The Indonesian Shoe Association has begun investigations over dumping circumventions on Nike and Adidas producers in Indonesia following allegations made by Brazil. The association's secretary-general Binsar Marpaung said the investigation would take one month.
we must investigate and clarify this first because it's a sensitive matter, he told Tempo yesterday. After the investigation on 10 shoe factories belonging to both brands is complete, the association will be able to verify the allegations.
Binsar said the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalcados) filed the accusation on October 4. The association promised to obey the antidumping circumvention principles. we won't support circumvention, said Binsar, calling on the Brazilian government to be fair.
On a separate occasion yesterday, Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said he was still studying the allegation.
Previously, the Trade Ministry's trade security director Ernawati said Brazilian businessmen had asked for antidumping protection against Indonesian exported shoe products.
Since July 2010, Brazil has accused Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia of dumping cheap shoes from China on the Brazilian market. Ever since, Brazil has been reinforcing its antidumping circumvention law by applying a regulation which requires 40 percent local content on exported products and 25 percent additional content.
2011年10月27日星期四
Man pleads guilty to having counterfeit sneakers
An African man pleaded guilty Monday to having dozens of counterfeit Nike tennis shoes and will likely be deported following the crime.
Alio Ango, 39, of Wind Road, Greensboro, pleaded guilty to felony criminal use of a counterfeit trademark. Graham police charged him with possession of 77 pairs of counterfeit Nike sneakers on Aug. 29, 2010. Ango was arrested April 19 and remained in the Alamance County jail until Monday’s hearing.
Following the hearing, Alamance County Assistant District Attorney Larry Brown said Graham police didn’t have evidence that Ango was selling the shoes, only that they were counterfeited and he had possession of them.
Defense attorney Brad Buchanan told Superior Court Judge Elaine M. Bushfan that Ango was “trying to survive.” Ango speaks very limited English and has no formal education, Buchanan said.
Ango speaks Hausa, a language common in the west African nations of Niger and Nigeria. It was unclear where he was born. His hearing was delayed for some time while the court located an interpreter fluent in Hausa.
He had no prior criminal record.
Bushfan issued an active three- to four-month sentence with credit for 189 days spent in jail. Payment of court costs and $450 for attorney fees were waived. Following the hearing, Ango was placed in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is likely he will be deported.
Bushfan ordered the counterfeit shoes be given to a charitable organization or destroyed.
Alio Ango, 39, of Wind Road, Greensboro, pleaded guilty to felony criminal use of a counterfeit trademark. Graham police charged him with possession of 77 pairs of counterfeit Nike sneakers on Aug. 29, 2010. Ango was arrested April 19 and remained in the Alamance County jail until Monday’s hearing.
Following the hearing, Alamance County Assistant District Attorney Larry Brown said Graham police didn’t have evidence that Ango was selling the shoes, only that they were counterfeited and he had possession of them.
Defense attorney Brad Buchanan told Superior Court Judge Elaine M. Bushfan that Ango was “trying to survive.” Ango speaks very limited English and has no formal education, Buchanan said.
Ango speaks Hausa, a language common in the west African nations of Niger and Nigeria. It was unclear where he was born. His hearing was delayed for some time while the court located an interpreter fluent in Hausa.
He had no prior criminal record.
Bushfan issued an active three- to four-month sentence with credit for 189 days spent in jail. Payment of court costs and $450 for attorney fees were waived. Following the hearing, Ango was placed in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is likely he will be deported.
Bushfan ordered the counterfeit shoes be given to a charitable organization or destroyed.
2011年10月26日星期三
Nike designer wears Kevin Durant "Year of the Dragon" KD IV to charity game
As it turns out, Kevin Durant and LeBron James were not the only Nike stars debuting some new colorways during last week's Oklahoma City All-Star Classic. Nike designer Leo Chang may have outshined both Durant and James with his "Year of the Dragon" Nike Zoom KD IVs. Change tweeted a picture of the shoes as he was hanging out with Kevin Durant's mom, Wanda Pratt, who also happened to be rocking the "Nerf" KD IVs herself.
With scales resembling that of a dragon (as if we know what a dragon actually looks like, but whatever...) on the midfoot strap and a color scheme that resembles that of the highly popular Nike LeBron 9 "China," the overwhelming theme seems to be, "yeah, Nike really loves the Asian market." No release information has been given on this colorway, but here's hoping it won't be exclusive to Asian territories and people have to be insane prices to get them stateside.
With scales resembling that of a dragon (as if we know what a dragon actually looks like, but whatever...) on the midfoot strap and a color scheme that resembles that of the highly popular Nike LeBron 9 "China," the overwhelming theme seems to be, "yeah, Nike really loves the Asian market." No release information has been given on this colorway, but here's hoping it won't be exclusive to Asian territories and people have to be insane prices to get them stateside.
2011年10月25日星期二
Have You Seen this Child? Robert "Robbie" Wood, Jr., Age 8, Richmond, VA
Robert "Robbie" Wood, Jr., is an 8-year-old autistic boy who is missing from his home in Richmond, Virginia. Last seen on October 23, 2011, he was wearing a red long-sleeved t-shirt, blue athletic pants, and black Nike shoes. Robbie may be in need of medical attention.
Description: Robert "Robbie" Wood, Jr., is an eight-year-old white male. He was born November 20, 2002. Robbie has blonde hair and blue eyes. He weighs 75 pounds and stands 4’6" tall. Robbie wandered away from his family on an outing.
Searchers have covered over 2000 acres, including 80 acres that comprise the park where he disappeared. If Robbie is not found by Wednesday, October 26, 2011, morning, volunteers are asked to meet at Kings Dominion, bringing a photo idea and wearing appropriate clothing and shoes to participate in a search. Volunteers should be able to walk at least five miles.
Robbie was last seen walking along one of the trails at the North Anna Battlefield Park with a brother, his father, and a family friend at approximately 2:00 p.m., Sunday, October 23, 2011. Emergency personnel have been searching the park using helicopters and K-9 units.
Description: Robert "Robbie" Wood, Jr., is an eight-year-old white male. He was born November 20, 2002. Robbie has blonde hair and blue eyes. He weighs 75 pounds and stands 4’6" tall. Robbie wandered away from his family on an outing.
Searchers have covered over 2000 acres, including 80 acres that comprise the park where he disappeared. If Robbie is not found by Wednesday, October 26, 2011, morning, volunteers are asked to meet at Kings Dominion, bringing a photo idea and wearing appropriate clothing and shoes to participate in a search. Volunteers should be able to walk at least five miles.
Robbie was last seen walking along one of the trails at the North Anna Battlefield Park with a brother, his father, and a family friend at approximately 2:00 p.m., Sunday, October 23, 2011. Emergency personnel have been searching the park using helicopters and K-9 units.
2011年10月24日星期一
Recycling athletic shoes
The Whitehall Middle School Environmental Club is sponsoring a Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Drive for recycling until Nov. 4.
The club is collecting old athletic shoes, of any brand, at each school building. The goal is to collect 500 pairs of shoes.
Nike will pay for the shipping, and upon receipt, they will break the shoes apart into their component parts and recycle them into the materials to make running tracks and the padding underneath basketball and tennis courts.
