Hey Dude Wally Shoes Canvas

Hi all, 

It's the 3rd day of the Horse Lunar New Year, and a browse through the Singsales, I found what I been waiting for, Hey Dude Shoes. Ha.. You hear of them before? Well, me neither, till July 2013. Check out their site here: http://www.heydudeshoesusa.com/

 Their shoes are simple yet I would say, comfortable and stylish to wear in Singapore. We Singaporean are famous for wearing slippers to countries all over the world, I won't say there is anything wrong with that, but hmmm... ha...

I bought 2 pairs of Hey Dude shoes from Singsales when they first appear in July 2013, I read some reviews, go through some videos on youtube and decide to check it out. It was a good deal from Singsales, I bought the Wally for SGD $25 and a dunno what name high cut canvas shoes for SGD$35. Not much, so worth a try. 

It arrived 1.5 months later, ha.. I totally forgotten I bought them. That is the problem with Singsales, they got to wait for the entire is over before they can ship out the items. 

Let me start with Wally (my favorite)

Wally
The first thing you notice is how light the shoes are, you hardly feel any added on effort to lift your feet, but yet, you won't feel that it will fall apart. The sew and built of this shoe is fantastic. I bought the color steel. I try search over the net for some models or actors wearing them but only manage to get 1 photo of a dude who wore Wally with a pair of long jeans. So I decide to post the photo of Wally with my Bermuda, the usual Singaporean style. 

 As you can see, there are no lace holes for tying the shoe lace, a plus point for this shoes. I can simply slip it on and go out. You can tighten the shoe lace though, by pulling the lace outward and there is a stopper to hold the lace so that it won't slip back. 











The insole http://www.heydudeshoesusa.com/collections/wally-suede/products/wally-insole) are so comfortable that I walked 3 solids hours once and yet don't feel the heat from the friction from not wearing any socks. And guys, do not wear any socks with Wally lah, it is suppose to bring out causal style in you. 

Oh, the white shadow beside my right leg is not some photo glitch, it is actually Mr. Waffle, my dog.

I try to hit some angles with Wally, so you can see for yourself how the shoes will look on you. But of course, how hairy your legs are is solely dependent on genetic. 

 I also wore a dark pair of jeans for your reference. 
I personally wore Wally with dark jeans, black jeans, light blue jeans, and it seems like steel color is quite easy to match. It will match your jeans well despite any shirt you wear. You can try it out yourself. 

 You need not worry about the sole wearing out. I already wore it for 6 months, maybe twice per week and yet the sole lasted with very very little wear. I wore this during Chinese New Year, where you need to take out shoes whenever you reach the relatives house and when I saw others wearing socks and shoes, while I just slip on Wally, I really feel life can't be simpler then this.

 I bought anther pair of Wally, this time in Suede Beige (SGD$40) from Singsales. It is going to arrive in Mar 2014, and if you like, I can do another review on that. I really am not sure about suede in Singapore, I mean, this canvas Wally is really breathable in these permanent summer Singapore, and I really got no problem with putting it on for hours. 
And because it is so easy to take it off, I will basically remove them at restaurant while having dinner, to air my feet awhile( and no, they don't stink, I asked my wife).

My conclusion
I highly recommended this pairs of Wally from Hey Dude to whoever is looking for causal style but wanna shake off that slipper look. Trust me, Wally not only make you look casual, they are also highly functional and durable. Try Wally with shirt and bermuda, and you will look smart with causal...
I would give it 5/5 star, simply can't fault this Wally :)

Spigen S4 Slim Armor View

Hi all, today, I will do a review of Spigen S4 Slim Armor View.

Basically, it is a galaxy S4 casing.

Let's get started!!

 Price and Made

I bought it for SGD $89 at 14 SCOTTS ROAD FAR EAST PLAZA #02-52 SINGAPORE 228213. That is the 3rd day when I got my S4. I would say it is very costly for a handphone casing. But I think it was well worth the cost.
You can check out more info here:
http://www.spigen.com/brands/samsung/galaxy/galaxy-s4/galaxy-s4-case-slim-armor-view.html

It is mainly made of polycarbonate front and back. It support S-View from Samsung S4, meaning, with the cover closed, you can still view certain information like missed called icon, message icon etc., from the viewing window. And the best part of the whole deal is the automatic sleep/wake function. We will talk about that later.

The Inside

Made of Spigen duo layered casing. You can actually remove the spider web looking rubber portion. This spider web looking rubber portion (what a mouthful...) is the actual layer that is gonna protect your S4.
 As you can see, the front flip cover is attached to the main body using a hinge. Some find it a failure as they are afraid that the hinge will broke. One guy
the Spigen site reviewed that he drop the casing and broke the hinge.

