It’s nice to see that Hanon-McKendry has started to update their blog, “Think Tank”, on a more regular basis.

Several times this year I spoke to people at Hanon-McKendry about updating their blog. Either update it or kill it, don’t have a dead blog on your site. I first spoke to their Traffic Manager and several other employees about it, who then brought it up in a staff meeting. Nothing happened. Later I spoke to Bill McKendry himself about it. Later on, the blog was being updated. Got to go to the man to get things done.

I have added “Think Tank” to my Google reader feed and will be monitoring how well the blogging goes.

-Justin Weeks-

“Yo I saw that shirt on Hypebeast! I’ll buy anything!”

I feel rather worldly getting a package from American Apparel. 

pleasant design.

Kaws does some art direction in the new complex (not my favorite magazine, but Kaws is dope)

Recently Adidas opened a sport performance store on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Naturally I had to check it out. 

The store was impressive and was done right. I seriously wish it wasn’t so crowded there so I could have taken more time to investigate the store. 

Lots of crispy new gear, but still looks a little too crowded for my taste. Let the product breath. 

I really wanted to check this out….but like I said, It was crowded.

Adi Dassler

Overall the store was really nice, but there was a fatal flaw. They had a corner of the dedicated to their “Originals” line. They had very little product there, and to make it worse they had corny, but friendly and helpful, staff members dressed in hip hop style, speaking in lame, throwback street slang. I don’t think the corniness was Adidas fault, but I just feel that the look of the Originals workers did not mesh well with the rest of the employees and the look of the store.

Keep them separate.

Muse is a newer boutique in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids, MI. The other day my wife and I were out shopping and getting a bite to eat, so we decided to stop in.

The design of the place is nice and clean, well though out. I wish I took more pictures but there was a lot of people in there and I didn’t want to seem creepy being a dude walking around taking pics in a womens clothes store. But I did get this one awesome shot ( my ear included)

The only flaw in the store was when you first walk in. They have a small table that they allow people to put their flyers and other misc. junk for promotions.

Don’t do that. It makes the store look junky at first appearance. I know you want to support the community, but find a way to do it without compromising the look of your store.

Muse is the type of place Grand Rapids needs. But more importantly, it is the type of place that people need to shop at if we want to make and keep Grand Rapids a cool place to live (COOL CITIES WHAT!)

-Justin Weeks-

Sorry for the lack of postings. I have been mad busy with my classes, internship, and freelance work. But I am done now, and plenty of time to do nothing. 

In case you have not been keeping up with it check the craziness below

Singapore

Barneys NY

Reed Space NY

-Justin Weeks-

We all remember the NikeXStaple Pigeon Dunk fiasco for a while back. 

Now Staple Design has teamed up with New Balance to release a New Balance version of the Pigeon. 

When I first heard about this I thought it was a terrible idea, I still kind of do think that. I mean, the Pigeon Dunk was just an event it has become a ubiquitous story in sneaker culture, why try to redo it? Why sully the Pigeon legacy. Just let it go and move on. I want to hate. 

But look at it (more pics here), it is beautiful. 

I wish there were more than 650 pairs. 

Read the SNKR FRKR interview here.

-Justin Weeks-