Adidas 'Samba': Return of the King

Introduced to the world in 1950, as a way for football (soccer) players to train on icy ground, the Adidas Samba has been one of the most popular athletic shoes of all-time. For Adidas, it is their second best selling shoe of all-time, right behind the Stan Smith, having sold over 35 million pairs worldwide. Over the years many other shoe brands have taken the design and shape from the Samba and incorporated it into the styles of their own models. That classic toe piece at the front of the shoe, with the suede part coming from the sides of the shoe up to the top toe part and then going down towards the laces, must have been ripped off at by at least 100 other styles of sneakers, if not way more, since their introduction. A legend in itself, it has come back stronger than ever. After having been only worn on the soccer fields for years or casually by the die hard fans, Adidas has finally seen the true potential to the style and re-released it an array of other color ways as well as material combinations. And thank God they did because the design of the shoe has always allowed for great potential in it's ability to be a staple shoe.




















Having always been a soccer player myself and wearing Adidas as my soccer shoes, I was never a fan of the Samba due to the long tongue that it used to have before it's re-release. I never liked that. I thought that it looked horrible and that it would be uncomfortable. I was not a die hard fan but when they came out again last year, I quickly jumped on the band wagon and bought a pair when I saw that they had shortened the tongue. When I purchased them, they had only re-released the classic black with white and white with black options and so I went with the all white with black stripes and the gum sole. I went to Vegas shortly after and saw how many other color options they were starting to come out with being somewhat bummed out that I just bought the boring white with black one's. Now they are everywhere in a million different color options and to be honest, I want all of them!!!


















It's hard to find a sneaker inspired shoe that goes good with not only jeans but flat front casual trousers and yet the Samba does and that's what I love about them. They are a win/win situation. They are low cost ($65-$90) and they are versatile as well as relatively comfortable. Not much more that you could ask for! I am excited to see what new designs Adidas can come up for the Samba's as well as seeing regular joe's and jane's sporting them and how they do so!

Shoe Of The Day

Not a lot to say but the fact I think that these brown patent chukka boots by Opening Ceremony are the shit!! I wish that more brands offered something different like these.

Boots - A Man's Necessity

Whether it's one of those disgusting Mark Nason boots, a simple chukka boot or a nice dress boot I feel like every man in his right mind wants or needs to own at least one pair of boots to solidify his manhood. "Boot: The man's shoe!" Maybe it is just me but ever since ads have created something showing what a man's man looks like and the fact that in the ad, this man is almost always wearing a pair of boots, I feel like this idea of having a boot in the wardrobe has become eminent to one's sartorial completion. And I think that it is great because I am a big fan of boots, certain one's that is!! Earlier I did an article on the perfect boot (here) in which I stated that the proper dress chukka could go a long way in versatility and function but of course I also think that there are many other styles that are essential to the completion of many looks and a balanced wardrobe.

Let's go through the different types of boots:

Lace Up's

Balmoral (Closed Lacing):









Left Boots: Stefano Bemer
Right Boots: Gaziano & Girling










Left Boots: Koronya
Right Boots: Rider Boot Co. (Picture provided by Leffot)

Derby (Open Lacing):










Boots Above: Edward Green (Pictures provided by Leffot)











Left Boots: Alden (Picture provided by Leather Soul)
Right Boots: Alden (Picture provided by Leffot)    


Slip On's

Chelsea's (2 Gore Boots):










Left Boots: To Boot New York
Right Boots: Gaziano & Girling (Picture provided by Leffot)













Left Boots: Gaziano & Girling
Right Boots: Edward Green (Picture provided by Leffot)


Zip Up's:

Boot Above: To Boot New York


Chukka's -Go to 'The Perfect Boot' to see many different styles

I particularly like the Edward Green boots under the lace up derby section. The pairing between the calfskin and a pebble grain gives it a great balance between casual and dress. It has the cap toe design creating more of a dress feeling while at the same time has the nice thick sole and the copper eyelets that lends it the casual look. Although I would not pair it with a suit you could dress it up with a nice set of trousers and a button up shirt and look very presentable but could also throw on a blazer with a nice pair of jeans over the boots and also come out with a great look. It's hard to find that perfect boot that can go so many ways with different styles/occasions/looks and be affordable at the same time. I have yet to make a boot for myself but it is definitely in my line up for what I need to do next so that I can truly complete my wardrobe!

But for all those guys who buy boots such as Mark Nason, Jo Ghost, Robert Wayne etc. (Look here for examples) and wear them with your tight T-shirts and True Religion jeans that are so baggy you could probably fit my entire torso inside the pant leg of a size 30......PLEASE spare yourself the embarrassment!!! You are not cool and you look like a joke. Buy yourself some grown up boots and become a real man!!

Shoe Of The Day

This is a MTO Edward Green shoe named the Falkirk which is available at Leffot in Manhattan. What I love about this shoe is the detailing in the brogueing. The little side bits that are added are just a nice touch that you don't see too often. More times than not you will find that I will have a wingtip or brogue as my shoe of the day because I am a sucker for those two styles.

Pictures provided by Leffot

Fashion World's Most Influential Person

I recently did a guest post on my friend's blog (Lady Peach) about the fashion world's most influential person and I wanted to also share it with all of you. If you are interested in photography or just discovering cool new blogs, you should definitely check out her site, it has some of the most stunning and vivid photography that I have ever seen. Enjoy!


