Unhyping myself for the mean time

Simple awesomeness.

When you can't get a pair of whatever that sneaker is, just buy something else. (I think I'm beginning to dedicate this blog to ranting about NMDs.)

To be honest, I have my days of jumping on the bandwagon. Most of the time, I stay away, way way way away from the bandwagon. The NMD is just a different story.

It's really good to stir away from the hype once in awhile or most of the time. It's liberating. 

Vans Old Skool

ANYWAY! Ok c'mon, let's just say it, "back at it again with the (white) Vans." Clearly, this isn't the white authentics. I'm tired of white sneakers. The thought of if becoming yellowish in the long run, ugh. Black sneakers are the way to go! I've been rocking Vans since 2000. I'm really happy with this purchase because this the reward for my hard work. I've been working late nights on my freelance design job. This is my trophy - for now.

Welcome home

One of the easiest, fastest purchases I made because I really wanted this pair for a long time. Thank God, the wife approves.

Now, if only I have those zipper pants from H&M, that would be great. 

Vans Old Skool is readily available locally and worldwide, so getting one won't be a problem.

Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr Kamote

Photo credit: @kamoteatbp instagram

kamoteATBP x adidas NMD R1

Don't you just hate it when you want something so bad and you can't do anything about it? You've tried so hard, did everything you can, hassled almost everybody just to get that particular pair of sneakers but zero outcome. Waking up to new models and finding out that they're all sold out. Spotting that specific pair on ebay but double or triple the price. Then you see all these posts on social media how people are so lucky rocking those sneakers you've always wanted. Why them? Why not me? Why can't I have my own pair?

Crying MJ meme would be perfect right here but nah. 

Out of frustration, boredom and sudden release of creativity, I just designed my own NMD. With the same silhouette and materials, kamoteATBP's signature colors was applied. I'm pleased with it. I'm proud of it. Hopefully adidas would come across this and maybe do this color way. Or how about miadidas finally coming up with a customizable NMD? I think it's time. Give chance to others. PLEASE.

So again, I'll just have to wait until September and see if I'm lucky enough to have my own adidas NMD R1. Knock knock.

Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr Kamote

Photo credit: Yours truly

Lei Bistro

Restaurant 3: Lei Bistro

After church, we headed to Times Square to see what they have in store for us. Hunger kicks in, and what did we find? Lei Bistro.

We wanted something authentic, maybe not too commercialized, and of course delicious. We found ourselves lost in the middle of Times Square as our tummies felt forsaken.

We were slightly hesitant at first because we thought Lei Bistro was just one of those pretentious restaurants that seemed uninteresting but in fact, the whole place was packed. People kept coming in even if it was 2:30 in the afternoon! Little did we know that Lei Bistro is a World Class high-end restaurant chain in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and China. 
So in we went.

And of course, we ordered a lot again.

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings - A Must!

Pork Barbecue/Steak of some sort

Delicious Fried Rice - Highly Recommended

Crispy Roasted Pork - Highly Recommended

Baked Chestnut Pudding

Yup, my wife and I ate like royalty since this lunch was a treat from her boss. Big thanks to JB! Be sure to check out Lei Bistro whenever you're in Hong Kong. You're welcome.

For more information on Lei Bistro, visit them here.

Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr Kamote

Photo credit: @kamoteatbp instagram

Mak's Noodle

Restaurant 2: Mak's Noodles

Hailed as Hong Kong's most famous wanton noodles, this little restaurant is packed with delicious awesomeness. Actually, there are lots of Mak's in Hong Kong and this was luckily situated near where we stayed in Tin Hau. This may be a franchise or a relative of theirs but we don't care, the noodles were amazing! If you want the authentic taste, this one's for you.

Wanton Beef Noodle

We ordered the wanton beef noodle and we miss it terribly! I'm craving for some and currently salivating as I write this down. Words cannot describe how delicious this is, just take my word for it! I know it's blasphemous if I compare it to David's Tea House version but if there's one near by, I'm definitely there right now.

Highly recommended if you're in Hong Kong. Be sure to add this to your must try list!

Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr Kamote

Photo credit: @kamoteatbp instagram

Hello, Hong Kong!

Thank you Lord for another opportunity to travel and see the world.

I must say, 3 days and 2 nights in Hong Kong is no longer enough. Maybe at least 4 days and 3 nights of eating, shopping, eating, shopping, eating and shopping. Yeah, and maybe some eating and shopping.

