It's Been A Long Time, I Shouldn't Have Left You....Pt. 2

So I'm back with Pt. 2 as I try to catch up on my posts. Not going to waste a lot of time with excuses and reasons so let's jump right into it.

Wednesday (3/23/11): Nike Air Max '90
Colorway: Black / Varsity Red / White
Cost: $92.00 / Paid: $40.00
Purchased From: Footaction Outlet Columbia SC
Just a simple pair of Air Max 90's on this day. I was kind of rushing that morning and I knew this pair would be easy to match so I just grabbed them. I have several pair that I keep handy for just that reason. I always know I can match them easily so when I'm in a rush or am just being lazy I grab a pair of those to make life easy. I do like this pair thanks to the faux Ostrich leather on the varsity red toe and side panel. Plus the mesh toebox is a very nice contrast with the white patent leather on the side. And let's be honest, it's hard to make a bad AM 90 right? It's just a timeless classic shoe.

Thursday (3/24/11): Nike Air Force 1
Colorway: White / Black
Cost: $80.00 / Paid: $30.00
Purchased From: Footaction Outlet Columbia SC
Not going to lie about this one, I was going to grab a pair of shoes from the garage on the way to loading my daughter in the car that morning and she pointed at this box and said to wear these so I did. I have actually done it several times since as I'm trying to make a dent in some of the pairs out there. Just a simple white and black AF1 I picked up at the outlet for cheap. If memory serves I grabbed them because they were one of the few pairs in there that were $30 since these dropped before the price increase. Nothing special about them in the resale market but it is a nice clean shoe that can be dressed up with the right shirt. I wouldn't buy it for retail price but at $30.00 who would turn it down?

Friday (3/25/11): Nike Air Force 1
Colorway: White / Pine Green
Cost: $75.00 / Paid: $75.00
Purchased From: Foot Locker Dutch Square Mall Columbia SC
This pair got picked for me the same way Thursday's pair did, I let my daughter pick them and she went with the orange box this time. This pair was purchased back in June of 2006 when they dropped. That was back when AF1's were a line up Saturday release before Nike ran them into the ground again. These caught my eye thanks to the perforated leather. Just made the white look a little different plus the green looked good and is easy to match. Honestly can't remember the last time I wore them. Seem like most of the AF1's I had to have back then are just sitting in the garage now. I do have to admit though, looking at them now after all these years, these are a hot shoe. Plus the leather and bottoms seem to have held up pretty nicely. No yellowing at all.

Saturday (3/26/11): Nike Air Bakin'
Colorway: Black / Metallic Silver / Varsity Red / Orange Blaze
Cost: $125.00 / Paid: $50.00
Purchased From: Footaction Outlet Columbia SC
Went with these cause we were going back to Charlotte to look at more couches and I wanted something with a little sizzle (pun intended) since I would be out and about. To me this shoe will always be considered Kevin Garnett's signature model however it was also rocked by Tim Hardaway at the same time so some consider it his signature shoe. Neither is wrong so why argue. These do have the standard Nike Air logo in the back as opposed to the original air logo which appeared on this shoe when it was scheduled for release in 1998. That logo appeared to Muslim groups to spell Allah not Air and they forced Nike to change it and destroy hundreds of thousands of shoes which were already made. There are versions with the original logo out there and they command huge money on the resale market.

Sunday (3/27/11): Nike Air Max 90 Leather
Colorway: Black / Black / White
Cost: $90.00 / Paid: $90.00
Purchased From: Foot Locker Dutch Square Mall Columbia SC
These are the first AM 90's I ever bought. The black and white leather grabbed my eye and I had to have them. After that it was all downhill, I now own more AM 90's then any other shoe with the exception of Nike Dunk SB's. The AM 90 is my favorite shoe Nike makes. Just something about it speaks to me. Simple clean lines and great colorways keep it fresh no matter how old it gets. They are  one of the few shoes I don't mind paying full retail for even if I know I can wait for them to show up at the outlet. Plus this Sunday was a great day. VCU stunned the world and beat Kansas down and my Kentucky Wildcats continued their run to a championship knocking off UNC. It's always great beating them too when you consider the history of both schools and their place in college basketball.

