What's Your "Holy Grail" Shoe?

So I'm sitting at home with the kiddies while my wife is at some work function and started hunting on the Internet yet again for the one shoe I would break my year long sabbatical for, The Ewing. And not the Rouges or Rouge 2's and not the Adidas joints but the Ewing's. The ones that came with the basketball key chain and were big, bulky, and heavy. They were usually suede but I do seem to remember seeing a leather pair at some point. I believe I had my first pair in 11th grade, which was '91-'92 and I loved those shoes. They were blue and grey suede and I was the only person in my high school with that colorway which gave me instant cool points. Hell, I might have also been the only white boy at my school with them too. I can never seem to find them anywhere online, not articles or pictures or anything. The only Ewing's I ever find are the Adidas or the Rouges which are nice but not the same. Maybe it;s just wanting to recapture that teenage feeling or maybe it's something different, not sure and don't really care. I just know that those Ewing's are my "Holy Grail" shoe. The shoe I'll always hunt for and will find in my size no matter how long I have to look. I did put a pic of Kris Kross' debut CD cover below since that is the only image of the shoe I can find and it"s not really a good pic. Maybe it'll help jog your memory like it does mine.

All that leads me to the question I asked in the title, what is your "Holy Grail" shoe? That one shoe that you always look for online when your bored? That shoe you ask about when you visit a new shoe spot or hit a sneaker show? That one pair you keep wishing and praying would be retroed so you could finally have it again or for the 1st time. The shoe you would buy just to have even if you knew it was for display only and you could never wear it. Always love hearing what other people say. Sometimes it's not a rare or limited shoe, it just has a meaning to them, and it almost always makes you say, "Damn, I had forgot all about those.". So leave an answer in the comments and see who's memory you jog with your dream shoe, what else have you got to do anyways?

Today's Pair - Air Jordan Retro III (3) (2007) a/k/a The Day I Got The Shakes

So with today being the day the Retro 3 "Cements" finally released I decided to wear the "Fire Red" Retro 3's that released in March of '07. As some of you might know I decided to take the year off from buying any shoes since it is my 15th wedding anniversary this year and want to focus my money on making this year special instead. Nobody seems to believe me but they'll see, they'll all see (insert evil laugh). As I said, these retro 3's were released in March of 2007 along with the Retro 3 "Flips". The "Fire Reds" retailed for $125, as opposed to the $160 the "Cements" sold for today (more on that later today). Last time I looked you can find a few pairs at Flight Club for $250 which is the cheapest price I saw (unless you wear fakes which makes you a bitch). The quality on these is surprisingly nice, especially when compared to some of the stuff Jordan Brand is putting out these days. They have held up really well with only some slight yellowing on the heel tab. It probably helps that I don't actually walk in my shoes (benefits of being in a wheelchair, shoes never wear out) so this pair looks almost brand new.

The differences between the 2007 release and today's release are easy to spot but the shoes are pretty similar. The '07 elephant print is black while the '11 release is the famous "Cement" color. The back heel on the '07 is fire red while the '11 is black and the '07 liner and lace holes are cement gray while both are white on the '11 release. Not sure if those changes plus a retro styled box is worth the $35 price increase, especially when to my eyes (and other peoples whose eyes I trust) the '07s are better made. But this is to be expected from Nike I guess. Plus I honestly can't blame them if people are going to continue to buy them for $160. If you can get the money might as well grab it right? I added pics of both the '07 and '11 retros below to let you guys check the differences for yourselves.