There are donation boxes in the offices of all of the Whitehall district抯 school buildings if community members would like to donate shoes. Parents can send old shoes to school with their children. Any shoes collected that are non-athletic or still usable, will be donated to Goodwill.
The club is collecting old athletic shoes, of any brand, at each school building. The goal is to collect 500 pairs of shoes.
Nike will pay for the shipping, and upon receipt, they will break the shoes apart into their component parts and recycle them into the materials to make running tracks and the padding underneath basketball and tennis courts.
There are donation boxes in the offices of all of the Whitehall district抯 school buildings if community members would like to donate shoes. Parents can send old shoes to school with their children. Any shoes collected that are non-athletic or still usable, will be donated to Goodwill.
Marketing TebowMania: More than just the Broncos' QB
Tim Tebow is balancing a double life. There is Tebow the Broncos quarterback, the 24-year-old second-year NFL player trying to blend in with his teammates while deflecting the intense attention that simmers around him as he prepares to make his first start of 2011 today.
Then there is Tebow the humanitarian, a corporate pitchman and inspirational public speaker with a combination of charisma and collegiate success that has turned him into a celebrity whose fame transcends sports.
And then there is the dichotomy.
For as much as the quarterback appears humbled by his massive popularity, TebowMania is, in part, a self-created phenomenon. Tebow has surrounded himself with a tightknit inner circle of family and friends that double as business partners — Tebow Inc., if you will — who together have carefully planned his every off-field endeavor.
"It goes back, a little bit, I guess, to growing up and my parents and the way they raised me. You want to have people around you that you trust, in everything," Tebow said. "It's not about all the normal things — it's not about let's make the most money we can or being the most popular, but ultimately doing what we want to do and what's in our hearts. It's special, and it's fun."
Team Tebow is a tight network, with family at its core.
Tebow's older brother Robby is his roommate, closest friend and his de facto manager for everything away from football through the sports marketing company XV Enterprises. The company, with Tebow as its only client, is intrinsically linked with the Tim Tebow Foundation, the quarterback's charitable Christian-based organization.
The Tebow family, after selecting agent Jimmy Sexton to handle all contract matters (and some business-related deals) when his career at Florida was done, decided to forge ahead with their own marketing of Tim. It was an unconventional path for someone with Tebow's enormous success as a college player with a Heisman Trophy and two national championships.
From Tebow's perspective, keeping his business in-house, with his brother and partner Angel Gonzalez in charge, gives him a better platform to pick his off-field projects and tie them to his foundation.
"We figured that we could put together something that could handle my marketing. We could save a lot of money, but also do the things that we wanted to do," Tebow said. "Look at my endorsement deals — so much of what they do is supporting my foundation. We can structure that. If you had a different company, they're not going to structure that money."
A marketing magnet
Indeed, he has partnered locally with businesses such as Denver Mattress, with $15 for each mattress sold in May and June 2011 going to the foundation, and Groove Auto for a "Drive for Education" program for at-risk youth. But most of Tebow's marketing has been on a much grander scale.
From the time he played his last college game, in January 2010, and started his first NFL game 11 months later, Tebow signed national deals with Nike (shoes and apparel), EA Sports (video games), FRS (nutritional supplements) and Jockey (apparel). Such major deals are possible because Tebow possesses many of the traits companies are looking for in an endorser, said Stephen McDaniel, a professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in sports marketing.
"He's a good-looking, fit guy, so he's got that sex appeal, and when you listen to him, he's very down-to-earth. That's the persona," McDaniel said. "And there is also this sense of him facing adversity. Not necessarily personal adversity, but professional adversity, and still he comes across as this humble guy."
That does not appear to be the image Team Tebow tried to promote this offseason, as he was among the most visible NFL players during the lockout, in large part because of a major publicity push to promote his autobiography, "Through My Eyes," released in late May.
In addition to book signings in Colorado and Florida, there were appearances on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," guest spots on Fox News and MSBNC, and a taped appearance on the reality show "The Biggest Loser." Tebow presented an award at the ESPYs in July and was the subject of an hour-long documentary about his pre-draft journey that aired on ESPN. The documentary, "Tim Tebow: Everything in Between" will be released on DVD next month. It was filmed and produced by Chase Heavener, the son of one of Tebow's father's oldest friends.
"As far as access goes, he trusted us because we were friends," Heavener said. "We were probably the only people who could have done what we did because we were friends. That was the bottom line."
With all the publicity in recent months, it's no wonder that news he unseated Kyle Orton as the Broncos' starting quarterback drew a crowd of more than 60 media members to Dove Valley and has dominated cable sports news, newspaper coverage and sports- talk radio chatter the past two weeks.
All Tim, all the time
Here in Denver and among NFL fans, it seems there cannot be enough Tebow.
From the moment he signed with the Broncos, he's had one of the top-selling jerseys in the NFL. Nationally, though, there is some evidence of Tebow Fatigue. According to Henry Schafer, executive vice president of The Q Scores Company, which collects data to gauge the popularity and marketability of celebrities, Tebow's positive Q score dropped from 22 in February — an extremely high score on par with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, the past two Super Bowl MVPs — to 18 a month ago. That's still a high score, Schafer said, but a noticeable decline.
Tebow's negative Q score, in turn, has increased since he left college from a 22 to 27. (By comparison, No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Newton had a negative score of 42, and the average athlete rates 28). A Q score is a scale the marketing industry uses to gauge a celebrity's popularity and likeability.
"He stirs emotions, no question about it. But he can make it work to his advantage. He'll get noticed, for better or for worse," Schafer said. "There seems to be a love to dislike him, people love to criticize him. He could change a lot of people's minds if he does well for Denver."
And he could become even more marketable, Schafer said.
"Peyton Manning is the high-water mark," Schafer said. "If (Tebow) pulls it off on the field, he can start approaching that kind of level."
Then there is Tebow the humanitarian, a corporate pitchman and inspirational public speaker with a combination of charisma and collegiate success that has turned him into a celebrity whose fame transcends sports.
And then there is the dichotomy.
For as much as the quarterback appears humbled by his massive popularity, TebowMania is, in part, a self-created phenomenon. Tebow has surrounded himself with a tightknit inner circle of family and friends that double as business partners — Tebow Inc., if you will — who together have carefully planned his every off-field endeavor.
"It goes back, a little bit, I guess, to growing up and my parents and the way they raised me. You want to have people around you that you trust, in everything," Tebow said. "It's not about all the normal things — it's not about let's make the most money we can or being the most popular, but ultimately doing what we want to do and what's in our hearts. It's special, and it's fun."
Team Tebow is a tight network, with family at its core.
Tebow's older brother Robby is his roommate, closest friend and his de facto manager for everything away from football through the sports marketing company XV Enterprises. The company, with Tebow as its only client, is intrinsically linked with the Tim Tebow Foundation, the quarterback's charitable Christian-based organization.
The Tebow family, after selecting agent Jimmy Sexton to handle all contract matters (and some business-related deals) when his career at Florida was done, decided to forge ahead with their own marketing of Tim. It was an unconventional path for someone with Tebow's enormous success as a college player with a Heisman Trophy and two national championships.
From Tebow's perspective, keeping his business in-house, with his brother and partner Angel Gonzalez in charge, gives him a better platform to pick his off-field projects and tie them to his foundation.
