words & images // Nick Engvall
I can't even begin to count the number of times that I've wished I had an extra pair of shoes with me. Whether I am hitting the gym, or skateboarding around the city, the same pair of kicks doesn't usually work for me throughout all my daily activities. And I am sure that I am not alone in this. I imagine that it's a common problem for sneakerheads. Most of us are constantly on the go, somewhere between work, school, the gym, or most of the time, a combination of all three and then some.
Carrying a second pair of shoes is no problem if you can throw a pair in the trunk or back seat of your car. However, if you're like myself, with gas prices cutting into my sneaker purchases, most of my getting around comes, either in the form of a kick and push, walking, or some combination of buses and trains. I typically carry around too much stuff in my backpack. Usually on a given day, you can find a laptop, my camera, my BlackBerry, a few issues of Sole Collector, and enough cables to plug in any form of electronics that crosses my path. Since I never want to hoop, or skate, in the same shoes, an extra pair of kicks is also crammed in there or tied to the outside, but that can lead to some serious stankonia by the time I hit the next destination.
Last week I was able to find what seems to be the perfect solution, the Sole Pack SP-1.
I was quite skeptical when I first read up on the design, not because I doubted it, but more because it needed to fit on an an already well loaded backpack. The bottom line was, if it kept me from strapping my skateboard to my back when necessary, this wasn't going to work. However, the Sole Pack SP-1 is likely to be attached to me every time I have my backpack on. The design fits up to my size 13s and the neoprene section stretches beautifully to accommodate even a tall shoe like the Hyperdunk. The design features mesh vents to allow some breathing and keep things from getting too stank and the adjustable straps allowed it to fit perfectly onto my backpack with or without my skateboard strapped on. If you're on the go and need to have two pair with you at all times, the Sole Pack SP-1 is a great solution.
You can get them now at www.thesolepack.com