Air Jordan Retro 3 "Fire Red"
Released March 2007 Retail $125.00



Air Jordan Retro 3 "Cements"
Released January 22 2011 Retail $160

As for the shakes I referred to in the title, today was the first the big release day since I made my year off decision and trust me it wasn't easy to not set the alarm last night to be at the mall stupidly early. The really weird part was that I didn't just miss getting the "Cements", I realized that I also just missed the whole experience. I didn't realize that it's not just the shoes that I enjoy but it's the fun of getting to the mall at 6:00 AM and hanging out inside a closed empty mall with nothing but other sneakerheads talking shoes and arguing over which retro's are better or will be bigger sellers. Or listening when guys (or girls) start throwing out their wish lists of shoes to be retroed and remembering some long forgotten shoe and adding it to your "got to have" list. My wife knows me and how I love shoes and listens as I ramble on and on (or pretends to listen) and I got friends at DTLR and the Footaction Outlet who talk shoes too but something about that release day crowd and those conversations is different. Well that's all for now but make sure you check back this evening, got a few things I want to get off my chest which some of you might find interesting or disagree with which is the goal. Till then, Cheapsoles

Today's Pair - Nike Air Max 90 Leather a/k/a Only Time I'll Wear Those Damn Panthers Colors

Today's post is a little late but that's my fault, didn't get to bed until 3:00 AM last night and had to get up at 7:00 to take my daughter to daycare. She has to be there by 8:30 or she'll miss breakfast and I'm not spending all that money every week to have her not get everything she can from that place. So after sleeping late by accident and jumping out of bed at 7:45 I just threw on these Air Max 90's since they were the pair on top of the Air Max 90's stack in the closet and easily available. Not that I minded as the 90's are possibly my favorite Nike ever. Just something about the lines and timeless style of it that really speaks to me (just lost my man card I know). Plus Nike hasn't watered them down like they did with the AF1's nor was the shoe ever considered the super hot shoe so it never got played out by the hypebeast kids.

This pair's official coloway is listed as white / white / black / vivid blue and they retailed for $92.00 when they were released in 2008 or 2009, not totally sure which year it was. I picked them up last year from the Footaction Outlet (yes, that place again) for only $30.00. Debated on getting them for a little bit I have to admit. Really like the colors on the shoe but they are called the "Panthers" 90's by people around here for a reason. The shoe's colors are the same as the Carolina Panther's (worst team in the NFL this year) and as a Atlanta Falcons fan ( yeah, yeah, Gren Bay just scored again...ha ha) it was hard to swallow that and get these. Especially around here where there are so many Panther fans and they assume everyone is too, well except for the bandwagon Cowboys's & Steeler's fans that seem to crawl all over this state. Half of those guys have never left SC let alone been to Dallas or Pittsburgh. I'll admit I'm from South Carolina and am a Seattle Mariners fan but I have actually been to Safeco Field and it's not like Seattle is any good so who would jump on that bandwagon right?

Well that's it for now, don't forget that the Jordan Retro 3 "Cements" drop tomorrow so make sure you call your spot today to see when their opening and get there early tomorrow. Good hunting, Cheapsoles.

Today's Sales Pt. 2 (1/20/11) - DTLR Deals a/k/a Kids Don't Know Any Better Down Here

As I mentioned earlier, this is the second part of the daily sales post. Before I get to all the deals at the DTLR stores let me make sure I mention the guys at http://www.sneakerfiles.com/ who have some interesting info on 2 new Nike Foamposite Pro's dropping later this year in "Electric Blue" and "Dark Pine" colorways this year. Make sure you head over there after reading this and take a look at the article, some very interesting info in there about shoe pricing. Now as for the sales at DTLR today, the biggest thing is the fact that both the Foamposite One "Cough Drops" and the 1/2 Cent "Cranberry's" are now on sale for $169.98 (side note, http://www.pickyourshoes.com/ still has a full size run of the new black & purple Nike Penny 1's in stock for only $109.99 which is a $15 saving off the retail price of $125) as well as the "Eggplant" 1/2 Cents for $149.98. The rest of the sale items are shown below along with pics of the "Cough Drops", Cranberry's", & "Eggplants".


