Reasons To Wear Your Grails

Posted by & filed under Featured, Sneakers.

Written by Hans Abdullah.

You’ve waited for them to be released ever since you first caught news of them on a Masses article and the many social media platforms that you’re a part of. You’ve counted down the days, marked the dates on your calendar and set numerous reminders so that you will be right there in front of your computer when the shoes that you’ve spent countless nights dreaming about finally drops online. Things don’t go your way, however, because the shoes sell out faster than you thought they would. As per usual, luck was not on your side and you’ve missed out on the opportunity to obtain the sneaker of your dreams and have crestfallen for a moment before the entrepreneurial side of you kicks in. You search through your collection for a pair to sell so that you can obtain the funds to chase after that pair that got away. You don’t want to part with any of your shoes but you know that it will be worth it. You’ve told all your friends and anyone that is willing to listen all about this pair that you’re so keen on. This is your grail.

Finally, the shoes have been paid for. You impatiently wait for the entire week for your sneaker to arrive. You don’t even mind paying the RM100 shipping tax that you are hit with because finally, the shoes are your possession. With shaky hands, you unbox the packaging only to reveal the most beautiful pair of shoes you’ve ever had the fortune of owning. And then you think to yourself… Now what? Well, the easiest answer would be to wear the shoes! But it’s not so easy, is it? Your grail looks so pristine sitting in its cardboard box, you don’t have the heart to wear them out. It would be a shame to get them dirty. If you have ever found yourself in the situation above, here is a list of reasons Why You Should Wear Your Grails.

You Get To Show Them Off

Arguably the best part of wearing a shoe that you’ve spent a lot of money on is actually seeing them on your feet. Even better, having other people see those shoes on your feet. Posting photos of your newly-acquired grails on social media is a lot more impressive when they are actually on your feet. On-foot shots will always garner more clout than the ones taken with the shoes on a shelf. Attending sneaker events such as SneakerLAH is also a lot more fun when you wear a pair of shoes that nobody else is wearing. It might make a statement to wear your beaters to an event, but you can make an even bigger statement by wearing a pair of kicks that can make heads turn. You don’t buy a Lamborghini to keep it hidden away in your garage, you buy it so that you can look cool while you’re stuck in KL traffic. The same rule applies to sneakers. Wear your grails, so that you’ll look fly no matter what activity you’re doing on that day.

You Get To Have That “Freshly Un-DS’ed” Feeling

One of the many pleasures that a sneakerhead can have is the joy of wearing a pair of shoes for the first time. There is a certain euphoric feeling that arises when the shoes that you’ve recently acquired make the transfer from their cardboard box to their new home, which is on your feet. Putting on a pair of new shoes just feels better than wearing your beaters. Maybe it’s because the shape of the shoe is still perfect. Maybe it’s because the feeling of the shoe’s inner lining expanding to accommodate your feet for the first time is somewhat cathartic, similar to the feeling you get when you pop bubble wrap. There is a reason why people take photos of the first time they wear their shoes. It’s the same reason why the #UnDS hashtag on Instagram has over 100,000 posts. It’s because the first time you wear your shoes is a moment to be savored. You owe it to yourself to be allowed to savor that moment.

So That Your Sneaker Last Longer

The cardboard shoebox that your grails came in was not chosen because of its ability to keep your shoes from degrading over time. No, it was chosen because cardboard is cheap and recyclable. Unless you’re the type to keep your air- conditioning constantly running in your sneaker room and you have a penchant for sprinkling silica packs all over your shoes, your grails will probably eventually fall victim to one of the biggest enemies of footwear. Humidity. Malaysia is humid, and too much humidity is bad for your sneakers. Keeping your grails tucked away in its box somewhere under your bed will probably damage it over time, and you’ll find yourself opening the box a few years down the line to a mess of crumbling parts and broken dreams. The simplest solution? Take your grails out of their box once in awhile. Let them breathe, and better yet wear them out. Don’t let your grails suffer a lonely death in your wardrobe.

You Won’t Regret It

There are times where you’ll find yourself staring at your shoes and contemplating if today is the day to finally wear them. You might get struck with paranoia, or a tiny voice in the back of your head starts to question “What if you get a scuff on the leather?” Worn shoes don’t look as good on display as brand new shoes, and you worry that wearing your grails might damage them. You’re afraid to put a blemish on the beautiful piece of footwear otherwise known as your grail. If you do overcome that hurdle though if you somehow manage to ignore the voice in your head telling you to not wear those shoes if you decide to put on the grails that you’ve spent hours drooling over through photos…. You’ll find that you won’t regret it. Once the shoes are on your feet, and you get to look down and see your grails where they deserve to be, you’ll find that everything you were worried about before doesn’t really matter. In the grand scheme of things, you’ve paid for this pair of shoes, and now they are on your feet. You will not regret wearing them because you’ll realize that not wearing a pair of shoes that you own is the same as never owning them at all.

