Kenin's & Ka. Pliskova's Fila Tennis Shoes

 Here are some close-up shots of the Fila Axilus 2 Energized (limited edition) shoes worn by Karolina Pliskova and Sofia Kenin during the 2020 U.S. Open grand slam tournament.

Karolina Pliskova

Sofia Kenin

Although I like the colour, I'm not particularly turned on by the "F" symbol.  It makes the shoes look like a second-tier brand - a cut below Mizuno, Asics, New Balance, etc..  It looks more like a sewn-on tag that you'd find on the inside of a shirt, telling you how to wash it.  Ha ha!!

Under Armour Shoes Discarded

Have you seen these shoes?  They are the Under Armour Valsetz RTS 1.5 WP tactical boots.  The police are on the hunt for these to help track down a missing man.

They were worn and possibly discarded by a 34-year-old schizophrenic man who usually takes long walks in bare feet.  He wears a size 10 and is located in Victoria BC, Canada.  Anyone who sees these shoes shouldn't touch them and should contact the police right away.

*Yeah right.  Good luck telling that to a shoe junkie.*

More details can be found in this article.  

If you like these boots, you can purchase them here.

Springy Shoes (Mizuno Wave Rider 24)

Remember the Enerzy technology Mizuno introduced earlier this year that I mentioned in this link?  Welp, it piqued my curiosity and I've decided to experience "the bounce" for myself.  These came in a couple of weeks ago.

From having tried these on indoors, I can attest to Mizuno's technological claims.  You can feel the cushioning but it's firm enough that you can feel your forward momentum being propelled as you push off.  You will also be able to the extra bounciness when you jump and land.  I'm a heavier-weighing guy so it will definitely absorb a lot of the shock my knees and back would take on without.

There are other shoe models that have this springy technology in them.  If you want to try out the Enerzy technology I will provide the direct links for your convenience:

• Men's Wave Rider 24 (green) (grey) (GTX) (Waveknit)
• Men's Wave Sky 4 (black)
• Women's Wave Rider 24 (ice blue) (GTX) (Wknt - pink) (Wknt - black)
• Women's Wave Sky 4 (arctic ice)

GTX = Goretex:  It means the shoe is completely waterproof.  Good for hiking or running in wet weather.

Shapovalov vs. Korda

Here, we have Denis Shapovalov's Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Knit shoes and Sebastian Korda's pink Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 2s in a first-round match at the 2020 U.S. Open.

The black Adidas stripe is not scrape-worn.  It's simply on 

there by design.  Sure fooled me.

Don't forget the outsole.  It obviously matters to the 

shoe designers.

Shoes that 19 Celebrities Wear to the Gym

 

I came across this article and picked out what I think showed the more interesting shoes of the bunch.

Rosie Huntington-Whitely

Naomi Watts

Reese Witherspoon

Sofia Vergara

Taylor Swift & Gigi Hadid

Jessica Alba

Khloe Kardashian

Jordana Brewster

Here's another list of celebrities in athletic shoes.

Naomi Osaka's Pink Nikes

 Below is some screen captures I pulled from the TSN broadcast of the U.S. Open 2020.  These are the custom-coloured Nike Air GP Turbos, with the message:  "Home is where the heart is" written on them.

Clash of the Colourfuls (Serena vs. Pironkova)

Here we not only have two really good tennis players duking it out in the 2020 U.S. Open quarter-finals to advance to the next round, but the two pairs of shoes are competing for something in their own right - the shoe lovers' attention!!  What you like depends on whether or not you like the plum purple more than the diva pink.

In case you're wondering, Tsvetana Pironkova sports the Asics GEL-Resolution 7, while Serena Williams counters with customized NikeCourt Flare 2, a variation only she has access to.  No wonder it's so hard to find out the shoe model name for these Nikes.

Below are a pair of zoomed-out pictures of these shoes.

