A still from Google’s video about the talking shoe.

The big SXSW conference is underway in Austin, TX and there’s already some news coming out of the event: Google has introduced a talking shoe. Because that’s what you need.

The shoe — a prototype that’s not meant to be for sale — has 250 phrases in its arsenal, a vocabulary that’s focused on the amount of activity the wearer is engaged in. According to AllThingsD, the shoe includes an “accelerometer, gyroscope and pressure sensors.” And there’s a big ‘ol speaker on the tongue.

It’s also an advertising idea (and buzz-inducing endeavor) created by the company’s Art Copy & Code project in collaboration with YesYesNo, ad agency 72andSunny, and Adidas.

AllThingsD sums it up as just a fun thing to chat about as part of the SXSW tech-style wackiness that happens every year. After the jump, we’ve got Google’s video about the shoe. Is this something you would like to own if it were available?

Teyana Taylor is a lot of things if you didn’t know. She’s a singer, she’s a dancer, an actor, a trend-setter, a G.O.O.D. music first lady, and a young lady born and raised in Harlem. On top of all that though, she can now say that she’s a shoe designer. Taylor teamed up with Adidas to help design a very funky shoe that would show love to her beloved place of birth, and she even named them the Harlem GLC, the latter part of the name stands for “Good Luck Charm.”

A proven sneakerhead (just follow her Instagram for proof), Taylor’s shoe just happens to be one of the most unconventional pair of kicks out there, as it has open lacing on the back (of all places), a reptilian texture that goes all around the shoe and some black accents for contrast to the bronze hue. According to Sole Collector, the shoes, which were originally supposed to be available for pre-order yesterday but were not, are actually going to be available on the Adidas website and in stores on February 16. The price you ask? $140. While I can appreciate her hustle, unless I’m going to be wearing this pair of shoes every day, at this stage in my life, I can’t do $140 sneakers. Hell, I don’t even think I want to pay $140 for most shoes out there on the market in general. But if you’ve got the money and you love the look of these Harlem GLCs, why not help a sista out in her first shoe endeavor and snatch up a pair?

All in all, I’m actually digging the design with all its clear references to luxurious high-fashion wear, but with a street edge. And while I’ll have to pass (I could have done maybe $50, but that’s because I’m cheap), what do you think about these kicks? Many celebrities are designing shoes these days, but we shall see if TT can have more success than most. Who needs to drop singles when you can sell fly sneakers?

Source: YouTube

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that gang violence in Chicago is completely off the charts right now. Crime has always been an issue in the large metropolitan area but with the rise of gangbanging teen rappers like 17-year-old Chief Keef and Lil Mouse, who is only 13 years old, the city has seen stats as high as 38 shootings and 3 homicides in one weekend.

Though NBA player Derrick Rose may have escaped the downtrodden streets of the Chi to earn a place on the Chicago Bulls squad, the Englewood native is not immune to the effects the environment has had on him and is still having on teens in the city. The 23-year-old was a part of a press conference for the launch of his new “D rose 3” sneaker with Adidas on Friday, but the reality of how far he’s come in spite of the death of violence surround him was overwhelming for the baller who broke down during questioning saying:

“It’s truly a blessing, man. With all of this stuff that’s going on in this city, a kid from Englewood got something positive going on. That makes me feel so good, man. This shoe is great, all this is great. But this, I can’t explain this…I can’t.  I went through so much. To have like true fans, that means a lot to me. And I know it means a lot to my family, because we ain’t supposed to be here …at all. But God made a way. This is truly unreal.”

Derrick Rose already garners much respect from his fans and other athletes for his humility and his skills on the court, but this just raises the bar of admiration to a whole new level. Shout out to him for being an amazing role model and inspiration.

Check out the video clip below. What do you think?

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ibtimes.com

When Adidas unveiled its plans for a new sneaker featuring shackles claiming they were “a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles,” many in the African American community stopped and read the announcement in shock. Then there were the questions: what was Adidas thinking? And who would actually buy a pair of $350 sneakers with snap-on shackles that were so reminiscent of those placed on slaves or inmates? Black leaders and activists were outraged, and shortly after its announcement, Adidas abandoned the shoe design and apologized. But still the questions remain: what was Adidas thinking? And how did the idea even go so far as to reach the public?

As a Washington Post article points out, Adidas, and any company that hopes to be social responsible, should ask themselves a few questions before marketing a product that could potentially outrage your consumers. To avoid these socially awkward mistakes when considering a new product or service, take the time to ask these questions:

Does the new project reflect the core values your company wants to project? For Adidas, a shackle doesn’t reflect any specific mission in its goal to sale shoes. When the company realized that it had created public outrage, it quickly withdrew its plan and apologized.

Do you fully appreciate the needs, sensitivities and background of your target audiences? In the Adidas case, the African American community has strongly supported and bought Adidas apparel throughout the years, and the creation of a shackled shoe was not the most sensitive of shoe design concepts.

