We Review New Balance’s Most Technologically Advanced Basketball Shoe | WDHANFTSY

Posted by & filed under Sneakers, TV.

New Balance have stepped up their game when it came to performance, and after signing on L.A Clippers small forward/shooting guard Kawhi Leonard on, just bolstered their R&D drive.

The resulting effort was the OMN1S, packing a full-length FuelCell midsole for the most reactive cushioning ever in a New Balance shoe, coupled with a 3D Ultra Heel construction and infused FitWeave upper for a tight, form fitting silhouette so you needn’t worry about anything else but the game.

Watch the video above to as Bryan ‘Botak’ Chin trails on with Julian ‘Sunflower’ Leong as they put the OMN1S to the test on the court!

9 Rare Air Max 90s You Should Know About For Air Max Day

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Written by Julian Leong

We’re not gonna deny that the Air Max 1 definitely had more collaborations, and more popularity as compared to the Air Max 90, but the silhouette did hide a few tricks up its sleeves, and when it came out with a collaboration, you can be sure the wow factor could practically eclipse all the others, accentuated by its apparent understated rarity that only true sneakerheads been knew. Regardless, we’ve compiled a list of collabs and special edition packs to have graced the 30 year old model.

atmos x Nike Air Max 90 ‘Duck Camo’

One of the most coveted Air Max 90’s in the market, Japanese label atmos and Nike collaborated to produce a classic using the Air Max 90’s original ‘Infrared’ colorway with a twist of duck camo featured along the toe, tongue and overlaying areas with infrared accents throughout the shoe.

PATTA x Nike Air Max 90 ‘Homegrown’

Back in 2006, Nike collaborated with Dutch boutique ‘Patta’ to produce the Air Max 90 ‘Homegrown’ series. Using bright colors inspired by their homeland, the sneakers were released in Patta with a Quickstrike (QS) label in two different colorways, ‘grass’ and ‘orange blaze’. Both sneakers feature a grass-like design throughout the uppers, a white midsole and a gum outsole allowing the Dutch sneakerheads to walk in style in their homeland. During the release at Patta’s store, the pairs came with a CD and a booklet as a way to honor the local messengers of flow. Another version was produced for Patta and Nike’s friends and family (F&F) in a reversed colorway featuring a special ‘state magazine’ tongue tag which is definitely more limited till the extent of being compared to finding Big Foot in the wild.

Nike Air Max 90 ‘Warhawk’

The ‘Warhawk’ got it’s name from the paint job seen on the sneakers itself, inspired by the World War II Pursuit (Fighter) plane dubbed the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. The paint job features a tiger shark print representing the Flying Tigers, a group of volunteer American pilots who were defending China from the wrath of Japan prior to USA’s entry into World War II.

Original Fake (KAWS) x NIke Air Max 90

These Air Max 90’s were designed by the artist KAWS himself. Both pairs feature an innovative 4-way stretch textile and is inspired by Nike ACG. Both the White/Volt and Black/Volt colorway were released exclusively at Nike Sportswear at 21 Mercer and Nike Sportswear at The Montalbán.

Dizzee Rascal x Ben Drury x Nike Air Max 90 ‘Tongue & Cheek’

A three-way Nike Air Max 90 collaboration between British rap star Dizzee Rascal, designer Ben Drury and Nike to commemorate the release of Dizzee’s upcoming LP ‘Tongue in Cheek’. The sneakers feature premium materials such as white suede and soft leather, a pink embroidered tongue which spells ‘Tongue’ and ‘Cheek’ on each side respectively, and ‘Dirtee Stank Recordings’ fly beneath the shoe’s translucent outsole. Adding more details, Drury adds 3M elements on the backtab of the sneakers in the form of Dizzee’s figure.

Dave’s Quality Meat (DQM) x Nike Air Max 90 ‘Bacon’

Dave’s Quality Meat is a boutique in New York with a butcher shop theme which is a local favourite sneaker spot. Given the chance to work on a pair of Air Max 90, it was no surprise DQM used the theme of their shop to their advantage to design the ‘Bacon’ colorway. The colorway was meant to resemble scrumptious cuts of pork belly which is often eaten for breakfast with eggs. This collaboration definitely made it into most sneakerhead’s Air Max 90 hit list with it’s unique inspiration and colorway. A good news for anyone who’s aiming to cop a pair, the DQM might be releasing once again this year (2020).

Nike Air Max 90 ‘Crepe’

Adopting it’s nickname ‘Crepe’ due to its resemblance to a similar Air Max 1 counterpart, the Nike Air Max 90 ‘Crepe’ didn’t actually feature the iconic crepe outsoles as seen on the Air Max 1 but instead featured premium hemp materials on the uppers.