If a women was to answer this question, 95% might say Anna Wintour, partly because she was portrayed in the movie 'The Devil Wears Prada' and partly because many women know that she is the editor-in-chief of Vogue USA, a magazine considered by many to be a style Bible for women as well as quite possibly the most influential piece of publication in the fashion world. The average stylish man might say Tom Ford or Marc Jacobs because of their increasing popularity and devoted following within the last 5 years or so. However, considering this is such a subjective question and I am usually one to adhere to a contrary belief, I say that no matter who is answering, if they just stated one person they would be wrong!!It's regular individuals (like the one's pictured) who are the fashion world's most influential. People who set themselves apart from the masses, try new things, new pieces, toy with new colors, vintage looks etc. These are the people who give inspiration to fashion designers, editors of publications, people like Scott Schuman ("The Sartorialist") and everybody else involved in the fashion world. Sure there are people like Anna Wintour and designers like Tom Ford who may set themselves apart by utilizing their vast knowledge, connections, experience and power in the fashion world but they are not the source. They are receiving their inspiration from somewhere and I would be willing to bet that a good chunk of it is from regular people. Many great individuals in their respective industry are good at what they do because they are great observers. They absorb what they see, what they hear, what they feel and use that to create something greater.
A classic example of this comes from a story about the shoe brand called Hush Puppies. Hush Puppies are an American brand that started in the late 50's and grew to huge success by the early 60's having their brand tied to many stories regarding famous people and occurrences, including saving the life of Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards. However, what relates them to this post is the fact that by the late 80's, early 90's their sales started dwindling drastically, leaving them upon the brink of extinction. But then the strangest thing occurred. A group of hipsters started wearing them (a gray suede slip-on to be exact) in and around the club scene of New York City. More and more people started to recognize these people, wondering where they could also find these gray suede shoes. It wasn't long before 3 fashion designers caught wind of this and started featuring Hush Puppies in their collections. To give you number examples, Hush Puppies in '94 were down to 30,000 pairs sold, in '95 that number grew to 430,000 pairs sold and in '96 was four times greater than '95. This just goes to show power of regular individuals and how our they can influence not only high-powered designers, but a country and even the world!

Pictures provided by The Sartorialist

Shoe Of The Day

When making a spectator using crocodile and calfskin, or another smooth leather, I really feel like it is hit or miss on how the final product comes out. They are either beautiful or butt-ugly! This one here by a.Testoni, I happen to find very well done. What is interesting about the model is how it's vamp extends all the way to the heel breaking up the quarter and completely leaving out the counter. I find it a very intriguing design. I also love the pairing of these two colors and more importantly the dark piping around the face of the shoe, the mouth and quarter. This shoe commands attention and deserves it!!

More Vs Poor: What Women Think About A Man With Style

Hey all, today I have something a little different on my blog. This is a guest post by my friend True Queen. She is going to shed some light on how women think about men and their style choices and how shoes play a big part of that. I hope that you all enjoy it!

"How a man is dressed speaks volumes to a woman long before he even gets a chance to utter his name. Women generally are extremely detail oriented and will pick apart and dissect any given object in several different ways to determine whether or not something is of value or junk. This method can be applied to just about anything including men; and when it comes to a man and his personal style, there is much to learn from a man who chooses loafers over sneakers.

Now when it comes to dress, I think I can speak for all women when I say that first impressions can be critical. I'm not one to leave judgment based on appearance alone, there are a lot of great guys out there that don't quite have fashion down; but with some time and effort a man can surely up his chances on making any sort of connection with the opposite sex with a few minor, or major changes.

Sight, Smell and Shoes; the three S's men should be aware of when dressing in a manner that will attract or merely impress women. Women generally think that a man with style will be more likely to care about the minor details in a potential relationship if he pays attention to minor details like accessories, a dapper pair of shoes and a splash of cologne on himself.

Of the 3 I think the shoes speak the loudest just because they can be noted from a distance, and bring the caliber of any outfit up just based on the shoes alone. His style doesn't have to be sleek either, some women like a man who is rugged around the edges like Johnny Depp or Lenny Kravitz. Just make sure you know how to do it without looking like a bum.

Cleanliness is first and foremost in my mind when I see a man who is well put together. I would hope that his house would look as put together as he is; It just doesn't make sense to look so put together and live in chaos.

Stability; a man who can maintain his sexy, trim his nose hairs, and keep up with the latest trends tells a woman he is financially stable, focused and ambitious.

Regular grooming tells a woman that he cares about the face he puts forward when he walks out the door. You can have a beard, but do you cut your nails? Clean your ears, women watch all these things and faster than you would think.

We would like to believe that men with these traits would care just as much about us if given the chance. Style and relationships I find seem to be intertwined as much as many don't want to admit the world of fashion is one that is vain we see everything before we hear anything.

Look to men like Andre 300, Kanye West, Jonny Depp, Brad Pitt, Chris Brown, Christiano Ronaldo and other with similar style for inspiration. A little detail goes a long way."


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Administrator
Shannon H. "Empress"
www.TrueQueen.com