Kevin Durant at House of Hoops 2

With the World Basketball Festival still raging in New York, there are events happening all over to promote the basketball lifestyle.  One of the most important tools for any baller is his/her sneakers.  Nike is synonymous with top quality footwear and are now promoting their new Hyperfuse shoe.  It's advanced fusion construction process eliminates traditional stitching techniques allowing for a new level of lightweight and breathable shoes.

NBA Superstar Kevin Durant stopped by briefly to talk about the shoe as well as to encourage local youth to follow their hoop dreams.  The children were given free Hyperfuse t-shirts and a few lucky individuals won Foot Locker gift cards or Kevin Durant t-shirts.  They were super excited to be so up close and personal with such a big star.  I was truly moved when I overheard a young boy, no older than age 4, have this dialog with his mother:

Boy: "Mommy, who is that?"
Mom: "It's Kevin Durant.  He's an NBA player.  He's plays basketball on TV."
Boy: *Stares in amazement for a moment*
Boy: "Is he going to play with me?"

Anatomy of an Urban Legend Premiere

Thibaut de Longeville and Nike premiered their film 'Air Force 1: Anatomy of an Urban Legend' at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem last night.  What better setting to celebrate the history of "Uptowns" than Uptown?  People from all walks of life converged at the historic theater to pay respect to the incredible history of the shoe's evolution from a nearly nixed line to a global icon.

The director went to some of the most widely recognizable sneaker aficionados for their unique perspectives.  Sneaker fans like myself will have no trouble identifying these faces:

Bobbito Garcia

Anthony Gilbert

Udi Avshalom

DJ Clark Kent

Grandmaster Caz

The hour long film was a blast to watch and viewers cheered and applauded throughout the showing at their favorite sentiments, comments and personalities.  After the film's end, the director sat down for a brief interview.  He spoke of his excitement about working on the project as well as his admiration for the cast and their respective passions for the hobby.

It was very nice to kick back and watch such a thorough examination of the storied history of the Nike Air Force 1.  Of course, there were quite a few rare examples in the building.  Here are some of my favorite captures of the evening:

Jump over to my flickr page to view more shots from the event.

Filthy Zvezdochkas

What do you do with a pair of filthy Zvezdochkas?  You clean them.

Easier said than done.  I made the mistake of wearing these to an outdoor party.  They were danced in by me and subsequently stepped on by drunks.  Stupid indeed, but I believe that shoes are meant to be worn.  So I tried to clean them and it's much more difficult than I originally anticipated it to be.  I thought they'd pretty much just wipe clean and that would be the end of it.  After a full days soak, I still wasn't able to get them as clean as I want them to be.  It's a good thing I have a second pair!

21 Mercer - Mr. Cartoon x Nike x USA Soccer

It was on and crackin' at 21 Mercer again tonight.  The legendary graffiti/tattoo artist Mr. Cartoon was in town to promote the release of his new collaborative effort with Nike sportswear.  Mr. Cartoon was commissioned by Nike to create a set of images and logos for USA soccer as they prepare for World Cup play in South Africa.

 Mr. Cartoon signs for a fan.

Dubbed the True Colors series, Nike sportswear also commissioned 5 other artists from Brazil, England, France, South Africa and the Netherlands.  Each artist brought his own flair to his home country's gear.  World Cup play kicks off in 43 days.

Mr. Cartoon put together this video with Nike talking about his work on the project, how it came about and his creative process.



The sports wear is available for purchase here.

As usual, it was a very nice time at the store.  I did my usual networking and shot the breeze with friends.  Fans of Mr. Cartoons work had the opportunity to customize t-shirts and the upcoming Nike Blazer x Mr. Cartoon release at the store.  Nike employees assisted customers on a special Nike iD site to create their very own products.  Those that customized t-shirts had their creations printed immediately in the store.

Here are a few pics from the event:

video via: www.nike.com

21 Mercer - March Madness Party

I got the heads up on this event late in the day, but made my way down in time enough to down a few beers and sliders and take a few pics.  It was a very nice laid back vibe and I got to chat with a couple of people that I haven't seen in a few years.  Shouts to Whit3boy and Julio.  I'll be in contact.

Also met a few people that I had no previous knowledge of so that was nice as well.  My homie Vulkan introduced me to SneakGeekz and we chopped it up for a few minutes before heading our seperate ways.  Definitely check out the SneakGeekz website for up-to-date sneaker info, release dates and early looks.

Enjoy the pics...

Sneaker Lounge - Best in Westchester pt. 2

 I told y'all we get it in in Westchester!  Part two of Best in Westchester takes us to Sneaker Lounge.  This boutique is quickly moving from a hum to a roar, and with very good reason.  I stopped by the store today to talk with the owner, Tyler, so I could bring to you the exclusive first look interview and photos. 

