Lifestyle
Reebok Classic Celebrates Instapump Fury’s 20th Anniversary
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Instapump Fury, Reebok has partnered with Sneaker Freaker magazine to produce a short film that shines a light on one of the most intriguing and polarizing footwear designs of all time.
Our story starts in Fuzhou, China, where the Instapump Fury is currently being produced. As the striking citron yellow, red and black componentry passes through the production process, it seems incongruous that this sci-fi masterpiece is now two decades old.
The film reunites two veterans of the sneaker industry who revel some of the frustrations and challenges they faced turning the complex Instapump Fury design into a legitimate performance runner.
Steven Smith penned the first sketch of the Pump Fury in his notebook. A renowned free-thinker, Smith is still highly passionate about his time working on the Instapump Fury. As he recalls of the era, “It was a no-holds barred street fight between the companies on who could come up with the most radical product!”
Shot by Alister Robbie from The Post Project, the film was directed by Sneaker Freaker magazine founder and editor, Simon ‘Woody’ Wood. With more than a decade covering the sneaker industry from his base in Melbourne, Australia, Wood relished the chance to soak up the factory experience.
A feature article in Issue 30 of Sneaker Freaker was accompanied by Wood’s report from Fuzhou. “In more than a decade of covering the sneaker industry, this was my first ‘official’ factory visit with a big-time brand. To their immense credit, Reebok were very, very cool. There was no ulterior motive or red carpet roll-out – this was purely business as usual – real sneakers being made by real people in a real factory. Who could say no to an offer like that?”
May 23rd
Duke Cannon Supply Co. To Donate To U.S. Military & Their Dogs
This Memorial Day Duke Cannon Supply Co., the brand that brought you the “Big Ass Brick of Soap,” will donate a 1:1 product match for every product sold to U.S. Military service men as well as one premium dog treat for their working dogs through the support of the MWDTSA (Military Working Dog Team Support Association, Inc.).
Duke Cannon knows these dogs, along with their handlers from every military service, are deployed worldwide to defend the U.S. at home and abroad, helping to safeguard military bases and activities and to detect bombs and other explosives before they inflict harm. What better way to pay homage to fallen soldiers than by helping those sill serving? The Duke abides.
For more info follow @dukecannon on Twitter and on Facebook.
May 23rd
Reebok Classic Presents The Question Mid “White Noise”
Allen Iverson always turned the voices of haters into white noise, and now Reebok is flipping that into a white shoe that’s sure to make noise of its own.
The Question Mid “White Noise” will hit stores on Friday, May 23rd at key retailers Champs, Finish Line, Jimmy Jazz, Eastbay, DTLR, Villa and reebok.com for $140.
The grade school version will be available at Champs and Eastbay for $95.
May 21st
Light It Up
Sonne Industries, LLC, is redefining lighting control by introducing the first-ever system to automate indoor and outdoor lights throughout your home or business by using levels of darkness, not just the time of day. The Light Sentry™ uses a Natural Light Sensor to automatically power lights to desired intensity levels. The patented system adjusts to environmental conditions, seasonal variations and time for worry-free operation.
The versatile Light Sentry system has many applications including porch lights, landscape lighting, fans, night lights, holiday lighting, small appliances, game consoles and more. With Light Sentry users will save energy, improve safety and enhance their lifestyle. According to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (2009), appliances, electronics and lighting make up 35% of US households energy usage representing $1,400 in annual costs. Smart Light Sentry users can save an estimated 32% in energy for a single 60 watt bulb used 5 hours per day.
The Light Sentry is a simple, do-it-yourself installation with the Natural Light Sensor placed in an area of sunlight exposure and the Portable Power Gates plugged into any outlet, with the lamp or appliance plugged into the gate. Then, with the use of a PC or Mac computer, the Light Sentry Hub syncs user preferences and power gate commands. In a matter of minutes, the Light Sentry now customizes your “light style” to meet your lifestyle needs.
May 20th
Own The Blacktop With Reebok
Take your game outside and check it up with the Blacktop Retaliate, the latest performance basketball model from Reebok Basketball.