Nike Air Max 1
Retail Price $90.00 DTLR Sale Price $49.98



Nike Max Hyperfly
Retail Price $115.00 DTLR Sale Price $49.98



Nike Hyperize
Retail Price $145.00 DTLR Sale Price $49.98

Nike Air Force 1 Mid
Retail Price $92.00 DTLR Sale Price $39.98

Nike Lunarpath ETW
Retail Price $125.00 DTLR Sale Price $39.98
(Side Note - I own a pair of these and they are the lightest boots I have ever owned or seen. I'm talking Kobe light here)

Timberland Max Fusion Mid Boot
Retail price $90.00 DTLR Sale Price $39.98

Nike Foamposite One "Cough Drop"
Retail Price $200.00 DTLR Sale Price $169.98

Nike 1/2 Cent "Cranberry"
Retail Price $190.00 DTLR Sale Price $169.99

Nike 1/2 Cent
Retail Price $190.00 DTLR Sale Price $149.98

For those of you who don't understand what the title of this post means it's a reference to the fact that shoes like the Foamposites and the 1/2 Cents do not sell down here in Columbia. It seem as if the only shoes that really sell are Jordans and all white AF1's. And by Jordans I don't mean strictly retro's, I mean any and all Jordans. Kids down here will by the worst looking shoe as long as it has that Jumpman logo on it somewhere. Meanwhile, really great shoes like the Foamposite's, Pippen's, Barkleys, & most Air Max models sit on the shelves until getting so old they're shipped out to the Footaction Outlets. I can go into certain stores in the malls here and still find "Pearl" and even a few "Copper" Foamposites left. How crazy is that? Oh well, till later, Cheapsoles

Today's Sales Pt. 1 (1/20/11) a/k/a If You Only Wear It Once You Got Your Money Out Of It

So I went back by the FootAction Outlet today and they had one of their trademark specials going. There was a table full of Men's Pony City Wing Hi's in 4 different colorways on sale for only $14.99. These shoes retail for $69.99 so this is a huge savings for these simple but stylish shoe. Now I know a lot of you don't know about Pony's or think they are some cheap shoe they would never wear. And some of you are probably those "Sneakerheads" (and I use that term loosely) who only wear Nike's or Jordan's and don't have the style or cache to pull these off or aren't open minded enough to even think about rocking these. But those you who are real sneakerheads or like rocking things that are a little different or have your own style these might be right up your alley. Plus for only $14.99 even if you only wear them with a certain outfit or only once or twice you've got your money out of it. Anyways on to the pics, won't be doing the captions today since they are all the same shoe and all the same price.

So that's all four pairs of the Pony City Wings Hi (a/k/a the Spud Webb's) they have at the Footaction Outlet for only $14.99. If you grab some let them know Cheapsoles sent you please. Adding the sales at DTLR later today so check back soon, Cheapsoles

Todays Pair - Nike Air Force 1 Mid Supreme Max Air '07 "China - Bejing Edition"

So today I decided to break out some old Air Force 1's that were released in '07. These are the Supreme level AF1's which is the top tier price level and quality materials. The leather on this pair is beautiful, very soft yet durable and of the highest quality in Nike's shoes. This is also one of the AF1's to be released with the Air Max technology in the soles. This is one of the few hybrid models that actually works as it doesn't do much to change the design of the shoe overall. The official colorway on this pair is Hasta / Natural Olive / Black / Varsity Red and they  retailed for $250.00. I purchased them in December of 2007 at Legends in Military Circle Mall in Norfolk VA on sale for $99.99. For those of you not familiar with Norfolk or Military Circle Mall this is a great shoe mall. You have a Footlocker, Footaction, Finish Line, DTLR, Legend's, Jimmy Jazz, & several other great shoe stores. Highly recommended if your ever in the Norfolk, Virgina Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton area of Virgina.