"We figured that we could put together something that could handle my marketing. We could save a lot of money, but also do the things that we wanted to do," Tebow said. "Look at my endorsement deals — so much of what they do is supporting my foundation. We can structure that. If you had a different company, they're not going to structure that money."
A marketing magnet
Indeed, he has partnered locally with businesses such as Denver Mattress, with $15 for each mattress sold in May and June 2011 going to the foundation, and Groove Auto for a "Drive for Education" program for at-risk youth. But most of Tebow's marketing has been on a much grander scale.
From the time he played his last college game, in January 2010, and started his first NFL game 11 months later, Tebow signed national deals with Nike (shoes and apparel), EA Sports (video games), FRS (nutritional supplements) and Jockey (apparel). Such major deals are possible because Tebow possesses many of the traits companies are looking for in an endorser, said Stephen McDaniel, a professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in sports marketing.
"He's a good-looking, fit guy, so he's got that sex appeal, and when you listen to him, he's very down-to-earth. That's the persona," McDaniel said. "And there is also this sense of him facing adversity. Not necessarily personal adversity, but professional adversity, and still he comes across as this humble guy."
That does not appear to be the image Team Tebow tried to promote this offseason, as he was among the most visible NFL players during the lockout, in large part because of a major publicity push to promote his autobiography, "Through My Eyes," released in late May.
In addition to book signings in Colorado and Florida, there were appearances on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," guest spots on Fox News and MSBNC, and a taped appearance on the reality show "The Biggest Loser." Tebow presented an award at the ESPYs in July and was the subject of an hour-long documentary about his pre-draft journey that aired on ESPN. The documentary, "Tim Tebow: Everything in Between" will be released on DVD next month. It was filmed and produced by Chase Heavener, the son of one of Tebow's father's oldest friends.
"As far as access goes, he trusted us because we were friends," Heavener said. "We were probably the only people who could have done what we did because we were friends. That was the bottom line."
With all the publicity in recent months, it's no wonder that news he unseated Kyle Orton as the Broncos' starting quarterback drew a crowd of more than 60 media members to Dove Valley and has dominated cable sports news, newspaper coverage and sports- talk radio chatter the past two weeks.
All Tim, all the time
Here in Denver and among NFL fans, it seems there cannot be enough Tebow.
From the moment he signed with the Broncos, he's had one of the top-selling jerseys in the NFL. Nationally, though, there is some evidence of Tebow Fatigue. According to Henry Schafer, executive vice president of The Q Scores Company, which collects data to gauge the popularity and marketability of celebrities, Tebow's positive Q score dropped from 22 in February — an extremely high score on par with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, the past two Super Bowl MVPs — to 18 a month ago. That's still a high score, Schafer said, but a noticeable decline.
Tebow's negative Q score, in turn, has increased since he left college from a 22 to 27. (By comparison, No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Newton had a negative score of 42, and the average athlete rates 28). A Q score is a scale the marketing industry uses to gauge a celebrity's popularity and likeability.
"He stirs emotions, no question about it. But he can make it work to his advantage. He'll get noticed, for better or for worse," Schafer said. "There seems to be a love to dislike him, people love to criticize him. He could change a lot of people's minds if he does well for Denver."
And he could become even more marketable, Schafer said.
"Peyton Manning is the high-water mark," Schafer said. "If (Tebow) pulls it off on the field, he can start approaching that kind of level."
2011年10月20日星期四
Technology: Leading the population to joblessness
In 1917, baseball player and shoe salesman Chuck Taylor took the already popular "All Star" canvas shoe design used by Converse and created the Chuck Taylor All-Star.
The shoe fit comfortably to the foot like typical converse shoes but also gave much needed support and stability to the ankle. These new shoes were an instant hit and during World War II the United States military used Chuck Taylors for all combat training due to their low price. In 2003, however, Nike bought Converse Shoes and after numerous bankruptcy filings, began to produce the shoes in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.
The means of production have shifted in most other areas of our economy as well. The former computer giant IBM has sold off its commercial manufacturing business to the Asian company Lenovo. This quantity of jobs lost by Americans is not a sign of what has happened in our country during our economic boom and bust, but rather a shadow of the future showing a time where there are – simply put – less jobs.This conclusion is also held by New York University journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, who stated on Aug. 5, 2011 that our national recovery from the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression will not just be jobless, but will result in less jobs overall for our nation. The idea is simple. Technology increases efficiency and increased efficiency means that fewer employees are needed. This then ripples down through the entire economy.
Many economists and politicians would shudder and choose to forget that last paragraph. For many, choosing not to acknowledge that many jobs – such as those in the print industry – will never be coming back is not an option. Any job replaced by a blog, robot, computer or even fewer people will never exist again. With that said, the only remaining option resides in how we as a nation look at that fact and move on. Moving on, however, isn't nearly as hard as you may think.
It's a matter of simply doing what we Americans have been known for since our nation's founding. We must embrace not our ability to produce real tangible products, but instead produce the ideas behind the products and then find a way of marketing them to the world. China doesn't design the next iPhone or Dell laptops, American engineers do. The biggest grossing websites on the Internet – Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Yahoo! – were all created by American entrepreneurs. Mac OS and Windows were both created by Americans. Are any of these things tangible? Nope. But they are incredibly valuable and world changing.
It's time to recognize that we as a nation are not going to be the largest producers of any physical products. Both China and India's overwhelming population will surpass us in terms of producing physical goods for the world.
We will, however, own the companies and the ideas for the products that are made. Isn't that enough? If every unemployed American stopped looking for a job in the economy and instead created one for themselves by working hard at improving something in our society, be it a product or a service – high tech or low tech – they themselves can create labor and market their ideas to the world.
The time is nigh for self-motivated individuals to create too. With services like kickstarter.com to help raise funds for an idea and a large proliferation in Do It Yourself expertise via Make Magazine, Instructables and community fabrication workshops, anyone with a thought can take that idea and make it into a reality. Anyone can be a 21st century Chuck Taylor.
The shoe fit comfortably to the foot like typical converse shoes but also gave much needed support and stability to the ankle. These new shoes were an instant hit and during World War II the United States military used Chuck Taylors for all combat training due to their low price. In 2003, however, Nike bought Converse Shoes and after numerous bankruptcy filings, began to produce the shoes in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.
The means of production have shifted in most other areas of our economy as well. The former computer giant IBM has sold off its commercial manufacturing business to the Asian company Lenovo. This quantity of jobs lost by Americans is not a sign of what has happened in our country during our economic boom and bust, but rather a shadow of the future showing a time where there are – simply put – less jobs.This conclusion is also held by New York University journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, who stated on Aug. 5, 2011 that our national recovery from the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression will not just be jobless, but will result in less jobs overall for our nation. The idea is simple. Technology increases efficiency and increased efficiency means that fewer employees are needed. This then ripples down through the entire economy.
Many economists and politicians would shudder and choose to forget that last paragraph. For many, choosing not to acknowledge that many jobs – such as those in the print industry – will never be coming back is not an option. Any job replaced by a blog, robot, computer or even fewer people will never exist again. With that said, the only remaining option resides in how we as a nation look at that fact and move on. Moving on, however, isn't nearly as hard as you may think.