HUF X Nike Air Max 90 (HUFquake)

Keith Hufnagel was nothing if not a person who pays his respects to brands and the culture, and when they got a pair of Air Max 90s back in 2007, it was only natural for him to include influences surrounding him, including the 1989 Jordan 4s in ‘Military Blue.’ Keith also added extra crackling motifs on the panels, both as a nod to the legendary elephant print and the ubiquitous earthquake that San Francisco always had.

size? X Nike Air Max 90 ‘Clerks’

Back in 2006, UK sneaker shop size? dropped an exclusive ‘Clerks’ edition of the Air Max 90, paying homage to the ever so popular tourist destination, Brighton Beach. Apart from the colourway that reflects the overall palette of its surroundings, the sneaker was highly sought after for its premium construction, pairing suede with tumbled leather, accentuated with faux croc print leather on the side panels. It was on a league of its own, and quite none other like it exists.

 

Nike Substitutes Air For Zoom In Its Latest Jordan 1 Zoom Fearless

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Sometimes, you don’t have to add much to the mix to give old models a little bit of a shake up, and in the case of this Jordan 1, the perennial Air midsole is replaced with a Zoom unit instead.

Part of the new Fearless Pack, this particular Jordan 1 is shod in an iridescent upper that shifts colour when it is hit with light, while an icy sole with colour fade accentuates the silhouette. Z graphic makes itself present at the lateral portion of the heel

Priced at RM 689, the Jordan 1 Zoom Fearless will be available for purchase on the 25th of March, at Nike.com.

 

 

 

 

Origins Of The Nike Air Max 90

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Let’s face it. Nike’s Air Max line is as household as it gets when it comes to the sneaker world. ASICS had their GEL, adidas came up with BOOST, but Air will forever remain a Swoosh only thing. 

It was a successful marketing tool too, as exposing the Air Bubble meant that people could see the tech in action, and separated Nike’s flagships from the rest of the competition. The Air Max line had plenty of different flagships as time passed, from the Air Max 1, Air Max 95, Air Max 97, Air Max 180, but the Air Max 90 stood above all, a symbol of the pinnacle of Air technology back then, and a sign of rebelliousness amongst a sea of dreary looking trainers. 

And for the time-tested model’s 30th anniversary, we take a look back at its history, and what made the sneaker so damn successful and a cultural heritage in streetwear.

The year is 1987. 

The Godfather of Air Max, Tinker Hatfield struck inspiration gold when he visited the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, admiring the inside-out concept of the building which showcased the anatomy and structure outside of the building’s exterior. Tinker, who was trained in the realms of architecture, immediately sought to reflect this thinking into his designs, and after convincing his team that exposing the bubble was the next step for the technology, the Air Max 1 was born. 

Of course, naturally it didn’t exactly take off from there. The Air Max 1 was met with a relatively tepid response and would not find much success until much much later in the future.

Nike Air Walker Max

It would take 3 more years before Hatfield came to his breakthrough design, and during the years leading up to that, Nike experimented with walking variations of the shoe, resulting in the Nike Air Walker Max. The heavier leather upper ensured stability with each step, while design inspirations were taken from the Air Max 1 and the Air Revolution, of which the latter shared the same tooling as the Air Jordan 3.

Nike Air Max Light reissue. Picture Credit: Hypebeast

En route to this point though, Hatfield conceived the Air Max Light. When the Air Walker Max took the more supportive role, the Light went the opposite way, with Hatfield emphasising lightness in an effort to improve upon the original’s weight. Here, key changes made to the Light would lay the foundation to what would become of the Air Max 90, including the use 420 Denier Mesh to improve breathability and thermoplastic straps to retain support around the midfoot.

Then came the big year. 1990.

Hatfield wanted maximum impact for this shoe, and following up on the Air Max Light, included several changes in the Air Max 90, most notably the addition of a big ‘Infrared’ panel surrounding the air bubble, making damn sure that it turned heads on people’s feet. Many agree that the resulting silhouette looked like a masterpiece in motion, even when it was standing still.

Sure enough, the rest was history. 

The blend of a monotone palette combined with the striking ‘Infrared’ colourway proved to be a massive hit with the crowd, and became a symbol amongst budding sneakerheads as one of the sneakers to have back then, considering it was the pinnacle of Air Max technology at the time. 