Novak Djokovic & His Shoes Got Kicked Out

It looks as though Djokovic and his Asics Court FF Novaks won't be seen for the rest of the 2020 US Open Tournament.

 No, it's not because he has a bad left shoulder.

It's because he hit a line judge while casually whacking the ball back towards the wall in frustration of his underperformance.  It wasn't even hit all that hard but it struck her square in the Adam's Apple resulting in her gagging.  This took place on Sunday, September 6, 2020.

After some careful thought and analysis, the chair umpire was forced to make Novak yield the match to his opponent, Pablo Carreno Busta, and will forfeit all of his prize money accumulated in 2020 US Open tournament, as well as all the ranking points he has accumulated from his tournament match wins.

Interesting read:  Lineslady harassed & death-threatened

Jamal Murray's #BlackLivesMatter Tribute

Canadian NBA star of the Denver Nuggets was overcome with emotion when asked about his shoes and what they stood for after his team's win on Saturday evening.

His left shoe has a sketching of Breonna Taylor and his right shoe bears George Floyd's face.  Pretty boring pair of shoes otherwise but the nice artwork made these hightops blog-worthy.

Interesting read:  George Floyd hoax

More Kobe Bryant Tributes

Sunday, August 23 would've been Kobe Bryant's 42nd birthday.  Some of you may have already seen these previous Kobe-tributed sneakers.  In memory of Kobe's passing in the helicopter accident earlier in the year, here are some more Kobe-based artistic showings:

Expensive Shoes Stolen in Break-and-Enter in Nanaimo

Several pairs of Gucci and Yeezy shoes worth hundreds of dollars taken in break-in June 8 

NANAIMO NEWS STAFF / Jun. 8, 2020 / 4:15 p.m. / LOCAL NEWSNEWS 

Nanaimo RCMP are counting hundreds of dollars worth of shoes among the items that went missing in a recent break-and-enter. 

Police in Nanaimo have listed Yeezy and Gucci shoes valued at hundreds of dollars among items 

taken in a break-and-enter at a residence in Harewood on the weekend. (Photo submitted)

According to police, the incident happened Sunday, sometime between 1 a.m. and 1 p.m., at a townhouse in the 300 block of Hillcrest Ave. in Harewood. 

The homeowner told police he and his roommates were asleep during the break-in and had forgotten to lock their door before retiring for the night. 

The items taken, which also included a Gucci wallet, were near a door which was found open. 

Investigators canvassed the area nearby and learned that a man was seen near the residence at approximately 6 a.m. on the day of the break-in. He was described as caucasian, six feet tall, with a slim build, in his mid 20s and was wearing white sweatpants, white shoes and a white-and-black-striped hoodie. 

Items taken in the break-and-enter include Gucci shoes in white with a red lip design, Adidas Yeezy shoes with green mesh, Yeezy shoes in brown and black, and a yellow wallet with a red and white embroidered snake design. The contents of the wallet included debit and credit cards, Vancouver Island University student ID and a Chinese government ID card. 

All debit and credit cards were immediately cancelled and no fraudulent activity has been reported. 

Anyone with information about the the stolen items or the man seen near the residence is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.

Evolution of the Reebok Logo

I was never a fan of the old Reebok slash-mark logo.  I didn't think it looked good at all and the form became obtrusive when trying to design the look of the shoe based on that.  However, there is the occasion when that logo blends in well with the shoe design.  Have a look at this example.  The logo "dictates" the design, but I digress.  Below are the iterations of Reebok's past logos:

The 2014 logo is their most current logo to this date.  The delta logo is used to symbolize what the (shoe) company wants to promote - a change for the better in social, mental, and physical health.  Our bodies are meant to move and getting physically active on a regular basis addresses those issues.  Matt O'Toole, head of the global brand explains:

Further thoughts on this topic can be read here.