Now I know I've been blasting Nike quite a bit in recent posts but I do have to give them credit for several things they are doing with the Jordan Brand this year. First, I love that they are using the original boxes for both the "Cement" 3's and the "Banned" 1's dropping this year. I honestly hope that the great response & feedback from this will convince Nike to continue this trend with all their retro releases in the future. Secondly, it seems this year they are dropping multiple retro models in only 3 or 4 colorways each as opposed to previous years where they may have only dropped two retro models but in so many colorways that it killed the market. Last year they droped mainly retro 6's & 9's but in so many colorways and so close together that places like Footlocker & Footaction have stockpiles of deadstock which are now on sale for $99.99 or have already been shipped to the Footaction Outlet to be sold at 70% off in the very near future. This year they are dropping 4 pairs of retro 3's, 3 pairs of retro 7's, 3 or 4 pairs of retro 5's, & one or two other models but by limiting the colorways of each model this will help to keep them from sitting on shelves or warehouses.

Well that's it for now but will probably have more today as I've heard that there are some new sales at DTLR involving some very nice and desirable models. Till then, Cheapsoles

Today's Pair - Nike Dunk Mid Premium SB "Moats" a/k/a Establishing My Credentials

So today I decided to pull something out of the stash to help prove my credibility with any sneakerheads who might happen to read this little blog thing I've started. These are the Nike Dunk Mid Premium SB "Moats". For those of you who don't understand the SB part that stands for skateboard and is Nike's skateboard footwear line. These shoes are sold exclusively in skate shops and in limited numbers. They are also available on the secondary resale market for well over the original price in most cases. This particular model is called the Moat because they were in honor of the annual Moat Race at the Skate Park Of Tampa. The shoes released in April of 2008 exclusively at the SPoT and wear limited to only 100 pairs. They retailed for $90.00 and are currently reselling for between $125 & $150 on the secondary market. I purchased my pair for $125 from a skateshop in Norfolk VA in December of  '08 and think it was money well spent as they only produced 100 pairs of these total.

I do have to mention that one of the best things about the Nike SB's is the box they come in. The SB boxes are practically indestructible as opposed to the garbage boxes all other Nike's come in. I mean seriously, Nike is charging us an arm and a leg for most shoes and they boxes keep getting worse and worse. My SB Dunks all stack nicely on top of each other while all my regular Dunk boxes have completely caved in on each other and I might have to install some shelving just store them without destroying the boxes. But this is what Nike does to their customers, they make certain products in great colorways, great boxes, & great presentation while just watering down other shoes with terrible colors, lame boxes, and massive overproduction which just waters down the market. Then again, I keep buying the shoes so guess maybe I'm the one who's the idiot and Nike knows what they're doing after all.

I also want to make sure this doesn't sound like I hate Nike because I really don't I just think certain policies and practices they have aren't in the best interest of their customers, however they are much better then the rest of the companies. Adidas doesn't understand that unless it's the Superstars, Campus, or Samba's most people don't really care about the rest of their shoes. And Reebok might have made some inroads with their Zig Tech line but aside from that the rest of their stuff just sits on the shelf. They signed John Wall to a huge deal then put out those ugly shoes for him that nobody wants. What it seems a lot of these companies don't realize is that people can't afford to spend tons of money on a pair of shoes that are great performance shoes but look like crap. That was what made Jordan's so great back in the day, they were great on the court and looked great on your feet. That's why people still love them to this day and they're Nike's best sellers. The new stuff companies are dropping might be great for the court but people can't drop $120+ on shoes that are great on the court but are to ugly to wear everyday. Oh well, enough venting and complaining for the day, Cheapsoles.

PS. Follow me on twitter @cheapsoles to keep updated on new posting

Something For The Ladies or The Guys With Little Feet Who Can Wear Womens Sizes

Meant to throw this up last night but some things came up and never got around to it. I went by the Footaction Outlet again yesterday and grabbed a few pics of some of the women's Nike's they have in stock over there for 70% off right now. Not sure how many female readers I have but I figured it couldn't hurt to show them some love or at least put some stuff up here their man (or women, I'm open minded) might want to surprise them with. Plus some of Nike's women's stuff is hotter then the men's stuff and if your a guy with size 8 to 9 feet you can get away with wearing women's sizes 10 to 11. By the way, I will free admit my size 12 / 13 wearing self hates you little foot guys sometimes when I see some fire women's colorway. Anyways these are the women's Nike's in stock at the Footaction Outlet.