George H.W Bush’s Nike Air Max 90. Picture Credit: Hypebeast

It was so popular in fact, that ex-President George W. Bush had his own pair, complete with ‘Air Pres’ wordings stamped on the sides and tongue which he would often wear on his runs after the Gulf War.

Of course, innovation never stops, and the Air Max 90 was superseded by the 180, Air Max ST, Air Max 93, 95, 97, 98, and before the turn of the decade, the Air Max Plus which featured air bags with varying levels of pressure for a more tuned cushioning feel.

Nike Air Max Plus Tn ‘Sunset Orange.’ Picture Credit: The Sole Supplier

The original model laid dormant for quite some time, only reappearing back as a special release in 2002 in Australia, and 2003 in Asia and Europe. Though trying to stay as true to the original as possible, this iteration had a smaller Air bubble built into it. 

Other than odd re-releases and mix and matches to stir up some form of residual hype, the Air Max 90 once again went into hibernation.

The model then returned to form when Nike retro-ed it for a 2008, 2010, and 2015 release, proving to the fans and newbies alike that, even after more than 20 years since its creation, it still remained a popular model amongst the others. 

It also spawned several subcultures, most notably the Air Max cult among Londoners who wore them for their daily activities, even when going to underground raves and whatnot, which eventually spawned a highly sought after collaboration with grime artist Dizzee Rascal in celebration of the launch of his album, Tongue N Cheek.

Nike Air Max 90 X Dizzee Rascal and Ben Drury ‘Tongue In Cheek.’ Photo Credit: Hypebeast

Such was the impact of a shoe, that lit the sneaker world up with designer and streetwear collaborations from the likes of Off-White, Atmos, Patta, each putting their own take as to how the shoe has affected their lives. 

Nike Air Max 2090. Picture Credit: Sneaker Freaker

30 years since the shoe was conceived, it still remains as a popular choice for daily use, and a status symbol for the hypebeasts out there rocking ‘The Ten’ Air Max 90s. To commemorate 3 decades of the model, Nike has decided to pay homage to the original with the Air Max 2090, featuring all new materials and technology, while still retaining elements that made the original a giant amongst sneakers. 

Off-White x Nike Air Max 90 ‘The Ten.’ Picture Credit: Kicks On Fire

A quote from Vivenne Westwood comes to mind when it comes to legacy models such as these. “You have to invest in culture, not in consumption,” because where would the Air Max 90 be if it weren’t for the fans?

adidas Foregoes The Primeknit In Favour Of Leather In This New Limited Edition Predator Mutator 20+

Posted by & filed under Sports.

Under the radar, adidas has launched the latest iteration of its game-changing Predator Mutator 20+, this time forgoing the Primeknit in favour of Fusionskin leather upper.

For those who missed out on what the Predator Mutator 20+ is all about, it represents the next level of technological advancement in the Predator line, repurposing the previously popular rubber strike zones into rubber spikes at the toebox for stickier, much more finer control of the ball during dribbling, shooting, and crossing.

And true to the Predator name, the soft leather echoes the destruction of its prey through debossed dragon scales, coloured in blood red for to give the most ferocious looking look on the pitch.

They don’t come cheap though, as these pair of super limited-edition models cost RM 1500 a pair, and come in a small size run. Purchase them now at adidas.com

FLEX 10: Fit For A Queen!

Posted by & filed under Fashion, TV.

EPISODE 10

After 9 episodes in, the producer thought it was time to switch things up a little, by literally switching the hosts to an all-female ensemble whereby the challenge is to style the boys for a date night!

Do the girls do a better job at styling than the boys? Watch the episode to find out!

Thank you to Jazel, Yaya, Nia, and Aida for your help on the show, as well as Shahrin Bahar and Ezzati Amira for providing your excellent judgement skills for this episode!

Give them a follow here:

Jazel: https://www.instagram.com/jazelxlim/

Yaya: https://www.instagram.com/yayazahir/

Nia: https://www.instagram.com/sleepylllama/

Aida: https://www.instagram.com/aidaazrin/

Bryzoid: https://www.instagram.com/bryzoid/

Ben: https://www.instagram.com/benjaminteoh.wav/

Isaac: https://www.instagram.com/yeaapppp/

Josh: https://www.instagram.com/thejoshuadesmond/

Shahrin Bahar: https://www.instagram.com/sbahar.my/

Ezzati Amira: https://www.instagram.com/karoshie/

GUESS Taps J Balvin For A Colourful Capsule Collection

Posted by & filed under Fashion, Music.

Taking Inspiration From His Colores Album

Written by Ardi

For their SS20 collection, GUESS has collaborated with megastar J Balvin to produce a collection inspired by the artist’s latest album, Colores. 

