Dexter cuts up the proverbial on his landmark 20 years in the biz tour
This is the first installment of “Under the Tongue” sub blog. Basically, its a review of sneakers and associated fashion. The difference being these reviews will be from a practical/wearable angle, not just looks alone, of items I personally own or use and not just regurgitating a media brief or guessing what material is used/what it would be like in action from a reblogged photo (incidentally as with all posts in this blog, all photos are taken by us).
So, these are actually my first pair of Adidas, believe it or not. I’ve always liked the styling and some of the superstar releases have been insane but they’ve always looked a bit funny on my feet. Not sure why, maybe I’m just used to looking down and seeing a Nike tick đ
But when you combine a half-cab cut, subtle suede and a classic retro styling in a simple colour way, its very hard to say no!
In another insomnia induced marketing brainstorm I came up with another one of my fictitious ad campaigns.
Under the Tongue:
– 3 different grades of suede on the upper
– they fit true to size
– sole is on the thinner side, presumably for the skate market and subsequently as comfortable as a skate shoe after long periods of wear.
– quality control is a little hit and miss. I looked at 3 diff. pairs and all had inconsistent shaping of the toe sole. Instead of cutting straight down, one of the shoes would have a slight angling outwards (visible in the photo).
– being suede, don’t do what I did with my J5’s and wear them out in the rain, unless you want to give them that 5yo look in the time it takes you to say “holy sun shower batman”
– These have yet to hit AU shores and with no word on a local release, you will need to get clicking to find a pair.
Space Invadas @ X&Y 6/5/10
Space Invadas are Katalyst and Steve Spacek with a funked out Gnarls Barkley kind of sound.. and a penchant for the Darkside. Supported by Koolism.
The Slew @ The Zoo 5/5/10
For those that don’t know, The Slew is made up of turntable extraordinaires, Kid Koala and Dynomite D and ex-Wolfmother members on bass and drum duty. Together they form what could only be described as head banging hiphop. Its what Mike Shinoda wishes Linkin Park would be like!
The live show is just nuts, heaps of energy and you can tell the guys are having a blast up there! Jump on to youtube.com to see them in action.
Monorail, downtown Tokyo
If you’re staying closer to inner Tokyo or just want a good view of the Tokyo skyline then head on down to Odaiba. Take the JR Yamanote line to Okachi Machi then switch to the Yurikamome line. This will take you through the city, over the Rainbow bridge (lit bridge that changes colour every few seconds) then into Odaiba.
Odaiba is on one of the many man made “islands” in Tokyo Bay it used to be all commercial buildings but is now home to a selection of tourist attractions. The biggest and most obvious one being Daikanransha, the âTokyo eyeâ once the biggest ferris wheel in the world its still packs the wow factor with 360 degree views of the city, on a clear day you might even catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji.
The ride lasts about 15min and you can choose between a completely clear capsule or a regular ferris wheel style closed in bottom. There tends to be a 10-20min wait on the all-clear ones, while it is a little easier to see out from a sitting position, its no better for taking photos as the frame work gets in the way, not to mention the windows themselves can be pretty dirty.
It is open till 10pm nightly. If you want to head straight to it, stay on the upper level of the train platform and head south to the freeway overpass.
View of Tokyo from Daikanransha, Odaiba, Tokyo
Other notable attractions in Odaiba are: the âinterestingâ looking Fuji TV studio, Decks Tokyo Beach shopping mall, Venus Fort (Venice themed mall), the Statue of Liberty replica. Entertainment wise check out Tokyo Leisure Land (24hour gaming, karaoke and bowling) and Zepp Tokyo, Tokyoâs largest concert hall playing host to Jamie Cullum and Erykah Badu next week alone. During the day, there are numerous park areas and âbeachesâ on the edge of the island great for a bbq in the warmer months, though swim at your own peril.
Leaving Tokyo
So here we are in our hotel room looking down at our 2 week bounty thinking how the heck are we going to get all of this back home. Suticases. More suitcases.
After a quick chat to the concierge we headed back over to the Ameyoko markets. One thing thatâs for certain is the quality of merchandise is a lot higher than what you would find in say, Hong Kong. However, this is reflected in the price, but like anything, look long enough and youâll find what youâre after at the price youâre willing to pay. Another suitcase and carry on later, we were sorted.