It's a matter of simply doing what we Americans have been known for since our nation's founding. We must embrace not our ability to produce real tangible products, but instead produce the ideas behind the products and then find a way of marketing them to the world. China doesn't design the next iPhone or Dell laptops, American engineers do. The biggest grossing websites on the Internet – Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Yahoo! – were all created by American entrepreneurs. Mac OS and Windows were both created by Americans. Are any of these things tangible? Nope. But they are incredibly valuable and world changing.
It's time to recognize that we as a nation are not going to be the largest producers of any physical products. Both China and India's overwhelming population will surpass us in terms of producing physical goods for the world.
We will, however, own the companies and the ideas for the products that are made. Isn't that enough? If every unemployed American stopped looking for a job in the economy and instead created one for themselves by working hard at improving something in our society, be it a product or a service – high tech or low tech – they themselves can create labor and market their ideas to the world.
The time is nigh for self-motivated individuals to create too. With services like kickstarter.com to help raise funds for an idea and a large proliferation in Do It Yourself expertise via Make Magazine, Instructables and community fabrication workshops, anyone with a thought can take that idea and make it into a reality. Anyone can be a 21st century Chuck Taylor.
2011年10月19日星期三
Chocolate gets personal: Nestle to launch customization pilot program
It's not just the no-foam, half-caff, soy latte, the wheat-crust, extra-cheese pizza or the running shoes with the hand-picked stripes anymore. Now even chocolate can say something about the person buying it.
Nestle is expected to announce Thursday its launch of a personalized chocolate business through its premium, Maison Cailler brand. It will start as a pilot program in the company's native Switzerland, where customers can buy chocolate samples online, fill out a short questionnaire about each piece and be given a "chocolate profile."
The profiles, Nestle said, will reflect a preference for one of five kinds of its chocolate, such as milk or dark, or certain flavors like vanilla or nut. Each of the five has its own name like "ChocoArty," for dark chocolate lovers, and lists personality traits, like "adept in elegance and culture."
Bob Boutin of Knechtel, a Skokie-based food, confectionary and pharmaceutical consulting firm, said that with chocolate and other confectionary prices on the rise, manufacturers are feeling pressure to give consumers more for their money.
Nestle said the sample is priced at about $20, and a personalized box of 16 pralines would cost nearly $28.
In this trend, Nestle follows Starbucks, Nike and Coca-Cola in offering personalized products. Nestle will use the profiles to create personalized boxes of chocolates for customers and their friends or loved ones, and follow up with offers around certain holidays.
"Anything that involves customization or personalization is totally hot today, in chocolate or another industry," said Valerie Beck, founder and president of Chicago Chocolate Tours. "We love whatever we can do to really make something our own."
But Stacy DeBroff, CEO of Mom Central Consulting, said the Nestle program seems behind the curve. She noted companies like Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Chocomize allow customers to make their own candy bars, selecting the chocolate and toppings, which include nuts, dried fruits, herbs and even spices, for about $8 per bar, before shipping.
She added that paying for the samples might also create a hurdle for some consumers. "They're not only asking you to sign up but to pay to enter," she said. "I'm going to pay to tell you what my chocolate preferences are so that until I unsubscribe, I'm going to get pitched?"
Laurent Freixe, head of Nestle's Zone Europe, said while premium chocolate has been growing, the company has noticed that customers "do not necessarily want to buy, to eat the same things as their neighbor, and people have more and more personalized expectations."
Nestle plans to invite Maison Cailler customers to share their chocolate profiles on Facebook, underscoring the importance of social media and the growing number of consumers making purchases online. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of confectionary products and chewing gum rose 5.2 percent for the year ended in September, on top of relatively high increases for each year since 2007.
However, chocolate sales grew unabated during the recession and are expected to reach $18.1 billion in the U.S. in 2011, up 14 percent from $15.8 billion in 2006, according to Euromonitor.
Katrina Markoff, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Vosges Haut Chocolat, isn't a fan of the personalization trend in chocolates.
"I don't know that they would be so successful." Markoff said. She said her customers "want to be surprised" by her creations and in many cases "don't know what they want." Vosges, which expects to have sales of $25 million to $30 million this year, makes candies with vegan, organic and gluten-free chocolates and uses exotic flavors like Gruyere cheese and wasabi.
Nestle is expected to announce Thursday its launch of a personalized chocolate business through its premium, Maison Cailler brand. It will start as a pilot program in the company's native Switzerland, where customers can buy chocolate samples online, fill out a short questionnaire about each piece and be given a "chocolate profile."
The profiles, Nestle said, will reflect a preference for one of five kinds of its chocolate, such as milk or dark, or certain flavors like vanilla or nut. Each of the five has its own name like "ChocoArty," for dark chocolate lovers, and lists personality traits, like "adept in elegance and culture."
Bob Boutin of Knechtel, a Skokie-based food, confectionary and pharmaceutical consulting firm, said that with chocolate and other confectionary prices on the rise, manufacturers are feeling pressure to give consumers more for their money.
Nestle said the sample is priced at about $20, and a personalized box of 16 pralines would cost nearly $28.
In this trend, Nestle follows Starbucks, Nike and Coca-Cola in offering personalized products. Nestle will use the profiles to create personalized boxes of chocolates for customers and their friends or loved ones, and follow up with offers around certain holidays.
"Anything that involves customization or personalization is totally hot today, in chocolate or another industry," said Valerie Beck, founder and president of Chicago Chocolate Tours. "We love whatever we can do to really make something our own."
But Stacy DeBroff, CEO of Mom Central Consulting, said the Nestle program seems behind the curve. She noted companies like Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Chocomize allow customers to make their own candy bars, selecting the chocolate and toppings, which include nuts, dried fruits, herbs and even spices, for about $8 per bar, before shipping.
She added that paying for the samples might also create a hurdle for some consumers. "They're not only asking you to sign up but to pay to enter," she said. "I'm going to pay to tell you what my chocolate preferences are so that until I unsubscribe, I'm going to get pitched?"
Laurent Freixe, head of Nestle's Zone Europe, said while premium chocolate has been growing, the company has noticed that customers "do not necessarily want to buy, to eat the same things as their neighbor, and people have more and more personalized expectations."
Nestle plans to invite Maison Cailler customers to share their chocolate profiles on Facebook, underscoring the importance of social media and the growing number of consumers making purchases online. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of confectionary products and chewing gum rose 5.2 percent for the year ended in September, on top of relatively high increases for each year since 2007.
However, chocolate sales grew unabated during the recession and are expected to reach $18.1 billion in the U.S. in 2011, up 14 percent from $15.8 billion in 2006, according to Euromonitor.
Katrina Markoff, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Vosges Haut Chocolat, isn't a fan of the personalization trend in chocolates.
"I don't know that they would be so successful." Markoff said. She said her customers "want to be surprised" by her creations and in many cases "don't know what they want." Vosges, which expects to have sales of $25 million to $30 million this year, makes candies with vegan, organic and gluten-free chocolates and uses exotic flavors like Gruyere cheese and wasabi.
2011年10月18日星期二
More 'Back to the Future'-Inspired Technology Coming Soon
As we inch ever closer to 2015, the world predicted in Back to the Future Part II looks closer and closer to reality.
