NIKE, why did you have to do LIVESTRONG products dirty? DJ MARS breaks down the different club and party scenes in Atlanta, his footwear attire during his collegiate days, the prevalent Polo influence in his hometown Springfield, Massachusetts and living a ‘FRESH’ lifestyle.

The Vans California Collection presents the Camo Suiting pack this fall. The Camo Suiting aesthetic is a mashed-up motif that pairs camouflage print with premium suiting material across the uppers of the Era 59 CA and Slip-On 59 CA. Both available in Captain’s Blue, the Camo Suiting renderings of the Era 59 CA and Slip-On 59 CA arrive this month at select Vans California Collection stockists.

Vans California Collection “Camo Suiting” Pack:
Available June 2013
Era 59 CA in (Camo Suiting) Captain’s Blue – $70 MSRP
Slip-On 59 CA in (Camo Suiting) Captain’s Blue – $65 MSRP

See more from the Vans California Collection at: www.Vans.com/CaliCollection

The Vans California Collection instills the spirit of Americana and the laidback beach lifestyle into our assortment of Classic Vans styles with a sophisticated mix of materials and premier palette of prints. Fall 2013 continues this tradition with a trio of new, vintage-inspired Authentics in the Checker pack. The renowned checkerboard motif progresses from our iconic Slip-On onto three colorways of the celebrated low-top, lace-up. The Authentic CA resurfaces this season in Mango/White, True Blue/Red and Waterfall/White washed canvas varieties. Square-cut leather laces, white eyelets and tonal binding complete each pair for delivery this June at select California Collection retailers.

Vans California Collection “Checker” Pack:
Available June 2013
Authentic CA in (Checker) Mango/White – $65 MSRP
Authentic CA in (Checker) True Blue/Red – $65 MSRP
Authentic CA in (Checker) Waterfall/White – $65 MSRP

See more from the Vans California Collection at: www.Vans.com/CaliCollection

Vans, the original action sports brand, and leading streetwear purveyor and skateshop DQMannounced today plans for expansion of The Vans DQM General to Boston, Mass. with a new shop located at 174 Newbury Street in Boston’s renowned Back Bay shopping district.  The General, Vans’ first retail foray in Manhattan, has been widely successful since its 2011 opening.  To further grow The General brand, Vans and DQM will introduce a new retail destination to the “Rodeo Drive of the East.”  Newbury Street, home to an eclectic mix of independent shops and high-end fashion boutiques, welcomes millions of tourists and locals each year, creating a unique opportunity to introduce two of the most prolific names in contemporary streetwear to Boston. 

This is an exciting venture for Vans, as the company began its historic journey 49 years ago in Boston. Brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren, from Braintree, Mass., along with friend Gordon Lee, worked at Randolph Rubber Company, Boston-based shoemaker and one of the country’s largest in the early 1960’s.  It was in 1964 that the trio was challenged to revive the company in California.  Two years later, the friends realized a lifetime dream and started to manufacture shoes in their own Anaheim, Calif. factory, calling their brand the Van Doren Rubber Company. 

Slated to open in July 2013, the 1,200 square foot Vans DQM General will be deeply rooted in the heritage of Boston with locally sourced materials.  Additionally, the store will reflect the DQM skate and streetwear aesthetic and will include pieces of Vans’ history with vintage machinery displayed at the store front.  The Vans DQM General will carry both exclusive co-branded DQM for Vans footwear and crafted apparel as well as select Vans and DQM premium product for men and women. 

“I am extremely proud to announce the expansion of The Vans DQM General concept to Boston,” said Chris Keeffe, founder and owner of DQM.  “Through our partnership with Vans, we have successfully provided a top-tier boutique environment for Vans’ New York customers, and we’re looking forward to creating this experience in Boston; a city deeply rooted in east coast skateboarding history and culture.”

DQM, initially focused solely as a skateboard goods and shoe store, is now considered one of the world’s leading streetwear brands with a global following.  In ten years, Keeffe and crew, including lead designer Tashi Stricker, have grown the line from a few t-shirts and hats to a menswear line including premium cut and sew woven shirts, pants, jackets and accessories.  The DQM team is also developing DQM for Vans product to live side by side with exclusive Vans shoes and hand-picked items from Vans’ footwear collections.

After the holiday 2013 season,Nike will produce no new LIVESTRONG products.

