originals retail stores and ADIDAS.COM 

PUMA x RIME LUXE SKY WEDGE

Our friends over at Rime have teamed up with PUMA for their first collaboration to create the Luxe Sky Wedge.  Rime's owner Susan Boyle teamed up with PUMA to create a dope pair of sneakers that the women would love and the men could appreciate.

The Luxe Sky Wedge features an upper constructed of buttery gold foiled leather, two lace options of subtle sparkle and chevron, and golden PUMA lace locks. Double gold straps allows for versatile styling, there's a chevron detailed lining and my personal favorite part, the gum sole which turns almost any sneaker into an instant classic. 

Available in limited quantities December 6th at Rime in NYC, the PUMA x Rime Luxe Sky Wedge retails for $130 and is available for pre-order here.

Pics & info via: RIME 

NIKE RUNNING UPPER EAST SIDE GRAND OPENING

On Wednesday, October 30th, Nike opened it's newest running store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, NY.   Located at 1131 3rd Ave, the store has all the accoutrements a runner may need and then some.  In addition to viewing the ribbon cutting, merchandise and the store's layout, I got to see the warm-up chant that even got me charged up and ready to go!  

Energy bars, pedometers, 3m backpack, sweatbands etc.

The store has two columns that's a visual collage of scenes, runners and Nike programs.

The store has an exclusive line dedicated to the 2013 NYC marathon.

If you're in the area and would like to go for a quick jog but have a few bags, stop by the store and use one of their lockers.  Your items will be safe while you dodge pedestrians and poodles on your run.

All over 3m jacket. A useful item for runners but it's a must have for lots of sneaker fiends.

One of the awesome features of the store, is the custom tailoring of the sports bras and jogger pants.  Something a short(5'2) person like myself can appreciate, having trouble finding something that fits just right.  You can be fitted and pick up your garment(s) within a few hours!

The women's wall not only features running sneakers but there's some wedges for the fashionistas!

Also on hand were the upcoming Nike Fuelband SE, featuring 3 new colorways.  They will be available for purchase November 6th.