The clothes are extremely bright and colors such as red, yellow, green, blue and purple tones are prominent in the collection. 

For women’s collection, there are 29 pieces priced between RM169 – RM599 and includes pieces such as cropped hoodies and top, form-fitting bodysuits, joggers, matching two-piece tracksuits as well as a cropped denim jacket and a cut-off denim short set.

For men’s, there are about 50 pieces with prices ranging from RM199 to RM799 and it follows up with the tie-dye style, stripes and color-blocking designs in T-shirts, sweatshirts and joggers.

There are two key prints for men’s collection, Colombia and prism prints that are used in shirts, shorts and jackets. The Columbia print is inspired by the country that the campaign was shot and the prism effect has the main 5 colors that the collection is based off.

There are swimwear and accessories (socks, bags, boxers, ect) available for both men and women as well.

That’s not all! if you need a gift for your little ones, Guess has thought of that as well! The limited edition kids collection includes 26 items which ranges from RM69 – RM369. The clothes will mirror the adult’s garment perfectly so your kids can match with you. 

The collection drops on Thursday, May 7th at GUESS Pavilion, GUESS Kids Pavilion, The Gardens, One Utama and Queensbay.

We Move With K-Clique’s New MV, ‘KITTAMOVE’

Posted by & filed under Music.

Written by Aqil Nasri

Ever since the likes of ‘Mimpi’ and ‘Sah Tu Satu’ came out, K-Clique has deservedly been one of the best groups in Malaysia’s Hip-Hop scene. Their brazen unabashedly ways have led them into a path of discovering their originality in sound and style, making fans falling in love with them through and through.

Now, about 5 months since the release of their last MV titled ‘BEG 2 BACK’, the group is back at it again with ‘KITTAMOVE’, their latest in their collection of discographies.

In a special partnership with Digi, KITTAMOVE is their way of proving to the world that they’re on the move to the top now, so the rest better watch out. Directed by Shafiq Anak Saleh and K-Clique themselves, it’s clear that their signature style is visibly present upon first viewing. Putting in an ensemble of various different dance crews in the MV keeps the hype up at an absolute max throughout the whole playtime.

“Mereka lupa ukur kemampuan ku suka suka, Mata naik merah mereka mula bermuka muka, Sumpah setiap peluang yang sampai aku sapu rata, All the way up sampai nama jadi sejarah”

Well, it seems like they’re in it for the long run, and I’m sure that K-Clique’s gonna be booking their name in the history books soon.

Full PlayStation 5 Specs And Features Announced

Posted by & filed under Entertainment, TECHNOLOGY.

Include updates on the SSD, GPU, CPU, and ray tracing for the PS5

Written by Aqil Nasri

After months of silence since announcing the reveal of the PS5 logo, Sony has finally gone public with a special deep-dive presentation that revealed the specs and features that the upcoming console will have.

System architect Mark Cerny managed to deliver a deep-dive presentation on the 18th of March 2020 that majorly focuses on the technical side of things rather than the entertainment side of the company. Now, many viewers who tuned in to watch the presentation might’ve had no idea what Mark was talking about as the many technical jargon spoken during the event might throw off many who were watching. But, the main takeaway from the event was that the specs that were revealed were truly impressive as the world moves on towards the next generation of consoles.

Based on the deep-dive event, these are the main details that were covered:

  • Technical specifications of the PS5 and its innovative ‘boost’ approach to core clocks
  • The features of the PS5 GPU
  • How the SSD helps deliver the next generation dream
  • Unprecedented 3D audio fidelity via the Tempest 3D Audio Engine
  • How Sony tackles expandable storage

Probably the most exciting about the presentation was on Sony’s vision for next-gen in recapturing the pioneering spirit of their earlier consoles by delivering state-of-the-art, razor-sharp focus on taking the gaming experience to the next level. The idea to allow developers to be comfortable with the current generation of hardware so that they can easily get into shape in understanding the basics of the PS5 and easily access the extra GPU, CPU, as well as storage features.

So, without further ado, the table below compares the latest PS5 specifications with the PS4’s specifications.

