on the fence: cop / don't cop.

On a mini-streetwear adventure, I popped into the Nike Sportswear store at 21 Mercer yesterday. To say I wasn't enthused would be an understatement (I've been anti-Nike since 5th grade now), but I wanted to give them a chance to re-kindle old flames, once more.

Then they did this:


VISVIM hybrid knockoffs!

I know that these aren't new-news to any sneakerhead, because they are 2 years old, but I seriously don't know how to feel about these. On one hand, thank you Nike for making a style that is completely out of my reach slightly more accessible (these were somewhere around $100 in-store, but Flight Club LA online has them for $80). But, on the other hand, eff Nike for ripping off Japanese innovation, yet again.

Easily distracted- I just came across these:

From the Vans Vault Spring 2009 collection. MmmmYum.

But back to this 21 Mercer business. Nike also ripped a design that was really similar to this pattern on these shorts by The Hundreds:


Unfortunately, after searching for an hour, I could not find an image of this Nike Sportwear Windrunner. The pattern had a little bit more static in the design, but made me angry none the less...

However, when I went to Supreme, the one thing in the store that caught my eye and made me creep in a little closer happened to be a N.S. Backbag. Nike: Don't want to see it, can't keep my eyes off of it.