For me, I have yet (God Bless) to drop the phone. But from my experience as an Engineer, YES, i do believe it will broke the hinge if you drop it the "right" way.

S4 with the Casing

As you see, the S4 fits in nicely into the Spigen casing. As what you would expect for such premium price. Haa.. Oh, and you can find the serial number in the box. Follow the instructions there to register your Spigen casing. It thus act as a authenticity check. There are alot of fake Spigen casing out there, I am not sure how the fit will be like, but they sure are cheap.

There are basically 2 colors, black and white. I chose the matte black color. Simply because I like the Batman feel. See, the whole phone is black. Coupled with some black theme for the phone, you           are as cool as Batman

Operation

It is easy. Once you fit the S4 into the casing, it is good to go. Close the front cover to experince the S-View. You can see the time, missed called icon, message icon, etc etc. And should you got a call, the answer or reject icon will appear at the S-View and you can slide it to answer or reject the call without opening the front cover. I like this simple act of originality. And it sure turn some head... It's alright, just act normal.

And of-course, the auto sleep/wake function. It operate by a magnet which is attached to the casing. It will either wake your phone up when you open the front casing, or make your phone go into standby mode when you close the casing. Before the phone goes into entirely sleep mode, it will generate a display on the S-View for 5 seconds before going completely dark.

There is a front push button on the cover to activate the home key even when the front cover is closed. It will wake up your S-View for another 5 seconds and then go to sleep. Fun huh?...

Ok, the thing that I really like about the sleep/wake function is that you can use it to wake your phone up and start using it, instead of having to press the home key.As you know, electronic hard button are not make to last. After pressing numerous times, it will eventually wear the home button out. Therefore, I always us the front cover to wake the phone up.




The Bad

Here it comes, the photo taking. As you can see, when the front cover is flip 360-degree  all the way back, it covers the camera lens. You can still take a picture but it will be blur. Therefore, you got to flip it at 180-degree to take a picture. It can be quite troublesome when you wanna take a photo with one hand. Plus the 5 inch display from S4, you can hardly balance the S4 with Spigen case in one hand.

The front and back cover are made from some rubberized material. It's kinda dust magnet. So I always find a need to dust it off. It wasn't like that when I first got it. It was smooth and good to hold. But after 2 weeks, I can see that the smooth rubberized surface start to wore off and it starts to suck dust.

To me, it wasn't must off an issues, just wipe it off using your jeans or pants except, DO NOT USE A WET TISSUE to wipe it. It sort of suck up even more dust when it dries up. Static? I am not sure.

Though the name is Slim Armor, the side rubber present a threat to those who uses any earphone or headphone with a L-shaped 3.5mm jack. Depending on the made, you might not be able to insert the jack fully into the S4. As you can see from the photo, there is a tiny gap, and it is enough to cause your listening experience goes upside down. I am using a Monster Beat Solo.

The Conclusion

Seriously speaking, I like this Spigen Case alot. I been trying to find fault with it but, well, hardly. To me, this case gives me the confident that it WILL protect S4 in case it drop. And with the front cover closed, the S4 is basically enclosed entirely and completely. I am sure there isn't a IP rating for this case, but I had used this phone in moderate rain (I answer the phone using S-View, cover closed), and it was alright. So for the look and protection, I am gonna give it a 4/5 stars.

Oakley 3-1 Blade Backpack

Hi all, today I am gonna review the Oakley Blade 3-1 bag that I bought over ebay during Jan'13. After using it for 7 months, I am gonna share some of the thoughts and experiences I had with you.

Item: Oakley 3-1 Blade Backpack
Cost: SGD$ 177.88 + SGDS$ 63.55(postage) = SGD$241.43
Buy From: ebay
Own Period: 7 Months

Description:
You can get the specification of this bag from http://www.oakley.com/products/3-1-blade-pack/92458-001.

 The Front

As you can see, this is a 42L backpack. More than enough for your everyday usage.
Total compartments = 6

Left Pocket

A 6" deep pocket with  draw string.
Probably use for keeping stuff like water bottle.
I use it to keep my vapur 0.4L water bottle. The width is not wide enough for me to keep my 0.5L water bottle. But having to squeeze the 0.4L vapur into this compartment is a hassle too. So I usually stuff it with wet tissues.










The Front Pocket

Consist of another 3 pockets.
Oakley site said that it is Mesh Hydrofuse pockets that allow for quick drying.
I am not too sure how well can it keep my stuff from getting wet. But it does sort of keep my stuff dry when raining.
Problem is, why make the opening pocket mesh type? It allow rain water to run in and dampen up the inner.

 Small Clip

For attachment of keys etc. 
It is made of plastic.