Women's Nike Aeroflight High LE
Retail Price $72.00 Footaction Sale Price $21.60

Women's Nike Court Force High
Retail Price $88.00 Footaction Sale Price $26.40

Women's Big Nike High LE
Retail Price $80.00 Footaction Outlet Sale Price $24.00

Women's Nike Blazer High

Retail Price $78.00 Footaction Outlet Sale Price $23.40

Today's Pair - Nike Zoom Kobe 1 a/k/a The Rebirth Of Kobe Bryant

So today I decided to go back a little bit to 2005 and rock the Nike Zoom Kobe 1's which wear Kobe's first signature model with Nike. Up until then he had been wearing special edition's of the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4's. Kobe left Adidas in 2003 to sign with Nike however just months later he was charged with rape in Colorado and Nike shelved his shoes and all promo materials for a year. After rebuilding his image by just destroying everyone on the basketball court Nike decided to release his signature model in 2005. Oddly, instead of using a Laker themed colorway for his first release they instead went with this white / black / varsity red colorway which looks quite nice but has nothing to do with the Lakers or match his jersey in any way, shape, or form.

The shoe was $130 retail which seemed a bit high but not to unreasonable until Nike, in their infinite wisdom, dropped the Zoom Air Legend which was almost the exact same shoe for only $85.00. At that point it was almost stupid to buy the Kobe's for $130 when you could buy the Zoom Legends for $85 and most people would never know the difference. Just another in a long line of decisions by Nike in which they don't seem to mind screwing over their true sneakerhead fans for the casual 1 or 2 pair a year buyers. But no matter how hard they screw us we keep going back so I guess we can't complain can we.

Now a few words about Nike's MLK Day lineup. If you haven't seen it you need to go to nicekicks.com to check it out. They are the only site I've seen with pics of the entire lineup including the Jordan Brand and Converse shoes in the series. While the sheer volume of the shoes is impressive the color combination leaves a little to be desired. Black with gold accents just seems a little simple and plain. Plus lets be honest here, nobodies really running out to buy special edition HyperFuse & HyperDunks are they? Or Jordan Brand shoes that nobody buys regular versions of to begin with. At least if Nike varied up the colorways or made them have a little more pop to them somebody might consider it but these just seemed to plain for me & most people I talked to. The only reason the Black History Month Jordan Retro 3's will sell is do to the limited number being made not the colors. Most people I've talked to don't actually like the shoe but since they're so limited people want them just to say they got them. But this is what Nike and Jordan do, they learned long ago that the shoe can be ugly as hell but if it's limited it'll sell. Oh well, have some sale info for you later today, Cheapsoles.

The Rest Of The Pics



Air Jordan Retro 1 High w/ Strap Premier
Retail Price $115 FootAction Outlet Sale Price $34.50




Nike Air 3 LE (Kevin Garnett Retro)
Retail Price $140.00 Footaction Outlet Sale Price $42.00
3 Colorways Available





Nike Blazer Mid '09 ND
Retail Price $88.00 Footaction Outlet Sale Price $26.40
(Several Other Blazers Available Also)




Saucony On Sale At DTLR For $19.99
Kind Of A Odd Color And Know Not All Sneakerheads Feel The Saucony Brand But For $20 It's Hard To Pass Up



What I Learned Today a/k/a Today's Sales

So went by DTLR and the Footaction Outlet today to check out what's on sale for you guys. Over at DTLR they had some really nice stuff that you might have passed over when it first dropped on sale for some really great deals. First up is the Anodized a/k/a "Foamposite" Air Jordan Retro 1's in the silver , the black, & the blue colorways. The pairs and the black pairs are going for $79.99 which is an $70 saving off the retail price of $150. The blue colorway is even cheaper at $69.99 which is an $80 saving.