There are collectors out there who buy more shoes than they have time to wear, but it is a good practice to try and wear as many of them as you can. After all, a good pair of sneakers is meant to be appreciated, but it is a lot more fun to appreciate them on your feet as opposed to behind an acrylic case.

Case East Discusses Alternative Music In Malaysia With Kuok Cheong Yew, Founder Of Soundmaker Studio

Posted by & filed under TV.

Case East recently met up with Kuok Cheong Yew, the founder of Soundmaker Studio based in Penang to gain some insights regarding the independent music scene in Malaysia. In the video, Mr. Kuok explains how he started his career as an independent musician, why he opened Soundmaker Studio, the struggles of expanding a career in the alternative music scene in Malaysia, and last but not least, his passion for music.

 

 

The adidas NMD R1 STLT PK Has Two New Looks!

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

The adidas NMD R1 STLT PK is the newest rendition of the NMD silhouette this year and the first colorways release were in a white and black and a black with grey and pink. Welcoming 2018 are two colourways in White/Black and Black/Red. The STLT stands out from other adidas NMD models due to the new upper construction which includes a new ribbed Primeknit that has a new patterned look. Throughout the knitted pattern are pops of colour for a contrasting finish on a white BOOST midsole, black heel bumpers and rubber outsoles.

The adidas NMD R1 STLT PK is available now at Crossover Mid Valley, priced at RM750.

Timberland Brings Madness To KL

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

After Timberland’s successful collaboration with Japan-based brand ‘Porter’, Timberland brings Madness to Kuala Lumpur with their new silhouette, TYPE-TB01, in three different colorways. Shawn Yue, the founder of Madness launched a capsule collection with Timberland, dubbed TYPE-MD01, which includes a 6′ boot using Gore-Tex Fabric and Leather materials. Shawn, inspired by Timberland’s iconic Yellow Boot, incorporated his personal preferences into the collaboration giving the boots a rugged yet functional look that is lightweight and comfortable to wear almost similar to wearing sneakers. The boots are built with water-resistant nylon and premium suede leather, engineered with GORE-TEX Performance Comfort technology that provides durable waterproofness and breathability made for outdoor use in unpredictable weather conditions. The collection adopts the Vibram® Morflex™ wedge outsole in white which is lightweight, durable and has a large surface area to prevent users from slipping when in use.

This collaboration will be available for purchase at Timberland Mid Valley and Timberland Pavilion on 5th of January, retailing at RM999. The three colorways available are in Timberland’s iconic Wheat/Fog, military-inspired Coffee/Olive, and a refreshing Satellite/Arona colorway meant to complement your daily wardrobe. If you are interested in other collaborations with Timberland, you may want to check out the impressive collaboration between Timberland and Porter previously.

The Black Cement-Inspired, Air Jordan 32 ‘MVP’ Is Coming Soon

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

As the new Air Jordan 32 silhouette made its debut last year, we would definitely expect to see more colorways for the silhouette. We know Jordanheads are all anticipating the Air Jordan 3 ‘Black Cement’ to retro soon, but before anything, Jordan brand offers us the Air Jordan 32 ‘MVP’, a ‘Black Cement’ inspired colorway. This pair is a tribute to Michael Jordan’s first MVP season, dressed in Black, University Red, White and Cement Grey. The uppers of the Air Jordan 32 ‘MVP’ consist of Flyknit material in Grey, accompanied by elephant print on the heelcap. To commemorate Jordan’s 87-88 season, Jordan brand labels the shoe with ‘MVP’ behind the tongues of the silhouette.

This pair will be releasing on Nike on 6th of January with a retail price yet to be announced. If you prefer a louder colorway, we would suggest you to check out the Air Jordan 32 from the ‘Like Mike’ pack.

Touché’ Drops New Sexy Track “Whatchu Wanna Do” Feat Karissa Lund

Posted by & filed under Music.

Touché, local hip-hop duo drops new sexy rap track “Whatchu Wanna Do” generate a fresh approach to this trippy and psychedelic music video featuring Karissa Lund’s vocals aligned with the song beats. The synergy between lyrics and song was further enhanced by the appearance of the music video; ATG strongly believes that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the music video and the lyrics interpretation of sexy.  ATG has stepped up the game and took risk of experimenting more visual effects with a hint of neon lights, “mind manifesting” ambience and divergence of camera movements which definitely creates a whole different perspective.

