Nike Air Karst Z

YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGFbsrBq8Hg

NKE

This year I finally achieved a goal I have wanted to do for many years now, which was invest in the stock market. I first became interested in investing after a high school teacher spoke to the class about it one day. He said that realistically investing was the only way we could achieve a happy life without money problems. Like most teenagers, I always assumed that after university I would be making thousands and wouldn’t care about saving for the future. But that talk the teacher made really hit home, and I looked at my future differently. Shortly after I started a savings account at my bank, and started to read books about investing. As the years passed I did keep to a well managed credit balance on my savings and credit cards, but I never invested in the stock market. The reason for this was because I was too intimidated to do anything. I felt I didn’t have enough money to invest, or I wasn’t knowledgeable enough to know where to being.

Over time, the years passed and I kept feeling awful that I never did anything. Then this year I told myself that I needed to get off my butt and finally jump in head first, and learn about investing along the way through trial and error. I booked an appointment with a bank consultant, and she helped me with my questions and doubts. That meeting led me to finally invest in my favourite company, NKE (nike). I chose Nike because I know it’s a company that is run well, that has room to grow, and that is always on a buy list. Now that it’s been a few months since I bought my stocks, I am finally getting annual reports from this company as a shareholder (booklet pictured). This was exactly how I wanted to learn about investing, because it being Nike keeps me involved in my investments because I am interested enough to read everything about this company and how it works. This is also my advice for anyone else who is also interested in investing; invest in a company that will get you motivated enough to want to know everything about that company so that you’re always involved with your investments.

Nike Biz:

http://www.nikebiz.com/

NKE Google:

http://www.google.ca/finance?client=ob&q=NYSE:NKE

The Story of Nike

Title: The Story of Nike (Spirit of Success)

Author: Scott Hays

Publisher: Creative Education

This is a children’s book that comes in a hard cover that I really liked because it is very easy to read and it gives a real quick overview story of how Nike was started. What I really liked the most about this book was most of the pictures it has from Nike. Some of my favorites include pictures of Steve Prefontaine running for Oregon (in Nikes), Michael Jordan not wearing Air Jordan’s, Phil Knight in his office, Phil with his wife (Penny), and an over head view of Nike headquarters in Beaverton.

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Nike-Spirit-Success/dp/1583400060/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Brazil Jersey

I was born in Central America and grew up in Canada. Unfortunately both my birth country (El Salvador) and home country (Canada) suck in soccer. As a result in my home we were forced to choose an alternative team to cheer for; either Brazil or Argentina. I love both teams but I have always been smitten by the Brazilian team. Their history is amazing with such greats as Pelé and Ronaldo; their style of play is breathtaking with samba-like moves, their wins are impressive with having won 5 world cups, and their future seems bright with up and coming players such as Neymar and Pato. While the team is currently not performing at its greatest, it is still a fairly young team that can be built into something amazing by the upcoming World Cup in Brazil. Till then I picked up this amazing Brazil jersey to enjoy. It is not the actual on-the-pitch version, but a cotton Dri-fit version from Nike. I love this material because it doesn’t stick to my skin when I start to sweat. It is solid yellow with a green strip along the shoulders. It is also an upgrade from my previous t-shirt jersey that I got in 1998. I don’t have many jerseys in my collection, but hope to start featuring them on this blog.

YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8YzaGs9Ug0

Nike SB SF Giants Dunks

The Nike SB SF Giants Dunk were released summer/fall 2010, however at that point I was occupied with other issues and was unable to buy a pair. I didn’t even know about this pair until early 2011. While it would have been nice to buy them as soon as they came out and wear them while watching the San Francisco Giants win the World Series; waiting until later was monetarily beneficial. In short nobody gave these sneakers much hype, so I was able to buy my pair for real cheap. While I do appreciate buying them cheap, I also loved that the hype was low because most of my Nike SB’s have never been worn and over time their hype rises in value.

Not to say I’m a reseller because I don’t plan on selling mine. I just look at sneakers as works of art and having them look flawless is my preference. So I’m usually stuck with this conundrum; how do I wear my sneakers, and yet keep them deadstock in the box? Of course the easy answer would be to buy two pairs, ‘one to rock and one to stock’. However I don’t have the funds or the room to do that. So my solution is to keep the one’s I view as art in the box, and the ones that are still nice but don’t carry any hype worn on my feet. The SF Giants Dunks fulfilled my need to still be able to wear a nice pair of sneakers, and not be worried that one day they’ll be worth hundreds of dollars. In all honesty I have been buying Nike SB’s for years but have never worn a pair. I would just buy my size and then look at them at home and store them in the box after. I have done this similar ritual with my toy collection where I prefer to see them in mint condition packaging.


So I am now writing this blog entry a few days after haven worm them for some time. My concerns about wearing them before were that they would hurt my feet after wearing them all day. However these concerns soon dissipated after a few hours of wear because they felt so comfortable. This comfort is mainly due to the Zoom Air cushioning, the ample amount of space around the ankle and the plush cushioning around the ankle support and tongue. Sure I do realize that not everyone will come to the same conclusion surrounding this sneaker, but for me the Nike SB Dunk low has felt so comfortable. Heck, they’re more comfortable than retro Jordan’s (but that’s another subject). For now I can say that Nike SB Dunks are the only sneakers I want to buy. Apart from the comfort, these sneakers are also beautiful. The Dunk provides such a vast pallet for colours and materials that unique interpretations by designers can seem endless. The SF Giant Dunks were designed by Shawn Baravetto; Nike SB’s Footwear Product Line Manager.