All 3 Anodized AJ 1's At My Local DTLR



The AF1's On Sale At DTLR



Next up are the black Air Jordan 2010's which retail for $170.00 and on sale for $49.99 which is a huge savings of $120.00. I know a lot of sneakerheads didn't like this shoe but for $49.99 it's worth getting just to round out your collection. And this colorway is probably the best of the lot too. They also have two pairs of Air Force 1's on sale for $39.99 which is a good deal if your the type of person who is a few years behind the trend and still wearing Air Force 1's. Or maybe your the type like on of my guys at DTLR who buys the Air Force 1's when they go on sale then sticks them in the closet to pull out in a few years when it's cool to wear them again and want to have colorways nobody else has. Not a bad plan when you stop to think about it. {Sidebar - The AF1 is yet another example of Nike taking a good thing and just running it into the ground. At one point it seemed like Nike was dropping a pair a week as a general release and just totally flooded the market. Now people won't touch them even if it's a hot release just on GP.}



The Black Air Jordan 2010 At DTLR



Next up is all the wonderful stuff at the Footaction Outlet here in Columbia SC. Now for those of you who are not familiar with the Footaction Outlet stores allow me to explain. This is a real outlet store not one of those pretend outlet stores you see in those big outlet shopping centers all over the place. All the shoes in there are 13 months old at minimum and usually very discounted. At the moment  the sale in the "Box" as the place is known to local sneakerheads and Footlocker / Footaction employees is 70% off original price for all shoes & 85% percent off all clothes. Now this is liable to change at any moment so if your coming from out of town please call ahead first (803-749-7463). Also the stock is ever changing and depending upon when it is in that fiscal quarter there might not be any Nike's in stock but there are always plenty of great non - Nike finds to be had. Today they had 3 different Jordan Retro 1's in stock along with the Hall Of Fame Jordan 2009's in small men's sizes (8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, & 10). They also had some nice Nike Blazer Mid 09 ND's and Nike Air 3 LE (Kevin Garnett Retro's).




Air Jordan Retro 1 "Leroy" Retail $125.00 Sale Price $37.50
Footaction Outet

 




I'll be posting the pics of the other 3 Jordans plus the Blazers and Air 3's a little later tonight so make sure you check back to see what other great deals you can take advantage of. Or to see what other mistakes over producing Nike has done this time. Till then, Cheapsoles

Today's Pair - Jackie Robinson Blazers

So I decided that since today is MLK Day I would wear a pair of the Jackie Robinson Blazers Nike put out in 2009 as a sort of tribute not necessarily to Dr. King himself put to all the people who took part in the struggle for equal rights large or small. Jackie Robinson is the most important athlete in US history and the courage and determination he showed in being the first black player in the Major Leagues was extraordinary. It's because of people like Robinson and Dr. King and several others that my family looks the way it does (I'm white, my wife is black, & our two kids are beautiful shades of both). 

Now about the shoe itself, they are Nike Blazer High's with the colorway listed as Dark Grey / White / Varsity Red. There were 3 colorways in the series, a red pair and a blue pair along with these grey pair. They retailed for $78.00 and I got the from the Footaction Outlet for $30 if my memory serves me. It is possible they might have only been $20 but I don't think so. Also I don't think I ever explained why I don't give performance reviews so I will now. Back in August of 1995 I fell asleep while driving, flipped my car, and shattered my L1 vertebra and as such have no feeling in my feet. Since I don't feel my feet it would be rather hard for me to tell you if a shoe is comfortable since they all feel the same to me. Hell, I could wear a pair of cement blocks and they would feel the same as a pair of Nike Shox. What I can tell you is that I like the way these Blazers look. They have the classic lines all Blazers have along with the ragged white coloring all around the swoosh which catches your eye instantly. Now like all Blazers I would suggest going a half size to full size up in the sizing due to the narrowness of the shoe and also be prepared to unlace them all the way down to get them on. Blazers sometimes take a little extra work but they are worth it it me.

