Last year ASICS and Andersson Bell received a huge response after introducing the collaboration GEL-1090 sneakers. Now they are back for a second collaboration with the PROTOBLAST. ASICS and Andersson Bell‘s project began with the intention of showing real content created with analogue sensibility to modern people living in a digitalized world, and established a new worldview with ASICS excellent technology and Andersson Bell‘s imagination.
Design was inspired by three movies that were an interesting stimulus in childhood. Inspired by the historic site temple in the jungle of Indiana Jones, the shark of Jaws and the Batmobile of The Dark Knight, you can get a glimpse of the design sensibility of ASICS and Andersson Bell, which was created by adding imagination to the impressive points of the movie.
ASICS PROTOBLAST is reborn and inspired by some of the past products designed for basketball and running, and features 3D AI technology studied by the ASICS Sports Science Research Institute and developed and applied geometric outsole tread patterns.
In addition, they added decorative metal moulds, Andersson Bell logo rivet decorations, and Amblum logo decorations to the shoe-laced layered design that wraps around the entire shoe, creating their own unique upper.
The Andersson Bell x ASICS PROTOBLAST consists of three colourways in men’s and women’s sizes: Black/Graphite Grey, Smoke Grey/Seagrass and Butter/Chocolate Brown.
OAKLEY® AND STAPLE DROP LIMITED-EDITION FROGSKINS EYEWEAR COLLECTION
Oakley® and STAPLE have once again joined forces to release a limited edition collection of three Frogskins. Building off of the original collaboration released by the duo back in 2010, this exclusive collection brings back one of the original styles and introduces two new species. This release marks the first of a two-part product collaboration, with the second drop to be unveiled later this year. The Oakley x STAPLE collection will be unveiled at STAPLE DAY on June 12th exclusively on the NTWRK App. The frames will be widely available for purchase at StaplePigeon.com, Oakley.com and select Oakely stores on the official launch date of June 15th.
Jeff Staple has long been considered a major influence on streetwear and youth culture. A long-time Oakley collaborator, he has worked with the brand on collections for snow and surf eyewear, as well as apparel collections and beyond. The 2022 Oakley x STAPLE Collection continues the brand’s long-standing partnership with the designer through the release of three Frogskins in updated colorways.
For 25 years, Jeff Staple has pioneered the fashion, design, and marketing worlds with his unique vision and incomparable creations. His creative energy and street-style aesthetic align very well with the Oakley brand, which is why this collaboration has continued to thrive over the years, said Brian Takumi, Oakley VP, Brand Soul and Creative. This year’s two-part collection features two Oakley icons from different points in the brand’s history, telling a story that dates all the way back to our first collaboration with Jeff. Each pays homage to our past while celebrating the present and harnessing the unmistakable style that only STAPLE possesses.
The three Oakley x STAPLE styles – Frogskins STAPLE XXV OG, Frogskins STAPLE XXV Black, and Frogskins STAPLE XXV Panda are made of a lightweight O Matter frame material. The OG colourway pays tribute to the collaboration that started it all between both brands, featuring Prizm Dark Golf lenses complete with the heritage STAPLE logo. The black colourway includes striking Prizm Ruby lenses that stand out from the crowd, while the black-and-white Panda colourway is accented by Prizm Jade lenses. The stems of all three sunglasses depict STAPLE’s iconic Pigeon, the brand’s logo which pays homage to New York’s ubiquitous bird.
For this special collection, we blended the unique DNA of STAPLE and Oakley to create a new ‘species’ of Frogskins, says Jeff Staple, Founder of STAPLE & Reed Art Department. The visual design elements reference my first ever Oakley collab from back in 2010, reimagined with new technology and innovation – like only they can do. Now with new Prizm lens colours and lightweight frames, we’re excited to bring the Pigeon and Frog back together again.
It’s been a hot minute since we have held an event like this, think back pre-COVID September 2019, which was the last time we were able to hit Queensland like this.
