UNDFTD Fall 2008 Drop 1.0 features a range of T-shirts, sweaters and jackets to keep the chill at bay whilst maintaining a uniquely defined style. Clean lines and subtle elements of old skool make this UNDFTD range stand out from other less refined looks on the market today. Checkout the entire range in the online store

I am very pleased to announce the launch of my Redesigned & Reloaded 2008 Portfolio Website – http://www.mwmgraphics.com*Updated with over 50 freelance projects and commissions from this year across disciplines (All previous work is still featured in 2007 Portfolio Archive). New Vectorfunk Posters, Prints, Books, Tees, and Skateboards in the Shop. Recent Press Clippings, Features, Interviews, and Gallery Bio. And the new MWM Graphics “So, what can you do for me?” Capabilities Section. Surf through and check it out. Enjoy!

Format: Please introduce yourself and discuss your history before starting Kicks on Fire.
Khan: My name is Khan and I am the founder/creator of KicksOnFire.com – I am a 20-year-old college student majoring in Business Management and Finance. Before starting KicksOnFire.com I was a senior in high school but I was not your average student. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, I was always attracted to the sneaker culture.

“I noticed I was not just a single blog anymore; I was part of a corporation. I started to notice that Kicks On Fire is a well-respected business.”

Format: What was your inspiration to start Kicks on Fire?
Khan: I wanted to spread the knowledge of sneakers to people around the world. I also wanted to build a site where anyone can go to see an in-depth history of sneakers. Kicks On Fire is always up-to date and it’s my way of giving back to the sneaker community. I wanted to provide a site that would allow other sneakerheads to always have the latest sneaker coverage and release dates.

Format: How do you balance your education and the site?
Khan: Although school is supposed to be my first priority it is not. I spend way too much time on Kicks On Fire in order to expand it and to keep it updated with a steady progression. Luckily school is something that comes easy to me so I don’t stress much about it. I’m always in my classes on my phone checking Kicks On Fire. My friends and family help me and have always been very supportive.

Format: Why is it important to you to educate people about sneakers?
Khan: First of all, there is no other site dedicated to the history of sneakers or with an entire sneaker encyclopedia. It is important that people know how this sneaker phenomenon all began as well as where a large part of their fashion culture came from. As sneaker collectors know, we are not only interested in the looks and appearance of a sneaker. We want to know the inspiration behind the shoe. Where did it come from and why? What was that sneakers history? What is its future?

Format: How difficult was it to develop the encyclopedia on the site?
Khan: Before I even thought of creating the encyclopedia, I knew that it would be no easy undertaking and an ongoing feature as new shoes come out almost every day. As I started creating the encyclopedia I found myself reading many books about sneakers. It has been a learning process that took over a year to complete and continues to go on to this very day. It took a lot of dedication, and many sleepless night’s and of course the help of friends. When I look back I am astonished at the amount of work I was able to put together — and proud!

Format: How important is the social community as a component of Kicks on Fire?
Khan: First of all, the social network component of the site is extremely important. There are major networks such as MySpace and Facebook, but there aren’t many for the sneaker community. There are some well established forums, but there is only so much that you can do in a sneaker forum.

But with a sneaker social network like My.KicksOnFire.com, the average sneakerhead has the chance to show off their kicks, to upload their pictures and videos, create groups, connect with other sneakerheads, add others as friends, and have their own blogs. There aren’t many places where sneakerheads can meet others like themselves or have these opportunities. I think it is a revolutionary idea that the sneakerhead community can enjoy for years to come.

“They are something I’ve been wearing since I was born! I live in New York — the fashion capital — this is where it all started!”

Format: Kicks on Fire recently joined the Complex Media Network. Please speak about this transition and partnership.
Khan: I looked at Complex because the network has similar interests as Kicks On Fire. We both target a younger audience. I actually never thought I would be approached by them and was quite surprised when they asked me to join their network. With the Complex deal, it just took me to another level. I noticed I was not just a single blog anymore; I was part of a corporation. I started to notice that Kicks On Fire is a well-respected business. After joining the network it pushed me to work harder because I wanted to achieve the same standard of excellence. This led me to completely redesign the site inside out and to add useful features for users as well as differentiating the Kicks On Fire brand from the hundreds of other sneaker blogs online.

Format: What does Kicks on Fire have planned for the future?
Khan: Without giving too much away, we are continually expanding our connections and photography team in order to provide as much original content as possible. For those who haven’t noticed, most of the pictures featured on Kicks On Fire are taken by Kicks On Fire employees throughout the NYC metropolitan area. Another thing I have planned is to enlarge the social network by introducing more ways to facilitate interaction amongst members. I’ve started free sneaker give-aways for active members. After receiving countless emails questioning ‘where can I buy these shoes?’ or ‘how do I find these kicks?’ I decided to create a sneaker store database that will help users navigate to the nearest stores in their neighborhood. The sneaker database will aim to include all the sneaker stores around the world and will be based on a mapping system whereby users may click and zoom into their city to view the stores.

Format: Why shoes?
Khan: Why not shoes? They are something I’ve been wearing since I was born! I live in New York — the fashion capital — this is where it all started! I’ve always had a fascination with the latest kicks and styles. I knew something was up when I realized the first thing I ever notice on a person is their shoes! I just decided to take my interest and my passion for sneakers to another level.

Linkage: http://www.kicksonfire.com, http://my.kicksonfire.com/

Geoff Rowley and Vans have come out with the Shambles Hi just in time for the new season. The Shambles features a smooth velvety upper and are available in a solid red or white, if you are not feeling the black. Watch out for the Vans Rowley Shambles Hi’s to release on October 1.

