One day, me and my girlfriend Dylan were trying to figure out a place to eat where she brought up this point where for her, breakfast food tastes better when it's eaten at non-breakfast hours. And true enough, we booked it to the nearest all-day breakfast place we could find.
While other parts of the world have their own spins on breakfast, I'll always be more partial to a generous amount of tapa, tocino, or adobo flakes paired up with a steaming serving of garlic rice because whenever I come around to having breakfast, it's either too early to think about things like carbs and counting calories, or it's too late to even care.
So here are a few places around Manila that I think do breakfast food well. Some old favorites, and some relatively new players too. I won't say anything about how each place fares, because I don't keep a food blog. What I'm delighted to concede is that these places serve all-day (with some going 24 hours), because breakfast is and will always be the most important meal of the day, no matter what time you come around to having it.
Vans dropped these Eras as part of their collaboration with London's Liberty Art Fabrics. I got to chance upon them during a lunch break and I immediately knew this was the standout in the selection available locally.
I could've taken a better picture, but you can already see the intricate detail of the shoe's upper. Blending mountain patterns to form a solid "camo" pattern, and given the ubiquity of camo in the worlds of sneakers, streetwear, and menswear right now, this pair is a welcome new spin on a trend that everybody's hopping on.
Though I wish they could have come out with an Authentic instead, the Era is one of Vans' timeless silhouettes for a reason. If you love Vans, or love sneakers in general, these are definitely worth the look.
Check this and other styles in the Vans x Liberty Collection available in Vans stores!
Kevin Durant's Nike KD VI's have dropped, and the Lebron XI's aren't too far behind. This leaves Kobe Bryant's signature sneaker line the only one that's yet to get an update for the coming NBA season.
Supposed sample designs, and teasers that imply the use of Nike's Flyknit technology have been making the online rounds. Hopefully, more details come out before Kobe gets back on the court (the season opener, without a doubt. Haha). All personal bias aside, I'm curious to see how the final product will turn out. Will it continue down the design road the Nike Kobe IV start and stick to a low-cut profile? Or will his injury warrant a return to a higher cut shoe?
Only time will tell. In the meantime, since I'm talking about Kobe anyway, I'm gonna go on little throwback trip to revisit some of my favorite sneakers of his.
Nike Kobe VII System - "Poison Dart Frog" (image from http://bit.ly/1eIUNB4)
Although one of the later shoes in Kobe's Nike line, I've always found them pretty awesome in concept. Low-cut, light, and taking design cues from the poison/venom themes we've been seeing in his sneakers as of late. I wish I had gotten back into playing basketball earlier, so I could have picked up a pair to ball in.
Nike Kobe V - "Game of Death" (image from http://bit.ly/16P43Tq)
Nike took some serious inspiration from Bruce Lee in his classic movie "Game of Death" for this release. I love Bruce Lee movies, so I went nuts when I heard Nike was dropping these. The scratch mark details, to taking the colorway from the tracksuit Lee wore in the movie. I can only hope and pray Nike decides to re-release these in the not-so-distant future.
Nike Kobe VIII System - "Mambacurial" (image from http://bit.ly/1cMOOyy)
These aren't old, but it took a while for this to happen. Kobe took inspiration from football shoes which brought about the Kobe IV, a design that changed the course of Kobe's signature line. Four more shoe designs in, the Kobe VIII came out with this sick colorway that took so many cues from the Nike Mercurial line, the same shoes worn by footballers like Real Madrid winger (and diver extraordinaire) Cristiano Ronaldo. But don't let the Ronaldo association bring these down. They even inspired a custom KD VI which is equally sick! This is another release I can only hope Nike re-releases in the future.
Nike Huarache 2K4 (image from http://bit.ly/19sjmW5)
While these aren't necessarily a Kobe Bryant signature sneaker, I remember Kobe rocking these after his time with Adidas. I took these as a sign that The Black Mamba would soon be going the way of the Swoosh. And true enough, 8 signature shoes later, and a couple of championship rings to add to his collection, I'd say the move has paid off. And speaking of Adidas...
Adidas Kobe II (Image from http://bit.ly/)
Feel free to laugh, and drop whatever comparisons to The Titanic, or an iron. But I included these on the list because I had a pair when I was younger, and I balled in them until they gave out. I'd practice the turnaround-fadeaway and even though I wouldn't come close to hitting the rim, I'd still feel pretty good cause I was in a pair of Kobes. I think it's fortunate that many of the younger crop of sneakerheads today didn't get to see Kobe in these, and I'm glad Kobe's off Adidas so no one's gets any smart ideas to call for a re-release.