Even after holding a very successful event “It’s More Than Just Sneakers” in Melbourne we knew we couldn’t disappoint, you know we were making a comeback. Brisbane exceeded our expectations with support from the wonderful venue staff at the Beenleigh Events Centre.
Massive shout out to Monster Energy for holding down the event with supplying all of the drinks and beats.
Thank you to all the vendors who made the event what it was. It’s because of you and your passion we’re able to hold events like this. Glad to see the mix of vendors we know and some new faces that we would hope to make your stamp on the lifestyle market. We would love to see you all again next year for an even bigger turn out.
Once again, we want to thank our amazing sponsors for their continued support with our events. Please see the list and be sure to give them each a follow:
Finally big thank you to The Kickz Stand members and crew for holding it down sharing the love through their socials, posting on the group and commenting on our fan page. You are the reason we have such a passionate community.
G-SHOCK Australia are proud to announce the collaboration with multi-platinum selling and award-winning Australian Hip Hop royalty, Hilltop Hoods. The limited edition Hilltop Hoods x G-SHOCK GBA-800HTH takes the iconic GBA-800 watch face and personalises it with Hilltop Hoods‘ iconography for a watch that is as functional as it is stylish.
Since their inception in 1996, the rise of Hilltop Hoods has seen the trio achieve 10 ARIA Awards, 6 chart-topping #1 ARIA Albums, sold-out arena tours and over 60 platinum accreditations thus far. Most recently, the release of single ‘Show Business’ ft. US soul singer Eamon gave fans the first taste of a much-anticipated new studio album.
The Hilltop Hoods x G-SHOCK GBA-800HTH limited-edition collaborative watch is a true expression of mutual appreciation, respect, and the pinnacle of a longstanding history of Hip Hop partnerships for Hilltop Hoods and G-SHOCK globally. The ‘Living In Bunkers’ single from their #1 ARIA Album, Drinking From The Sun (2012) is testament to this, with featured artist Black Thought referencing G-SHOCK for its enduring legacy in the lyrics.
Available in matte black with a black dial that features Hilltop Hoods’ monogram logo in white, the GBA-800HTH-1A emulates Hilltop Hoods’ carefully curated aesthetic. The watch band sports the full Hilltop Hoods logo in the band’s iconic purple colourway that is further complimented by purple accents throughout.
This impactful design is paired with G-SHOCK’S fitness functionalities, including a 3-axis accelerometer, a key feature to capture Hilltop Hoods’ unique movement and energy onstage and equip their fans to do the same. Other features include Shock Resistance, 200M Water Resistance, 5 Daily alarms with Flash Alert and 300 City World Time settings.
In celebration of this historic collaboration, there will be a limited release of the GBA-800HTH-1A in VIP packaging, exclusively available at gshock.com.au. This VIP packaging will be the only place fans can gain exclusive access to a short documentary for full insight into the lives of Hilltop Hoods aka Suffa, Pressure and DJ Debris, and how they navigated the changes that came with the global pandemic, all while designing their first G-SHOCK.
The Hilltop Hoods x G-SHOCK GBA-800HTH-1A ($349.00 AUD) and GBA-800HTHVIP-1A ($449.00) collaboration will be available on the 10th of June on gshock.com.au and at selected Australian retailers. To stay up to date, make sure you sign up to our newsletter. For more CASIO and G-SHOCK features, click HERE.
From inspiration to perspiration the Under Armour ALL OUT MILE provides the motivation, the coaching, and the training plan to run your fastest mile. Starting this May, unique stories from around the world will highlight thousands of runners achieving their personal best.
With virtual participation in 14 countries, Under Armour has almost doubled regional participation from last year’s challenge to execute a global event in both virtual and live formats. Teams and individuals alike will take on the 30-day mission to train with resources to fit into their existing routines with the ultimate goal to go ALL OUT just in time for Global Running Day.
