My Top 5 sneakers

It's actually become a problem now... It takes me longer than usual to decide what sneakers to wear in the morning. Most guys choose their clothes first, then shoes to match... I do the opposite. So I decided to move some of my sneaks out of my room to make my selection process easier. In doing so, I had made sort of a ranking system in determining which would stay and which would go. Here are my top 5 favorite pairs:

1. Limited edition Superstar 35th anniversary Music Series #11 - Run DMC. Got this as a birthday gift from a friend. Went for $100 here initially. Run DMC played a major role in making the "shell toes" the most iconic sneakers in history... They were the first non-ahtlete sneaker endorsers ever and they started a movement which made three-stripes and the Superstar synonymous with rap and breakdance in the 70's. After a week of its release, this 35th anniversary tribute shoe was already sold out and was already selling at $250 on eBay. Regularity of use: rare. I think I've only used this pair twice. I want to keep them looking as fresh as possible.

Comes with a special anniversary box. Has Jam Master Jay's initials at the back. What a sexy back...

2. adidas 1.1 Intelligent running shoes. The first ever intelligent shoe with a built-in microchip to sense your feet's movement and adapt the type of cushioning you need. Retails for P14,995. But I was lucky to have won this as a prize for finishing a mini-marathon in Germany last March 2006. Regularity of use: often at the gym.

Buttons to manually configure the settings. The microchip controls a high-tension wire to give you perfect cushioning all the time. Also comes with a special briefcase-type box.

3. adidas Y3 Field. adidas landed a milestone deal when it signed Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto to create a high-end trend-setting fashion line for the company. This pair retails for about $250. The thing I like about these is that they go extremely well with what I call 'night-lifestyle wear'. The patent leather combined with cracked leather, snake skin detailing and the Y-3 logo give my feet a nice bling... Regularity of use: rare.

Check out the cool gangsta pin stripes inside the shoe...

4. adicolor Century Lo by Panini. adidas created a special line celebrating originality and influential artists called adicolor. This particular pair retails for about P5,995. Got it in March as a birthday gift to myself. It reminded me of my early days in grade school when I used to collect Panini stickers of "The Age of Dinosaurs". I remember having completed the book after a month of buying and trading stickers with my classmates. What a geek...

Also, my girlfriend loves yellow.

Stripes are red, white and green as Panini is an Italian company. The inspiration came from Panini's first-ever collectible sticker book about football. The inlay soles are lined with the company's logo.

5. adidas Safety. Got this as a company issue last year. Back in the 70's, adidas Japan went into a partnership to manufacture safety footwear and apparel for manufacturing companies. In 2005, these were re-issued by the company as fashion pieces, fusing Japanese-pop design onto industrial workwear and footwear. I love the contrast of elements.

I'm feeling the wicked dots on the shoes and the steel-toes.

Some that failed to make it to the Top 5 but are worthy enough to be featured:

Limited edition Melbourne 1956. A 2004 re-introduction of a running shoe that was used during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Only 1,956 pairs produced.

a3 Ghost ride. One of adidas' first attempts at a structured cushion shoe. Very bouncy!


ZX8000. A re-issue of a popular running shoe that was the first to feature adidas' Torsion system. A breakthrough back in the day, and a standard feature in every athletic footwear brand today.