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Heineken Launching Sneakers With Actual Beer And A Bottle Opener In Them

These sneakers aren’t just made for walking — they have actual beer in them, and even come with a bottle opener.

Heineken Silver, the brand’s latest easy-to-drink brew, is launching a pair of sneakers that are kitted out with statement-making features.

Known as Heinekicks, these sneakers have discreetly built into the tongue a cool removable metal bottle opener. Yup, it’ll come in handy when you urgently need to crack open a bottle of beer, and don’t want to keep a spare bottle opener in, say, your pocket or your bag.

The Heinekicks’ most unique feature, though, is a see-through cushioned sole that has been injected with Heineken Silver beer, touted as the first of its kind in the world. After all, why walk on terra firma when you can walk on beer?

You may not be able to drink the beer from your shoes (obviously), but according to Heineken, “the soles provide the wearer with an unexpectedly smooth and unique sensation when on the go”.

To find out if that really is the case, you’ll need to be one of the lucky few in Singapore to get your paws on these sneakers. But it won’t be an easy feet, sorry, we mean, feat. There are only 32 pairs of Heinekicks in the world, and only seven will be made available in Singapore in the fourth quarter of the year.

Source: 8 Days

Balenciaga Is Selling ‘Destroyed’ Sneakers With Tattered Fabric, Holes, And Dirty Soles For $1,850

Posted on May 17 by Phil Lam X

Take your old Converse out of the closet and they probably look a lot like Balenciaga’s newest sneakers.

At least that’s what some social media users are saying about the fashion company’s new kicks. Balenciaga is releasing a new collection of distressed shoes called the Paris Sneaker, and some are going for nearly $2,000. The shoes are “extremely worn, marked up, and dirtied,” in Balenciaga’s own words, and they’re already being roasted online.

The priciest pair in the collection is an $1,850 limited edition of women’s high-tops that have “destroyed cotton and rubber” and “rippings all over the fabric,” according to the product listing. They also have dark smudges and marks dirtying the rubber soles and the brand name written in what resembles Sharpie marker. These shoes are available in black and white. Balenciaga says it’ll only sell 100 pairs of these “extra destroyed” shoes.

The collection also includes a pair of less-distressed high-tops available in red, black, and white for $625. Unlike the more expensive pair, these come without slashes in the fabric and have much less prominent smudging on the soles, but they do have scuff marks.

Mules in red, black, and white round out the collection with some fraying and light smudges on the soles. They’ll set you back $495.

In a press release, Balenciaga said the shoes’ worn-out appearance suggests they are “meant to be worn for a lifetime.” The shoes are available for pre-order.

The collection is drawing plenty of attention and criticism online, with one Twitter user posting a picture of the shoes and saying, “Balenciaga is releasing a new pair of shoes, and I have to assume they are just trolling people at this point.”

“Balenciaga is now selling beat-up Converse for $1850,” another Twitter user commented.

“Balenciaga gotta be a social experiment,” a third Twitter user said.

The fashion house is no stranger to controversy and ridicule. Last summer, the brand caught heat for $1,200 sweatpants that some people said “gentrified sagging” and were “tremendously racist.” In 2017, the company debuted a $2,145 tote bag strongly resembling Ikea’s 99-cent blue Frakta bag.

Source: Business Insider

Magic Johnson Chose Converse Over Nike And Missed A Chance To Earn $5.2 Billion: Nike Offered $1 For Every Pair Of Shoes Sold And 100,000 Shares Worth $0.18 At The Time

Posted on April 15 by Phil Lam X

Magic Johnson is one of the biggest names to have ever played in the NBA, and very few players have enjoyed the hype he did coming into the NBA. Having led his college team to the NCAA championship over his rival Larry Bird in what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Magic entered the league as the man of the moment and would go on to be Finals MVP in his rookie season as well.

Understandably, Johnson was a coveted property when it came to endorsements and there was a bit of a battle in terms of which shoe company he would sign with. Both Nike and Converse made offers to Magic and the decision came down to whether he would take stocks instead of cash, with the 19-year-old choosing Converse, who had offered him $100,000 a year at the time.

However, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s the offer that Nike put on the table that would have made him a lot more money had he chosen to go with them. The company offered Johnson $1 for every pair of shoes sold along with 100,000 shares in stock options, with the stock valued at $0.18 at the time.

When contextualized, considering that Nike stock is worth $134 today, Johnson would have $5.2 billion to his name had he decided to sign with the company. However, Converse was a bigger brand than Nike at the time, which adds some more context as to why Magic made his decision as well.

Nike went on to explode with Michael Jordan, who did end up becoming a billionaire, thanks largely in part to his partnership with the shoe company. There were suggestions that Jordan’s rise and the hype around him and Nike were factors in souring his relationship with Magic a little in their early years, but the two went on to bond during their stint with the 1992 Dream Team. Also, considering that Magic is now worth an estimated $600 million, it’s safe to say he didn’t do too badly for himself either.

Source: Yardbarker

“Give The Green M&M Her Little Hoochie Heels Back” — Green M&M Loses Go-Go Boots In Rebrand

Posted on January 29, 2022 by Phil Lam X

Can a group of multicolored candy characters change the world? The marketing minds behind M&M’s certainly hope so.

The brand just announced its multi-pronged approach to “creating a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive,” and it apparently starts with makeovers for each of those colorful M&M’s characters that star in the brand’s popular commercials.

The candy company decided to give each of the six characters a “fresh, modern take” on their traditional look and “more nuanced personalities to underscore the importance of self-expression and power of community through storytelling.”

The blink-or-you’ll-miss-it design changes are kind of like looking at one of those “Can you spot the difference?” pictures, and they’re not immediately noticeable. But upon closer inspection, a few notable differences become clear.

The biggest — and perhaps most controversial — change is that the green M&M, who typically sports her signature white go-go boots, has stepped into a pair of “cool, laid-back sneakers to reflect her effortless confidence.”

Brown, the other female character, has also slipped into something a little more comfy — block heels, instead of her signature stiletto. She and the green M&M will also have a more friendly relationship than they’ve previously had, “together throwing shine and not shade.”

Online, people joked about the idea of these arbitrary character changes creating a more inclusive society — and many wanted these personified candies to stay the same.

“Today on Fresh Air,” tweeted Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR politics correspondent. “The green M&M, newly liberated from her white boots, lets loose. She talks social reproduction theory, how patriarchy and capitalism violently reinforce each other, and what a sexy lady M&M says about gender as a construct. Stay with us.”

“I am a single issue voter and my issue: KEEP THE GREEN M&M A HOT SEXY LADY,” tweeted another person.

Another Twitter user proposed that Green’s heels should be even higher.

Source: Today

Adidas x LEGO Unveil New Superstar Sneaker Collab Including A Building Block Model

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Phil Lam X

This year, LEGO and adidas really upped the ante. Just recently, the two turned the Superstar into a buildable set, everything from the sole up made entirely of black and white blocks. And while some would like to, the collectible is not at all wearable; but fear not as the Three Stripes have you covered with this July release.

Though it may lack some of the aforementioned’s charm, the pair is as close to identical as physically possible. The signature LEGO look is still retained for the most part, channelled by way of the side stripes as well as the heel tab and toe. Each, unlike the smooth white leathers adjacent, are ostensibly made up of actual pieces, covered with studs all throughout their exterior. What’s more, though a subtle addition relative to the rest, the energy is matched by blocky stitching and logo windows.

A release is currently set to hit adidas.com on July 15th at a retail of $140 USD.

Source: SneakerNews