Follow Touché latest music updates on Facebook and Youtube.

The New Year Resolutions That Never Made It

Posted by & filed under Features.

We are all well aware that 2017 is coming to an end but before we end the year, let’s rewind back a little to the beginning, the times when we made new year resolutions that we were all so keen to fulfill because this year was going to be ‘different’. Here’s a list of new year resolutions that never came true:

Save Money

As we were entering 2017, we start to realize how much money we’ve spent in 2016 when it comes to shopping, bad habits or anything related to our hobbies. This sudden realization leads to becoming a resolution telling (or lying) ourselves that the resolution for the year would be to save money by cutting corners and today, ask yourself if you have really achieved it? The number of concerts, massive shopping sales, the never-ending bad habits, and more, definitely have destroyed your resolutions making you wonder to yourself, what really happened to your self-control. All in all, with the epic failure this year, will this be your resolution next year?

Lose Weight / Get Fit

We know you smiled a little when you read this resolution because this probably is one of the tougher resolutions to fulfill with our busy schedules at work or just studying for better grades. Some of you may have been able to pick yourself up and bring yourself to the gym a few times, run some of the evenings, pick up a sport and even eat healthier but we can bet that many of you did the stated but ended up with ‘Tomorrow for sure’. The amount of guilty pleasures, to-die-for Malaysian cravings that open for 24 hours, and the cloudy weather that gives you a reason to call a raincheck to sleep in, definitely got in your way to be a better, fitter you. As every year passes, we do get older and we strongly suggest you to consider starting with the ‘eating healthier’ option if this is your resolution (again) for next year.

Be Punctual

You’d be surprised by the number of people who actually made this a resolution due to their bad time management. Malaysia, the land of jams on the road, the public transport that never makes it on time, the alarm clock that ‘never’ rang, and the mindset of ‘I rather be late than early’ of Malaysians did not make it easy for us to fulfill this resolution. This resolution is especially popular among Malaysians because there is such thing as ‘Malaysian timing’ where every Malaysian use to defend themselves whenever they are late. This resolution also exists due to over usage of the famous ‘I’m on the way’ excuse where this excuse reaches a point of no return that leaves us no choice but to be punctual. However, this resolution will be vital in the future when it comes to your career, first impressions or even chasing the girl/guy of your dreams so before you cross this resolution off for 2018, think wisely.

Find Love

We believe that love comes when you least expect it, but for some, love, they are out to get you. This resolution is meant for all the singles out there, unsure if affected by ‘cuffing season’ (Google it), but these people are single and ready to mingle. We can only wish the best to everyone with this resolution that they will find their soulmate within that year itself because most of us know that love really comes by chance (the ones that last) without bumping into any golddiggers or douchebags along the way. We would like to kindly remind that this resolution is only encouraged for singles unless your partners are agreeable to polygamy.

Stop Procrastinating

Everyone knows this resolution is almost impossible to fulfill when your friends are always actively planning hang out sessions, when you are a tab away from watching all the viral videos on Youtube, another tab away from your favorite memes, and when online shopping is just a few clicks away. We always think that time is on our side, ending up procrastinating and further on regretting when we all rush for that deadline. However, you should not feel bad about yourself because we are confident that most ended up the same way but if you were more productive that year, consider yourself successful.

Stop A Bad Habit

A bad habit is very subjective to every individual but it could range from cursing, smoking, fidgeting, all the way to being too calculative. We all have that theory of ‘New Year, New Me’ in our minds, telling ourselves confidently that we want to stop that bad habit that you ‘think’ you should stop. After going through the entire year, you only find yourself getting deeper into the bad habit or just being the same person from the year before but it is always better late than never. We condone this resolution as we fully support being your better self even though old habits die hard.

 

Let us know what resolutions you have failed to fulfill this year and the upcoming resolutions that you are preparing to commit in 2018.

 

The Marksmen Series: @huxsterized

Posted by & filed under Art, Features.

iPhone photography has opened a new universe for photographers. Ahady Rezan goes by the name @huxsterized on Instagram, is one of the iPhone users who delved into photography using their everyday smartphone. His minimalistic, fun yet colourful shots have garnered a total of 82k followers who follow the beautiful trips he captures along the way. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Ahady is a Graphic Designer for fifteen years now who works part-time as a Real Estate Agent. He started iPhone photography in late 2013 when the perspective of lines caught his attention. He discovered the convenience and elements of the iPhone camera to use for his minimalistic photos. As a family man, his wife, son and daughter are his muses for photography hence they appear a lot on his Instagram feed.

