Website of the week
Ever since Nike's Air Rift sneakers (the Mary Jane-style shoe with the split toe) came out, I've wanted a pair. At first, they were sold out everywhere. Now they're not so hard to find, but most of the color combinations are gross, a problem I encounter often in sneakers. (Like a true fashionista, I tend to buy for looks rather than for function, although since I mainly use my sneakers for hip-hop class, I like a flexible sole.) So when I heard about Nike ID, I scurried right over to my computer to check it out. And I'm sorry, MW, but the site is genius. (MW hates Nike and is upset that this is my website of the week.) There are 41 items that you can customize from the color of the swoosh to the color of the sole--mostly sneakers, but there are messenger bags, watches, and golf balls too. Sneakers represented include several Shox models, Air Presto, and Air Zoom Hurache, as well as all manner of cleats for...well, whatever sport you need cleats for. The site is pretty self-explanatory: Pick the shoe (or whatever) you want, pick a color scheme inspiration (the family of colors from which you'll be shopping), then get to work customizing, which is by far the most fun I've had in awhile. Which is a sad commentary on my life, but I digress. The next best thing about the site (other than the fact that you're basically getting a custom-designed shoe) is the price, which, is only slightly higher than the regular Nike price. I was expecting at least $200, but my Air Rift is an affordable $105. The only downside to the site is that it takes 3-4 weeks for your sneakers to ship. But, hey, it takes months--and multiple fittings--for couture, so I'm not going to complain. I'm starting to get the whole sneaker craze thing now. I literally spent hours coming up with different color combinations for several pairs of shoes, but I think I found one I'm going to stick with. For now, at least.