Some people say going to Hong Kong is more affordable these days than going to some parts in the Philippines like Boracay, El Nido or Batanes. My wife and I decided to take a breather from all the negativity, and enjoy ourselves with food and shopping.

We arrived Saturday and the first thing we looked for after freshening up is dimsum. Lots and lots of dimsum!

Restaurant 1: One Dim Sum, Prince Edward, Hong Kong

One Dim Sum, Prince Edward

Good thing we have friends living in Hong Kong for quite some time now (thanks JL and April!). One Dim Sum at Prince Edward they said, warning us with long queues and waiting time. With no hesitation whatsoever, we headed to One Dim Sum and waited for about an hour and a half. Worth every minute!

Long queue means awesomeness ahead

Yup, 1 hour and a half. Enough time to catch up, rant about what's wrong with our country, and salivate on what we we're about to feast on. Of course, we ordered everything. Not really but we think we did. From the staples like shrimp dumplings, siew mai, pork buns, we finished them dry. We were so hungry, we didn't get the chance to take pictures of the food we ordered! Food was awesome and value for money as well.

One Dim Sum is highly recommended if you're going to Hong Kong. There are lots of restaurants that serve dimsum but this one has our hearts.

More on delicious Hong Kong food coming soon!

Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr Kamote

Photo credit: @kamoteatbp instagram

Traveler by TOMS - Dalston Matte Yellow

Summer isn't over yet in the Philippines!

Aside from sneakers, poison no.2 are sunglasses. Of course, there are selected ones which I prefer and I'm not into the common Ray-Bans, Oakleys or whatever. Also, anything more than $300 (about Php15,000), I forget about them even if they're ultimate juants. Paying ridiculous amounts isn't really that worth it especially if you're not going to wear them all day.

Talking about this pair, I really like the yellow matte frames on this one. It's different, uncommon, and not all would wear something like this. Just perfect. The last time I checked, it was on 40% off, thanks to TOMS' 10-year anniversary. 

I see this with a grey v-neck tee, rolled-up light shade jeans, and your favorite sneakers.

If you dig this pair, head on over to TOMS pop-up store at the 2nd floor, Rockwell Powerplant mall.

More on this here.


Less Talk. More Juants.
Mr Kamote


Photo Credit: @kamoteatbp instagram

The Zipper Pant

Zipper pants - hate it or love it.

As mentioned in a couple of previous posts, I've been watching these youtube video blogs from Riche Le, Locust and Wild Honey, and Neemzzz about sneakers and fashion. One thing that stuck on me is the zipper pant. It kinda grew on me as days go by, then I started looking for it online. H&M ran out of it, Fear of God is way too expensive for me. They are the 2 brands that made zipper pants a thing now. Bye for now, joggers.

Rakuten

What's interesting about these pants anyway? Aside from the zippers, they look a lot different from the joggers, obviously. It's more rockstar, more rugged. You zip open all the way up, mid way or closed, depends on the footwear. A little roomy on the waist then it hugs down to the ankles. Zipper pants would definitely look good on Vans Old Skools, checkered authentics, NMDs, or even chelsea boots as shown above. (Nope, you will never catch me looking like that guy up there.) 

Fear of God

Nah, I'll just find my old pants, buy a few zippers and have it done by my tailor. Hey, I'm not cheap, I'm thrifty. I got the idea from Neemzzz's video blog on youtube, you can check it out below.

For more information about this pant, be sure to check out these video blogs:

1. Riche Le's zipper pants feature and best sneakers to wear with zipper pants
2. Locust and Wild Honey's FOG zipper pants feature
3. Neemzzz's zipper pants DIY

These are some of the brands that have zipper pants:

1. H&M
2. Fear of God
3. Killion
4. I Love Ugly


Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr Kamote


Photo Credit: Complex, Rakuten, Fear of God

adidas NMD R1 Mesh "Black Charcoal" 

The adidas NMD R1. NEED! MUST HAVE! JUANT!

I have been juanting this ever since it was released last March 2016. To be honest, I was a little off at first with all the color ways that came out but when the black was made available, I was like "oh man, that's mine!"

Then this color way came. I've never wanted a sneaker this bad. I mean reeeeaaaal baaaad! I've been checking sites, social media, asking my friends and relatives both local and abroad, ZERO. I think the NMD isn't just meant for me. I even went to Hong Kong just a couple of weeks ago, zilch. Well there was a few but double or even triple the amount! There's no way I'm paying for ridiculous prices. I could buy 5 or more sneakers with that.