Built to meet the demands of athletes without compromising style, the Blacktop Retaliate takes inspiration from the incredibly popular Reebok Blacktop collection originally introduced in the 90s.
Reebok Blacktop: on-court technology, off-court style.
The Blacktop Retaliate will hit shelves at key retailers Jimmy Jazz, City Gear, Expressions, Shoe City and Reebok.com for $125 on June 1st.
May 19th
Get Your Sneaker Geek On
Sneakerheads and Kicksologists are looked on by others as a different sort of breed. My passion for sneakers started up when I was in middle school. The Air Jordan V was the hottest pair of kicks around at that time. Even the Fresh Prince would rock them in Bel-Air. I never got a pair of the AJV’s, but I did score the Bo Jackson Nike SC Trainers.
From then on I was always fascinated by what sneaks NBA players were wearing. Now more than ever the shoe game has gotten as big as a line outside a Footlocker for a Jordan retro release. People are loving the fact that things like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram exist. It now allows them to show off their collection or the pair the just scored after waiting five hours in front of a computer on a Saturday morning waiting for their kicks to go into the virtual shopping cart. Some understand this. Others are shaking their heads. We all have our passions. Some of us just love sneakers.
One company is helping to spread the love of kicks in a very sweet way. The SneakGeek is a site that takes the love for sneakers to a whole new level. This site has phone cases, key chains, USB drives, air fresheners, clothes, and you guessed it shoes.
Recently I stumbled upon this site. (Don’t know why it took me so long actually.) As soon as I saw these phone cases I wanted one. No matter if you have an iPhone, Samsung, HTC and in some “cases” (see what I did there?) iPads you can show off your love for kicks in a whole new way.
I got the iPhone 5c case with the Air Jordan XIII design. The case protects the phone. It is durable and the colors jump right off the case. To match the case I also got the AJ XIII key chain and air freshener for the car. Sneak Geek sells cases with the designs of Air Jordans, Foamposites, Air Yeezy’s, Kobe’s, and LeBron’s and more.
So for those of you looking to take your sneaker game to a whole new level check out Thesneakgeek.com Better go check it out now because just like some kicks being released on a Saturday these cases at SneakGeek sell out fast.
May 10th
We All Scream For Free Ice Cream
Nothing compliments warm weather quite like a scoop of delicious ice cream. To celebrate spring and the warm days ahead, the Häagen-Dazs® brand is bringing back Free Cone Day on Tuesday, May 13.
From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time, customers can stop by local participating Häagen-Dazs® shops and enjoy a complimentary scoop of their favorite flavor. This year, two of the new Häagen-Dazs Gelato flavors – Caramelized Banana Chip and Tiramisu – will also be available for customers to experience a little taste of Italy.
167 Häagen-Dazs Shops in 27 states and the District of Columbia will participate in Free Cone Day. Additional participating stores can be found on the Häagen-Dazs Facebook page using the shop finder.
Last year, Häagen-Dazs Shops scooped more than 200,000 cones and they are looking forward to breaking that record this year! Customers are encouraged to Tweet about their favorite flavors using the hashtag #HDfreeconeday.
May 9th
adidas Performance, Y-3 and Originals Present Pure Boost
Combining the ultimate in style and performance, adidas today unveils Pure Boost. Pure is the first shoe with an entire Boost cushioning midsole, providing maximum energy return and comfort in a simple, pure design.
Top designers from adidas Sport Performance, Y-3 and Originals combined their expertise to create a stylish, lightweight, comfortable shoe that can be worn with anything in the closet.
“This visually stunning shoe is the purest iteration of Boost,” said James Carnes, global creative director of performance at adidas. “With Pure Boost, we designed the shoe to be stripped down to its rawest form and to highlight the innovative technology in a totally clean and modern look.” 
Carnes continued, “The fresh silhouette and simple upper make Pure Boost a blank canvas for you to combine with any outfit.”