Inner Pockets

The 2 inner pockets have zippers.
It is large enough to keep my Iphone 4s but not my S4.
I use it to keep my external 12000mAH battery, thumbdrive etc.

 Right Pocket

It is made of soft cotton layer and can be use to keep your glasses. But I won't use it to keep glasses as the exterior is not made of hard cover. And when you throw your bag around, you might accidentally crash it. 
I use it to keep my pocket knife, pens etc. 

Top Buckle

Made of plastic. 
Use to fasten the exterior layer to the main compartment. 
The main compartment can only be access by releasing these 2 buckles. 

Main Compartment and Top Pocket

Once you release the 2 buckle, you will reveal the main compartment and another top pocket.

Top Pocket

The top pocket is just big enough to keep my Iphone 4S but I have a hard time squeezing in my S4. I use it to keep my house keys and some cards. The inner of this pocket is made of soft cotton material. It will protect stuffs that you do not want to get any scratches.

Main Compartment

I use it to keep my laptop in the padded compartment. But be warn, the back of the backpack is not made hard material, and thus do not provide a all round protection for your laptop. Unlike backpacks from Samsonite which provide a hard cover protection, you really got to be careful if you wanna place your laptop here. Except for these 2 partitions, there isn't any other side zip pockets for your stuff. 

Straps and Back

The airflow system at the back looks nice, but does not really keep your back cool after prolong carrying. The entire back will rest upon your back.
The straps does a good job of distributing the load. I use this bag to carry a 8kg worth of load and the shoulder straps share the load made the carrying easy and lighter. 
You can made use of the sternum strap to help pull the shoulder straps inward for comfort. The shoulder straps are quite far apart from each other and ladies might find the shoulder straps slipping off. 
They do provide a hip belt. I do not use it as it is not padded.

Wet Compartment

Located at the bottom. 
This compartment is closed using folding and a buckle is use to lock the stuff inside from falling out. 

Once opened up, you can access a large compartment with is made of some sort of waterproofing material. For those of you who need to go to beach and use plastic bags to keep your wet beachwear, this compartment will solve your problems. 
And for those who does use this compartment for wet suit and stuff, you can use it keep more books etc. But accessing it is not that quick and easy. You can watch a video intro here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMgDbSypJMU

Main Compartment Expansion

There are 2 side zippers which can help you get more storage space at the main compartment when you need it. 

Conclusion

Initially I use it daily for my commute to work, but after awhile, I sort of use it for my weekends. The problem is the organizing. There isn't enough compartment to keep my stuff organized. I require more compartment in the main area. And it is seriously too wide. In Singapore, it is very hard to manoeuvre in train and buses with this bag.

And I just find that all the pockets are of wrong sizing for my usage.

I do like the unique design and the way the loads are distributed. My wife use it for her diving trips and love it very much as the entire exterior is waterproof and she got no problem keeping away her wet suit.

I am gonna give this bag 3.5/5 stars.

nike air max 2012

hi there, it's been a while. and today i wanna share with you the nike air max 2012 men jogging shoes. the latest edition from the air max series is the air max 2013. i bought mine at queensway sopping center for SDG$229. (expensive!! but i really like the translucent design very much!!)

i been using this pair for a year and before this, asics. i am not loyal to any branding for jogging shoes but I always avoid adidas. ha.. just my own preference. I like my jogging shoes as bright as possible, and i believe, the comfort for all these jogging shoes are more or less the same. well, i am wrong.

i tried to blog about the nike air max 2012 after using it for a month but then, i don't think it will be fair. therefore i wait for a year, tried and tested the capability of air max 2012 in order to provide a fairer review.

as the model i bought uses a white mesh material, and after a year, picked up lots of dust. the color was the white mesh is now off white, losing the attraction i got for it when i first notice this shoe. anyhow, this what i expected from purchasing a white colored shoes.

















my jogging habits
i jog regularly about 4 times per week. each jog about 3-5km. i got a nike pacer tag to my iphone for recording the distance i ran.

the insole
nike uses fitsole2, which is a mold-able material. i suppose that the fitsole will sort of mold itself into shape of your feet after sometime? but for my case, it isn't so. i notice that the sole stays in the original shape as before after a year of usage. generally, i would say it provides a additional cushioning and sort of bouncy effects to my jog. i don't really like the effect though. i like to feel each foot strike, and each steps rather than bouncing myself off the ground. i just don't get the solid feeling of landing my feet on the ground.

the outer
it uses a mesh material using the Nike Hyperfuse technology(http://www.nicekicks.com/tag/nike-hyperfuse/). it is suppose to be breathable and provide stability during run. breathable yes, but stability, i am not sure. as the overall bouncing effect sometimes, throws me off the ground. and i would wonder am i using enough strength to push my next steps forward.

