This past Saturday night was just like any other: I got dolled up in cute jeans and sky high stilettos and made my way out to the bar with friends. We circled the bar drinks in hand, danced, sang, and collectively winced in pain as our super-sexy shoes grew more and more uncomfortable.

When the lights came on at the end of the night we waddled out as our feet wailed and kicked our shoes off as soon as our butts hit the frozen leather seats of my Volkswagen Jetta.

“Oh my God,” my friend cooed, stretching out her visibly red and blistered toes. “That feels amazing.” When I dropped her off at home, she walked from the car to her front door barefoot, despite the snow on the ground.

I did the same and spent the following morning – as I often spend Sunday mornings - nursing my ailing feet with a hot bath and lots of Band-Aids.

My mother called me mid-way through my foot therapy and commiserated with my pain. And then gave me the best advice I have ever received:

“Get some Cole Haan pumps.” Read More »

I’ll never forget that fateful day in art class, senior year of high school. This (pardon me if I seem rash in this titling) bitch named Ashlee was in my class. She was cool in the sense of…not cool at all, with a god awful short haircut and horrible highlights and delusions that her Nike sneakers with Mudd flares threw her into some high fashion club.

She was also dating a guy–the quarterback (of course)–who had secretly had a crush on me (a fact I didn’t find out until college).

The quarterback and my sporadic and subtle flirting, combined with the fact that she hated me for not kissing her ass, lead to Ashlee on a mission to make me cry. And one day; it almost worked.

There was a spider in our classroom. Ashlee flipped out in the typical “popular” girl fashion (”oh my gawd, oh my gawd! Do something!“), and I told her to chill and went to pick it up to put it out the window. I squated down to let the spider walk onto a piece of paper and suddenly, there was her ugly grass stained Nike sneaker…smashing it on my hands. I wanted to cry but instead I stood up and said,

“God, you’re such a bitch.” Read More »

Tattoos are always an iffy subject.

They stay on you forever, something that seems awesome at 20 (skull and crossbones with flames! Sweet!) might not seem so cool at 40 (“mommy, why do you have a scary skull on your back?”), and getting them removed is a whole hell of a lot more painful than getting them done.

Plus, people tend to look at you differently if there’s permanent ink on your arm or back or stomach.

Tattoos will always be a heavily debated topic, but what if I told you the discussion was about to get a little more complicated?

Branding Tattoos, a new way for advertisers to get their product out there and for image conscious buyers to forever connect themselves with their favorite apparel or make-up line, are slowly becoming more popular in the states.

Consumers are turning away from hearts, flowers, and tribal armbands, and getting Nike and Dior etched into their skin forever. Read More »

I love vintage things, but the concept definitely weirds me out. You just don’t know where that gold lame blazer or floral prairie dress has been. I have to wash anything I buy thrift at least three times before I actually wear it, and vintage shoes, even when awesome - looking, are off - limits for my hygiene’s sake.

Apparently, Nike is ready to bank on my vintage shoe phobia. The shoe giants have crafted a brand - new line of vintage - looking shoes. These sneakers are replicas of true Nike originals, made with fresh materials that only look aged and decrepit. Genius!

Which vintage kicks are the coolest?

Allison Stokke’s dream of becoming the world’s best pole vaulter seems to have been replaced by another dream: to be removed from the sexual spotlight that Internet bloggers have brightly shined on her over the course of the past few weeks.

As we’ve all probably seen by now, the second With Leather introduced Allison to the non-athletic world, the media has stuck to her like glue, painting her the picture of a young, adolescent sex symbol, barely out of high school. Her and her family have grown more and more uneasy with the unwanted attention, and her boyfriend’s douchebagginess has even come into question, thanks to all of her jealous male fans, who wish she’d do something with their poles instead. Ohhh, snap!

This summer is big for Allison, as she is preparing to compete in the Nike Nationals. There are rumors that Nike itself wants to sign her up for an actual marketing deal, although nothing at all has been confirmed.

Even if Nike did come to her, I don’t think she would accept, being that she hates the fact she’s more famous for being hot than an athlete at this point, and the company would more than likely try to bank on her looks and all of the media hubbub than anything else. She definitely does not seem to want any more attention - especially in print ads and on TV - for now at least, and I don’t blame her. (more pics after the jump) Read More »

I’m not a big runner myself. I think I might have half jogged across the street the other day to avoid an oncoming car. But I am always inspired by those joggers who run everyday—weather it’s bright and sunny, or below zero and snowing. I would kill for a quarter their motivation.

Those of you who are runners should definitely keep your eyes peeled for Nike’s new iPod compatible N+ sneakers. The current N+ sneakers allow you to track your run— time, distance, and calories burned—with your iPod nano. Myself, I don’t think I’ll ever be that into my run. All I need is the pride for actually getting out there.

The details of what exactly is happening are vague. But the President and Chief Executive of Nike says the products will be out some time this year.

Read More »