  PlayStation 5 PlayStation 4
CPU 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz with SMT (variable frequency) 8x Jaguar Cores at 1.6GHz
GPU 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency) 1.84 TFLOPs, 18 CUs at 800MHz
GPU Architecture Custom RDNA 2 Custom GCN
Memory/Interface 16GB GDDR6/256-bit 8GB GDDR5/256-bit
Memory Bandwidth 448GB/s 176GB/s
Internal Storage Custom 825GB SSD 500GB HDD
IO Throughput 5.5GB/s (Raw), Typical 8-9GB/s (Compressed) Approx 50-100MB/s (dependent on data location on HDD)
Expandable Storage NVMe SSD Slot Replaceable internal HDD
External Storage USB HDD Support USB HDD Support
Optical Drive 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive Blu-ray Drive

So, you’re probably wondering, what exactly do these numbers and letters mean for the upcoming console?

Well, as explained by Rich Leadbetter from Digital Foundry, “a smaller GPU can be a more nimble, more agile GPU, the inference being that PS5’s graphics core should be able to deliver performance higher than you may expect from a TFLOPs number that doesn’t accurately encompass the capabilities of all parts of the GPU.”

Also, the new Custom 825GB SSD will help increase performance tremendously by having performance rated at two orders of magnitude faster than the PS4. For example, 2 GB of data can be loaded in one-quarter of a second, meaning that in theory, the entirety of the PS5’s 16GB can be filled in just two seconds.

Not forgetting the PS5’s backward compatibility in which it’ll be able to play the Top 100 PS4 games once the PS5 launches.

Still, with all the announcements in specs and features, Sony still hasn’t announced an exact release date or price set for the PlayStation 5.

Let’s hope that they’ll announce them soon!

7 Sustainable Local Brands You Should Check Out

Posted by & filed under Fashion.

Written by Andrea Tang

As consumers begin to realise the grim reality of fashion, brands have to adapt their practices or change their models completely to be more mindful of the environment from the harmful expositions of fast fashion.

Going green may seem intimidating, but it’s actually very easy. There are so many ways to make your wardrobe sustainable, and one of them is to support local brands that practice sustainability! 

Here are 7 sustainable Malaysian brands you should check out:

Kapten Batik

 

Launched in 2017, Kapten Batik aims to promote sustainable development by using artisanal handicraft and traditional textiles for their pieces. 

Like the name suggests, they offer beautifully designed batik shirts for men and kids. 

Shop them here: https://www.kaptenbatik.com.my/ 

STUF

 

Save The Uncertain Future or Solve the Unpleasant Feeling, (STUF for short) is the first Malaysian brand to have eco-friendly t-shirts that cool you when you’re hot and warm you up when you’re cold.

Made with 100% natural fibres like Tencel from the eucalyptus tree, it’s great for the environment AND your wallet!

Shop them here: https://stufstore.com/ 

Real.material

 

Real.m by Real Material uses traditional handicraft textile, bamboo, non-GMO cotton, and eco-friendly processes such as vegetable dyeing for their pieces.

They even donate a small portion of their profits to their partner, Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Centre (TRCRC), in support of their reforestation projects. 

Besides clothing, they also have home decors and accessories like blankets, throws, and towels. 

Shop them here: https://realm.com.my/ 

The Little Clothing Shop

 

No fabric is wasted when TheLittleClothingShop makes their garments. The fabric is cut by hand in a way where every section is used, so that none gets thrown away unnecessarily.

Each piece is designed and ethically handmade in Kuala Lumpur. 

They make clothing for both adults and children.

Shop them here: https://www.thelittleclothingshop.com/

Biji Biji Ethical Fashion

Biji Biji is the brainchild of Biji-biji Initiative, a social enterprise that was established in 2013 in Malaysia.

Being a Guaranteed Member of the World Fair Trade Organisation and a CO Leader of Common Objective in 2019, Biji Biji Ethical Fashion uses materials like faulty seal beat webbing, deadstock vintage kimono, tarpaulin banners, and needle punch carpets recovered at their end-of-life stages. They ensure that there is a safe hygienic working environment, fair wage, and no forced or child labour in the making of their garments.

Shop them here: https://bijibiji.co/ 

Munimalism 

Munimalsim uses natural dye extracted from tropical plants for their products. Leaves, fruit skins, and tree barks are all used in the traditional method of hand dyeing, making the garments age well with time.

Their products take inspiration from the indigenous cultures of Southeast Asia, making it timeless and versatile.

Shop them here: https://www.munimalism.com/ 

Earth Heir 

 

Earth Heir offers accessories like bags and jewelry handmade by over 100 artisans from refugee groups, indigenous tribes, and women’s cooperatives across Malaysia. 

Being part of the World Fair Trade Organisation, they are also transparent with their pricing and reinvest the majority of their profits to support the artisans and groups they serve. 

Shop them here: https://earthheir.com/ 

What are the other sustainable local brands that you know? Comment them below!