When registering for the Under Armour All Out Mile, participants gain access to training routines and workouts from UA’s elite coaches, athletes, and Human Performance experts. Registration will automatically grant participants access to a free 3-month UA MapMyRun™ MVP membership where they will be able to log miles and access exclusive training plans and video tips throughout their journey to compete.
On May 1st, the Under Armour All Out Mile begins with a month-long Training Period. Whether you’re walking or running, connect your shoes or smartwatch to get personalised tips and training plans to help you go farther and faster.
During the Under Armour All Out Mile Competition Period, participants are encouraged to go ALL OUT and run their fastest mile anytime between June 1st – 5th. In celebration of Global Running Day, UA will kick off live events across the globe at cities across the US as well as in the UK, Thailand, Japan, South Africa and Australia.
Sydney will play host to the first Australian Under Armour All Out Mile live event, to be held at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground from 5:00pm-9:00pm. The event will be a celebration of the running community and free and open to the public to attend to lay down their fastest mile, as well as enjoy music and entertainment. Competitors are encouraged to register early on the day (from 4:30pm) to avoid disappointment.
Participants results will automatically be pulled from UA MapMyRun™ and appear on the FitRankings leaderboard, where they can see how they stack up against runners from around the world. Are you ready to see your name on the leaderboard? Prizing will be awarded to the top-3 males and top-3 females in each region.
At Under Armour, we recognise the power of sport. We know that youth participation in sport goes beyond the track, court, field, or arena. Being in sports at a young age leaves an impression that sets our youth up for a brighter future. That’s why we’re committed to awarding the top teams in the “Most Milers” competition with a $10,000 monetary donation back to the non-profit organisation of their choice. All designated charities must have a connection to increasing access and opportunity for all young athletes in support of UA’s Access to Sport initiative.
Sign up your local crew, club, or even create a team for your social followers to support youth sports in your community. Make a team. RUN ALL OUT. Make an impact. Join the Under Armour All Out Mile to run your fastest mile on Global Running Day. Sign up now for free at UAALLOUTMILE.com and follow @UArunning @UnderArmourAU #UAAllOutMile for updates.
Make sure you sign up to our newsletter for updates. For previous Under Armour features, click here and Curry Brand features, click here.
It was only a month ago we got the first look at the upcoming Thor: Love & Thunder movie after many months of waiting and waiting for a look. And now, we have another trailer to go over before the release in 6 weeks.
After the first teaser revealed a retired Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the return of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) as the superhero the Mighty Thor, the thunder god and goddess are back together in the official trailer for director Taika Waititi’s sequel to Thor: Ragnarok. But not that back together: the long-distance relationship between Thor of Asgard and Jane of Midgard ended off-screen when Ragnarok revealed the ex-couple broke up sometime after the events of 2013’s Thor: The Dark World.
Marvel Studios dropped the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer during Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Monday, disrupting Thor’s quest for inner peace post-Endgame with the newest threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale).
Worthy of wielding the enchanted hammer Mjolnir — thus possessing the powers of Thor — the mighty Jane Foster Thor teams up with the Asgardian Avenger, King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Korg (Waititi) in the cosmic adventure co-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), and Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper).
The official synposis for the movie is as follows:
“The film finds Thor on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced: a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who — to Thor’s surprise — inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.”
Thor: Love & Thunder hits cinemas here in Australia on 7th July, 2022 while international will see it a day later (8th July, 2022)
This sneaker is Singaporean artist and illustrator tobyato‘s first collaboration with ASICS through the ‘Art in Motion’ collection. The design draws inspiration from the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. tobyato x ASICS NOVABLAST™ features an asymmetrical black and white design with a pop of pink and interchangeable velcro patches on the sneaker tongue.
The design also explores the delicate balance between black and white and the co-dependency between opposite elements, which discovers a synergy that is nothing short of exceptional.
The bold flowing tiger stripe motif on the shoe’s upper mimics traditional Chinese ink painting and pays homage to the Chinese belief that a tiger’s breath creates the winds around the world, mirroring the flow of creativity throughout the world.