Air Jordan III - "True Blue" (image from http://bit.ly/14KidVg)
I was leafing through an old issue of Slam Magazine one day when I came across Kobe Bryant in this pair of Air Jordan III's. With so much hype surrounding Air Jordans nowadays, I'm not too sure if I'd want to join in on the race. But Kobe Bryant was in a pair of True Blue 3's throwing down a dunk on Yao Ming in what was then his rookie season, so I might make an exception if these roll out again.
And while we're on the subject of Kobe and Jordan, to sign off on this post, this painstakingly OC edit is worth a watch.
I first heard about Yolanda Moon from friends who got to catch their set at the Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival which was held in March. Given their reactions, it's quite a shame on my part that the first gig of theirs that I got to catch was only a few months back.
Composed of Cholo Hermosa, and Kyle Quismundo, Yolanda Moon is a band that plays an ambient mix of soul and trip-hop that's pretty easy on the ears. Despite having only caught them at a couple of gigs so far, I'm really digging their stuff. Perfect for those moments when you're winding down, just thinking about how your day went. Well, for me at least. I'm sure you'll discover lots of other reasons to love this band, so head on out and catch them at a gig near you!
They also have a pretty awesome shirt that was done in collaboration between Terno Recordings and Artwork!
This and the shirts of other bands under the Terno Recordings label are available at select Artwork branches.
It was only a matter of time before Nike would roll these out in the Philippines. Thank goodness for working in an office a street away from Nike's flagship store in Bonifacio High Street. Now that I finally got to see these things up close, here are some initial impressions that might help anyone looking to pick up a pair.
I. Aesthetics
Just when I thought the Nike Flyknits couldn't get any sleeker, they announced the impending arrival of these bad boys. While it would have been easy to just slap on the Free sole on some previously designed Flyknit upper, I like how they brought out a new pattern that integrates itself rather well with the Nike Free sole. And seeing the colorways that have dropped from both the Flyknit and Free lines, there's a lot of good stuff to look forward to.
I'm honestly intrigued with the construction of both the "lace holes" and the portion of the upper where the feet are supposed to enter. While Nike's intention was for the marriage of sock-like fit with almost-barefoot flexibility, one worry that comes to mind is how long the stretchy portion of the upper can retain its initial form, like when socks get old.
Regarding the "lace holes", while they may look cool in an when-old-world-design-meets-modern-technology kind of way, I worry about their durability. If there are videos showing how some people choose to cut off the laces on theirs for a true slip-on feel, then it seems to me that it might be pretty easy for them to snag and get cut loose either on a run or when worn causally.
II. Comfort While I don't own a pair of Free Flyknits, my point of comparison comes from having a pair of both the Flyknit Lunar 1's and Free 3.0's, so whatever impressions I have in this section are pretty speculative.
I'm a huge fan of the Flyknit upper and how it fits to your foot, so I can only imagine how much more precise the fit of the Free Flyknit will be given its intent to be worn barefoot. And because of the unique construction of the upper, the shoe is pretty breathable.
I'm not a hardcore runner, but whenever I have the time, I go for a run in my Nike Free 3.0's. Despite the absence of the Lunarlon cushioning that went into the Flyknit, the Nike Frees aren't a slouch in the comfort department either. Pretty cool for shoes which were intended to mimic the benefits of barefoot running as closely as possible.
III. Price Point.
Ouch. Simply put, these things cost more than buying a pair of either Flyknits or Frees.
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The jury's out for a real in-depth look for now, but if you want to pick up a pair or check out the other available colorways from the initial drop, head out to Nike BHS!
The use of camo has been big in streetwear for years, and now more "traditional" menswear brands are jumping on the bandwagon.
Personally, I don't have anything against the trend. I have a few pieces I like to break out every now and then (not all at once, of course). And with more brands getting in on the action, there had to be a standout piece I needed to pick up.
To my satisfaction (and my wallet's dismay), Nike came out with a "Tape Camo" Pack that featured their iconic Air Max 1 and Air Max 90 models. Seeing as I've never picked up a pair of either before, I got on it.
Great mix of colors here. The streaks of Atomic Red mixed in with the dominant brown base makes these shoes flashy enough to grab attention without straying into obnoxious territory. Add that to a classic Nike model and you've got a sure winner on your hands feet.
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The Premium Tape Camo Nike Air Max 1's are still available in some Nike stores. Check out Sole Academy too cause they just got some restocks in as well! Act on it, as these will not last long.