Nike SB:
http://www.nikeskateboarding.com/archive#/year/2010/id/36/name/zoom_dunk_low_sb
YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONEQ_MjmVW4

Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight

Title: Bill Bowerman & Phil Knight: Building the Nike Empire

Author: Keith Elliot Greenberg

Art Work: Dick Smolinski

Publisher: Blackbirch Press

Sometimes the way I like to find books to read is by looking at the bibliography of a book I have read and seeing what similar titles I would enjoy reading. This is how I happened to find this book, Bill Bowerman & Phil Knight: Building the Nike Empire. My next step is to look in the library catalogue to see if they have it, that way I don’t have to buy the book. Luckily I was able to find this title, but was surprised to find out that it was a children’s book when I went to go pick it up. Regardless of that fact I still decided to read it. The book is about 48 pages long and is pretty easy to read. Like most kids book’s it gives a general overview by showing how Nike was started, focusing especially on Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. Although it is short it does include many interesting facts about Bowerman (serving in the U.S. Tenth Mountain Division and taking a pair of sneakers) and Knight (using his mother’s laundry room as an office). The book also comes with drawings that are paintings, something that I’m sure kids will enjoy. This is a great book that I recommend for kids and children of all ages.

Amazon link to buy:

http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Bowerman-Phil-Knight-Building/dp/1567110851/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_7

Funky Foot Stickers 2011

An original design with this concept Funky Foot stickers “to stick under the foot.  Frieke Severs work as part of their plans to study at Nike EMEA. The object allows for better movement control and more sensitivity with a flexible material, like a second skin.

Driven From Within; Michael Jordan

Title: Driven From Within
Author, Editor: Mark Vancil
Publisher: Atria
Driven From Within was released around the same time that the Air Jordan XX sneaker hit retail stores. At the time, the book reflected on the 20 years since the Air Jordan line had been created. It not only talked about the past and future of the brand, but went deeper by providing exclusive interviews with the people that helped create the brand. The book also comes with 2 foldout posters, various inspirational quotes by Michael Jordan, and numerous pictures including sneaker sketches. The combination of Tinker Hatfield interviews and pictures of his sneaker sketches is my favorite part of the book. Tinker Hatfield has been the lead Air Jordan sneaker designer since the Air Jordan III and has designed most of the sneaker line.


In his interviews he provides a detailed background as to where he got the inspiration for all of his designs. In one interview he talks about the day when he first showed Michael the Air Jordan III, at a time when Michael was unsure of whether to extend his contract with Nike. His design was so amazing that Michael decided to stay with Nike, and thus Tinker was credited with saving the Air Jordan line, and more importantly Nike. In another interview he talks about what went into designing the Air Jordan XI. Here you could see how creative Tinker can be by taking inspirations for the XI’s design from things such as high-end backpacks, the Denver International Airport, and even a yellow lawn mower. It’s one of those books that really remind’s me of how much I love sneakers and especially Air Jordan’s. This book does a nice job of describing how each Air Jordan sneaker was created and I highly recommend it for any sneaker fan.


Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Driven-Within-Michael-Jordan/dp/B001SAREBE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292464167&sr=1-1

Nike Air Max 90 Infrared 2010 Retro

A brief history of Nike Air Max

The Air Max series from Nike was first introduced in 1987 with the Air Max 1. Although the Air unit for sneakers was invented by Frank Ruby, its research and perfection came with the help of Nike men such as Rob Strasser, Jeff Johnson and Del Hayes in the late 70’s. The first Nike sneakers to feature the technology were the Tailwinds in 1978. Although the actual Air unit never exploded, the shoes were a disaster for Nike because the material used to make them was coming apart. Luckily Nike kept using the technology in certain sneakers, and these sneakers were met with success. Unfortunately by the mid 80’s Nike was losing its place as top sneaker brand to Reebok, and so by 1985 Rob Strasser acknowledge that Nike needed a new look. With the help of Peter Moore, Strasser decided to once again focus on Air technology. Moore then asked Tinker Hatfield, to design an upper for a sneaker that would feature a visible Air unit and the result was the Air Max 1. Tinker took inspiration for its design from the George Pompidou centre in Paris. What made the Air Max so special was that it combined a visible Air window that you could see through, and that the unit carried the maximum amount of air that could be put into a sneaker. Lamentably Strasser and Moore left Nike soon after, and the next Air Max design was left in the hands of Hatfield.

Air Max 90

The third generation of Air Max, now known as the Air Max 90 was first released in 1990. On Saturday, July 24th, 2010 Nike re-released this classic in its most popular colorway, Infrared. In Canada retail for this retro sneaker was $124.99 while in the U.S. they were only $94.99. The colors used on this sneaker are white, cement grey, black and infrared. The upper uses a mesh material, the overlay has a fabric that is similar to felt, and the mudguard uses synthetic leather. The sneaker is also accented with plastic rubber patches around the lace holes and heel. A feature that I like about this sneaker is how smooth the bottom sole feels like when you touch it, almost as smooth as vinyl toys. The 2010 Infrareds have a lot of cushioning in them and so I had to get a half size larger. Although this retro for 2010 was a limited release, they weren’t that difficult to get (no need to line up for them). They also came in an all brown box that Nike has been using for about a year now, that is highlighted with various past Nike logos. As far as comfort is concerned, these are just the best thing to wear on your feet. They are so comfortable and they feel like your walking on air (pun intended). I don’t have any criticisms for this sneaker since it is a retro but I would say that the laces could be a little thicker, and that the upper mesh material isn’t as breathable as current contemporary models. Other than that, these are a must buy for anyone that loves and appreciates Nike running shoes. I intended to celebrate the unofficial 20th anniversary of this model by wearing it as much as possible.





YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beIVKmlaVMM