What impact are you having on particular groups or society at large? Short-term profit alone will not lead to a successful business. To create long-term success, business professionals must be aware of the social implications of their actions. Otherwise it will impact their reputation among consumers.

Lastly, are you creating good will or destroying it? Good will consists of customer satisfaction, marketing, community relations and advertising. Building it can take several years, but destroying it can take place with one quick mistake.

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Source: Shadowandact.com

Adidas really ought to just be thankful they’re still a somewhat relevant sneaker brand, but of course they’ve taken their creative liberties a bit further than most would like with a new sneaker known as JS Roundhouse Mids.

The issue with the shoe is the shackles that are attached to the heel and expected to fit around one’s ankles. Adidas explains the design with this description on it’s Facebook page:

“Tighten up your style with the JS Roundhouse Mids, dropping in August. Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?”

Clever idea, but perhaps poorly executed. Most observers are speaking out against the shackle adornment as an ode to slavery. Personally, I immediately thought of prison cuffs when I saw the sneaker (I think it was the orange color) but either way, neither inference is a good look. Dr Boyce Watkins wrote on Your Black World:

 “Shackles. The stuff that our ancestors wore for 400 years while experiencing the most horrific atrocities imaginable. Most of which were never documented in the history books and kept away from you in the educational system, all so you’d be willing to put shackles on your ankles today and not be so sensitive about it. There is always a group of negroes who are more than happy to resubmit themselves to slavery.”

He’s right but I think we have to be careful assuming an African American slave reference. For one, Africans were hardly the first or only group of slaves in this country or in the world, so this doesn’t have to necessarily be a “black thing.” On the other hand, African slavery is the most discussed form of captivity in the present day and if Adidas were so bold as to insert this subtle element of racism, it’s certainly not something that should go without being called out. Regarding the prison reference, I think far too many boys and men are already too comfortable with the idea of being arrested and cuffed and wearing a shoe that makes light of that or makes being shackled appear cool just isn’t a good idea. On the surface, it’s not grossly damaging but I think it has the potential to make teens, tweens, and even grown men somewhat desensitized to the reality of being cuffed and the system of racism that often lands them behind bars. To that point, Dr. Watkins added in his op-ed:

“I’m offended by these shoes as there is nothing funny about the prison industrial complex, which is the most genocidal thing to happen to the black family since slavery itself.”

I’ll be honest, this is the most I’ve ever thought about something as seemingly insignificant as a sneaker, but looking at this shoe I can’t help but think of buyers being slaves to consumerism as well. We know how men will set up camp outside of a shoe store for 24 hours at least to get a new pair of sneakers and how those purchases also lend themselves to robbery attempts and sometimes shootings over people simply wanting what someone else has. And though I have no data on this, I can say that the people I see sleeping outside of Foot Locker on 34th street or on the news after a big shoe release are typically black teens and I don’t like the obvious play on our boys being enslaved to this concept.

Truthfully, there really are a number of ways to interpret ths new sneaker design but I think the reality is that when it comes to the JS Roundhouse Mids, they’re hardly “just a shoe.”

What do you think about this design? Is there more to the shackles than Adidas is letting on or is it no big deal?

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Stiletto pumps and over-priced Michael Kors heels are always nice to have in your wardrobe. But they often look better in your closet than they wind up feeling on your feet after a few hours of walking on tore up sidewalk and dancing the night away. We all love to get our black Carrie Bradshaw on in shoe havens like Macy’s and Aldo, but don’t lie, you know your eye gets preoccupied when you walk past a Footlocker or Finishline and a colorful pair of sneakers captures your attention. You’re not too far into the business world that vibrant Nike’s can’t tickle your fancy. Besides, you’ll love them more after a long day at work, a good workout or when it’s time to run some errands. Know this, sneakers (at least one pair) are just as essential in a woman’s wardrobe as heels, summer sandals, a good pair of boots and a go-to pair of flats. So here are a few pairs of kicks that you know, and I know, that you know you KNOW are fly would look even “flyer” on your feet.

(BusinessWeek.com) — A few months after the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, Adidas Chief Executive Officer Herbert Hainer was visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Florida when he received an urgent call on his cell phone. Horst Schmidt, then general secretary of Germany’s national soccer federation, told Hainer that Nike (NKE) was trying to sign the German national team—an Adidas team since 1954—to an exclusive sponsorship.

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(AP)— A boost in sales due to big sporting events like the Superbowl and the upcoming World Cup pushed athletic shoe and clothing maker Adidas AG’s first quarter profit sharply higher. Adidas said Tuesday it earned euro168 million ($222.4 million) in the January-March period, a big leap from the euro5 million it posted a year earlier. The sharp increase came as revenues rose 4 percent to euro2.67 billion in the quarter compared with euro2.57 billion a year earlier.

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