Ball Head Hong Kong - from HKD1499-1799

Kicks Project Hong Kong - HKD1999

Out of boredom and desperation, I came across @unrivaledgoods ebay and twitter account. They have my size and the exact color way I wanted BUT I have to bid for it. I said, "alright, you gotta do what you gotta do!" So I made an ebay account, placed a bid, and prayed to God that hopefully this pair would be mine finally. I was like the top bidder for a day not until I woke up this morning. Somebody was way ahead and went over my budget of $150. There's no way I'm paying more than that so I threw in the towel.

@unrivaledgoods

I just hope that person or whoever wins the bid will enjoy wearing, using, flaunting, and loving that pair AND hopefully, doesn't resell it for a stupid ridiculous price. BUT, for those have the means, go for it. Though, there's always something more worth your hard earned money than overpriced items.

My wait for September continues.

Anyway, I'll be posting about what you can buy for $150 aside from overpriced NMDs.

Less talk. More juants.

Mr Kamote

Photo credit: Rise NY, Ball Head, Kicks Project

P.S. Resellers, please give respect to the real collectors. We know it's also a business but we are not hypebeasts. We actually use, love, and grow old with the sneakers.

Back at it again with a long post! Well, not really.

After a loooooooooooooooooooong break from sneaker blogging, Mr Kamote is back. Hopefully for good! I must admit, it was the overall hype that caused it. Too many juants, too much hype going on, zero funds, but the love for sneakers will never fade.

I miss writing (if you call this writing), but for now let's just do over, shall we?

I was actually considering of coming up with my own video blogs on youtube. I was inspired by Richie Le, locustandwildhoney, DJ Hes of Hes Kicks and Neemzzz, just to name a few. I realized it's not for me. Maybe if I had a lot of money, then I would do what they do, with a touch of kamote. Shout outs to these guys, they're awesome in what they're doing and big thanks to them for introducing me to a much bigger world of sneakers. Please do watch their videos on youtube for some awesome stuff about sneakers and fashion.

Anyway, it's good to be back and hopefully I could give you more interesting stuff in the future.


Less talk. More Juants,

Mr Kamote

New Sneaker Lust: Karhu Fulcrum Star

Karhu Fulcrum Star

New Sneaker Lust: Karhu Fulcrum Star


There's more to a sneaker than just the colorway, silhouette and design. Let us not ignore the history behind, and be more in the know than just being "in" them.

Established in 1916, it is a running shoe from Finland with a very rich history. Jumping to 1920, the Karhu brand came from the Finnish term for bear.

Dominating the Olympics in 1952, they originally had the three stripes on their spikes but eventually selling it to you know who for 2 bottles of whiskey and about 1,600 euros. Surprised aren't you? Check it out here!

1960 came, Karhu finally registered and adapted the M logo on their shoes from the word "Mestari" which means champion in Finnish.

Interesting, right? But enough of history and let us focus on the future.

I only came across Karhu by accident on Instagram. The Fulcrum (pictured on the very top) was an immediate declaration of a Juant. I love the silhouette and the colorway! Yes, I have finally accepted the fact that the classics are more fitting to me than the new and high-tech ones. I also love the fact that not everyone is familiar with the Karhu brand... less hype.

Karhu Albatross

This might be a little too bright for me but I sure do Juant a red pair!

For more interesting facts and information about Karhu, head on over to their website and checkout all the awesome originals here.

Mr. Kamote

Less Talk. More Juants.

Photo credit: Karhu.com

Mr. Kamote's Top 10 "More Yeezy Than The Actual Yeezy Boost"

Mr. Kamote's Top 10 "More Yeezy Than The Actual Yeezy Boost"

Hello hello. It took me awhile to post something again because there was nothing I consider a Juant, and still does. I'm bored. 

Poof came the Yeezy Boost.

Kanye West x adidas Yeezy Boost 750

Do I like it? Nah. Do I hate it? Meh. Is it a Juant? Most definitely, NOT. Am I gonna talk about it? Nope. Maybe just a little. To be honest, I was expecting a whole lot more from Mr West. I wonder what's his design concept is? I wonder why is everyone going bonkers again?! Too much hype, people.

ANYWAY!

Let's go back to what I really want to talk about, my Top 10 "More Yeezys than the actual Yeezy Boost". I think these 10 has more Kanye written all over them.

