Posted Jun. 9, 2008,

Eight Items or Less: Clapping Guidelines, Natalie Imbruglia's Mob Ties and Converse Collabs

By Gary Pini

1. Clap on. Clap off. The organizers of the Beijing Olympics have issued official guidelines for clapping at the games. The four-step method is designed to "help spectators cheer in a smooth and civilized manner." There will be "unified training" to promote the clapping method for the 800,000 students who are receiving free tickets for the event. (via Financial Times)

2. Police in Spokane, Washington, caught a teenager counterfeiting money in the men's room of a downtown mall on Friday. Using the electricity in the bathroom, the boy was printing $10 bills with a color copier. (via KREM TV)

3. PR-inside.com claims that Columbo crime family associate and ex-con Chris Paciello is dating Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia after the pair were introduced to each other by Madonna.

4. Stereogum calls the Strokes/Santogold/Pharrell collaboration "My Drive Thru" a "perfectly balanced summertime pop cocktail." A video for the song, created for a Converse ad campaign, is coming soon. Listen here.

5. If you're worried about a break-in while you're on summer vacation, you can get a fake TV for only $39 that uses LED bulbs to mimic the flashing lights and colors of a real TV.

6. Six people were arrested in New York over the weekend during the Puerto Rican Day Parade for selling "lollipops and Gummi Bear-type candy" containing marijuana.

Posted May. 15, 2008,

The Sneaker Flat: Where It's At

By Alexis Swerdloff

When the weather is warm, we tend to do a lot of walking. Like, a lot. And as such, we can't be wearing a flimsy flat that's going to fall apart after a month! Enter the flat with the sneaker sole, aka the sneaker flat, or the "snat," as we like to call it. Here are our picks for the cutest in comfy.

PETER JENSEN FOR B STORE: Mocassin sneakers!

$112, available at www.gargyle.com.

THE EVELINA BY TRETORN: We own a pair and were stopped on the Subway yesterday by a fan: "Where do you get those?" she asked. "Tretorn," we replied.

$60, available at store.tretorn.com.

JACK PURCELL DANCE II: Jack Purcell's been making these in canvas for quite some time now, but this year they upgraded to leather -- which makes these kicky flats kind of work-appropriate!

$49.99, available at www.converse.com.

THE LACOSTE MOUCHETTE: These shoes remind us of a cardigan -- in a really good way!

$98.95, available at shop.nordstrom.com.

Posted Apr. 23, 2007,

Japanese Sporty Collabs

By Kim Hastreiter

I just saw two fun summer collabs from Japanese designers Rei Kawakubo and Junya Watanabe. Kawakubo worked with Speedo to create a very cool line of swimsuits and Watanabe worked with Converse creating four cute graphic summer Chuck Taylor-style kicks. Check them out below.