Who is tobyato? tobyato is a multi-disciplinary visual artist and illustrator who has worked across multiple mediums ranging from sprawling murals in Singapore, to brand collaborations across South-East Asia. His aesthetic is often bold, striking, and inspired by traditional Chinese motifs, and modern, playful influences that reflect both his heritage, as well as his personality.
As an enthusiast of street culture, he has collaborated with CASIO G-SHOCK, Levi’s, Shake Shack, JD Sports and ASICS amongst others, steadily building a body of work that exemplifies artist brand collaborations.
About the ASICS Art in Motion Collection ASICS Sportstyle presents the ‘Art in Motion’ collection, a limited edition release designed by three local Southeast Asian artists. Ann Irin (Thailand), Kenji Chai (Malaysia) and tobyato (Singapore), put their creative spin on our most iconic shoes, the Japan S™, GEL-1130™, NOVABLAST™, bringing you an exclusive collection!
The collaboration marks ASICS Sportstyle’s commitment to uplifting the creative community and culture across the Southeast Asia region by providing local creatives with a platform to showcase their craft.
Marvel Studios surprised fans today with the reveal of the first full trailer from the upcoming series along with the release date. She-Hulk stars Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, a New York City lawyer whose ife is changed after she gets into an accident, leading to her receiving a blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner. As a result, Jennifer develops her own iteration of Hulk powers, which affect both her life as a lawyer and her newfound life as a superhero. The cast will also include Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, Jameela Jamil as Titania, Tim Roth as The Abomination, and Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segura, and Renee Elise Goldsberry.
The series will be showrun by Jessica Gao, whose filmography includes Silicon Valley and Rick and Morty. Directors on the series will include Kat Coiro (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Anu Valia (Never Have I Ever, A.P. Bio).
She-Hulk is set to start streaming on Disney+ from August 17th, 2022
Are you excited for this one Marvel fans? Let us know what you think
After a long 13 year wait, we finally have a trailer for the sequel to the 2009 blockbuster. While we were teased with some concept art back in January, we finally have some footage to the James Cameron blockbuster
For those who have had the privilege of seeing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at the cinema over the past couple of weeks, would have seen this trailer before the movie as they did it as an exclusive with the movie. And now, its is available for everyone to view online.
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the film stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet.
Avatar was one of those movies that was ahead of its time when it came to special effects. This was James Cameron’s masterpiece that went on to become the highest grossing movie of all-time. Although, Avatar was briefly topped by Avengers: Endgame, which then took the number 1 spot back in late 2020 when Disney did a re-release of Avatar in cinemas. It should hold onto the number 1 spot for sometime as we are expecting another cinema release of the 2009 movie in September 2022 before The Way of Water release later this year.
Let us know what you think fans. Are you excited to see this one? Or has it been too long between movies to live up to the hype?
Avatar: The Way Of Water is set for release on December 15th 2022 in Australia with December 16th for international.
Give me a hell yeah! – The WWE 2K series is back after taking a 1-year hiatus in the series. Last time round the 2K series drew quite a bit of buzz online but maybe not for the right reasons with a what seemed to be rushed and unfinished release. However, the team at 2K have seemingly been hard artwork in this time refining and solidifying the game engine, designing new story modes, and jampacking a vibrant roster of playable characters, to produce honestly one of my favourite wrestling titles to date (WWE No Mercy will always be hard to beat!).
Standard Edition
Deluxe Edition
NWO 4-Life Edition
The 2K series has been known to put the realism back into the game, placing the player right into the action and WWE 2K22 does not shy away from this with are designed gameplay engine to new controls and upgraded visuals, WWE 2K22 does live up to “It Hits Different.” slogan.
WWE 2K22 offers a plethora of game modes including:
2K Showcase Mode – We see the return of this series featuring the cover star himself – Rey Mysterio where you can relive his amazing career featuring matches with legends such as Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. This mode stitches gameplay with video footage, seamlessly transitioning within the match and offering a truly immersive experience.