I like the delta logo much better.  It's more aesthetically pleasing, more modern and more relevant.  The logo doesn't look so out-of-place and you don't have design the shoe based on this logo just to make the shoe look good.  Here is a screen capture of the Crossfit Nano 5.0 from the video:

To see my custom-coloured version of this shoe model, refer to this post.  You can slap the delta logo on many more design styles than the streak-slash logo, without making it look out of place.

Altra Superior 4.0 Trail Runners

For those who have narrow heel and midfoot but wider in the forefoot, look to the Altra-branded shoes.  These ones caught my eye so I will showcase these.  Gotta love the colorway with the line-art mountain range drawn over the shoe's midfoot area.

Breakthrough Shoe Cushioning Technology

These are supposedly said to give you an extra spring to your step.  Watch the second video in this post to see how bouncy this material is.  I was thinking about getting a pair just to see what the fuss is all about but I don't want to pay U$300 for a style and colour I don't like.

New Reebok Nano X Colours

I'm not a big fan of Reebok's vectorial symbol that the company used as its logo on this shoe model but I do admire the unique colour combos.

Three People Disguised as Shoes

They start out as 3 single high-heeled shoes.  Before you know it, one by one they emerge as costumed people.  Very cool stuff indeed.

Some People Really ARE That Bad

So in the early stages of my analysis of the death-threat ploy that was directed towards me, a family member wanted to tell his co-workers about my situation, but he couldn't.  He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that people would death-threaten me just for photographing people's shoes.  Yes, eventually I was able to figure out what Nanaimo's Frontrunners' motive was.  Still, however, the below example will clearly show that people can do bad things to each other without having a sensible reason.

I would highly recommend watching:  MacGyver Season 4 (ep 19) - "Unfinished Business".  A lady constantly seeks revenge to kill MacGyver.  In the end, she finds herself hanging off a ledge and seconds away from falling to her death.  MacGyver attempts to save her but she tries to stab him anyway and he had to relinquish the grip he had on her hand.  He couldn't understand why she did what she did.  

Jack Dalton gave MacGyver some comforting words that he did nothing to incite her actions and that it was her choice.  Pete sheds light on her actions by telling a very insightful story about a turtle and a scorpion, analogous to what had just happened.

The scorpion is the turtle's predator.  When they need to cross the river, the scorpion asks for the turtle's help.  The turtle thought he had nothing to lose by obliging because the turtle needed to stay afloat for the scorpion to make it across alive.  The scorpion stings the turtle anyway.  The turtle asks:  "Why?  Why did you do that?  Now we're both going to die."  The scorpion responds:  "Because it's my nature."

Do you see what I mean now?  My mom totally gets it.  She said to me:  "There really are people who're that bad out there.  You just haven't come across one yet to know."

Fake P.I.'s Prediction

Update:  On top of what I've already mentioned about his predictions, he also told me in early 2015 that one day "Your shoe thing is going to 'take off'."  Was he referring to my blog??

When he was my confidant, he would predict a future that would see me live on no longer employed at the grocery store.  He said that he wouldn't be staying with the company forever once he was finished helping me to have the D.T.A. held accountable for her wrongdoings.  He just wouldn't let me let go of what she did to me in 2014 and the continued harassment from her that followed.  Five years ago he kept saying to me:  "Oh it's not over!  The truth will come out!  The truth will come out!"  Perhaps that was why he tried harassing me to the point that I'd lose my cool, which subsequently led to me revealing the D.T.A.'s name publically.

He also predicted that some of my enemies who have a part in slandering & harassing me based on my hobby would be forced to leave town.  He was right to some degree.  Mexican Dave sold the Nanaimo Athletic Club gym and darted back to Mexico as soon as he found out about my blog.  Jane Moxam, his manager, left the province for a while, and the desk girl broke up with the D.T.A.'s son (the one who uttered the death threat over the phone about wanting to kill me) and left town to be with another man.  Also, Marlene D., the then-Nanaimo store manager of Value Village and her family had to move away to a different store in the B.C. interior, shortly after I had posted this.

