STYLE :: GEAR LAB

Urban :: Thinking promotes entrepreneurship. So we will be highlighting unique urban entrepreneurs and eventually we will provide our own set of tools for e-commerce on this site. Ultimately, we hope to highlight the hottest, must have, urban gear on the web and show you where to get these styles and tech gadgets for less. Please feel free to give us your recommended sites or tips on hot sales in the comments section below. Here are a few designers and sites that I recommend. These are examples of Urban entrepreneurship at its best.

SHOPPING::
Gilt Group is the next step in exclusive fashion oriented sample sales. On Gilt you have access to the top names in fashion and luxury at up to 70% off retail. Membership is free, so join today! Here's a link for an EXCLUSIVE Urban Thinking Member discount!

Ruelala - Exclusive Network for Designer Sample Sales
If you into online shopping RueLaLa is an invitation only social networking site that give you the scoops on the latest "sample sales". This means you can get designer gear straight off the runway for huge savings. Cool concept...I have been a member for about 6 months and they get some great high end stuff like: Gucci, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, and more.
Use this link to receive your EXCLUSIVE Urban Thinking Member discount!

ShoppingHQ.com:: This site which is a outreach project of Design Within Reach is a showcase for emerging New York artists and designers. Many of the unique gifts that can be found there are under $100.00.


URBAN DESIGNERS:: [Featured Brands] The much talked about collaboration between Kanye West and Louis Vuitton is only a few weeks away from it’s release and the internet is going crazy for these already. While the price tag for a pair from the collection is a great deal more than the Nike x Kanye West Air Yeezy’s, it hasn’t seemed to stop some of the Kanye or Louis Vuitton fans from gearing up for this release. Here are some detailed beauty shots of the Don’s and Jasper’s from the collection, both of which are named after members of Kanye’s crew. via HS // Sneaker News

I'm one of those guys that has a "thing" for shoes. My DETNY shoes are the most comfortable shoes I have (including sneakers). Funny thing, the women I speak to say the same thing about their heels. Shane was a designer at Nike when I met him so his attention to form, function AND comfort can't be beat. Don't sleep on their styles either--always cutting edge. Shane moved to Barcelona where he lived for a year or so to get design inspiration before launching his line, so he is serious.

I go way back with these guys from growing up in Detroit, dirt biking with them Jamaica, and Snowboarding with Shane in Vermont. Don't sleep on their jet set style-- it's the truth, they are fashion visionaries who get design cues from a global outlook. Watch their video blog entry below for examples of a few shoes from their latest line and a tour of their new flagship store in Soho, NY.



Here's some more info about the brand:

Upon the debut of Detny by SHANE&SHAWN in the Fall of 2003, there was a noticeable gap on the footwear shelves. Across the board, urbane, high-end shoe labels created shoes that, for all their class, caused discomfort and pain, and were impractical for the active, fashion-conscious jet-setter on the go. It was because of this that identical twin brothers and footwear designers, Shane and Shawn Ward, created their first line of high-end footwear: they wanted to create sleek, sophisticated shoes that flirted with the intersection between style and comfort.

In Spring 2007, wanting to bring their innovative concept to the dress market, the twins from Detroit launched the SHANE&SHAWN collection. This higher-end collection exudes all the style and versatility a successful, young, urban professional might ever need, offering everything from 4" women's heels to dressy-yet-funky men's loafers.

SHANE&SHAWN and Detny by SHANE&SHAWN are two of less than a handful of brands that feature truly hip, contemporary and casual designs along with the technical comfort of a high performance athletic shoe. Co-CEO and Creative Director Shane Ward is passionate about “blurring the line between what people desire aesthetically in fashionable footwear and the ‘fit and feel’ of what they would expect from an athletic shoe.”

This rare combination of fashion and comfort is achieved by incorporating full grain leather with functional features such as the patent-pending Luxury Liner insole for step-in comfort, Dura-Zone durability pods for extended outsole life, and the Comfort Collar that eliminates ankle irritation. Says Co-CEO and President Shawn Ward:

“Our brands are unsurpassed in style, feel, and performance. Our customers are fashion-conscious, internationally-minded people who are shopping at the kind of trend-defining independent boutiques that provide new and creative brands and products like our SHANE&SHAWN and Detny by SHANE&SHAWN lines.” From designing footwear for industry leaders such as Puma, Reebok, Keen, Wolverine, Merrell, Lugz, Adidas, Converse, Keen, Royal Elastics, and Fila, through their freelance design consultancy SW2DESIGN, Shane and Shawn Ward have taken their combined 12 years of experience in the footwear business to create every consumer’s dream-come-true. SHANE&SHAWN and Detny by SHANE&SHAWN are available at fine boutiques and department stores throughout the United States, New Zealand, and Canada. Retailers include Nordstrom, Zappos.com, Macy’s, Shoes.com, Abadabbas, Imelda’s, Eilatan, Akira, Shoemall.com and many more.

Flagship DETNY store in NYC now OPEN!!!

Located @ 238 Mulberry St. New York, NY 10021

or Shop Online @ ShaneAndShawn.com
10% OF THE PROCEEDS OF EACH ITEM SOLD AT WWW.SHANEANDSHAWN.COM WILL GO TOWARD ELIMINATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS, WITH DONATIONS TO V-DAY