Plagiarism: MaNiKe SB

-The popularity of Manik skates has skyrocketed over the past few years, and in our opinion they are Seattle's illest clothing company. We still love their product as much as we did when we started, and since the release of their George Carlin shirt and newest line of Artist Series decks it has been clear that Manik can't/won't stop.
-However, on a visit to Trickwood today I noticed a newly released Nike SB hoodie (on the right) that looked almost identical to an older Manik one (on the left). It is clearly pretty weak for a giant newcomer like Nike to snipe shit from a promising upstart, but it is also not surprising in the least.

-Anti-Nike sentiment is pretty common throughout the skate world these days, as an industry based around the underdog is now being taken over by the king of all corporations. Regardless, as long as Nike keeps putting out cool product (see: Nike SB x Shoe Goo) and getting people like P-Rod and ?uest to rep their SB gear, then they will remain a respected (if hated) force. more

Field Trip: Alife Rivington Club

-On the last day of my NYC trip, I had to book it down to the Lower East Side to see Alife Rivington Club. I made it 5 minutes before closing, just enough time to catch a glimpse of the store that last month's GQ described as the city's ultimate destination for sneakerheads.
-A.R.C. was fresh off of a collaboration with Lacoste and the release of ?uestlove's exclusive Air Force 1s, and their shelves were filled with everything from your standard Dunks to Saucony runners, all branded with the A.R.C. logo. The service was unexpectedly good, and the dude with the ill Islam beard had more sneaker knowledge than anyone I've ever met. A.R.C. was by far the most impressive (though expensive) store I went to in NYC, so make it a top priority when you are in town.

-According to Hypebeast, A.R.C. recently released a line of outerwear with Penfield. Penfield is known for being pretty style-conscious while putting out some of the highest quality outerwear around, making this an unexpected yet welcome collabo. If you are trying to skip the fleece this fall, then check out A.R.C.'s online store. more