It’s an election year.And why not? So Mr. Obama seems to have more or less a lot of it wrapped up. Hilary didn’t throw out too many shots his way last night, so not to give McCain any ammunition. Obama was praising Hilary left and right, so it might even be some sort of concession. Not rocket science by any means but call David Simon and thank him for the insight into this, he can take as much credit for this as any of my professors or textbooks.What is with Nike? Why don’t they make Presto’s anymore? Why are all the 97s in stores right now three colors? Why do Air Forces look like they’re made out of plastic? What is going on here man? I feel like Kucinich is the only one who cares about these kinds of issues. And why didn’t Presto’s catch on with hardmen? I think it might be because in 2000/2001 every homeless Brooklyn dude with bellbottoms was rocking a busted Presto with their billowy tanktop and Strokes-cape, an image I try to forget but just can’t man. That didn’t deter me from copping Presto’s, but like… I’d cop some America ones just to be on the safe side.This shoe is USA though. First of all, it’s a size XL. Second, it’s the shoe that brought everyone together (maybe).; They put the dog out right after 9/11 to support the firefighters and NY in general. Skinheads, firemen, guys from Bevilacqua, Katt Williams, people sellin shit on Canal Street, Brokers, Donald T. Rump, skinny brunettes who smoke cigarettes, guys who look like John Legend, people who talk out of the side of their mouths, women with glasses with beads on them, ex-skinheads and OG freaks, they all love this shoe. Not too many electric blue nikes, clear stars on the thing, and just a bit different than the other, olympic presto that came out in 2000. Those Olys were hot as hell, grey gradients with a crest, some red and blue but it looked like a wave. The latter was one of my go to pairs when I had em. Wore them so much - to the Reggie Lewis Center everyday for about a year, around Israel, all over Ottawa - that they’re now in storage in my parents’ garage until they stop smelling like a dog shaking another dog’s hand. Let’s hope unity isn’t lost on them… “If there is hope, it is in the doggs”

Am I clear?
Are these real?
The original Prestos, in 1999, or 2000, or so, were something else and a bag of chips. They came out in 16 stupidly named colorways (trouble at home, the hungry fisherman, chips and dip, stephen murphy) and had a serious, serious ad campaign. I dont know if anyone reading this is old enough to remember it (whatup usercd) but these ads were everywhere, men in sleeveless water wicking hooded sweatshirts jumping up and down white marble buildings, for girls, or away from beasts, under the hot sun. The ads were pretty mondrian (not mondrian, someone help me out here.. very basic color scheme, but not monochrome.. triochrome? trizome?), all clay and blue and white. Men with 3-extension buzzcuts and one day growth wore no watches or socks and there was not much in the streets, people or carts or sidewalks. As for the shoes themselves they were complicated, sleek and antisensical. Why such a vulnerable toebox, like a soft belly, and both hard plastic lacetowers? Why they… got weird sizing? Unisex? I was all about to start a presto bank in boston but then i left to go get a degree…

Jude keeps telling me that there’s a Presto with a Greek god’s face on the front, and I’ve never seen it, or heard anyone mention it outside of Jude and other Philly heads but it’s a grail of mine. Not the shoe, the picture.

As for this one, I think it’s a retro of the original black presto that came out turn of the millenium. My friend Nick says that the original black Presto is a perfect shoe, and it is. It’s a perfect shoe. This one is close.

The classic Presto gets redone as a hiking boot, fitting in with the ACG theme. While Prestos are known for their light weight and their comfort, this model bucks the trend by being made up as a shoe, complete with the standard 5 ringlets with thicker laces and a foldable top (think those stupid cons some girls wore). It therefore makes absolutely no sense. This shoe is cumbersome and dark in color, however it is simply more sturdy and durable than a simple Presto. Think of it as the Innovation Kitchen  equivalent to the Stash BW, or the Sweet Ink equivalent to the Nike dunk. I personally don’t have a pair but only because my friend Rob has one, and I dont want to look like I’m copying him.

A FSR recently went mostly unbid on for about 30 bucks each from a UK retailer. Click the pic to check the auction: