Sunday, April 13, 2014

NIKE Air Trainer 1 MID PRM QS

I am fascinated with the sartorial man of the future...

Will he wear an impeccably-fitted grey suit like Vincent Freeman in Gattaca, or dystopian hypermodern plastic harnesses like Korben Dallas of the Fifth Element?  Will he carry a light-up umbrella like Rick Deckard in Blade Runner and part his hair classically like Dr. Dave Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey?  Will he borrow Ripley's Reeboks from Aliens, or Marty McFly's Nike Air Mag's from Back to the Future II?  I would like to agree with Krista Now from Southland Tales's assertion about the future: "scientists are saying the future is going to be far more futuristic than they originally predicted."  How will the futuristic sartorial man present himself? Will he draw from the past, (our present), while embracing the technological advances of his time?  Would he, this modern man, look out of place in the year 2000, or even in 1950?  Give him a sleek haircut, a suit tailored to his frame, and shoes to propel him forward through time and space...

What better way to blast him to infinity and beyond than with a pair of kicks that embody the part to the fullest.  These Nikes are polarizing: they demand attention; they dazzle the irises; they literally reflex the world around us, and; they look as though they were worn by an extra in Minority Report.   One thing is for sure, they are not safe.  Safe...one way to describe many of my purchases.  I think "safe" for some, is "classic" to others.  Safe is the antithesis of dangerous, daring, outlandish, or....horror of horrors, trendy.  However, safe lasts, safe endures, safe looks just as good in 1950 as it will in 2050.  I'm thinking a Rolex GMT, a pair of Tod's driving shoes, a Charvet dress shirt, a Ralph Lauren Chesterfield Coat... all safe but classic pieces.  Investments even.  Again, safe, these ain't. 

Some background.  On 27 January 2014, Nike released the Air Trainer 1 MID PRM QS in this radioactive oil slick of colorway.  They also released two other decent but relatively bland Air Trainers, an Air Trainer SC and an Air Trainer '94.  Details of both are available via an easy web search.  This pair, however, is the true star, standing out as a dazzling constellation burning bright in a universe of inky space.  I came upon these sneakers by accident, during a trip to Miami that happened to fortuitously coincide with the limited release of this shoe.  I initially bargained my way into a pair through eBay from a gentleman who bought them spontaneously and had instant buyer's remorse and who was seeking to sell them quickly.  It involved a drive to the outskirts of Miami, a rendezvous at a 24 Hour Fitness to squelch the potential for any funny business, and a subsequent triumphant drive back to my hotel.  Fast forward 3 days.  Wandering back from a late dinner in Coconut Grove, I happened upon Soles Inc., whose service I cannot praise enough.  As I walked in, there, behind glass, was one pair of the Air Trainers I had purchased on a swoosh (get it?) chase three nights before.  The pair was in my size, 13, and shockingly, not marked up.  5 minutes later, I departed with the satisfaction that I had one pair that would remain deadstock for my collection, and another that I would rock.  The following day, departing through security at Miami international airport in these shoes, I felt like I could press an invisible button and Rocketeer myself straight to my destination.

As I reflect back on this purchase, I wonder: would the sartorial man of the future wear these? 

Maybe, he already is.  



 














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