Info.Image: Complex

Cap connoisseur’s, Hall of Fame, have just released a Black Satin Ribbon Snapback Cap, which is mostly black with a mesh back. Hall of Fame has put a bold brand embroidery in the front so there is no doubt about who created this headgear.

Info.Image: Hall of Fame

Jeff Staple recently hit us over the head with a very nice f/w lineup in a well executed and simplistic form.  In the middle of that collection comes his “Science of Life” collection, which gets inspiration from the biology of humans and how health plays a key roll in your life.  I really don’t know how this theory translates into jackets, but its a nice line nonetheless.  Available now at Reed Space and other select Staple accounts.

Info.Image:  Darrin Hudson

Maiden Noir gets the nod this f/w with their latest offering of clothing and accessories.  The line overall is pretty dark, both in imagery and in colors.  It seems that the most colorful piece is their nicely cut and sew flannels, but the toggle and leather jackets all fade to black.  Graphics wise, the T’s all feature obscure images that resemble pentagrams and are sure to make people look twice.  Good showing and execution.  Not everything in this world has to be happy.  Available soon at select accounts.

Info.Image:  Haven

Some of Nike’s best product has carried the ACG name and badge with honor.  The AF1 mid is probably their most prolific sneaker.  Now they combine the two in this latest ACG inspired AF1 mid.  Complete with nylon mesh panels and orange boot laces, this is a welcome addition to the AF1 and ACG families, which had birthed a low top version earlier this year.  Available now.

Info.Image:  Proper

Format: Our last interview focused a lot on blogging and sneaker media. Let’s get a bit more personal this time. Please introduce yourself and discuss your history before starting K.A.T.C .
MaZe: My name is Rich ‘MaZe’ Lopez and I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief of KixandtheCity.com. Before I started K.A.T.C I worked at two jobs out of college. I was a senior interactive media planner/buyer and then a senior account executive at an urban marketing/advertising agency. Both jobs gave me great experience in business and relationships but neither of them allowed me the ability to create, so I had to go out in the world for dolo.

“K.A.T.C is my current job and I do it damn near 24 hours a day. I’m creating posts in my sleep and the first thing I do every morning is go right to my laptop and start grinding.”

Format: What was your inspiration to start K.A.T.C?
MaZe: Simply, my love for sneakers and wanting to share that love with people around the world that feel the same way. When I first started K.A.T.C there weren’t many sites dedicated to sneakers alone, there weren’t many places for people who were passionate about kicks to get in-depth unbiased info. Back when I first started the site I was buying a crazy amount of sneakers, I’d say like 8-10 pairs a month. I used to line-up and everything. I saw how powerful sneakers were and what they meant to other people as well. I wanted to create a destination for everyone that loved sneakers, and I did.

Much respect to Crooked Tongues though, they’ve been around forever; they were true pioneers and you have to recognize that.

Format: How did you transition from your past job to blogging full-time?
MaZe: There was no transition. I decided to create the site one night and my first post went up the next morning. I wasted no time.

K.A.T.C is my current job and I do it damn near 24 hours a day. I’m creating posts in my sleep and the first thing I do every morning is go right to my laptop and start grinding.

For the last two years before this one, I hosted a weekly online radio show for Nike Basketball. I interviewed all of Nike’s premier basketball players from Kobe, to LeBron, to Nash, etc. We took the show on the road a couple times to and that was amazing.

As of right now though, other than K.A.T.C I write for FirstCuts.com which is TheSportingNews.com’s lifestyle blog and I also have a column on sneaker/fashion column on King-Mag.com.

Format: You mentioned last year that sneaker blogs are popping up almost every day. How does K.A.T.C remain relevant in this climate?
MaZe: It gets harder and harder. Not because of the competition but because most of the sites are just biting off of each other and that negatively effects everyone. Sites are poaching each other and it doesn’t make business sense because it is hindering sneaker sites from being taken seriously, and from a financial standpoint, why would bigger brands want to work with a site that is a carbon copy of the last five sites that they visited?

K.A.T.C remains relevant because I don’t do that.

Format: You’ve made a point of saying that you study sneaker culture from many different angles. an you please elaborate on this and develop some of your recent insights?
MaZe: CI study sneaker culture from the physical sneaker, to the consumer, to retail, to the inside of sneaker brands, everything. I study what people are wearing, I study what people line up for; I study what is/isn’t selling.

As far as my most recent insights, the perceived limited/exclusive game is dominating the scene more and more when it comes to the major brands. Nothing is selling unless it’s ‘limited’ or ‘exclusive.’ General releases or less limited releases sit and sit until they go on a super sale. All of this is basically due to the fact that way too many sneakers are dropping and heads are being ultra shrewd.

The non-majors are doing well though because they are different and naturally limited because of scale. When the market is being flooded by hundreds of different colorways of the same sneaker and you want to be different, you start to look elsewhere.

Format: Last year you mentioned that the more experienced sneaker enthusiasts were not being catered to. Do you still think this is the case and why or why not?
MaZe: I think it is getting much better. The releases are stronger from a simplicity standpoint and the collaborations are making more sense. I have realized though, that the experienced sneaker enthusiasts aren’t the target market and I understand that.

Format: What does K.A.T.C have planned for the future?
MaZe: The same thing we do every night.

Format: Why shoes?
MaZe: Love.

Linkage: http://www.kixandthecity.com