Earlier this year, Nike introduced Air Mag sneakers, created to resemble the self-lacing power sneakers Michael J. Fox wears in the 1989 film. Now comes word that the DeLorean, the long defunct sports car company that created the signature gull-wing door car used as the time machine in the films is about to make a comeback. The company announced on Monday plans to introduce an all-electric DeLorean car in 2013.
The car, called the Electric DeLorean DMC-12 is expected to have a top speed of 125 mph from 260 horsepower, according to MSN. The price will be anywhere from $90,000 to $100,000.
A prototype version of the car was recently unveiled at the company's headquarters in Humble, Texas.
Meanwhile, tech site Geekologie has posted two videos showing levitating quantum superconductors in action at Tel Aviv University. This is the kind of technology that makes things like the hoverboards in Back to the Future Part II possible.
In fact, work at Paris Diderot University showing experiments with a superconducting skateboard, cooled with liquid nitrogen, that can carry a person along five meter rails has also been posted online. Can a commercially available overboard be far behind?
Earlier this year, Nike introduced Air Mag sneakers, created to resemble the self-lacing power sneakers Michael J. Fox wears in the 1989 film. Now comes word that the DeLorean, the long defunct sports car company that created the signature gull-wing door car used as the time machine in the films is about to make a comeback. The company announced on Monday plans to introduce an all-electric DeLorean car in 2013.
The car, called the Electric DeLorean DMC-12 is expected to have a top speed of 125 mph from 260 horsepower, according to MSN. The price will be anywhere from $90,000 to $100,000.
A prototype version of the car was recently unveiled at the company's headquarters in Humble, Texas.
Meanwhile, tech site Geekologie has posted two videos showing levitating quantum superconductors in action at Tel Aviv University. This is the kind of technology that makes things like the hoverboards in Back to the Future Part II possible.
In fact, work at Paris Diderot University showing experiments with a superconducting skateboard, cooled with liquid nitrogen, that can carry a person along five meter rails has also been posted online. Can a commercially available overboard be far behind?
2011年10月17日星期一
cheap nike air max sharks frnace 2011 90 tn shox
States.
Some 50,000 people are expected Sunday, instead of the estimated 300,000 people last August.
Already open to the public, the Martin Luther King memorial is located near the National Mall, the huge and prestigious Esplanade south of the White House, and adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson and Roosevelt.
This is the first monument to honor a person of color and the only one of this magnitude to be dedicated to a person other than a former president of the United States.
Harry Johnson, president of the foundation bringing the project, fifteen years old, said in a statement that "the event will be crucial for those who will be present and for the spectators in the country and the world will see This long-awaited moment in the history of our nation. "
President Obama, first African American elected to the White House, will speak as will be present, in addition to the King family, many personalities of politics or culture as the singer Aretha Franklin or the designer Tommy Hilfiger. Music, poetry readings and speeches punctuate the matinée.
Some 50,000 people are expected Sunday, instead of the estimated 300,000 people last August.
Already open to the public, the Martin Luther King memorial is located near the National Mall, the huge and prestigious Esplanade south of the White House, and adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson and Roosevelt.
This is the first monument to honor a person of color and the only one of this magnitude to be dedicated to a person other than a former president of the United States.
Harry Johnson, president of the foundation bringing the project, fifteen years old, said in a statement that "the event will be crucial for those who will be present and for the spectators in the country and the world will see This long-awaited moment in the history of our nation. "
President Obama, first African American elected to the White House, will speak as will be present, in addition to the King family, many personalities of politics or culture as the singer Aretha Franklin or the designer Tommy Hilfiger. Music, poetry readings and speeches punctuate the matinée.
2011年10月13日星期四
Golf & Travel
Late in the golf season, my thoughts start to drift to the south. As the winter months approach, I have found that on many days Ojai can be 5-7 degrees warmer. This is a wonderful excuse for a visit to one of the finest resorts on the West Coast.
The resort
The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa has long been a weekend retreat for Hollywood’s elite. This relationship dates back to the filming of Frank Capra’s “Lost Horizon” which was shot on location nearby.
The Inn’s classic Spanish-style architecture fits perfectly into this warm valley with large mountains rising up in all directions. The property sits atop a knoll affording comfortable views from its restaurants and most rooms.
In recent years, the inn has had a complete makeover to achieve a peaceful Mediterranean feel throughout the resort. Spanish tile floors give way to white stucco, wood beams and red rooftops. There are numerous water fountains and the landscaping is immaculate adding to the serenity.
The rooms are large, averaging 425 square feet and never too far from the activities. We were just steps from the pro shop, driving range and 1st tee. The restaurants were no more than a wedge shot away uphill, with the Spa equally close downhill. The resort features the finest linens with its signature “Ojai Nest” bedding. The bathrooms are oversized and stocked with Spa Ojai amenities.
The Oak Grill is one of my all-time favorite places to dine and a must for all resort guests. The views of the golf course and surrounding mountains are stunning as you dine underneath the 200-year-old Oaks giving ample protection from the sun. The food and service were excellent, as was my Moroccan Grilled Salmon.
Spa Ojai is perennially ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. by Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast, USA Today and Trip Advisor. The spacious, relaxed setting with its Moroccan design is sure to please and another good reason to visit.
The golf
The Ojai Valley Inn Golf Club is one of the finest layouts in Southern California, having been laid out by George Thomas who also designed Riviera, Bel Air and Los Angeles Country Clubs. The course was updated in 1988 by Jay Morrish and is a classic “long short course.” While only 6,300 yards it actually plays longer with a par of 70, including many par fours more than 400 yards and par threes more than 200.
Through the years, famous pros and celebrities have flocked to its fairways. Jimmy Demaret and Doug Sanders have been pros while Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Will Smith, Kevin Costner and Michael Douglas played regularly. The Michael Douglas & Friends event was played here several times along with the PGA Champions Tour.
The most famous holes are no doubt the “Lost Holes,” which were reintroduced in 1999 having been part of the original Thomas design. The par-three 7th will command attention at just under 200 yards and slightly downhill.
The approach will need to be perfect with OB to the right, lateral canyon just left and large bunkers short. Over the years I have found it safer to shoot for the front of the green regardless of the pin position. This gives the player more landing area and a good chance to walk away with a 3 or 4 on a potentially devastating hole.
The trip
The drive to and from Ojai is a good enough reason to make the trip, especially if you are sitting in the passenger seat. If you take the 101 you will be oceanfront along the Gaviota Coast and then again just south of Carpinteria.
Take Highway 33 just before Ventura for the inland drive. Check out the Creek Rd cutoff, which will save you 10 minutes if you do not want to drive through downtown Ojai.
Junior Golf shoes
If you have junior golfers, you no doubt have had a tough time finding golf shoes that are attractive and the right size. Nike Golf has come out with an attractive line of Junior Golf shoes that will make your protégé very happy.
The Nike Advance Junior Golf shoe is the latest innovation from this company that gives juniors and women the same attention as men, a rarity in the industry.
The resort
The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa has long been a weekend retreat for Hollywood’s elite. This relationship dates back to the filming of Frank Capra’s “Lost Horizon” which was shot on location nearby.
The Inn’s classic Spanish-style architecture fits perfectly into this warm valley with large mountains rising up in all directions. The property sits atop a knoll affording comfortable views from its restaurants and most rooms.