Enough for now, fingers are getting tired. Till Pt. 3, Cheapsoles

It's Been A Long Time, I Shouldn't Have Left You....Pt. 1

So I know last week I changed the schedule and set up which days I would be posting new blogs and then I didn't follow through on it but I do have some valid reasons. The Friday post was delayed due to my father-in-law coming down for the evening and my wife being sick as a dog that night. Then on Monday I had to go to the VA Hospital in Augusta GA for some new equipment and then yesterday was just really hectic so I just decided to bundle it all together and do a huge post. Plus I have also decided that from now on I won't try to follow a schedule, that I'll just post when I can and make this fun again as opposed to feeling like a job.

Thursday (March 17th - St. Patrick's Day): Nike Zoom Lebron V
Colorway: Gorge Green - White - Metallic Gold
Cost: $140.00 / Paid: $140.00
Purchased From: NikeStore.com "Member's Only Online Exclusive"

So since last Thursday was St. Patricks Day I went with these Zoom Lebron V (5's) which were a Nike Member's Only exclusive back in 2007. These were a Limited Edition pair for Lebron's birthday. These were the last birthday pair and the colorway was inspired by Lebron's high school team, St. Mary St. Vincent. Just wanted to rock a little green on St. Pat's day plus I was going to see my second favorite dental hygienist and wanted to wear something nice. Especially since that day was her last day as a hygienist. next time I see her she'll be signed to a major record label and on her way to becoming a huge country music star. By the way, my favorite hygienist would be my lovely wife who normally cleans my teeth but was a little busy this time. I was smart enough to make the appointment for 10:00 that morning so I was home in plenty of time to catch every game that day.

Friday (3/18/11): Nike Air Max LTD
Colorway: White - Black - White
Cost: $95.00 / Paid: $40.00
Purchased From: Footaction Outlet Columbia SC

Since I had no plans of leaving the house on Friday I just threw on some simple Air Max LTD's in a simple black and white colorway. Something I wouldn't feel bad about nobody seeing. I did make an early morning Publix run before the games started but the shoes were decent enough for that so I didn't mind. I normally don't rock LTD's but I bought this pair to resell and grabbed them out of my stock on day when I went out after shutting down my tables for the evening. Just grabbed them and a shirt from the stock and went to dinner. It's not that I don't like the LTD it just doesn't appeal to me the way the '90s, 95's and TL4's do.

Saturday (3/19/11): Air Jordan 9 Retro (Silver Anniversary Edition)

Colorway: White / Metallic Silver

Cost: $150.00 / Paid: $150.00

Purchased From: Finishline.com

I had originally planned to go to Aiken Saturday to watch the games with some friends and hangout that night since my wife and children were going to Rock Hill NC to spend the night with her family but since she was sick Friday evening she didn't feel up to going so I stayed home that day. I had put the Retro 9's on before she changed her plans so even though we didn't do anything that day I was rocking a very nice pair of Jordan's all around the house. Just grabbed them when I saw the weather outside I just felt like wearing something that had a summer feel to them. The reason I got these from Finishline.com was that the weekend they dropped my wife and I were in Atlanta and I didn't feel like fighting with the crowds there. I just went ahead and ordered them to ensure I wouldn't miss out on them. Of course, when I went out the day they dropped I realized getting them wouldn't have been a problem. They didn't move quite as well as I had expected, or as Nike Jordan probably expected either. The reason could have been that Nike Jordan dropped three Silver Anniversary Edition Models on the same day. Each model was exclusive to a certain store which probably spread dollars a little thin. Just another in the long line of great decisions by Nike Jordan.

Sunday (3/20/11): Nike Dunk High

Colorway: Neutral Grey / White / Light Charcoal

Cost: $80.00 / Paid: $30.00

Purchased From: Footaction Outlet Columbia SC

On Sunday my wife and children left around 7:00 AM to go see her dad and family in Rock Hill. I headed up there a few hours later to meet up with her so we could go by the Ikea store in Charlotte to check out a couch for my room upstairs. We didn't find anything we liked and I didn't want to wear anything to great to Ikea so I just grabbed some simple Dunks in a neutral colorway. Just wanted to throw on something comfortable for the drive and easy to move around in since I would be testing couch's and getting in and out of my chair. Just a simple Dunk for a simple day.

