Most wanted sneakers Fall 2015

Sometimes I'll go for quite a while without there being any sneakers that I'm particularly  interested in, and the more pairs I have, the more discerning I become about what I buy. But sometimes a whole bunch of stuff appears that I'm super excited about, and Fall 2015 is shaping up to be a pretty good season...

1. If you've been following my blog you'll know how much I love the Jordan XX9. So I was very excited when this pair were announced this week as part of the 'Feng Shui' pack. The turquoise midsole and purple jumpman really pop against the super clean white upper. Theres talk of these being a China only release, but hopefully I'll get a chance to pick these up.

2. I've never been that into the Jordan VIII, but there's something about this '3 Peat' colourway that I really like. I think its the contrasting white and black colour-blocks and then the bright details (that represent the three teams that Jordan beat to win his first three championships) that give it a great '90s throwback style. You could definitely see the Fresh Prince rocking these with a brightly coloured shell-suit.

3. I have a couple of pairs of Jordan 1's in red/black/white, and a pair in black/royal would be a welcome addition to my sneaker rotation. The low top version is a little different and it makes for a versatile shoe for autumn.

4. I really like what Converse have done with the Chuck II and I was very tempted to pick up a pair in royal blue from the release pack. But I'm a sucker for maroon, and I love this colour that was just announced as one of the Fall colours.

5. The Air Max Sensation is another '90's era basketball shoe that brings back great memories for me. I vividly remember a kid from school called Alex had a pair of these and I always loved the oversized chunky feel and big max air units. They also have the swoosh on the toe-box that is one of my favourite details from that era of Nike basketball shoes.

6. This is where things get really interesting. Apparently the Hornets colours of the Jordan XIII which were originally player exclusives for Chris Paul when he played for New Orleans, are actually being released. There's nothing confirmed at the moment, and no word on when this is happening, but as the XIII is my favourite Jordan shoe, and I'm a big Chris Paul fan so I'm pretty excited about this. Hopefully its actually happening, they won't be too limited and that I'll be able to get a hold of a pair.

Most Wanted Spring 2015

With the New Year firmly underway it seems like a good time to have a look at some of the bits and pieces I want to add to my wardrobe for Spring 2015.

1. The first entry is a carry over from my Fall/Winter most wanted back at the end of August. I haven't been able to find a well priced varsity jacket that I've liked, but I'm definitely still on the look out. I'm going to New York at the end of March so I'm thinking it'll be the perfect chance to find a great jacket.

2. One of my new years resolutions is to get outdoors and do more walking and running in the country. I did some canoeing for a friends stag-do last year and I'd love to do another canoe trip at some point this year. Combine that with my love of the Cabela hunting games and I'm thinking a bit of a hunting look might be good for spring. I've always really liked the Realtree camouflage designs, and its a great fresh take on regular camouflage which is always everywhere in streetwear. Under Armour make some awesome jackets that I might look at when I do some actual adventuring, but for now I think a crew neck sweat would look really smart for everyday wear.

3. If you've been a professional wrestling fan at any point of your life you should definitely check out Stone Cold Steve Austins podcast. Austin still has all the awesome character and attitude that you remember from when he was WWE champion, and his shows are a great mixture of interviews with wrestlers, nostalgia for his days in the ring and hilarious stories of Austins current life on the Broken Skull Ranch. So I'm thinking a classic Austin 3:16 shirt is the perfect way to celebrate the good old days of the attitude era.

4. I visited the British Museum last year with a friend and we spent a bunch of time looking at the watches and clock displays. I was blown away by the design and craftsmanship of some of the pocket watches that were made over a hundred years ago. Ever since I've been thinking of getting a skeleton watch, something that reflects the style of some of the watches I saw where you can see the mechanisms and the details that go into a watch movement.

5. Now this is a bit of a long shot, and I'm planning on writing a whole post on these, but I'm looking to try and get a pair of the St Vincent St Marys LeBron IV's. Never released to the public and 8 years old its going to be really hard to find my size. Plus I need to save some pennies as they're going to be super expensive. But its something to aim for, and something special for my LeBron collection.

Most Wanted Fall 2014

With summer coming to an end I'm starting to look forward to breaking out some autumn clothing, and maybe adding a few bits and pieces to the wardrobe. So heres the stuff I'm looking to pick up this fall...

1. Being a big American sports guy I've always been tempted by a varsity jacket, I love the all American collegiate feel. However a few years back they really blew up in the UK and the highstreet was over saturated by cheap sweatshirt versions that really killed them. But I think a quality jacket with a wool body and leather sleeves is still pretty classic. I love this version by Opening Ceremony from a couple of seasons ago. Hopefully I can find something similar, or if I can find a nice blank jacket I can customise it with my own patches.

2. When its cooler out I pretty much live in flannel shirts. I love how easy they are to layer up with tees and jackets and how comfy and warm they are in the cold. I have a bunch already but I don't have a classic red/black buffalo plaid. Its the classic lumberjack look (hopefully not too hipster), and just shouts of log cabins, open fires and cold winter days. (Filson shirt pictured).

3. I've loved using my Carhartt tote bag for work all summer (see it here), but think I need something a little more substantial for autumn/winter (and something that closes and keeps the rain out). I'd looked at the Filson zip tote before (even reserving one in store), but had decided it was a little on the large size. However I've actually liked having the bigger tote bag (I can fit more crap in it), so might go back and check them out again.

4. Okay, so I'm not entirely sure on this, but I'm kind of feeling brown denim. The pair pictured are actually Gap kids, which is were I saw them and thought they looked pretty awesome. I haven't actually seen an adults size pair that I like, but I think they have a cool rugged autumn feel to them, like a harder wearing khaki.

5. As a sneaker guy I'm really uninspired by everything thats being put out at the moment. The general public seems to have a cycle of sneaker hype, the first half of the year was all about New Balance being totally played out, and now its all about Huaraches being completely over hyped. I know people in general buy whats available on the highstreet but I find people just buying whatever the current popular hypey shoe is really depressing. Which is why seeing the rerelease of the éS Accel shoe is so refreshing. The tan suede is really smart and I always love a gum sole. Its just something different to the current Nike releases, while also reminding me of all the awesome Etnies and Adio skate shoes I wore as a teenager.

6. To say I'm excited about LeBron being back in Cleveland is a little bit of an understatement and while the Timberwolves are my true team, I was a big Cavs fan during the first part of LeBrons career there. I struggled to root for the Heat too much to start with but eventually came around, LeBrons just too good to hate on. His return to Cleveland is such a great storey and I definitely want to pick up a new jersey to play in. I'm a big fan of maroon so I really like the wine coloured Cavs jersey, plus I need something to wear when I go see them play in Brooklyn in March.