Not having a budget gives you one less thing to worry about however you must always be weary of the luggage trade off. So Couple tips on packing:
– Bulky items like shoes are lighter but take up more space (try breaking down the shoe boxes and using them in the suitcase lining. You get to keep the box and have a bit of extra protection from those enthusiastic luggage
– Try to distribute heavier items like jeans across your luggage.
– Put delicate items such as glassware, ornaments, model kits and collectibles into your carryon but leave things like snow globes out. Because of the water in them, they are still classed as a prohibited item so make sure you have plenty of bubble wrap and double bagging handy. The store should normally pack them well, if not, pop into a post office for supplies.
– Lastly, if you run out of room, remember jackets donât have to be classed as luggage. Its easy enough to carry 2 (one on each back pack strap) and spare some precious luggage space.
There you have it, city #1 covered (in a roundabout way) but weâre not done! Stay tuned for the next instalment when we hop, skip and jump over the pond to the city of angels, LA!
Domo Origato! Sayonara! ^__^
Ueno Blossom Festival
Tokyo part #1 – Ueno for a day
Tokyo part #2 – Getting round Tokyo, Ueno Sakura at night
Tokyo part #3 – Harajuku
Tokyo part #4 – Shibuya
Tokyo part #5 – Kichijoji and Shinjuku
Tokyo part #6 – Akihabara
Photo Gallery Here
Tokyo part #6 â Akihabara
Akihabara, Tokyo
No trip to Japan would be complete without a (rather big) glimpse of what makes the country tick⌠and whirl, and buzz. Electronics! And thereâs no better place to get your geek on than Tokyoâs CPU, Akihabara aka Akiba aka Electric town. Just picture Jaycar or Dick Smith times a million and youâre getting close. Any kind of premade electronic product EVER from radios, to game consoles, to cameras and computers to the components used to make them, replacement parts, capacitors, inductors, circuitry, you name it, if its powered by electricity, youâll find it here⌠somewhere.
The station is only about 1km from Ueno, so itâs an easy walk or a couple minute train ride.
The first obvious places are the larger stores as you walk out of the stationâs west exit (follow the signs to âElectric townâ) being the multiple LAOX and Sofmap stores. These have an army of staff which are helpful and speak quite good English (some stores even have Caucasian staff) and also have duty free. They have similar style layouts, with a level dedicated to a certain type of product eg. Cameras, computers, watches, home goods etc. and a big index sign on the ground level will help you save precious shopping minutes đ
While you will more than likely find what youâre looking for in these shops, nothing can prepare you for the onslaught from the mothership on Akiba stationâs north east, that being the Akihabara Yodobashi Center.
Yodabashi camera store, Akihabara, Tokyo
Eleven floors of every model of every colour of every electronic item release in the last 5years (or there abouts). They even have sporting goods, toys and a floor of restaurants. Iâd say its like Harvey Normal times 1000 but Yodobashi actually has good service and good prices (yea, I went there). Speaking of prices, while they are very competitive to the local AU market, theyâre very similar to online (overseas) prices so you may want to save yourself some import fees when coming back through customs by not going all out on big ticket items. In saying that, being able to handle and eyeball similar products for a hands on, real life comparison, is indispensable.
After we surfaced from a sea of electric razors and toothbrushes, we headed to Super Potato (I know, right!). They specialise in retro gaming. Forget about your wifi enabled, pizza ordering, âIâm in a rap videoâ gaming consoles, its back to the roots with the 3 commandments. Shooting, driving, and jumping and maybe even all three! So basically anything prior to the Playstation 1, wall to floor to ceiling of games and consoles. Since very few cartridge games were reissued, theyâre mostly all originals but are all still in good to mint condition.
Super Potato, Akihabara,Tokyo
Atari, Nintendo, Mega Drive, Master System to the ill fated Saturn, Dreamcast and Game Cube are all covered as well as plenty of domestic market releases that never saw the light on the world stage and a bunch of quirky little handheld games and mini consoles. Just remember when buying any mains powered devices from overseas, that it will work on your local voltage supply, if not you will need to purchase a separate power transformer. Anything powered by batteries is fine since DC current is universal.
