June 29, 2008 by hunter.

What does Herzogenaurach, Germany, mean to sneaker fans? Those with a taste for history may know it as the town where Adi and Rudy Dassler started a shoe factory after World War I. They made some great shoes, but a bitter feud developed, and they split to form their own companies, Adidas and Puma. See- Adi Dassler, Adi-das? Thank goodness Puma wasn’t called Rudydas. (According to wikipedia, it was originally called Ruda- blech). Sneaker Wars, written by Barbara Smit, chronicles the history of these two companies.

I haven’t read the book yet, but I have always been interested in this story of two brothers who went on to found my two favorite sneaker brands. This book is sure to be on my summer reading list.

Posted in Books, Business, Adidas, Puma | No Comments »

June 18, 2008 by hunter.

Veja has created a line of sneakers using organic cotton and fair trade rubber. Check out the promo video below:

So I scoped the Veja site. The good news is they have loads of styles & colorways. The bad news is that the site is almost entirely in French. Apparently the company is half-French, half-Brazilian. Anyway, they have a blog in English. If you’re into the social consciousness thing, you should check them out. They even have kids & baby shoes. Check out the fraises (strawberry) baby shoes- they are pretty nice. I also like the grey green Gramas- good color balance. Which one(s) do you like? And would you buy a sneaker to support green initiatives? After seeing these styles, I might.

Posted in Doing good, Video | No Comments »

June 18, 2008 by hunter.

Alright. This story isn’t entirely sneaker-related, but the story has some serious legs (sorry- bad pun). So you are enjoying a nice waterside stroll in British Columbia when you notice a strange object in the distance. What is it? A letter in a bottle? Nope. It’s a human foot in a sneaker.

Blech. The weird thing is that this has happened 6 times now. And another weird part is that 5 of the 6 feet have been right feet- only one lefty. But don’t worry- authorities think they know what is happening. The spot these feet are being located is close to a site where a plane crashed and sank 3 years ago. Oh, ok. That’s gross, but it kinda makes sense. But wait- there were only 4 bodies from that crash that were never recovered. And there are at least 5 separate feet (all righties). What’s going on?

In any case, you might be wondering what this has to do with sneakers. Well, the latest foot was found in a men’s size 10 Adidas. No word on the style. According to this article, the 2nd foot was discovered in a Reebok. Stories about the other 4 feet are severely lacking in shoe details, but 2 of the shoes were 12s, and one was a 10.5.

If you find a sneaker on the shore in BC, you might not want to pick it up. Otherwise, stay fresh (and dry).

Posted in Reebok, Odd, Adidas | No Comments »

June 15, 2008 by hunter.

Puma released their 1st quarter earnings for 2008, and they were slightly below analysts’ forecasts. Read the full article here.  Also, Adidas reported that first-quarter earnings fell on higher advertising spending. For more financial details, read the Reuters article. Let’s do our part and pick up some new sneakers today!

Posted in Business, Adidas, Puma | No Comments »

June 2, 2008 by hunter.

I set up a Flickr page for Sneaks Outta Left Field.  Right now it has the June ‘08 Sneak of the Month pics (that are also on this blog). Enjoy.

Posted in Pics | No Comments »

June 1, 2008 by hunter.

Drum roll please…badabadabadabadabadabadabumm!!!

Here it is, the very first Sneaks Outta Left Field Sneak of the Month! The ‘centerfold’ for June 2008 is the Puma California Shoe Biz edition!

This pair has been patiently waiting in its box since its release. On June 1st, it was finally unleashed. After getting a deep breath of fresh air, these sneaks roared through town. I LOVE orange, and splatter effects (such as the Puma Jetters) boost this pair even higher in my eyes. I was lucky enough to snag one of the 150 pair produced, and since it is rare, I plan to only wear these sneaks once. What better opportunity than my birthday? These sneaks enjoyed their moment in the sun, and they rest easy knowing that while they hibernate in their box, the month of June is theirs.

Posted in Sneak of the Month, Pics, Puma | No Comments »