PARBLEU - LUXURY SNEAKERS FOR BRIGHT HEADS

Parbleu began in 2016 with one guy. A sneaker enthusiast in heart and soul. Growing up in the eighties and nineties, he watched from the side-lines the phenomenal rise of US and German sportswear brands. Too young to buy those air-filled masterpieces, yet old enough to understand their significance. When he was eventually able to buy his own footwear he finally got to nurture what was by then a healthy sneaker fetish. And put together an awe-inspiring collection of the best the sneaker industry had to offer.

But as he grew older, his tastes changed. Moving towards the so-called classic sneakers. The simpler the better. And it’s with this attitude he design Parblue sneakers today: sophisticated retakes on classic silhouettes. Using extraordinary premium materials, to provide you with a superior sneaker for a fair price. 

Go check yourself on their website or in some high end stores in Amsterdam like 1 and Pauw.

THE ICONIC WHITES

Spring is coming and that means that you get yourself some fresh new white sneakers. They are like a blank page to start your season. And like the guys on top you can't get wrong with a classic white canvas. Either you buy yourself some Seavees, a Jack Purcell like James Dean & Steve Mcqueen or some Sperry Topsiders like JFK not to forget the new a fresh pair of Chucks.

ZESPA AIX EN PROVENCE - HAUTE DE GAMME SNEAKERS

Yesterday I was in Maastricht and just ran into a girl with a great pair of sneakers, I didn't know the brand so I asked her and she said these are Zespà sneakers and they have a men's line too. I rushed home and checked the internet to find out more about them.

Zespà, Aix-en-Provence is a French brand which started in 2009 by 3 who met each other at the Ecole Nationale des Arts et Métiers d' Aix-en-Provence they had the idea to reinvent the traditional espadrille as a luxury accessoire. In 2014 they launched the Haute Gamme Sneakers. 

The  “Zespà ZSP4” model comes in different color ways.  A round-toe athletic style silhouette is chosen for the French footwear, featuring calf leather upper and lining, flat rubber sole and painted gold lettering on the heel. The “Offwhite” number features a light body with contrasting heel and tongue. Designed in Aix-En-Provence, made in Cholet, a shoe that takes the Adidas Stan Smith style to a new level.

GRENSON X NEW BALANCE COLLAB

New Balance X Grenson

In 2010 an idea was born.

Imagine a true collaboration where two factories actually came together to manufacture one shoe.

Then, just to make it a bit more difficult, imagine if one factory was a traditional English benchmade factory and the other was a sneaker factory, and imagine if they were at opposite sides of the country

Five years later they created a shoe that has been partly made in the Grenson factory in Northamptonshire, and partly made at the New Balance factory in Flimby.

It’s a limited edition of only 800 pairs, and for 399,95 euro's they are yours.

ONE SHOE. TWO FACTORIES.

NEW YORK CITY BOYS

The Pet Shop Boys sang about the New York City Boys and George Elder shoot them in the streets of  the city that never sleeps.

J.CREW'S LIMITED KICKS - NEW BALANCE 990 V.1 PACK

Original ad from the 90's

Everything you need to know about the latest exclusive, limited-edition collaboration with New Balance: the 990 V.1 Pack. Featuring one of the Boston brand’s most famous styles, reworked by the J.Crew designers in two color ways.

The 990: Then

When the style first launched in 1982, it was the most expensive design in New Balance’s history, retailing at over $100. That price point reflected the years of research & development that went into the shoe, including a new patented stabilization device in the heel that made the 990 the height of sneaker technology at the time.

The 990: Now

In the years since then, New Balance has released three versions of the 990, but for this collaboration, they returned to its original design, or “V.1” silhouette. To give it a signature touch, they replaced the sneaker’s nylon mesh with suede and created two collectible colorways (hence the pack). It’s the first time anyone outside of New Balance has ever been allowed to update this sought-after model, so needless to say, these are going to go quick.