10. adidas Y-3 Retro Boost Hibiscus - The simplicity, the minimalism, great design Mr Yamamoto! Plus, I really like the floral print on this one. I actually thought Kanye had something to do with this.

09. Jordan Eclipse Cement - To be honest, I'm not that much of a fan of Jordan sneakers. Everybody's wearing them. I kinda liked this one because it reminds me of the Roshe Run but no way I'm spending on a pair! The colorway is, by the way, so Kanye.

08. Nike Blazer Mid Metric QS Triple Black - Doesn't it look like a promising Yeezy? The angles, the triple black, the silhouette, uhuh.

07. ETQ. Amsterdam Mid 2 - This reminds me of one of Kanye's Louis Vuitton pairs. Not sure with the name because I can't afford it so why bother, right? This one's just super clean and classy. No screaming logos, nothing crazy going on, just the way I like it.

06. adidas Y-3 Qasa - Kanye is known to be creative, I mean really creative. When the Tubular came out, we all thought he had a part in it. Sorry Mr Yamamoto for associating your brilliant designs with Mr West but I've said it once and I'm gonna say it again, it's so Kanye.

05. ClearWeather One-O-One - It's red, it has those fringes that for some reason, works for me, and that adjustable cord behind that I wish they could have it in gold or something other than plastic. Yup, it's on the Juant list.

04. Nike Air Python Sail - From camo, to floral, to weave, to whatever Nike brilliantly thinks of, this looks like a Yeezy for me. Why? The python print of course, and yeah, it being white and gold.

03. Ronnie Fieg x Buscemi 110mm Bred - With all those things going on which either I can't explain or don't bother explaining at all, admit it, it hella looks like a Yeezy!

02. Air Jordan 2 x Just Don - Kanye is fashion, high-fashion. This shoe is made in Italy. 'Nuff said.

01. Filling Pieces Low Top Transformed - Silhouette, colorway, details, need I say more?

Ok, this is just my opinion and nobody is obliged to agree. I just hope that the Yeezy Boost could be something else and Mr West is just punking us and will reveal something more awesome at the 2015 New York Fashion week. Please.

Stay tuned for more Top 10s.

Mr. Kamote

Less Talk. More Juants.

Photo Credit: All photos can be found on SneakerFreaker's website. 

Felipe & Sons Barberdashery

Felipe & Sons Barberdashery

So I went to the barber yesterday and finally tried Felipe & Sons. One of the best decisions I've made this year, so far.

A man-cave

A barber shop, haberdashery, quasi sneaker store, a man-cave. Finally I was able to get my ass on one of those chairs and experience the Php 280.00 haircut. Yup, Php 280.00 + tip. Why am I paying that much amount when I can have the same haircut with my trusted barber, Kuya Dario of Newsbarbers in SM Hypermart Pasig at a much affordable price? Or even Php 50.00 haircut at the local market? It's the whole experience and service that none of the mentioned above can offer. You just have to try it for yourself.

Various hair products and vintage barber tools

I gotta say, it is indeed one of the best experience I had when it comes to haircut. Worth every peso! I'd definitely go back. Every guy should spend on their looks as well, not just the ladies. Thanks to my wife for the push and Kuya Julius for the side part! Sorry Kuya Dario.

That side part by Julius

For more info about Felipe & Sons, click here.

Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr. Kamote

Photo Credit: Yours truly

Sneaker Lust: White Summer Sneakers

Vans Era Laceless

Sneaker Lust: White Summer Sneakers

Summer is fast approaching and white sneakers are a must. Take note, SNEAKERS. Please. Perfect whites paired with rolled summer shorts, pique shirts or v-necks, your favorite sunnies, you can't go wrong.

Get creative on your old whites by buying yourself a good amount of colored dye, dipping the tip over night, let it dry, voila!

Tretorn Nylite Canvas

Want to add character to your style? Roll your pants up. Don't forget to get yourself some no-show socks, it just looks better that way and more hygienic.

Superga Cotu Classic

Staples like adidas Superstar and Stan Smith are back so do get your pair!

adidas Stan Smith

adidas Superstar

And again, just a reminder... SNEAKERS and not SHIT like this. Please, let's put a stop to this monstrosity and horrendous piece of... ugh.

Some ugly white shoe

Less Talk. More Juants.

Mr. Kamote

Photo credit: Pinterest