Later today I'll be going by the Footaction Outlet and DTLR to see what the sales are and should be reporting on that later today. Make sure you check back to stay updated and I'll see you then, Cheapsoles

Need Your Help With Tomorrow's Pair

So since tomorrow is MLK Day I'm trying to decide if I should wear the "Untold Truth" Satchel Paige Nike Air Max 90's or if I should wear the Jackie Robinson Nike Blazers as a sort of tribute to Dr. King and the movement he stood for. If you don't know who Jackie Robinson is you should feel ashamed no matter if your a sports fan or hate sports. He is the reason why guys like Michael Jordan & LeBron James are able to do what they do today. If not for Robinson I wouldn't be wearing these ugly Adidas Kobe K8's  "Crazy 8's" today because there might not be a Kobe Bryant to have a signature model. Robinson was the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers (yes kids the Dodgers started in New York not L.A.) in 1947. He endured hell that year and never once let it affect him. He is the definition of a hero and is the only player in MLB to have his number retired across the sport.

As for Satchel Paige & the "Untold Truth" series, these are a series Nike did several years ago to honor the teams and players of the Negro Baseball League. Satchel was an amazing pitcher who was a legend in his own time. He eventually made it into the Majors the year after Robinson (1948) and was the 1st black pitcher in the American Leagues as a member of the Cleveland Indians.

So there is my dilemma. Hoping maybe the few people who read this will give me their opinion and help me decide which way to go. Thanks, Cheapsoles.

Adidas Crazy 8 (a/k/a Retro Kobe K8) or It's Sunday & Nobody's Going To See Me Wearing These Ugly Things

So I know last night I said I would probably rock some Reebbok's today but woke up this morning and decided that since it was Sunday and I doubt I'll be going anywhere of any importance I might as well wear these Adidas Crazy 8's which are pretty ugly to be honest. But they were only $20 at the Footaction Outlet so I couldn't turn them down. They retail for $100 so it was a great deal for an ugly shoe. The official colorway on the box is listed as purple/run white/powder blue which really means purple, light blue, white, & a mint green. Not a good look but maybe that was the reason they had so many of them at the Footaction Outlet they had to make them $20 instead of the usual $40 they normally would have been.

Now for those of you who are to young to remember or just don't know any better, this shoe is actually Kobe Bryant's first signature model shoe. Most people don't remember that Kobe originally signed with Adidas when he first came out of high school. Honestly most people probably don't even remember that he was originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets (yes the team in New Orleans used to be in Charlotte) before being traded on draft night for Vlade Divac.

{Sidebar - What made the NBA think another team would work in Charlotte after the first attempt failed miserably? And then the team is so bad that they are bombing in New Orleans and the NBA had to buy the team and now it looks like they're gonna move yet again. If any city other then Seattle gets that team it'll be a huge joke, Seattle deserves them after the shady way Stern allowed the Sonics to be ripped away from those loyal great fans. And the owners wonder why they're all losing money yet never think of the way they just crap on the fans year after year. Just had to get that off my chest.}

Back to the shoes, the reason they're named the Crazy 8's now is that Adidas can't call them Kobe's anymore since he is now a Nike guy. Maybe if Adidas could still call them Kobe's the shoe would actually sell but as it is these shoes show up to the Footaction Outlet in droves every time they are retroed. The guys at Sneakerfiles.com had a posting a few weeks ago about Adidas reissuing them again this year and they still won't sell. Makes it easy to understand why all these other brands are so far behind Nike. But at least by the time I start buying shoes again next year they'll be nice and cheap at the Outlet for me.

By the way, still pissed about the way my Falcons got completely dismantled last night but hopefully they'll be able to solve their defensive problems this offseason. Hoping for a Seahawks upset tonight just so my brother & new brother-in-law don't have room to talk. That's all for now, might follow this up later so check back, Cheapsoles.