In another ancillary and sad fallout from the Lance Armstong PED affair, NIke will end its production of new LIVESTRONG products. They made the announcement via nikeinc.com:

Nike has made the decision to stop producing new LIVESTRONG product after its Holiday 2013 line. We will continue to support the LIVESTRONG Foundation by funding them directly as they continue their work serving and improving outcomes for people facing cancer.

We are proud of the collective efforts between Nike and the LIVESTRONG Foundation to raise more than $100 million to help people with cancer, distributing 87 million LIVESTRONG wristbands and serving and improving health outcomes for more than 2.5 million people with free cancer support services, programs, tools and resources.

 

Who got their hands on any Jordan retros restocked on Memorial Day weekend? New York rapper, Action Bronson talks about lineups for New Balance, the luxuries of performing worldwide, and Streetwear style that represents New York in the 90’s.

The shoe’s sockliners feature Damian’s Twitter handle, an Oakland satellite print and “9800s” to represent his neighborhood blocks. The colors of the shoe pay homage to his career; red for high school, purple for college and black for the Portland Trail Blazers. The animal print on the upper and sockliner represent the Wildcat mascot he had in both high school and college. The shoe features “Townbiz” on the upper as another nod to Oakland and clasped hands to represent the “Fly Guyz” – Damian’s name for his close circle of friends.

Only 510 pairs of this limited edition will available on May 23 for $120 at Compound (Portland, Ore), Shoe Palace (Oakland, Calif.) and adidas.com. Fans can pre-order a pair today at adidas.com or join Damian at Compound on May 23 between 6:00pm and 7:00pm for the official launch and a chance to meet the Rookie of the Year and get an autograph.

Vault by Vans brings forth the next installment of Original Classics as a tribute to two iconic low-tops, the Era and Style 36. The OG Era LX follows the same design specs as its first run in 1976 for three styles featuring the archived “Palm Leaf” print. Vibrant color combinations in Navy/Green, Peach/Antique White and Pool Blue/Black reflect the edgy skate vibe of the ‘80s. The OG Style 36 LX is reintroduced for a duo of “Two Tone” offerings in Classic Blue/Dandelion and Orange Rust/Coconut Shell. First seen in 1978 with the Vans sidestripe, the Style 36 is the original rendering of the Old Skool. The “Palm Leaf” editions of the OG Era LX and “Two Tone” makes of the OG Style 36 LX arrive this June at key Vault by Vans stockists.

Vault by Vans Original Classics:
Available June 2013
OG Era LX in (Palm Leaf) Navy/Green – $65 MSRP
OG Era LX in (Palm Leaf) Peach/Antique White – $65 MSRP
OG Era LX in (Palm Leaf) Pool Blue/Black – $65 MSRP
OG Style 36 LX in (Two Tone) Classic Blue/Dandelion – $70 MSRP
OG Style 36 LX in (Two Tone) Orange Rust/Coconut Shell – $70 MSRP

From nikeinc.com:

Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins – the number one, two and three picks, respectively, in the most recent professional draft – are now Nike athletes. All three are dynamic players who recently completed exceptionally decorated collegiate careers. Now, they have signed as partners of the Nike brand, ready to compete at women’s basketball’s top level.

Griner, a dominant 6’ 8” scorer and defender, is a two-time Naismith Award Winner as college basketball’s player of the year (2012, 2013); three-time First Team All America (’11, ’12, ’13); and three-time Big 12 Player of the Year (‘11, ’12, ’13). She holds the all-time NCAA and Big 12 records with 748 blocks, making her the first player in college basketball history with 2,000 points and 500 blocks. Griner also dunked 18 times while at Baylor.

Delle Donne, a versatile 6’ 5” guard/forward, is the 2013 Honda Player of the Year, a  two-time First Team All America (’12, ’13) and ranks fifth in all-time NCAA scoring.  She is also the two-time Academic All-American of the Year (’12, ’13). Additionally, Delle Donne won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the World University Games.

Diggins, a 5’9” point guard and fiery on-court leader, earned First Team All-America honors in 2012 and 2013 as well as the Big East Player of the Year, and took home the Nancy Lieberman Award as the nation’s best point guard in those seasons. She was named NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player during the tournament three times (’10, ’11, ’12).

Also joining the Nike roster as rookies are former All-Big Ten guard Tayler Hill and All-SEC center Kelsey Bone.

 

 

 

*all images courtesy nikeinc.com