In recent years, the inn has had a complete makeover to achieve a peaceful Mediterranean feel throughout the resort. Spanish tile floors give way to white stucco, wood beams and red rooftops. There are numerous water fountains and the landscaping is immaculate adding to the serenity.
The rooms are large, averaging 425 square feet and never too far from the activities. We were just steps from the pro shop, driving range and 1st tee. The restaurants were no more than a wedge shot away uphill, with the Spa equally close downhill. The resort features the finest linens with its signature “Ojai Nest” bedding. The bathrooms are oversized and stocked with Spa Ojai amenities.
The Oak Grill is one of my all-time favorite places to dine and a must for all resort guests. The views of the golf course and surrounding mountains are stunning as you dine underneath the 200-year-old Oaks giving ample protection from the sun. The food and service were excellent, as was my Moroccan Grilled Salmon.
Spa Ojai is perennially ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. by Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast, USA Today and Trip Advisor. The spacious, relaxed setting with its Moroccan design is sure to please and another good reason to visit.
The golf
The Ojai Valley Inn Golf Club is one of the finest layouts in Southern California, having been laid out by George Thomas who also designed Riviera, Bel Air and Los Angeles Country Clubs. The course was updated in 1988 by Jay Morrish and is a classic “long short course.” While only 6,300 yards it actually plays longer with a par of 70, including many par fours more than 400 yards and par threes more than 200.
Through the years, famous pros and celebrities have flocked to its fairways. Jimmy Demaret and Doug Sanders have been pros while Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Will Smith, Kevin Costner and Michael Douglas played regularly. The Michael Douglas & Friends event was played here several times along with the PGA Champions Tour.
The most famous holes are no doubt the “Lost Holes,” which were reintroduced in 1999 having been part of the original Thomas design. The par-three 7th will command attention at just under 200 yards and slightly downhill.
The approach will need to be perfect with OB to the right, lateral canyon just left and large bunkers short. Over the years I have found it safer to shoot for the front of the green regardless of the pin position. This gives the player more landing area and a good chance to walk away with a 3 or 4 on a potentially devastating hole.
The trip
The drive to and from Ojai is a good enough reason to make the trip, especially if you are sitting in the passenger seat. If you take the 101 you will be oceanfront along the Gaviota Coast and then again just south of Carpinteria.
Take Highway 33 just before Ventura for the inland drive. Check out the Creek Rd cutoff, which will save you 10 minutes if you do not want to drive through downtown Ojai.
Junior Golf shoes
If you have junior golfers, you no doubt have had a tough time finding golf shoes that are attractive and the right size. Nike Golf has come out with an attractive line of Junior Golf shoes that will make your protégé very happy.
The Nike Advance Junior Golf shoe is the latest innovation from this company that gives juniors and women the same attention as men, a rarity in the industry.
Heart of a Lion, Logo of a Lamb
LeBron James has become the NBA player that fans love to hate ever since he unceremoniously dumped his home state of Ohio and moved along to the Miami Heat last season to seemingly become part of some sort of freakishly unstoppable winning machine. Unfortunately for the Heat and its fans, the team was stoppable — even though it took until the NBA Finals to get the brakes to completely work.
And now, everyone in the NBA has been stopped, due to the lockout that owners and agents and players and veterans and league execs and tons of lawyers, among others, are busy trying to get untangled in order for some actual NBA games to be played this season.
Do you think all that dislike and the lack of a season is stopping the James Marketing Juggernaut? Of course not. It's time for it to go into overdrive. One of his sponsors, Nike, is releasing a line of James off-court apparel featuring a lion logo designed to honor LeBron's “heart of a lion.”
The generic-looking logo is “reminiscent of the coat of arms of medieval English monarchs such as King Richard the Lionheart,” according to USA Today.
LeBron also has a “Lion 6” logo that will be on T-shirts, rugby shirts, shoes, and jackets and, guess what? It'll all be on sale in time for the holidays! A real surprise, right? Perhaps there will be some NBA games to wear all your new LeBron gear to as well.
The copy for the collection (revealed on Nike's Facebook page) proclaims, “Game after game. LeBron James' heart stays strong. The two-time NBA MVP has seen his fair share of battles. He's done his time on the hardwood. In the gym. And around the neighborhood. With every victory the beast within grows stronger. More determined. Fearless. Always on.”
That new Lion logo, by the way, made its first appearance last season when His I-ness returned to play the Cavs in Cleveland and “wore the all-wool ‘Destroyer' jacket,” which wasn't for sale at the time, USA Today reports. Now it will be.
Nike is also releasing a new set of $170 LeBron James sneakers that are inspired by the Air Force. The shoe is called “The Cannon” and is part of the LeBron 9 line of footwear. “The military-green theme is a nod to the Miami Heat having their first training camp since James joined the team last season at Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base,” the Associated Press reports.
The shoes will be released this weekend in South Florida before hitting store shelves nationwide.
Below, LeBron James models his new Nike collection, with a shout-out for another brand: he's sporting Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.
And now, everyone in the NBA has been stopped, due to the lockout that owners and agents and players and veterans and league execs and tons of lawyers, among others, are busy trying to get untangled in order for some actual NBA games to be played this season.
Do you think all that dislike and the lack of a season is stopping the James Marketing Juggernaut? Of course not. It's time for it to go into overdrive. One of his sponsors, Nike, is releasing a line of James off-court apparel featuring a lion logo designed to honor LeBron's “heart of a lion.”
The generic-looking logo is “reminiscent of the coat of arms of medieval English monarchs such as King Richard the Lionheart,” according to USA Today.
LeBron also has a “Lion 6” logo that will be on T-shirts, rugby shirts, shoes, and jackets and, guess what? It'll all be on sale in time for the holidays! A real surprise, right? Perhaps there will be some NBA games to wear all your new LeBron gear to as well.
The copy for the collection (revealed on Nike's Facebook page) proclaims, “Game after game. LeBron James' heart stays strong. The two-time NBA MVP has seen his fair share of battles. He's done his time on the hardwood. In the gym. And around the neighborhood. With every victory the beast within grows stronger. More determined. Fearless. Always on.”
That new Lion logo, by the way, made its first appearance last season when His I-ness returned to play the Cavs in Cleveland and “wore the all-wool ‘Destroyer' jacket,” which wasn't for sale at the time, USA Today reports. Now it will be.
Nike is also releasing a new set of $170 LeBron James sneakers that are inspired by the Air Force. The shoe is called “The Cannon” and is part of the LeBron 9 line of footwear. “The military-green theme is a nod to the Miami Heat having their first training camp since James joined the team last season at Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base,” the Associated Press reports.
The shoes will be released this weekend in South Florida before hitting store shelves nationwide.
Below, LeBron James models his new Nike collection, with a shout-out for another brand: he's sporting Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.
2011年10月12日星期三
Hannah Jones on Nike's Sustainable Innovation Marathon
After two hours of interactive warm-up exercises, the 2011 Innovation Forum kicked off with Hannah Jones, the Vice President of Sustainable Business & Innovation for Nike.
As Joel Makower put it in the introduction to his 30-minute interview with Jones, when you think of innovation, you pretty much always think of Nike. From their waste-based shoes to their radical collaboration within their industry and beyond, Nike is truly mapping the trail of sustainable innovation.