Monday (3/21/11): Puma Grit Cat III

Colorway: Black / Coffee Brown

Cost: $90.00 / Paid: $13.50

Purchased From: Footaction Outlet Columbia SC

Still sticking to my Non-Nike Mondays rule so thanks to my lovely daughter I ended up wearing these Puma's I've had for several years this Monday. When we leave on Monday's I always have on my socks and pick a pair of shoes from the stack of non-Nike's. Well on Monday when I was trying to decide what pair to wear my daughter told me to get a red box so I grabbed these and made them work for me. It worked out in the end, the shoes dress up very nicely and I wanted to look good while visiting the VA so they would be more inclined to help me out. While I was in Augusta I went by Augusta Mall to see what all they had in the stores there and was not impressed. Went in a CCS for the first time and hated it. Not the type of skate store I would ever shop at. Just a bunch of posers who know nothing about skating or shoes working there selling clothes to kids who want to look like a skater without actually skating.

Tuesday (3/22/11): Nike Air Max '95
Colorway: White / Pine Green / Flint Grey / Anthracite
Cost:$140.00 / Paid: $42.00
Purchased From: Footaction Outlet Columbia SC
These are the first pair of Air Max '95s I ever owned. I originally bought these to flip at my shoe spot but after about two weeks nobody had bought them and they were calling my name. At that time people down there weren't checking for Air Max plus they weren't looking to pay the $65.00 I was looking for on them. Of course less then six months later all anybody wanted were Air Max so I went with the 90's which were a lot cheaper and moved quickly. The 95's are my third favorite Air Max after the 90's and the TL4's.


That's enough for now. I'm trying to get caught up today so hopefully there will be at least a Pt. 2 posted later this evening. Just depends on how crazy things are later tonight. Till Then, Cheapsoles

Blazers, 20-5-5's And The Passing Of A Hip Hop Legend

Let me start today by mentioning the passing of a true legend in hip-hop even though the man never rapped on a single track. Nate Dogg passed away early Wednesday at the age of 41 due to health complications. Nate Dogg was the go to hook man during the G-Funk era and was one of the original Death Row inmates. He sang on The Chronic and Doggystyle before truly exploding on the scene with his duet with Warren G "Regulate" from the Above The Rim soundtrack. This track was a monster and still bangs to this day (try to find the "Jammin Remix" if you can, it has Michael McDonald's vocals from "I Keep Forgettin'" which is the track the sample comes from). For those of you who want something to listen to while remembering Nate this weekend or who need a lesson on his greatness checkout this mix from 2008, DJ Steve1der Nate Dogg Greatest Hits Mix.


Tuesday: Nike Zoom 20-5-5 (Lebron's)
Colorway: Black / Black / Varsity Red
Cost: $110.00 / Paid: $110.00
Purchased From: Foot Locker (Dutch Square Mall)

Pulled these out of the stacks while I was transferring this weekends shoes upstairs and figured I might as well throw them on. These came out in 2005 and were the first Lebron released that weren't a part of his signature collection. The 20-5-5 name is in reference to his average at the time, 20 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds. They released a second version of this shoe the following year and that was it. Surprised Nike hasn't done a model every season named for his average the last season as a way to continue the line. I remember these selling pretty well and I prefer them to Soldier line they have now.

Wednesday: Nike Blazer High

Colorway: White / White / White

Price: $78.00 / Paid $20.00

Purchased From: Footaction Outlet (Columbia SC)

Was in a rush today so just threw on these White Blazers so I wouldn't have to worry about the shirt I was wearing plus I knew I wouldn't be doing a whole lot today and didn't want to waste a good pair of shoes on a lounge day. I know I have railed on people who wear all white AF1's so some might think I'm being hypocritical but these were a leftover pair from when I closed up shop plus the elephant print is hot. Not to mention the fact that I love Blazers and they were dirt cheap.

For the record, my fan loyalty is with Kentucky but just not sure they have the experience to win the whole thing, Thinking Kansas but not sure on them either, this field is wide open. All I know for sure is that Thursday is the start of the best four days of the year and I can't wait. Just going to load up on snacks and food and spend the next four days overdosing on college basketball. Till Friday, Cheapsoles

New Rules, New Format, New Days or I Actually Have Things To Do Now

To borrow a phrase from Bill Maher, Welcome to New Rules. I actually have quite a few things going on these days so from now on I will be putting up a new post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from now on. Plus there will be some changes to the format to make it a little easier for everybody. So with all that done let's get started.

Friday: Nike Blazer Premium SB

Colorway: Green Spark / Green Spark / Pimento

Cost: $80.00 / Paid: $35.00

Purchased from: Nike Outlet (Myrtle Beach SC)
Scooped up these SB Blazers about a year ago on a purchasing trip to Myrtle Beach SC for merchandise to sell when I had my shoe business. I picked up two pairs of these in sizes 12.5 and 13 with plans to resell them for $45.00 but I also knew they might not move because of the colorway so I made sure to get them in my size. Already had a Ecko shirt I was selling that matched the shoes perfectly but didn't sell either pair so I kept the 12.5 for myself and let my boy at DTLR get the 13 at cost. Nice shoe I wear on semi-regular basis since I have a nice shirt to match it with.

