The Nike Air Max 95 was the first of its kind when it was released in 1995. Nike revolutionized running shoes when it released the Air Max 1 in 1987 being the first shoe to have visible Air Max cushioning. The Nike Air Max 95 was the first running shoe in history to have forefoot and heel Air Max cushioning.
The Nike Air Max 95 was a huge hit when it was released. It came out in many famous colors that have been retroed many times such as the Neons, Slates, and Emeralds. The Air Max 95 was so successful that it was first "retroed" only 2 years after its release in 1997/1998.
The Air Max 95 was also the first Nike shoe to have an Air Max heel which was compressed to different pressures. The air pressure ranges from a low 5PSI in the back of the heel to 25PSI directly underneith the heel to provide optimal cushioning. Not only did the Air Max units provide second to none cushioning, but it provided great heel support.
Since the Air Max 95 were running shoes, they had 3M reflective material on the back and front of the shoe. The reflective material makes the shoes very visable with even the lowest of indirect light hitting the Air Max 95 shoes.

At first, the Air Max 95 was designed for performance and function, but it lately has been bought more for fashion and casual wear. One can't help but fall in love with the design and shape of the Nike Air Max 95 shoes. The Air Max 95 is a favorite among people from all walks of life from yuppies to people of the hip hop community - it is one of many shoes that unites sneakerheads.
Without stating the totally obvious, the Nike Air Max 95 was part of the History of Air Max package. Even though Nike released the Nike Air Max 95 Neons in 2002, 2003, and 2004, Nike sure enough released the same colorway again at the end of 2005. This made many Air Max 95 fans angered since many paid a premium price for the Neons. A sigh of relief was exhaled when collectors saw how poor the quality was of the History of Air Max Nike Air Max 95s.
Nike has released over 150 colorways of the Nike Air Max 95, but thats not enough for all of us! Nike made the Air Max 95 available on NikeID where collectors can make their own custom Air Max 95 shoes.

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What do the world’s fifth largest collection of Planet of the Apes memorabilia, a Japanese proverb about lukewarm water, and the Beastie Boys have in common? They are all related in one way or another to the underground brand A Bathing Ape (BAPE), brainchild of a sprightly designer, musician, and Tokyoite, who, like so many Japanese “superstars” (think Ichiro), goes by his given name: Nigo.

