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(Flyer design by the Scharwath)

Like artist designed shoes? How about a mean espresso? Maybe you’re into motorcycles, mopeds, and vintage motorized bikes? If you answered a ‘yes’ to any of these then come down to Choke in Silver Lake this Thursday, July 17th for a DC Shoes release party for Aaron Rose’s new practical ortho-cools. Last year when we were still editing Beautiful Losers in the Manzanita house, Keith Scharwath would periodically stop by to work with Aaron on the extras (zine, fabric, and shoebox design) for this shoe project . What they came up with was a sharp looking package that’s as classy as it is creative. Come by and enjoy a cup of joe at this unique bike shop and check out the finished goods for yourself!

From A.Rose:

Hey Everyone,

This is kind of a strange invite, but for the last three years I’ve been working with my friend Damon designing a shoe for his company DC Shoes. Well they’re finally done so we’re gonna have a little party Thursday night at Choke Motorcycle Shop. If you’ve never been to Choke, it’s seriously one of my favorite places in the world. If you don’t care about some weird pair of shoes I designed (I know a party for a shoe is a weird concept), then come to see the place cause it’s awesome!

Thursday, July 17th, 7-9PM
Choke Motorcycle Shop
4157 Normal Ave (at Virgil)
Los Angeles

(Another fine flyer design from Keith Scharwath)

This Sunday June 29th, kick down your old new shoes for a good cause. Nike, Undefeated, and the illustrious Gents of Desire are kicking off a benefit for the East LA Community Youth Center where every pair of unworn shoes donated will be generously matched by Nike. In addition to helping out your fellow peoples, Nike and Undefeated will be hosting a picnic for you filled with food, drink, music, and a “lady pants” competition in their back alley featuring the artwork of the Gents of Desire. Your ticket in is the pair of shoes you’ll be donating. Read on for more info:

Time and place:

June 29th

5pm-9pm

UNDFTD Los Angeles

112 1/2 South La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

For lovers of cool shoes, small companies who make cool shoes, and cool shoes on sale made by small cool companies, check out Keep’s sample sale this weekend in LA’s Chinatown. Music, drinks, and deals on shoes on a warm LA day, sounds like good times to be had.

And not only do the good peeps at Keep create fine shoes and clothing, they also keep good company as they are tight with an artistic community who support and share their same ideals. Among the Keep family contributors are photographers Tobin Yelland (who shoots most of Keep’s catalogs as well as being the director of photography of our film Beautiful Losers), Deanna Templeton (the lovely wife of Ed), and the brothers Ray and David Potes of the omni-present Hamburger Eyes (I actually just randomly met Dave in NY a few days ago through our mutual friend Ito!).

Thanks to Stephanie at Keep’s Hillhurst store for passing along the good info.

May 31 Sat 10 am - 6 pm
June 1 Sun 12 - 5 pm
Keep Chinatown HQ
418 Bamboo Lane
LA, CA 90012

My work is now done, finally. On Monday May 12th and Tuesday the 13th here in Beijing, Nike launched two of the coolest events I’ve ever had the good fortune to be a part of. The first being the Nike Sportswear opening featuring video portraits by artist Robert Wilson and the 64 HD screen video installation I worked on along with the crew I was working with in Italy, Sartoria. The second event was the Nike 6.0 BMX demo and Lightning Bolts Art Show in a jaw dropping venue simply known as “the Gas Tank” in Beijing’s 798 artists district. Artists from this show included Michael Lau, Andy Jenkins, and Nick Philip among others and featured pieces using Bob Haro’s original number plate as a canvas. Over those past two days an amazing collection of talent, taste makers, celebrity designers, executives, and head creatives, converged on Beijing to produce another innovative Nike experience. Here’s a peak at some of the madness with more pics to come very soon!

Director Paolo Fresci (maestro of our installation), Suitmen’s Adam Glickmen (hugely responsible for bringing me aboard the project), DJ Alex Turnbull (created the banging beats for our piece), and Sartoria’s mad genius Giorgio Di Mitri (the visionary period) watch on as the other 32 monitors bombard them with video in our installation room.

New Nike Terminators with a Robert Wilson portrait of skater Shingo Iwasaki.

More new Nikes with Wilson’s portrait of dancer Sofia Boutella.

The outside of the Nike 6.0 event at the Gas Tank.

The impressive insides.

Another angle.

Too many people to name in front of Michael Lau’s piece at the main entrance (although that’s Nike sweethearts Jill Meisner and Drieke Leenknegt on the left).

I hope these pics whet your visual appetites because there’s much more to come soon!

From surf/skate brand Osiris and Consolidated Skateboards comes The Drunk. A clever play and obvious jab at Nike’s iconic shoe, The Dunk.

From the sneakerfiles.com:

“The Drunk, a thinly veiled comedic wordplay on a popular shoe style from one of the large sporting goods companies, bears a signature banana logo on the side of each shoe. It was created as a playful knock on the large sporting goods brands that are now making a strong push to take a share of the market in the action sports industry. The shoes are going to be sold only at core skate and surf shops in support of the Don’t Do It campaign, a movement that seeks to put the power back into the hands of those companies that built the action sports industry.”

The shoe looks rad and the Don’t Do It Campaign sounds even better.  Join the Don’t Do It Army to help put the power back into the hands (and feet) of the creators of their communities.  Downloadable stencils, sticker designs, and other propaganda on the Don’t Do It website at: http://www.dontdoitarmy.com/.

Does this mean I should be getting rid of my Futura Dunks (which look to be the impetus for the above Drunks)?