Saturday: Nike Blazer SB CS
Colorway: Black / White
Cost: $75.00 / Paid: $75.00
Purchased from: Bluetile Skateshop (Columbia SC)

So this shoe is a pretty new cut from Nike on their Blazer SB Model that is basically a mid cut. They are a pretty basic shoe, it is a Blazer after all, and so far have only been released in basic colorways. The only reason I picked them up was because of the new cut. Just thought they looked funky and I knew most of my friends didn't know about them and had never seen this kind of Blazer. Just a simple black and white colorway with a gum bottom sole which was the reason I went with this colorway. Gum bottoms always make any shoe better.




Sunday: Nike Zoom Soldier III (Lebron)
Colorway: Black / White / Baltic Blue
Cost: $110.00 / Paid: $40.00
Purchased from: Footaction Outlet (Columbia SC)

Went with these Zoom Soldier III's on Sunday mainly to get them out of the way so I can take them upstairs and bring down a pair from up there. These shoes are actually Lebrons and even though the box has a huge LBJ on the top, and the shoes have the lion head logo and Lebron's name on them Nike doesn't use his name in the shoe title. These are marketed as Lebron's street ball shoe and are a pretty good seller for Nike. I just grabbed these because of the price for me at the Footaction Outlet and the Baltic Blue color just caught my eye. Only worn them a few times since I got them and in hindsight I probably let my buying zeal take over that day. I bought about 6 pair that day and probably should have left these on the table. Oh well, they're mine now.

Non-Nike Monday: New Balance 574
Colorway: Pink / Black / Grey
Cost: ? / Paid: $9.99
Purchased from: Footlocker Dutch Square Mall (Columbia SC)

I know I did away with Nike SB Friday's but I am still going with Non-Nike Mondays and today I went with these New Balance 574. Picked these shoes up a few years ago while my boy was working at Footlocker and they had these on clearance for $9.99. I know some people would be scared to rock them because of the pink in them but that is what made me get them, well that and the fact that they were $9.99. I'm not turning down any shoe if they are $9.99. Just a funky shoe I throw on every so often to see what kind of looks, stares, and comments I get during the day. I have to go to Home Depot later today and I'm pretty sure at least one or two people will do a double take. Always happens. Till Wednesday, Cheapsoles

King Of The Mountain And Proof Nike Is Flooding The Market

Nike Air Max 90 Premium
"King of The Mountain" / "Mowabb"
Champagne / Cream / Sport Royal

Nike Mowabb 3

Today's shoe is the Nike Air Max 90 Premium "King of thr Mountain" or "Mowabb" depending on who you ask. They are called "King of the Mountain" because it says King of the Mountain across the heel and on the insole. They are also called the "Mowabb's" because the colorway is directly inspired by the Nike Mowabb 3. The colorway for this pair is Champagne / Cream / Sport Royal although they also include orange and black. They retailed for $110 and surprise, surprise, that is exactly what I paid for them when I bought them back in 2008. I got them from Commonwealth in the Norfolk / Virgina Beach area that December when we went up there to visit my wife's family over the holiday's. That was the same day I bought my pairs of SB Dunk Mid "Moats" & "Spider-Mans".

These '90s have a black fish scale mudguard and a clear sole with eyeball and open mouth drawn on the bottom. They also came with a set of secondary laces in an orange & blue speckled pattern. They are a little much even for me so they have been in the box the entire time I've owned them. As a matter of fact, I've only worn these a handful of times because I didn't have anything to match them like I wanted until last week when I got a great William Rast button up from Target (William Rast is Justin Timberlake's clothing line and the shirt was 75% off). I usually just wore a black t-shirt but now I actually have something with the right shade of blue and champagne to really set the shoes off. Of course, I can't wear the shoes again for almost a year.

So I went to DTLR today and took a few pics of some of the things they still have in stock that were hyped up as huge releases but are still sitting on their shelves. Proves that Nike is either over producing certain models or are dropping to many models to closely together.