MyGM Mode – The beloved MyGM mode makes a return, placing you in all so coveted ‘authority figure’ seat to live out your fantasy booking dreams.
MyRise Mode – If you wanted to live out your own speculative Indie Wrestling rise from the performance centre all the way to the main roster of the largest wrestling promotion in the world, then look no further than the MyRise game mode within 2K22.
MyFaction Mode – This one is for the fans of FIFA Ultimate Team, featuring a mode to collect, upgrade and battle using Superstar Cards.
Universe Mode – Whether you just want to control the destiny of one superstar or control the whole roster, this mode has you covered. A staple of the WWE2K series returns and offers a nice balance of the MyGM and MyRise game modes.
My thoughts so far:
The Positive: Honestly, WWE 2K22 has surprised me in how much fun I had when I first picked up the game. For me wrestling games should have a ‘pick up and play’ feel – being able to immediately jump into the action, beat your opponent to a pulp, placing them onto a table, climbing a 20-foot ladder to then come crashing down through them – and WWE 2K22 delivers on this!
For returning players you will feel comfortable in gameplay, and for new ones 2K have included a very fun, quick and informative tutorial by none other than ‘Coach Gulak’ himself in the performance centre which does a great job in familiarising players with the controls.
One of the more noticeable changes I’ve felt is in the past there were A LOT of little mini-games when performing submissions, breaking pins and other little extras which for me felt jarring and slowed down the overall feel of the game. In WWE 2K22 they seem to have stripped back on these and the game feels more streamlined and balanced with an arcade feel.
I think so far for me, the highlight has been the Showcase Mode featuring Rey Mysterio. Reliving and getting to play out highlights of the future hall of famer’s career with seamless transitions to live footage of the historic match was a truly immersive experience. If you haven’t played one of these modes before – you play through key matches in the career of the superstar and during the match you complete challenges, transitioning from gameplay to cutscenes of live footage and was very nostalgic for a fan who grew up watching Rey’s early matches.
The Negative: As the game tries to incorporate more advanced move sets such as diving tope suicida’s, to springboard rope attacks, to even just your regular running grapples, the input for these can feel clunky and many times your character will straight up just miss the opponent, and you will spend the next 10 seconds rolling on the floor waiting to get back up.
The character creation is good, and there are still plenty of fantastic Community Created characters to be downloaded to create the ultimate fantasy matches, but not much has changed and some things are even reduced for example certain sliders for body shape are now replaced by pre-sets. Adding to this, the creator is quite slow – e.g. loading new gear on the character even though it’s only a few seconds is enough to make me stop and just go with a pre-set configuration.
The MyFaction mode promises a lot and has that FIFA Ultimate Team or NBA 2K MyTEAM mode of playing card, team building gameplay, however does not have any sort of online capability. There are certain mode exclusive characters which can only be unlocked and played within the MyFaction mode and players are incentivised to purchase virtual currency to speed up the progression in this mode, but without the online piece I feel the incentive to unlock these is limited.
Final thoughts: WWE 2K22 has impressed me so far. The team at 2K and Visual Concepts have obviously been hard at work in their year off to help refine and polish up the WWE 2K franchise. This game is not a complete ground-up rebuild, but it definitely feels more than just another yearly release. I enjoy the faster, more arcade like gameplay, making it more new-comer friendly (great for when the friends come round), yet peppered with combo systems for the more experienced to master. With its largest (over 160+ superstars) and already expanding roster, DLC already being released, consistent gameplay updates which have introduced new commentary, arenas, visual updates and more. Its great to see that this instalment lives up to its slogan in that it “hits different” and will keep on “hitting different” as the year progresses. – “And that’s the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so”
WWE 2K22 is now available online at wwe.2k.com or at your local retailers – JB HiFi, EB Games or Gamesmen. Make sure you subscribe to our website for the latest features. For other 2K features, click HERE.