Jones began by walking the audience of more than 200 sustainability professionals through the journey that Nike is taking on innovation -- a journey that has involved not just her own team and her own company, but companies as far-flung from the sportswear and apparel industries as Procter & Gamble and Eli Lilly.
She spoke particularly about the benefits of viewing innovation through the same lens that you view sustainability. "One of the things that sustainability people have learned how to do is think about systems and system change, and to think about networks and understanding grassroots communities," Jones explained. "Bringing those worlds together has great promise for both of those worlds."
Jones had a lot of insight to offer on the state of the market, both in terms of changing shoppers' buying habits to value greener products to changing how any company in any industry can be greener.
"Our mission statement isn't 'make lots of stuff," Jones said. "It's 'inspire and innovate on behalf of the athlete.' How can we think about completely different materials that would be great for performance, but would also be regenerative, recyclable, and reusable? How do we think about supply chains that are radically transformed? How do we make these better places to work, make them LEED, make them greener? And what does that mean for sustainability economy?"
Later in the discussion, Jones shared two takeaways about how to get people to want to buy products that are greener.
1. Never compromise performance or price for sustainability. If you do, you will ghettoize sustainability and you'll continue the belief in the market that sustainability equals less, and that, Jones said, is one of the biggest sustainability challenges we still face.
2. Give the consumer something they didn't even expect. How do you create a demand for doing new things? Jones gave the example of the gear that Nike gave to the footballers at last year's World Cup in South Africa. Made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, Nike never compromised on their performance requirements, and she said the players loved it, both on the field and off.
Similarly, the Jordan 23 basketball shoe made it greener as a result of moving away from solvents to glue the pieces together, as well as working with the factory to develop a way to use stitching and geometry to partially hold the shoe together. "It was a breakthrough inspiration," Jones said, " and it sends a shudder down the design community." And the innovation gave an added thrill to Nike customers -- not only was it a high-performance shoe, but when buyers found out it was significantly greener, it became an added bonus.
Although Nike has come a long way down the path of sustainability, and one that started from what Jones described as a "difficult" place -- namely, the child labor scandals of the 1990s -- Jones stressed that none of it was easy. Nike has put years of effort into assessing the life-cycle impacts of its materials -- and Jones says that Nike has about 75,000 materials that go into its various products in the course of just one year.
They've turned those studies into a series of tools that they're sharing within the apparel industry and beyond, with the goal of helping everyone get better. Whether it's the Considered Index, its Green Xchange, working with the Eco Index Apparel Tool or the Sustainability Consortium, Jones said the future of green is going to have to revolve around sharing.
As a closing thought, here's how Jones laid out the goal of sustainable innovation: "We're going to have to make today's status quo obsolete because [what we're making tomorrow] is better."
As Joel Makower put it in the introduction to his 30-minute interview with Jones, when you think of innovation, you pretty much always think of Nike. From their waste-based shoes to their radical collaboration within their industry and beyond, Nike is truly mapping the trail of sustainable innovation.
Jones began by walking the audience of more than 200 sustainability professionals through the journey that Nike is taking on innovation -- a journey that has involved not just her own team and her own company, but companies as far-flung from the sportswear and apparel industries as Procter & Gamble and Eli Lilly.
She spoke particularly about the benefits of viewing innovation through the same lens that you view sustainability. "One of the things that sustainability people have learned how to do is think about systems and system change, and to think about networks and understanding grassroots communities," Jones explained. "Bringing those worlds together has great promise for both of those worlds."
Jones had a lot of insight to offer on the state of the market, both in terms of changing shoppers' buying habits to value greener products to changing how any company in any industry can be greener.
"Our mission statement isn't 'make lots of stuff," Jones said. "It's 'inspire and innovate on behalf of the athlete.' How can we think about completely different materials that would be great for performance, but would also be regenerative, recyclable, and reusable? How do we think about supply chains that are radically transformed? How do we make these better places to work, make them LEED, make them greener? And what does that mean for sustainability economy?"
Later in the discussion, Jones shared two takeaways about how to get people to want to buy products that are greener.
1. Never compromise performance or price for sustainability. If you do, you will ghettoize sustainability and you'll continue the belief in the market that sustainability equals less, and that, Jones said, is one of the biggest sustainability challenges we still face.
2. Give the consumer something they didn't even expect. How do you create a demand for doing new things? Jones gave the example of the gear that Nike gave to the footballers at last year's World Cup in South Africa. Made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, Nike never compromised on their performance requirements, and she said the players loved it, both on the field and off.
Similarly, the Jordan 23 basketball shoe made it greener as a result of moving away from solvents to glue the pieces together, as well as working with the factory to develop a way to use stitching and geometry to partially hold the shoe together. "It was a breakthrough inspiration," Jones said, " and it sends a shudder down the design community." And the innovation gave an added thrill to Nike customers -- not only was it a high-performance shoe, but when buyers found out it was significantly greener, it became an added bonus.
Although Nike has come a long way down the path of sustainability, and one that started from what Jones described as a "difficult" place -- namely, the child labor scandals of the 1990s -- Jones stressed that none of it was easy. Nike has put years of effort into assessing the life-cycle impacts of its materials -- and Jones says that Nike has about 75,000 materials that go into its various products in the course of just one year.
They've turned those studies into a series of tools that they're sharing within the apparel industry and beyond, with the goal of helping everyone get better. Whether it's the Considered Index, its Green Xchange, working with the Eco Index Apparel Tool or the Sustainability Consortium, Jones said the future of green is going to have to revolve around sharing.
As a closing thought, here's how Jones laid out the goal of sustainable innovation: "We're going to have to make today's status quo obsolete because [what we're making tomorrow] is better."
2011年10月10日星期一
The Nike Zoom Kobe 7 revealed, has removable ankle strap
Based on this image of the Nike Zoom Kobe 7, it appears that the general look of the shoe won't be that much different from last year's edition. Except for the fact that it has a removable ankle strap and insoles, of course.
Unlike LeBron James' signature line that has changed significantly over the years in look and style, Kobe has mainatined a sleek and low (cut) profile for his shoes ever since the Kobe 4. It will retain the flywire that has been a staple of the line, but it won't have the controversial scales of the 6, which was a hate it or love it feature among fans. Mesh will be visible in the Zoom Kobe 7 and it will have a new heel design that also borrows a lot from the 6.
What is most interesting about the 7 is the removable ankle strap. Sneaker Files is not sure whether or not the package will also include an additional insole, but the ankle strap is the game changing element that could make Mamba's shoe the dominant line in the Nike stable again.
Despite the NBA lockout, Black Mamba has been keeping himself busy with tours in Asia and Europe. There are the rumors that he will be playing in Italy, but even if that doesn't come to pass, at least he has a feature part in a Nike short film coming up.
Unlike LeBron James' signature line that has changed significantly over the years in look and style, Kobe has mainatined a sleek and low (cut) profile for his shoes ever since the Kobe 4. It will retain the flywire that has been a staple of the line, but it won't have the controversial scales of the 6, which was a hate it or love it feature among fans. Mesh will be visible in the Zoom Kobe 7 and it will have a new heel design that also borrows a lot from the 6.