Why did you choose to shoot with iPhone instead of a DSLR?

I always have my iPhone with me so I can shoot whatever I see, and it comes in handy with all the editing apps that I have on it. I started with my iPhone 4, as a self-taught, I explore the tips and trick to get the best output with an iPhone. I love the freedom I get with iPhone. Honestly, I have thought of switching to DSLR or the now Mirrorless camera but the time hasn’t come yet. I guess I am so used to flexibility on iPhone, the size, and the convenience. Plus now the camera keeps getting upgraded better each time!

        
Any important tips on shooting with iPhone?

Be experimental, iPhone camera gets better nowadays and with the flexibility of the size, go wild. Try multiple angles, try a different style, eventually, you will find your own style. Search youtube/google to learn awesome tips, you will be surprised how a simple tip like always clean your iPhone lens before you take photos can make a lot of difference.

“In the end, iPhone is just a tool. It is all about your idea and how you see your surroundings.”


How do you normally edit your photos and what photo apps do you use?

It’s all on my iPhone. Shot all my photos with iPhone native camera and edit with few apps. My favourite would be SKRWT for lens correction and Snapseed for colour enhancement. I don’t do an extensive edit on my photos, always remain minor edits because to me the most important in my photography style is the composition. Sometimes I also use PS Express for noise reduction.

Would you say lines and patterns is your signature style in photography?

Yes! I love finding beauty in ordinary things during everyday life. I love colours, lines, shapes, and playing with negative space. My eyes are drawn to these elements. When captured the right composition, these simple elements can turn into a great piece of art.

Colours are a major part of your pictures, when is appropriate to use monochrome?

I love colours, and I think my feed will always be colourful. Don’t get me wrong, I love Black & White photos especially with high contrast and great composition, black & white shots are rare because it doesn’t suit my feed.

Texture and dimension into your background of your photos. How difficult is it to work with shadows and light?

It all comes down to the weather. I love to go out during a hot day to get the chances to play with shadows and light. Both of these elements add so much value to a photo if you compose your shot right. This is where I can experiment using the technique to capture them with my iPhone. Get your model to play with shadows lighting. Do different poses and make use of that light and shadow because it won’t last for long.

Do you learn composition techniques for better photo taking?

I am a self-taught photographer. I have never attended any photography class. I guess as a Graphic Designer, I tend to have an eye for composition, my skills grow as I further my journey as a photographer. When I see an interesting wall, I always try to imagine the shots first then I will try to execute it.

“Everyone should try to train their eyes to see the beauty in your surrounding, “It’s not about what you see, but how you see it” – @serjios


How do you decide whether to put a subject in the frame or not? How does the subject compliment the picture?

I like to have human presences in my photos to compliment the background/walls in terms of scale and drama. Human presence creates emotion. It helps to tell a story and connect the viewer with the image. A subject also used to achieve a strong composition element, which this is also to compliment the use of negative space, colours, line, shadows or textures. This is very important in minimal photography style. Most of the time I don’t have a model, so I would improvise with objects, for example, traffic cones, old tyres, dustbin, bottle or anything that suits the wall/background. This is a big challenge actually, to turn the ordinary into extraordinary.


How much research do you put in to find these interesting places?

Most of the places that I shot are found by random. We wandered a lot during weekends, my family and I will just drive and hunt for awesome walls. It is not easy to find, but it doesn’t stop me from exploring. We also have friends informed us when they stumble upon awesome walls. We are blessed with awesome friends on Instagram and real life!  Sometimes I use Google street too. Even though it’s not up to date, but it helps to see the surrounding – how big is the wall, how is the traffic there, lights play an important role.. so I sometimes check the weather status and the placement of the building so that I know when the perfect lighting would be to shoot.

Follow the beautiful spots @huxsterized stumble upon on.

Brave Through All Terrains With The Vapormax Flyknit Utility

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Nike is always full of surprises. Nike introduces a new look to their Vapormax line, the Air Vapormax Flyknit Utility for consumers who are looking to go through all terrains on ‘air’. The new silhouette introduces an extended ankle collar with the newly designed lacing system. The new lacing unit, easily observable being a growing trend with the Swoosh, allows easy slip-on access even with a mid-cut. As we all know, a pair of Vapormax isn’t a Vapormax unless it has the Air Bubble unit-equipped outsole and for this new silhouette, Nike did it right with a blacked out Air Bubble.

This new silhouette comes in a triple black colorway and will be releasing on the 18th of January 2018. Nike is yet to announce the retail price, however, if the Air Vapormax Flyknit Utility isn’t your style, we would suggest to check out the Nike Air Vapormax Chukka Slip instead.