There were some strange things he had told me near the beginning of our relationship.  He told me he had gotten into a motorcycle accident and was near death.  He had a dialogue with God saying that it wasn't quite time for him to go yet and that he had some people who he needed to help.  From that point on, he was able to somewhat read into the future.

Additional notes:  I vaguely remember him mentioning that he wanted to get me out of that store 5+ years ago because he had anticipated something happening shortly after.  Little would I have imagined that it would come in the form of a virus-based pandemic. I suppose if there was a silver lining to my ordeal that I've endured is that I was able to dodge frontline working duties.

It's hard not to believe he did help me figure out the whole situation was a set-up all along.  I really do believe that God does have a mission for him.  However, if that was the case, then I'd say he corrupted his assignment.  From my viewpoint, he used his "God-assigned" purpose for his own personal gain that included taking advantage of people in vulnerable states of mind.  

In exchange for his help, he had been lying to me that he was a private investigator and that his daughter was a lawyer.  Rather than telling me what his evaluation of my situation was in one go, he gave me little bits and pieces of info over a 6-month span.  That way I'd be sucked into giving him rides to and from work, getting me to reveal gossip at work, getting me to buy food & coffee for him, and eventually duping me out of $200.  He was also trying to falsify claims of people he disliked so that he could manipulate his deceived puppets to turn against them.  Once he disliked me, he turned several of my co-workers against me.

He told me I will know when it'll be my time to leave the company and that he'll eventually leave too.  Once he's done helping me, it's on to the next person for him.  Oh, gee!  I wonder how many people he has victimized along the way and prior to "helping" me and those who he was going to victimize next during his next job.  If you're going to take this man's help, do so knowing that he has ulterior motives.  Please LEARN FROM ME!!!  He shows you he's right on some of his claims and then he mixes them in with a perfect blend of bullshit to get you hooked on him.

I Got Rejected - Pegasus 35

During the COVID-19, it's hard to find people wearing cool shoes to interact with.  Being the sneakerhead that I am, I have to seize the opportunity to ask for shoe photos when I see something good.

Today, I found a woman wearing Nike Pegasus 35.  The colour is called guava ice pink.  Here is an example of what they look like.

Everyone makes the same pair of shoes look different.  I thought the lady I saw wearing them was worth my while asking.  First, I liked her "shoe" personality, and second, I wanted the photos to be my own that I post on here.  I'm more prideful of the collages I compose with my own photos.

After she told me she got these from Footlocker a couple of years ago, I knew it was unlikely that I was going to see anyone wearing these again.  Normally, I'd present my intentions a little bit better but I have to respect the social distancing aspect and the touching of material goods, such as my business card.  Therefore, I wasn't surprised when she became reluctant to my request and that her relative consequently finalized the "no" decision for her.

As I collected my pizzas, the two women kept looking at me while I got into my car.  I can see them saying something about my request to the pizza clerk who just served me.  He had to come out to take a peek at her shoes.  It didn't seem like my request was as big of a deal to him as it did to them.  Really!  They're just (pictures of) shoes and if there was some malicious intent to it, I wouldn't have asked in such a public environment.

I was really surprised that someone who likes her shoes so much would think my request is weird.  In my experience, most of the people in the mid-to-lower working class who live in the "poorer" part in the neighbourhood are less understanding.  I find that these types of people are not very open-minded and have not exposed themselves to a vaster variety of (sneaker) fashion.

In the end, my blog is not about making people feel uncomfortable.  If the person doesn't want to pose for me, then I'm not going to be happy with the photos anyway.  Better luck next shoe.

New Altra Shoes Available

Altra shoes are best known for their roomy toe box.  If you have a wider forefoot than the normal foot, then this brand might be for you.

The extra 20% off of the already discounted prices are still in effect.  If you end up buying & wearing these, let me know in the comments below.  I'm sure your fellow blog readers will appreciate the feedback.

Mizuno Peachtree 51st Wave Rider