Adio licensed to AL&S Footwear

We received word today that Adio Footwear has been licensed over from K2 to New York based AL&S Footwear. This agreement includes the production of footwear, clothing and accessories with the Adio brand name. AL & S current brands include Britishers, Coogi, US Polo Association, Cadillac, FUBU, Mountain Gear and Smiths.

News on the agreement recently came during the holidays so a lot of stuff is still yet to be know or has yet to be announced to the Adio sales team or the general public. From a retailer standpoint all orders for Spring and Summer 2010 will be produced and shipped as planned.

Theres really two ways you can look at this deal. 1.) its the death of Adio, to some the licensing over to a company without any direct ties to the skateboarding industry is a sign of bad things to come. OR 2.) It may breathe some life into Adio and bring in new styles and new outside of the box designs.

I personally hope its #2. I, for one, think the industry needs a little kick in the ass design wise. Recently all I have been seeing are rehashed designs covered up in new colorways. All the same Mid and Outsoles, with different uppers. Sure, its a way to save money and the way that skaters go through shoes its understandable that companies want to find every way possible to lower price points and make the MSRP much more attractive to the buyer. While the price is right in most cases, however, it does nothing to the evolution of skateboard footwear. Less R&D and overall less innovation. So lets hope for the best in regards to this new agreement.


We will update you as we learn more about this deal and what it means to Adio and its future collections.

My Top 5 with Willy Santos

Name: Willy Manaloto Santos


Sponsors:
Birdhouse Skateboards
Satori Wheels
Ninja Bearings
Ironhorse Griptape
Arnette
Willys Workshop
Happy Sushi

My Top 5 skate shoes Past or Present

1. Vans Era

My mom promised me if I scored a goal she would get me a pair vans. So, I scored!
(Note: We are guessing Soccer, since we highly doubt Willy has ever played Hockey! hah! )

2. Nike Air Jordan 1

These were obvious made for basketball but they were super durable for skateboarding & very comfortable.

  




3. Airwalk Enigma 

I got sponsored by Airwalk & these were the 1st shoes they sent me. I was so happy when I got that package.

  




4. Vans Steve Caballero Full & Half Cab

Not much to say here... Just simply the best.

  




5. Vans Willy Santos 1


It was an honor to have a signature shoe with vans & I'm super thankful for that & the way the shoe turned out.

Linkage!

Twitter.com/WillySantos

www.WillySantos.com 


Note: If youre ever in the San Diego area make sure to visit Willys two skateshops in Rancho Penasquitos and Mira Mesa! For all shoe heads the Mira Mesa store is currently have a 60% OFF sale on ALL shoes.. Cant beat that!

Adio Footwear - Ernie Torres V2

In celebration of Ernie Torres newest shoe from Adio ( Out 11/15/09 ) We decided to throw up some videos of Ernie rippin!


First here is Ernie's part in Roll Forever!



Now that your fully stoked on Ernie, as you should be...

Heres a sneak peak of Ernie Torres V2!



If youre like us and you cant get enough of Ernie

Visit his sponsors and support the cause!
Real Skateboards
Adio Footwear 

Elwood Clothing - Dressin For Recession Video

A name can say a lot .. Elwood thought of this as they have put together and successfully pulled off two tours (east and west) inviting everyone to be a part of our lifestyle .. clothes shouldn't break the bank but you should look good in what you can afford.. Elwood I believe has done this .. 

New Elwood Video spotlighting the talents of Dan Drehobol, Silas Baxter-Neil, Kenny Anderson, Vincent Alverez, Dan Plunket, Nate Broussard, and a few more ..

Click Here to go to the video!

http://www.elwoodclothing.com/News/Dressin-Recession-East-Coast-Tour-Video

 To view more of Elwood newest collections visit: www.elwoodclothing.com

Lakai MJ5 video

Here is a new video of the Marc Johnson 5 Lakai/Chocolate Colab..

Love design? Love footwear? Love skateboarding? Lets design!

Do you have the love for footwear that goes beyond simply keeping a collection? Do you sit at home at night wondering how to create the perfect toe cap? Dream of one day being the top designer at Lakai, DC, Adio, or Etnies? Maybe you just love to draw! Well heres your chance! We are inviting all artists young and old to partake in a summit of sorts. Since this site is about skateboard footwear we invite you to submit so of your designs to share with other avid footwear collectors and designers.

We hope to use this as a vehicle for you to get constructive criticism regarding your work. Hopefully we can get some top guys in the industry to come in and offer some advice to you, BUT even if they dont the advice you receive from your peers would be pretty damn valuable!

How will this work? Well its simple. Email your designs to us in JPG form to Midsolestory@gmail.com and every Monday we will post some of the work we receive.

Simple right? well now its your turn!

Cup Soles vs. Vulcanized Soles - The Debate Continues.

In recent years the most debated part of a skateboarding shoe, that we have heard, has always been the difference between the cup sole, and the vulcanized sole.

To those not familiar with the terms or the difference. Let us explain.