Nike Air Max 90 Boot & Going Twitter Happy

Nike Air Max 90 Boot

Baroque Brown / Volt / Varsity Purple

Since today was supposed to be another rainy day here in South Carolina, it did actually rain today just not until I was in for the night, I went with this pair of Nike Air Max 90 Boots. These have been in the stash for about three years now and get pulled out two or three times a year depending on the weather and my mood. Since they're in the upstairs part of the collection I have to be in the mood to get them that morning. Plus I have to do it without the kids noticing or else I have two little followers up the stairs. These shoes retailed for $120.00 originally and I got them for $26.00 at the Footaction Outlet in Columbia. The colorway is listed as Baroque Brown / Volt / Varsity Purple but there are also touches of green, red, and black in the shoe. The insole has what looks to be a Marching Band Leader and markings for a football field. Not really sure what the point of that is and can't find any information online so maybe somebody at Nike was just bored. Or maybe these were supposed to be part of some package but the other shoes got shelved. As the Tootsie Pop ad says, "The world may never know.".

Since it was a dreary day and I didn't have much to do I got bored and just went twitter crazy for a little while. Actually, twitter and facebook crazy to be honest. Part of the problem is I finally got rid of my HTC Touch Pro 2 which was a great phone but since it was Windows based there were almost no apps for it. I could use facebook & twitter on it but it was more trouble then it was worth. Now I have a Samsung Epic and just started tweeting and posting whatever popped into my head today. Next thing I know I'm having conversations with a bunch of my friends from Aiken about all kind of things. I think me and my boy Chris even decided to start going to storage unit auctions to see what we can get. Both of us have been watching way to much A&E and History Channel. Plus I've been listening to a lot of '90s era R&B and Hip-Hop and started tweeting about one hit wonder artists all day. I've always wondered what happens to guys like that. Are the kids from Rottin Razkals working at the cable company now? Where are all the guys from Portrait and Lo-Key? Are the girls from Jade selling Avon now? This is what happens when I have to much time alone. I really need to find a job or better hobby. Till tomorrow, Cheapsoles

Nike Air Force 1 Premium '07 "Bone" & Random Thoughts

Nike Air Force 1 Premium '07 "Bone"

Light Bone / Light Bone / Volt / Black

Today's shoe is the Nike Air Force 1 Premium '07 "Bone" which might be the official nickname or could just be be what somebody wrote on the box in the Foot Locker stockroom but I like it so I've always gone with it. The official colorway is listed as Light Bone / Light Bone / Volt / Black so I assume "Bone" is the nickname. I bought these at the Footaction Outlet at least 2 years ago where they were on sale for 70% off the original retail price of $125, that's means I paid $37.50 for them which to me is a helluva deal. The laces and lining are a very bright almost neon green which is the "volt" color in the colorway listing.The outside of the shoe is a combination of some very nice premium leather and what appears to be a hard canvas material. The insole has what looks to be apples printed on it which must have some meaning but I haven't been able to find it. All in all, these are a very nice pair of Premium AF1's and when worn with the right shirt really pop. Plus the colors will always get comments and noticed so they are great when trying to get noticed.



So been a while since I did this but here goes, why do people keep asking God to help with gas prices on Facebook like God really check their status updates? And just so those of you who haven't made the connection, complaining about gas prices and electricity prices is the same damn thing. Your electric bill is high because of the price of gas. And instead of bitching about gas prices why don't you bitch about the fact that we have to use gas instead of several alternative fuel options? Why do women give Alicia Keys a pass for wrecking Swizz Beats family but act like Angelina Jolie is the worst person ever? Seriously, what has Jen Anniston done since Brad left to make you believe that marriage would have lasted anyways? She been passed around Hollywood more then Superhead at a video shoot. Speaking of Superhead, can we just start calling Amber Rose "Superhead V.2"? You went from Kanye to Wiz and trying to pretend like you traded up? And I know I'm bout to piss some people off with this one but Jennifer Hudson needs to do a movie or drop a CD asap. She's getting real close to being famous for being the singer who's family was killed. People act like she was a huge megastar before that. She has been in two movies people remember and two other movies nobody saw and has dropped one album which, lets be honest, didn't sell until after the tragedy. Not saying I'm not a fan, but all anybody talks about is what happened not her talent. Plus she lost to much weight, she to skinny now. One last thing, why in the hell does anybody watch "America's Next Top Model"? None of those women have ever done anything. I have no idea who has won any season of that show but these girls supposed to be famous models for winning. And by the way, there is no such thing as a supermodel anymore so unless you talking about one of the originals stop using the word.