Back out on the main drag amongst the cosplay girls handing out flyers, youâll see more âPichinkoâ (or âTaitoâ), no not something Elliot from Scrubs would say, but gaming houses filled with slot machines. Half a block away youâll hear the deafening wave of bells and whistles as the automatic doors open and close. There are also plenty of gaming places dedicated to claw machines, but these are the same the world over. Only enough tension in the claw to give the prize the gentlest nudge of hope so you continue to funnel in your coins. You seriously have more hope getting a prize from a wishing well, so youâre better off just buying one from a toy store.
Whatâs that? Toy store? You thought I forgot didnât you? Not at all! A couple blocks north of the station is another Mandarake store. Multiple levels include buying on the ground floor for those with a bit of buyersâ remorse, cosplay and 2 levels of figures and collectibles. They also have items for the die hard fans, like the actual helmets used in filming Power Rangers and uniforms from local productions.
Mandarake, Akihabara, Tokyo
Over near Yodobashi there is another large toy store called Animate. Unfortunately during another âcanât see the forest for the treesâ slash âdamn you google mapsâ moment we couldnât find it but later discovered it in the background of one of our photos! Anyway, what you need to do is get to this store on a Sunday, when they close off a lane and its filled with performers and cosplayers.
Finally if youâre having withdrawals from sneakers or music, thereâs still a few ABC Marts and a Music Vox to appease that hunger, otherwise its Gashapon time!
About 2 blocks north of Mandarake off the main street in a small side lane is a dirty yellow signed store that houses a ground floor of Gashapon and 2 upper levels of toys, figures and collectibles. What is Gashapon? Youâll know them as the gumball style machines at the exit of supermarkets that you nagged your mum for change so you could get a toy in a capsule when you were little. The difference here is the toys arenât a poorly moulded ring, necklace or keyring, they’re highly detailed and painted quality pvc items. Best thing of all, you no longer need to nag your mum, you can buy as many as you want!
Choose anything from your favourite shows/games like Mario, Star Wars and anime characters to the weird and wonderful of light up poo keyrings, telescopic cat paw pointing wands, tote bags, countless mobile phone trinkets and for the (not so) mature crowd, the X rated figures in various states of undress and positions that will have even Paris Hilton taking notes.
The majority of Gashapon cost between 100-500Y, with dedicated stores like this one having a change machine and recycle bin for used capsules. Depending on how many you buy, itâs a good idea to bin the capsules to save luggage space.
FYI, âGashaponâ refers to âGashaâ as in the crank machine that holds the toys and âponâ the sound the capsule makes when it drops. A lot easier to say than click tic tic tac click tacka!
Gashapon
Tokyo part #1 – Ueno for a day
Tokyo part #2 – Getting round Tokyo, Ueno Sakura at night
Tokyo part #3 – Harajuku
Tokyo part #4 – Shibuya
Tokyo part #5 – Kichijoji and Shinjuku
Tokyo part #7 – Odaiba and Leaving Tokyo
Photo Gallery Here
Freestylers @ Barsoma 25/04/10
Another solid day of broken beats from the ADICTS boys with the Freestylers dropping a variety of hiphop, breaks, dubstep and DnB.
Freestylers. What are you on. Reach for the painkillers. Raw as F*ck!
Inokashira Park, Kichijoji, Tokyo
Kichijoji is not really a major stop on the usual Tokyo itinerary, well unless of course youâre a sneaker nut, as its home to the famed K-Skit store đ otherwise, its a rather small (comparatively) âsuburbâ lying on the Chuo Line off the JR Yamanote line (change at Shinjuku station). Make sure you catch the right train though, âRapidâ (express) services skip the smaller stops, Kichijoji being one of them. Check the sign on the platform, it shows the stops the train will make. If youâre still not sure you are on the right one after youâve boarded, just check the in-train route map displaying the stops.
Getting off at Kichijoji station is a far cry from the bustle of Shibuya, which also matches the slightly more laid back feel of the suburb. Its CBD area is quite a bit smaller, but in saying that it still measurable to Brisbaneâs own CBD, complete with pedestrian mall. However one thing Brisbane is missing, is a lake surrounded by cherry blossoms!