What is most interesting about the 7 is the removable ankle strap. Sneaker Files is not sure whether or not the package will also include an additional insole, but the ankle strap is the game changing element that could make Mamba's shoe the dominant line in the Nike stable again.
Despite the NBA lockout, Black Mamba has been keeping himself busy with tours in Asia and Europe. There are the rumors that he will be playing in Italy, but even if that doesn't come to pass, at least he has a feature part in a Nike short film coming up.
Me and My Money
Are you a saver or a spender? Definitely a spender with my own money, although what we make in the business gets reinvested back into our projects before going back into our own pockets, So frugal with work and more laissez faire with my own cash.
Do you shop around for better value? I go online all the time to find the best prices for items like flights, clothes, vinyl and accommodation. I don’t really enjoy shopping, so if I ever do shop around town for bargains, it’s on a mid-week morning, as opposed to a weekend, when its less hectic.
What has been your most extravagant purchase ever? Certain vinyl albums that cost several hundred euros due to the rarity and condition of the item.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money? My Macbook Pro. It gets used for a range of tasks and doubles up for work and leisure.
Have you ever crossed the Border to shop? No, I live on my own and do not really eat at home so there is no real benefit for me to go up there for some thrift purchases.
Do you haggle over prices? I spend a lot of my time haggling in work with artists and agents over fees, flights, tour budgets etc. It’s second nature to me, but I tend to fall back and not be so sharp when it is outside of work-related matters.
Has the recession changed your spending habits? It has definitely taught me to be more mindful of my spending and to prepare for all eventualities.
Do you invest in shares? I have invested exclusively in my business and have not yet had the opportunity to try the markets.
Cash or card? Cash is king but cards will get you out of a hole if you find yourself in one. I tend to carry far less cash on me than I used to though.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money? My iphone4 as it allows me to keep up to date with work when I’m on the go and is great for organising your schedule if you’re travelling. It also has a video camera and thousands of apps so it is the most versatile thing I own. I also bought some Nike Id trainers on the Nike website where you design your own shoes. I don’t think I could ever go back to normal trainer buying after this experience – it’s such a brilliant idea.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase? I have been building up my record collection and music equipment for years, which is worth a fair whack on paper and is something I continually add to, so this is probably my biggest purchase, but it’s an ongoing thing.
Have you ever lost money? I’ve lost money on projects a fair few times, but personally I haven’t lost anything of significance.
Is money important to you? Money is important for my work as it’s so cash intensive but after that I tend to not care too much for it. As long as we have enough to work on projects we are really passionate about and can pay the bills then I’m generally happy. Obviously I would like more of it, but it certainly isn’t the most important thing in my life by any means.
Do you shop around for better value? I go online all the time to find the best prices for items like flights, clothes, vinyl and accommodation. I don’t really enjoy shopping, so if I ever do shop around town for bargains, it’s on a mid-week morning, as opposed to a weekend, when its less hectic.
What has been your most extravagant purchase ever? Certain vinyl albums that cost several hundred euros due to the rarity and condition of the item.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money? My Macbook Pro. It gets used for a range of tasks and doubles up for work and leisure.
Have you ever crossed the Border to shop? No, I live on my own and do not really eat at home so there is no real benefit for me to go up there for some thrift purchases.
Do you haggle over prices? I spend a lot of my time haggling in work with artists and agents over fees, flights, tour budgets etc. It’s second nature to me, but I tend to fall back and not be so sharp when it is outside of work-related matters.
Has the recession changed your spending habits? It has definitely taught me to be more mindful of my spending and to prepare for all eventualities.
Do you invest in shares? I have invested exclusively in my business and have not yet had the opportunity to try the markets.
Cash or card? Cash is king but cards will get you out of a hole if you find yourself in one. I tend to carry far less cash on me than I used to though.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money? My iphone4 as it allows me to keep up to date with work when I’m on the go and is great for organising your schedule if you’re travelling. It also has a video camera and thousands of apps so it is the most versatile thing I own. I also bought some Nike Id trainers on the Nike website where you design your own shoes. I don’t think I could ever go back to normal trainer buying after this experience – it’s such a brilliant idea.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase? I have been building up my record collection and music equipment for years, which is worth a fair whack on paper and is something I continually add to, so this is probably my biggest purchase, but it’s an ongoing thing.
Have you ever lost money? I’ve lost money on projects a fair few times, but personally I haven’t lost anything of significance.
Is money important to you? Money is important for my work as it’s so cash intensive but after that I tend to not care too much for it. As long as we have enough to work on projects we are really passionate about and can pay the bills then I’m generally happy. Obviously I would like more of it, but it certainly isn’t the most important thing in my life by any means.
2011年10月9日星期日
Check out what Oregon has in store for Matt Knight Madness
At most places, they toss t-shirts into the stands to fans searching for a souvenir. At Oregon, they're giving away the Limited Edition Pit Crew Air Jordan 3.
The first 1,000 students to Friday's Matt Knight Madness will receive a raffle coupon and 10 pairs of the Nike shoes will be given away as prizes.
The Ducks men's and women's basketball teams will hold a short scrimmage during the exhibition. Here's a look at a video (below) promoting the event. Got to admit, the song and video is catchy. Reminds me of Washington's old Dancing Dawgs video clip.
The Huskies start fall practice Friday with a three-day training camp off campus.
The first 1,000 students to Friday's Matt Knight Madness will receive a raffle coupon and 10 pairs of the Nike shoes will be given away as prizes.
The Ducks men's and women's basketball teams will hold a short scrimmage during the exhibition. Here's a look at a video (below) promoting the event. Got to admit, the song and video is catchy. Reminds me of Washington's old Dancing Dawgs video clip.
The Huskies start fall practice Friday with a three-day training camp off campus.
2011年10月7日星期五
Whose Shoes: Revealed
The guesses that came in yesterday for our “Whose Shoes” feature included RCP‘s Erin McPike and freelancer Stephanie Green.
The right answer is videographer Elizabeth Glover, who freelances for outlets like TWT and Insight News and Feature and previously Wonkette. She also owns and runs Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill, which some Washington journos like Politico‘s Patrick Gavin have been known to frequent.
Glover purchased the shoes at Palace 5ive on 14th Street near U St. NW in DC. “It's a super cool skate shop,” she explained. “They're Nike skateboarding shoes. They were on the sale in the Spring, I think, and marked down from $150 or so to $60ish. I don't know why they have different colored shoelaces. They came that way – already laced.”
She also said wearing these shoes to upscale receptions isn't her norm. “I don't usually wear them to fancy media events but I was rushing from the studio and forgot to change out of them. My loafers were in the car. Whoops!”
The right answer is videographer Elizabeth Glover, who freelances for outlets like TWT and Insight News and Feature and previously Wonkette. She also owns and runs Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill, which some Washington journos like Politico‘s Patrick Gavin have been known to frequent.
Glover purchased the shoes at Palace 5ive on 14th Street near U St. NW in DC. “It's a super cool skate shop,” she explained. “They're Nike skateboarding shoes. They were on the sale in the Spring, I think, and marked down from $150 or so to $60ish. I don't know why they have different colored shoelaces. They came that way – already laced.”
She also said wearing these shoes to upscale receptions isn't her norm. “I don't usually wear them to fancy media events but I was rushing from the studio and forgot to change out of them. My loafers were in the car. Whoops!”
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