At only 8.3 ounces for men and 6.3 ounces for women, Pure Boost features a breathable four-way stretch seamless upper and no sockliner to enhance the feeling of standing directly on Boost cushioning. The TIRRENINA suede heel, a sustainable luxury fiber that is made without any solvents during the manufacturing process, adds a fashion element and keeps your foot in place without restricting movement.
Pure Boost is available for $120 on May 14 at adidas.com, adidas Sport Performance stores and exclusively at footlocker.com, Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker and SIX:02 stores.
Launch colorways include four for men (Black/ White/Clear Grey, Solar Blue/Solar Blue/Clear Grey, Tech Grey/Metallic Silver/Clear Grey, and Infrared/Infrared/Clear Grey) and four for women (Black/ White/Clear Grey, Clear Grey/White/Clear Grey, Bold Pink/Bold Pink/Clear Grey and Solar Pink/Core Pink/Clear Grey). Additional colorways and prints will be available this summer.
May 8th
Celebrate World Whisky Day
Saturday, May 17th is a very special day. It is a day to celebrate the spirit of whisky. That Saturday is known as World Whisky Day. Now more than ever with the growing popularity of whisky, this day becomes more relevant each year. Whether it’s enjoying the liquid on the rocks or mixing it in a classic or modern cocktail, fans are continually finding ways to incorporate whisky into their drinks. Plus here is a little fun fact for you! Whisky consumption has risen 5% in the last year.
With that said, we wanted to share some of the best whiskies and cocktails for you to enjoy on the day of whisky appreciation. From Bulleit Rye Manhattans to the Manitoba you will find a great cocktail recipe below. Looking for a great cocktail for the summer, try the No. 1 Cooler.
So to those who will celebrate with us on World Whisky Day we say, “Cheers!” And as always please enjoy responsibly.
Manitoba
1.5 oz. Crown Royal Maple Whisky
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
Top with Ginger Beer
Directions: Shake & strain into a highball glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Bulleit Rye Manhattan
1 oz. Bulleit Rye
.5 oz. Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes of Aromatic Bitters
Directions: Strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a cherry.
No. 1 Cooler
1.5 oz. George Dickel No. 1
.75 oz. Lime Juice
.75 oz. Simple Syrup
3 Slices of Cucumbers
6 Mint leaves
Pinch of Salt
Directions: Stir all ingredients and strain into old fashioned glass over ice. Finish with mint leaves and pinch of salt.
George Dickel Rye
George Dickel Rye is a straight rye small-batch whisky, offering a 95% rye mash whiskey. Perfect for cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan. 90 proof, Suggested Retail Price $24.99.
May 6th
Mtn Dew All-Stars Team Up For A “Baja Breakout”
In April Mountain Dew announced that, for the first time, Mtn Dew Baja Blast – which was introduced 10 years ago as a “Taco Bell Original” – will also be available for a limited time in bottles and cans. The tropical lime flavored beverage hit shelves starting on May 5. While Mtn Dew Baja Blast is always available at Taco Bell, consumers will have to move fast to buy it at retail, as the fan-favorite will head back to Taco Bell exclusively at the end of the summer…or when supplies run out.
Mtn Dew Baja Blast is the second largest and fastest growing fountain beverage sold at Taco Bell. It is 
the most requested flavor among the DEW Nation, and has generated more than 30,000 mentions on Twitter in the past three years.
Mtn Dew Baja Blast will be available in single serve 20 oz. bottles and 24 oz. cans, as well as 12-packs of 12 oz. cans.
On May 5, fans will also be able to download and play the “Baja or Bust” mobile gaming app. Based upon the widely-played Motocross Elite app, “Baja or Bust” will be available for iOS and Android platforms and will enable players to enter for a chance to win exciting prizes, including adventure and beach vacations; and be able to enter codes, available under every cap of Mtn Dew Baja Blast, to unlock in-game upgrades and advantages.
Visit www.MountainDew.com/BajaBlast or Facebook.com/MountainDew for more information, and join the conversation at @mtn_dew #SummerOfBaja and @TacoBell #SummerOfBaja.
May 6th