the sole
as with the insole which gives the bouncing effect, either you like it or you don't. but i got to be fair, people but nike air max for that bouncing effect, and i should have known better. but i would give a thumbs up for the wearing of the rubber. it is very durable. jogging on the singapore streets is a very challenging. you will keep bumping in to people and sometimes, when the person in front is unaware that i am approaching, i will drag my shoes to create some noises to alert them, and that happened very often. and look at the picture, the rubber at the rear sole doesn't seems wear at all. the gripping and traction it provide is excellence too, even on smooth tiles flooring.

the arch
it is very subjective, for me, i feel that nike air max 2012 provide a very comfortable support and push. though my jogging distance is not long, but there are lots of curbs and hump to overcome along the way, and in the end, i don't feel any tiredness or sore at the arch.

conclusion
as compared to the previous asics gel noosa jogging shoe, i would give 3/5 for this pair of nike air max 2012. i completed 5 21km half marathon with asics, and i am sure i will chose asics over this pair of nike air max 2012 for the next half marathon. i am just not comfortable running the miles with this pair. but do note that finding the right pair of jogging shoes is not easy, you really got to try different pairs(cushioned or non cushioned etc), know which is comfortable. and hope that you end up with the right pair. trying it on during purchasing for that few minutes, isn't gonna give you enough information to purchase the right pair. else you can try out this site http://www.runnersworld.com/ for review and advices from experts. good luck to all jogging out there.

maxpedition m-1 waistpack

hi there. recently i bought a maxpedition m-1 waistpack from ebay. the actual model no.: mx307b.
it cost usd $22.99 + usd $9.95(shipment) = usd $32.94. i paid using paypal and after conversion to sgd = $42.16. ordered on feb 24'13, and arrived at my office on mar 11'13.

you can watch a video review of the pack at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8EjwCH9etI

i am working as an engineer doing electrical design and installation. during installation, my phone, wallet, coins, pen, pencil etc, always gets in my way. especially during squatting, sitting on the floor, bending over etc. i used to carry a waist pouch around, but it is difficult to keep the pouch in position. plus, the stuff i kept in the waist pouch is hardly organised. after sometimes of hard core usage at site, the padding material inside the pouch always ended up torn.

after searching through the web, i chance upon maxpedition m-1 waistpouch. it wasn't the clip on waist pouch that we wrap round the waist. rather, it uses your existing waist belt and loop through the m-1 belt loop.

i like the built and the material of m-1 is really tough. more information can be found here: http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/M-1-WAISTPACK-6p128.htm

after researching through the web, i decide to give it a try.


the front

consist a small pouch with zip(WxD=70x95mm). it is not very deep. you can use it as a coin pocket, but then it is quite difficult to remove the coins within. rather, i place my iphone charging cables in there.













the back

consist of the belt loop, it is 90mm in length, therefore you can fit any belt through it. what i like best about the back is the small secret pocket which is 70mm deep. i would like to keep my ez link card there.


behind the velcro compartment

there is a fastener for you to shrink the size of the pocket behind the velcro. as you pull, the side of the velcro compartment shrinks. therefore, if you wanna make the entire waist pouch smaller, or you do not need to space. you cam actually use this method.

as you can see the inside is separated into 3 compartments. the overall depth is 110mm. it is enough to keep a small notebook, maker pen etc in there. those things that you would like to access most of the times, should be placed here.

inside the main zipped compartment

once again, the main zipped compartment consists of 3 small pockets, only this time, it is 160mm deep. i believe most of your stuff will be packed inside this main compartment, you phone, your wallet etc. 

so as you can see, the m-1 waist pack will help you to organize your belongings. and i like the way m-1 compartmentalized the spaces using just a packet rather and tons of zips. sometimes you forget where you place your keys into, and imagine you have to unzip every pocket to find it. 

summary

i especially like this waistpack because of the size. it is small enough to carry it close to the body and will not hinder your movement. also, since it is looping through your belt, the pack stay in place between your pants 2 belt loop. 

i can place my iphone, a charging battery for iphone, a pen, a pencil, some medical plasters, a torch, coins etc and still got lots of space left. i also keep a test pen and a small multimeter in it. the compartments helps keep my stuff organized without making my stuff difficult to locate. some waistpack got zipped compartment inside and you need to open up zip after zip to locate your item.

i choose the color black because my company color is black. we wore a black company t-shirt and i always goes with a black pants. and of-course, black is more sceptical to dirt.. ha.. i mean, you won't notice the dirt even when it is dirty.

overall, as it suits my purpose, i give it a 4/5 stars.