Inokashira Park, Kichijoji, Tokyo
Inokashira Park is a couple hundred metres walk from the station and is completed with numerous walking paths, foot bridges, temple and my personal favourite, water craft for hire in the form of paddle boats and row boats. 600Y gets you 30min of water time in a paddler (less for a row boat, those of you above 170cm might want to consider the row boat as the paddlers cater more for children and the fibreglass seats arenât particularly well contoured), which is more than enough time to leisurely work your way round the northern half of the lake and to take in the surroundings re: paddle beneath the blossoms trees arching into the water. Try and get there before 10am, as the lake can quickly get cluttered with traffic making it difficult to dodge those trying to grasp the concept of oars and inertia.
The park itself seems quite popular with the locals for picnickers and artists alike, even more so during Sakura season. It also has a small zoo, museum and temple if you can pull yourself away from the blankets of blossoms.
Heading back up one of the main thoroughfares, after 11am, many of the little shops, cafes and street vendors will start to open. There is also a Starbucks for those missing a âtaste of homeâ and a couple sneaker shops with prices up to 1-2000Y cheaper for similar items in the more built up areas. But save your Yen because weâre heading to K-Skit. A block from the main street and about two from the station it is tucked away in a smaller lane on the 3rd floor but thereâs a large sign on the footpath, clearly visible if youâre coming from the station side.
The store is wall to wall, floor to ceiling of sneakers all neatly shrink wrapped and focuses mostly on pre-owned Nikes. Condition ranges from beaters and models that are so old theyâre literally falling apart to owned but never worn and brand new. Variety is almost endless, itâs a certainty that you will see a colourway or model that youâve never seen before. The shelves are sorted by brand/model with a high concentration on Air Force series, Dunks and Jordans. Shoes with multiple tags show the sizes available and their cost. Popular sizes (sz 9-11) on the rarer models are usually more.
Weaving through the narrow aisles you will see sections for other brands like Adidas, Reebok and Timberland along with glass cases for the antique sneakers and the super rares. Staff are friendly and are happy to let you try shoes on, thereâs just no where to sit while you do it! I picked up a pair of 2007 Nike Air Force 1 Baltimore 410 âIs Mr. shoe in?â limited editions for only 9000Y (~$100US). Not bad when you consider Footlocker AU hocks current garden varieties for $120-160AU!
Itâs a good idea to hit up their website a couple weeks before you arrive to get an idea of whatâs in stock. New stock and their âprice downâ section is updated daily with complete transparency of condition eg. âcracks in upperâ, âyellowing of midsoleâ along with clear detailed photos of the tell tale wear areas such as the sole and inside heal, nothing like the sneaker forums or ebay where âworn about 3 timesâ really means âworn about 3 yearsâ.
If youâre big on vintage clothing there are several shops in the surrounding block, like Ragtag. Otherwise you can venture north under the train line to LA Avenue. Kind of like the baby brother of K-Skit but with a bit of clothing and a few accessories like G-Shock watches. Of course I couldn’t let a 1995 Guassman in mint condition and original box go begging for only 4500Y đ
Another block north and youâll find a 2 level Nike store, an Adidas store, a bunch of little restaurants, cafes, tea houses and burger bars along with the aforementioned mall which houses another Yodobashi Camera store.
Shinjuku
Another big station in another very built up area. The highlights here are camera stores, Yodobashi, Bic, Map, all with in a couple blocks of the station or in the station itself and a few large department stores with the focus towards young women (especially the stores inside the station). The main reason why we stopped here is for the Tokyo Metro buildings, about 600m west of the station towards Shinjuku central park. Two towers with a free observation deck on the 45th floor and opened till 11pm most nights (check the daily times on their site, certain days each month, one building is closed while the other is open), unfortunately on the day we were there, visibility was very poor, down to a few hundred meters at times. It looked like a mixture of low cloud, fog, haze and the usual smog, so it was scratched from the itinerary, still comes recommended as one of the best and cheapest views of Tokyo.
South east of these buildings is Shinjuku Gyoen, a much larger park with feature gardens, recreational paths and water features, another ideal place for Hanami (blossom viewing).
Also while in Shinjuku, look south once youâve cleared the sky scrapers and you will see the Docomo building, one of Tokyoâs tallest buildings.
Tokyo part #1 – Ueno for a day
Tokyo part #2 – Getting round Tokyo, Ueno Sakura at night
Tokyo part #3 – Harajuku
Tokyo part #4 – Shibuya
Tokyo part #6 – Akihabara
Tokyo part #7 – Odaiba and Leaving Tokyo
Photo Gallery Here