A visitor to Nigo’s latest installation, BAPE Café would be greeted by a ceiling mural of American 1950s-style pinups suggestively manipulating BAPE merchandise. Once inside one is completely enveloped in the BAPE brand. The BAPE logo, a blurry, psychedelic, shag-hair ape face, is everywhere. Coasters, napkins, tables, stools, chopstick sleeves, plates, the bill, and various nooks and crannies throughout the café are all ape-branded. The centerpiece is a giant, dark wood table cut in the shape of the logo replete with a recessed mirror image carved into the ceiling above. Even the toilet is BAPE-shaped.
Clearly Nigo has a bit of a grasp on this branding thing. There is a rigid consistency in the otherwise seemingly hip, laid-back personality of the brand. BAPE started as a clothing line, and every article personally handcrafted by Nigo has the ape logo carefully placed on it, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Even more crucial to BAPE’s brand success than consistency has been its “limited editions” strategy. The self-enforced scarcity of BAPE products and boutiques makes them more sought after among BAPE fans than De Beers diamonds.
The humble origins of this ape fetish fashion lie in the backstreets of trendy Tokyo neighborhood Harajuku, where 10 years ago Nigo launched his brand in an unassuming shop entitled “Nowhere Ltd.” He took his inspiration from what was closest to him: the streets, Japanese society, and, of course, Planet of the Apes. Nigo’s designs foreshadowed the urban hip-hop style that has come to prevail as a dominant youth fashion in Japan. But it was not merely his passion for collecting POTA memorabilia that led him to emboss his carefully crafted clothing with primates. The brand name is actually a clever riff on the Japanese society, as it is derived from the expression “to bathe in lukewarm water.”
Nigo explained his intentions in a recent interview with Metropolis, a Tokyo information magazine. “It’s a comment on kids in Tokyo today. They’re very shallow; they take things for granted, and they’re not street savvy. It’s sort of ironic for them to be wearing my clothing. I’m trying to show how they are incapable of being independent-minded. They have no plans, no goals, because they’re just too comfortable. Like bathing in lukewarm water.”
Not one to bathe in lukewarm water himself, Nigo has grown his brand far beyond the walls of his backstreet clothing shop. BAPE is not just a clothing line but a chain of stores extending to Hong Kong, London, and soon New York, a hair salon, a gallery, the café, a record label, and finally, the limited edition (of course!) BAPE Pepsi can.
The collaboration between BAPE and Pepsi will hopefully act as a stepping stone for the export of Japanese pop culture. While Japan has always trickled a steady, if narrow stream of high-brow luminaries such as musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, designer Issey Miyake, and filmmaker Nagisa Oshima, Japanese pop culture has consistently failed to make much if any noise on the global stage. But now with the BAPE Pepsi can and artist Takashi Murakami’s bold redesign of the classic Louis Vuitton handbag things may be starting to change. If BAPE’s latest co-branding exercise with adidas (launched last month) is any sign, the changes are already underway.
In many respects BAPE’s success shares parallels with Apple’s storied survival. Apple remains in the game with intensely focused branding efforts, targeting niche markets that expect something a little different. Each additional product in Apple’s line relates to its focus on creativity. Likewise, the inspiration behind each new BAPE brand extension links back to, well, the creative interests of Nigo. Designing a limited edition set of Beastie Boys action figures was a natural extension of Nigo’s long-standing friendship with the goof-fathers of hip hop. Cutting an album on his Ape Sounds label segues well with his fashion exploits and recalls his earlier days as a drummer with a punk band called the Tokyo Sex Pistols. And his hair salon is a logical step in creating a total BAPE style experience, elevating BAPE from mere a clothing brand to a “lifestyle” brand.
But the parallels between Apple and BAPE do not end there. For some, both brands exemplify the triumph of style over content. The worlds of Japanese art and commercial design since the Meiji Restoration have often appropriated ideas, styles, and techniques from the West, recombining them in unexpected ways. Often this process is taken to such an extreme that the result amounts to little more than cut and paste madness. Little concern often seems to have been given to thematic development and the relation among parts of works as a whole. The Mickey Mouse-on-acid designs of Murakami are a perfect example of this, as are the schizophrenic genre splicing of music artists Cornelius and the Boredoms. Nigo, it could be said, also falls prey to these criticisms.
But wait. Isn’t this affected haphazardness the perfect metaphor for the Internet age, which boasts torrential excesses of unrelated, disorganized information? Isn’t the lack of a coherent message an ironic reflection on the dissolution of the “authentic individual” in a world of PR smoke and media mirrors?
Nigo, with his ironic take on the consumers he clothes, feeds, and entertains, seems to be leaning in this direction. Clearly, the BAPE brand is part of a new generation of designers and artists that are increasingly comfortable conflating business and art. Like it or not, BAPE is a brand that plays by the rules to perfection, and if an empty signifier, is surely more aware of this than most of its loyal customers.

GlobeKicks.com - Bape Products

The leasing team of Faith Hope Consolo, vice chairman, and Joseph A. Aquino, managing director of Garrick-Aug Worldwide, Ltd., exclusively represented the landlord in leasing 91 Greene St. to an obscure, yet ultra hip urban retailer A Bathing Ape. The Soho location will serve as the U.S. flagship for the street wear retailer, also known as BAPE (pronounced baypee), and will include a cafe.

The 10-year lease is for 3,036 s/f, including two levels and mezzanine space. Apparel retailer Tehen previously occupied the site.

According to Ms. Consolo, "BAPE's retail concept is perfectly suited for this hyper-trendy Soho neighborhood. The company, whose name is a clever riff that pokes fun at complacency among Japanese youths, was launched 11 years ago by designer, producer, musician and disc jockey Nigo, a self-professed 'Planet of the Apes' fanatic. His designs incorporate simian imagery, hip-hop culture and camouflage motifs and are deliberately sold in limited quantities to preserve exclusivity. BAPE clothing and accessories have reached feverish popularity among the young and hip. Customers in Japan have even been known to wait in line just to get into the store to shop! This New York flagship will allow the retailer, which already has stores in Japan, Hong Kong and London, to expand its brand within the U.S."

The lifestyle retail boutique, which will feature an array of apparel and accessories, is slated to open this summer.

"This incredible signature location features a modern, all-glass facade and nearly 20 feet of street frontage," said Mr. Aquino.

"However, the area's non-stop pedestrian traffic and proximity to some of the most well known retailers in the world are what truly makes 91 Greene St. a standout retail address."

Situated on the same block as Louis Vuitton, Armani Casa, Anne Fontaine and La Perla, 91 Greene St. is also located near other marquis retailers, including Salvatore Ferragamo, Helmut Lang and Apple Computer.

Christopher Owles, managing director of Sinvin Realty, represented the tenant in the transaction.

GlobeKicks.com - The Lastest Bathing Ape Fashion