Why have I started a YouTube channel?
Well, as much as I like writing here on Kingsdown Roots it’s becoming harder and harder to attract new readers from Google; they don’t make it easy for people to find smaller content contributors (like me). YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world (after Google) and video content is becoming so much more accessible than it use to be. We can literally watch/stream video content anywhere now on many devices it seems like the ideal place to start creating – plus I really enjoy making video content!
What’s on my Channel?
I’m currently create a new video every 1-2 weeks and cover sneakers (unsurprisingly), streetwear and mens fashion. I’ve embedded a few of my latest videos underneath if you’re interested in watching them:
You can view my Channel on YouTube Here – if you have any comments of suggestions I’d love to hear them.
I will continue to post content here but likely not so regularly as before, there’s only so many hours in the day after all.
]]>Nicknamed the “March Yard”, the Mars Yard Overshoe by Tom Sachs is built for what he calls the worst months of the year: the late winter where one’s feet get cold and wet. The shoe is the latest chapter in a never-ending process of improvement by wear-testing.
Nike.com
Since their official release I’ve seen a few models try and style the overshoe to little success but then I saw what they looked like with the outer material removed. I just had to have them.
I bought a genuine pair off eBay for £500 (RRP£384.95) and figured they could be a future investment, considering the 1.0 and 2.0 resell well into the ££££. I bought a scalpel from Amazon and got to work. In total for both shoes it took 5 hours and I must confess I had help with the tricky parts. As the Mars Yard Overshoe comes with 2 magnetic straps I had to make the decision 1,2 or none? I decided to leave the top strap, which I think leaves the best silhouette.
Under the overshoe likes a glorious recognisable Mars Yard 3.0. Featuring a lot of the same materials, the main difference is the sole, which is blue and black and quite bulky. Overall these are amazing sneakers and really one that I think will be extremely collectable in the future. Spend a bit of time polishing this diamond, it will be worth it.
For me personally, I love the collaboration between Off White and Nike, it’s fast overtaken the exclusivity and style of Yeezy. Enter the Off-White x Nike Zoom Terra Kiger….quite a mouthful I know!
The “Kiger” is a new silhouette from the collaboration and features noticeable spikes on the sole. The sneaker is actually intended as a Trial running shoe and meant to be used for such activity (I picture running in the country down footpaths but who knows..).
There’s a mixture of materials on the upper and comes with two pairs of laces interlinked. When they first released (womens release) I really wasn’t sure and it wasn’t until I saw a pair on feet on a recent holiday to LA that I knew I had to buy a pair. They released in Black/Pink, White/Green and Green/Black – I purchased the first two.
On feet they look great and the comfort is OK (nothing special) – what’s quite strange is when on tarmac or pavement the spikes make walking quite odd as you never truly touch the ground with the sole. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos and from what I’ve heard the spikes will eventually wear down. Overall I love these and think they will be a style that people warm to over time, invest now.
For me the 700 is the grown up version of the Yeezy 350’s, a more mature looking sneaker and more versatile with outfits. The ‘Static’ was the first of the 700 range to showcase the version 2 design on the upper which looks quite different from the OG and the ‘Geode’ is the second release.
The Yeezy Boost 700 ‘Geode’ is subtle in design and probably one of the most easy to blend into normal looking shoes. I’d go as far to say the Geode is the poshest looking Yeezy Boost on the market to date.
As you’d expect with all Yeezy’s the comfort is on point, worth noting is they are slightly different fit to the V1 700’s; there’s slightly more room, so true to fit is just about right for the sizing or if you like it snug go a half size down.
I managed to cop the adidas ZX4000, which for me is the best looking 4D sneaker to date. It has a vibrant combination of different colours and materials on the upper which brilliantly matches with the light green 4D sole. There are very comfortable, probably more so than the AlphaEdge, the inside shape is different and has a bit more padding.
While they are comfy I did find the sizing to be a bit tight, if I had the option again I would go for a .5 size above.
There’s a darker version (named “Carbon”) coming out on the 6th of April, so keep an eye out for those too.
Rewind to the penultimate release of the Air Force 1 Low which came in two colourway, black and volt. I managed to cop (yes actually pay retail) a pair of the volts from the Sneakrs app much to my delight.
Obviously the colour might not be for everyone but luminous yellow has certainly increased in popularity over the lat year, started with the frozen yellow Yeezy 350 release. The detail and quality is what you would expect with any Nike x Off White colab – looking half unfinished or a concept shoe but made with best materials. Being honest these are not the comfiest shoes I’ve owned, in fact I found them quite tight around the ankle but sometimes you have to suffer to look good!
The sizing is normal, I always go a half size down and the fit is ok. Given the prospect of no more from this collaboration it’s a good investment, even at resell to get your hands on a pair of these (or any). Let me know what you think, would love to know your thought.
The Balenciaga Track is the follow up to the Triple S and while it’s not reached the popularity of its predecessor it’s still something quite special. They are still an oversized sneaker; much larger than anything I’ve owned in the past but they’re not overly heavy, which you might expect. The look of the upper is mental. I say mental because I’ve seen nothing like it. It’s almost like 2 shoes positioned over each other, the soft sneaker covered by a hard shell, even featuring 2 pairs of laces!
There are lots of colourways available right now but I think the white and orange is one of the best, which is what I went for. I was expecting these to be a little heavy and uncomfortable but to my surprise these are actually one of the most comfy I own, lots of padding to keep your foot snug. The sizing is true to fit too so no need to worry about that.
Overall an incredible sneaker, although not the cheapest on the market (between £550-£600, I bought mine at Farfetch) they are still worth investing in. I’ll be looking to buy my second pair soon.
Until fairly recently these must-haves for hypebeasts or sneaker collectors had been hard to come by, especially in the UK. In comes Krate & Co.
A single box will set you back £20.99 while if you buy in bulk, like I did, and go for a pack of 4 the price works out at about £19 each – not the cheapest purchase in the world. They arrived multi boxed and and with protective covers over each of them, plus foam covers on the corners so there were no scratches on any.
The quality of the boxes are what you would expect for the price, they feel heavy duty and durable, a purchase that will last a long time. The size of the boxes are standard and will be fine for most large sized sneakers but you can also buy a slightly bigger box for your hi-tops if needed. Since my original order I also bought another 8 boxes, keeping 12 of my favourite shoes dust free and on display.
Now the Ultraboost is back with the “Show your Stripes” range. So what’s the difference? Well, the upper knit is better looking than the V3’s for sure, the pattern looks more luxurious. Secondly and more importantly they’ve added colour to the plastic strips on the sides; this is something I’ve been wanting to see for ages and it looks awesome! The initial 2 colourways include the Cloud White (which is what I have) and the Core Black.
The fit is as to be expected, always go half a size up on what you normally have but as comfortable as ever. At £149 they’re not cheap but they are definitely worth the investment as you’ll use them as everyday wear.
For me this Superdry Everest parka jacket hits the mark, well insulated, plenty of pockets, detachable hood and a good length to keep those nasty cold wind gusts out. I decided to go for a bright red colour as the winter months can be quite dark and depressing and sometimes it’s nice to add a splash of colour.
I went for a medium and the fit was perfect and the style looks great, a worthy addition to my wardrobe and will be worn a lot in the coming months I’m sure. At a price of £129 it’s good value too, would certainly recommend if you’re looking for a new coat this winter.