Rox Fontaine: When did you decide to open a sneaker boutique?
Tyler: It's still a work in progress.  It took us about a year to put it together.  My brother and I have been collecting for 15 years.  We saw lots of opportunity in sneakers; collecting and reselling because all of our friends collected for so long.

RF: What type of atmosphere can people expect at Sneaker Lounge?
T: Knowledgeable staff, customer service that can't be beat.  We go above (peoples) expectations.  For example, if we don't have a sneaker in stock, we'll search for it to try and bring it in for (the customer) at a price that can't be beat. It's a buying experience as well.  The atmosphere we have here is nothing like what you'll find in the average (chain) store.

RF: Are you planning any events or exclusive releases in the near future?
T: Yes! There's an artist that (customizes) sneakers and she has a following up here.  We're putting together a showcase for her here at the store and we're going to raffle some things off.

RF: How did you choose your location?
T: There was a Champs here in the area.  They went out of business and there was a big demand for sneakers, as in every community.  We saw that as an opportunity to pick up where they left off as well as offer something that they never (did).  We also saw that this community is saturated with youth.  There are a bunch of high schools, two universities, etc.

RF: What is Sneaker Lounge bringing to the table that boutiques in The City might not be?
T: It's easily accessible.  Parking available (on the premise).  We offer a selection that is as big or bigger than any store you can find in the city.  Vintage releases, new releases and everyday sneakers.  What we do that other stores can't do is; we'll match any price.  If you can show us that you found (legitimate) the same sneaker that we have at a lower price, we'll beat it.

RF: What about an online extension of your store?
T: We do have a website.  It showcases some of our inventory.  There's a bio on (my brother and me).  You can't purchase online but you can call the store and we can ship out anything you want.  Shipping is free!

RF: Do you do consigment sales?
T: Yes, we do.

 

  

RF: I noticed that you have some Sneaker Lounge apparel.  Any plans to expand that into hats, custom gear, etc.?

T: Definitely.  We originally did it as a marketing promo, to try and get our name out there.  We're going to start incorporating the logo on some New Era fitteds and maybe expand into some long sleeve tees and different designs.

 

  

  

 

Check out the Sneaker Lounge website at: www.sneakerlounge.net

Sneaker Lounge

8 Mill Road
Eastchester, NY 10709
(914) 771-7500

Kevin Durant at House of Hoops

Yesterday, I won preferred entrance to a Kevin Durant meet and greet event at House of Hoops Harlem today.  There was a mini event held on Twitter.  I won by being one of the first 35 people to retweet a message from Nike Basketball.  I was super excited to know that I'd just won a chance to see my current favorite NBA player.

The event was supposed to kick off at 3:30 pm.  It didn't start until just after 5 pm though.  It was a bit too cold to be standing outside for an hour or more but I thought it would be worth the discomfort.

Once KD entered the building it was on and poppin'....or so I thought.  The event turned out to be a BIG letdown.  He answered no more than 3 direct questions and mumbled his way through those so much that it was difficult to even understand what he was saying.  All other questions were fielded by his teammates Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Jeff Green a.k.a. "Broingtons".

Russell Westbrook

James Harden

"Broingtons"

I brought my All-Star and Seattle Sonics colorway KD1 sneakers hoping that I might have the chance to have KD autograph them.  Didn't happen.  Which is fine in and of itself.  What ticked me off is that he only signed 8 basketballs, maybe 15 t-shirts or so and 3 pairs of the KD2 sneaker.  He signed the basketballs and t-shirts before he even entered the building.  He signed the shoes in the store right after they were won by 3 lucky attendees.

Following the raffle for the sneakers, he was presented with 2 pairs of lasered Air Force 1 low sneakers.  One white pair and one black.  They were lasered with the 2010 All-Star game logo and KD's stats.  They came in a big white acrylic box.  The box top was engraved with the KD logo and "Pure Dedication", if I remember correctly.  I wasn't able to get clear shots of the shoes or the box.  You know I got something though...

 

 
 

  

With me being a true Kevin Durant fan, I was honestly disappointed.  I was just disappointed that he didn't really say anything to us.  I understand that he travels a lot and has a super busy schedule but this event was just morose.  If you're tired, jet lagged or whatever; tell us.  Let us know how busy you've been and what you did the day before.  Share something with us that we wouldn't otherwise know.  Your teammates were just fine.  They spoke clearly, concisely and gave us some energy.  What the hell was wrong with you?  The only one we really came to see!

All of that aside, I got to see my favorite NBA player for free, I got a free Broingtons t-shirt and I had a blast taking pictures.  Not the worst day.  Below are other pics from the day:

Feeway of Female Sneaker Fiend 

Jadakiss

Peter Rosenberg of Hot 97

Broingtons Tees

Filling the Space