Any given Sunday...

Being a big sneaker guy there are often shoes that I really like, but can't justify buying as I know I won't ever really wear them much. Normally its basketball shoes that look ridiculous off court, or materials that aren't practical (suede dunks for winter?). So in the case of the Nike Zoom Turf Jet 97 do I really need a shoe thats meant for playing American football on astro turf?

A lot of my all time favourite Nike shoes are from 1995-1998. Maybe it was because I was an impressionable teenager at the time, but something about the design & style from that period really resonates with me, and the Zoom Turf Jet 97 is no exception. It has a lot of the details I love from this era, the pod design, the mix of materials, the contrast stitched swoosh, and the forefoot mini swoosh. It definitely feels like a relative of the Zoom flight 95 or the Penny 1& 2, some of my favourite basketball shoes.

So ignoring the fact that I probably won't have much occasion to wear them I did a little hunting on ebay and was able to find a lighty worn pair in my size. I got them for under £50 including shipping & tax from the states, and apart from some slight yellowing to the clear sole, they're in almost perfect condition.

There are a ton of elements that I really like about this shoe. I love the aggressive shape of the upper with the ridge design on the toe box, the big metallic strap and the studded outer-sole all making for a really strong, tough looking shoe, perfect for the gridiron. This is contrasted by the metallic pod with the zoom air detailing. This gives it the great futuristic feel that I love in performance shoes. This is all combined with the great contrasting materials. Smooth & pebbled leather, woven mesh on the tongue & heel, the metallic strap and the quilted satin lining all come together to make this an awesome looking shoe.

I have played touch American football with friends on occasion so I'm definitely going to try and organise a game for the summer so I can give the shoe an outing for its intended use. But I also think they'll look pretty good with shorts in the summer so hopefully I will get some wear from them. But also sometimes its just nice to add something to the collection.

Stuff I got in NY Part 2

I was actively searching for some things while I was shopping in NY, but this wasn't one of them, this was a complete impulse buy. While the Jaguars are my NFL team I'm also a big Peyton Manning fan. His ranking among the all time great quarter backs is a source of great discussion for NFL followers, but the level he's played at for his career means you have to admire how great Manning is and how much success he's had, even if its not always finished with a Super Bowl ring.

Modell's Sporting Goods near Madison Square Garden had a whole bunch of Nike NFL player shirts, and because a black Blake Bortles Jaguars tee didn't exactly excite me, I decided on a Manning Broncos tee. The Broncos logo on the chest and swoosh on the sleeve are smart details, and I love the bright orange colour that's going to be perfect for the Summer.

How 'bout them Jags!

With my NFL and Jaguars renaissance continuing I thought I'd rep the Jags with a new hat. I got this melton wool New Era from footballfanatics.com as they do some pretty reasonable shipping to the UK (although I did have to deal with UPS who were terrible). I'm a sucker for marled grey, and the embroidered logos look awesome (I went with the old logo of course). I also grabbed a discounted sale shirt as well. Now I'm all set for when Jacksonville come to Wembley later in the year.

Look for the Star!

I've been a Jacksonville Jaguars fan since I needed to pick a team to play with on NFL Quarter Back Club '99 on the N64. However over the last couple of years I hadn't really followed the NFL much, too much basketball to watch. But this season I made a real effort to get back into it, and even though the Jaguars are pretty terrible its been really fun. 

This of course got me hankering for a jersey (I'd sold my old Byron Leftwich jersey a few years back). Unfortunately the new Jaguars uniform and logo are awful, so I started looking for a vintage shirt. I found this 1998 Mark Brunell Starter jersey on ebay for the bargain price of $20 shipped from the states. As you can see from the pictures its in perfect condition, the print shows no sign of wear at all (I'm not sure its ever been worn), and of course it has the awesome old school Starter logo on the sleeve. Its a youth large size, so it actually fits like a shirt, and not like a tent like the mens sizes. Now if only the Jaguars could get good.