Adidas Stan Smith

The Adidas Stan Smith is a pair of sneakers I never thought I would own again.  I had them as a child and I use to hate them.  Maybe it was my fault because I would play soccer in them and they would hurt my feet.  So anytime I saw the Stan Smith in stores, I would refuse to even look at them from the fear of the pain they had caused me.  But it wasn’t until recently that I slowly started warming up to them.  Their recent popularity caused me to be interested in them once again.  I also decided to do a little research on them as well.  I read about its history and how popular they were in England.  In fact they were so popular that Adidas had to stop selling them for fear of oversaturation.  Little by little my hype for this sneaker started to grow, until I had to buy them.

So far the sneaker has been amazing.  Adidas has updated the insole and they definitely feel more comfortable than what I had as a child.  It’s funny how sneaker technology from the past can seem so archaic by today’s standards.  The leather is nice because it’s thick and still soft, though I’m sure it’s a mix of synthetic leather.  And of course the simple design of the all white sneaker with green highlight and perforated three stripes pairs nicely with jeans or khakis.  I really love this sneaker, and I’m glad I decided to give them another chance.

Adidas Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adidas_Stan_Smith

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdF2k3nZFR4

World of Nintendo vs. Amiibo

When Nintendo released the 30^th anniversary Legend of Zelda amiibo figures I was heartbroken when I found out that they had sold out and a second release wasn’t likely.  I was also upset because Nintendo was up to their old tricks of intentionally releasing hard to find figures in order to create hype.  To a certain point I’m okay with hunting for collectables, but in this case Nintendo made them difficult to find (releasing in separate stores), and pre-ordering was the only means of reserving them (meaning you couldn’t choose a mint condition package in-store).  While I was upset initially, I did eventually cave in and decided to buy the figures from resellers while the prices were still “reasonable.”

Buying a just released amiibo from a reseller left me with bitter sweet feelings (knowing that my money isn’t going to Nintendo directly).  Meanwhile at the same time I was also collecting World of Nintendo figures. Unlike the 30^th anniversary Zelda amiibo, World of Nintendo figures were much easier to find, and retailed for a great price.  This is why I believe it’s better to collect and support World of Nintendo figures made by Jakks Pacific.  Unless you’re a hardcore Zelda collector, I recommend you stick to buying World of Nintendo figures, and occasionally buying amiibo when there’s a figure you like.  The benefits of WoN figures is that there are plenty to go around, they’re toys that are highly detailed and poseable, and a variety of  characters continue to be released.  And while they lack the features that amiibo add to games, I recommend you just buy NFC enabled amiibo cards online instead.  That way you won’t miss out on those features when you’re playing games and you’ll still have an awesome World of Nintendo collection.

Jakks Pacific:

www.jakks.com

Nintendo Amiibo:

www.nintendo.com/en_CA/amiibo/line-up

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6I0VD_8CJU

New Nintendo 2DS XL Hylian Shield Edition

What’s better than owning a 3DS?  Nothing.  Yet Nintendo always finds a way to sucker us back into buying something we already own, lol.  I’m not mad though, as long as it’s a special edition that’s worth collecting.  I’m usually not a collector of special edition consoles (even if it’s Zelda), but this Hylian Shield Edition I just couldn’t pass up on.  Previous Zelda handhelds have been pretty minimal in design (besides a few symbols), but this edition screams Zelda.  The colours are nice and bright, and resemble Link’s Hylian shield.  I fell in love with this console the first time I saw it, heck I was even first in line to pre-order it at EB Games.  And as if the design of the 2DS wasn’t enough it also comes with A Link Between Worlds pre-installed.  This is a must own for any Zelda collector.

The New Nintendo 2DS XL Hylian Shield Edition was released on July 2^nd, 2018 and retailed for $209.99 Canadian.  It was a North American exclusive, sold only in EB Games in Canada, and Gamestop.  It came with a pre-installed version The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and a charger.

Nintendo:

www.nintendo.ca

EB Games:

www.ebgames.ca

Ralph Lauren Polo Bear Coffee Mug

One of the best parts of the Polo Ralph Lauren brand is how large and diverse the brand is when it comes to offering items.  Off the top of my head I`ve seen them sell everything from clothing, to shoes, paint, puppy apparel, and even home décor.  Lately though, I have been loving their home accessories, such as this coffee mug.  This mug features the iconic Polo teddy bear in a tuxedo and holding a present.  This stoneware mug is microwave and dishwasher safe, a feature I appreciate because I collect mugs.  While the mug is rather simple in design, it`s something I appreciate more because it`s classy and timeless.

Polo Ralph Lauren:

www.ralphlauren.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTkw9-KE41c