Catch the Havaianas mobile van for some custom flip flops

With summer in full swing, the flip-flop sandal is an essential for keeping feet cool and comfy on the beach. Sometimes, the only problem is finding just the right color to match your new maxi dress or shorts ensemble.

Havaianas, the popular Brazilian flip-flop brand has launched its first ever "MYOH" Mobile van, serving up custom sandals. Customers can choose from 10 different straps and bottoms to create their own Havaiana color combinations. 

The van, which was modeled off a retro VK Kombi, is easy to spot in bright red and features a psychedelic rainbow pattern and the classic Havaianas logo. It's slated to make appearances Thursday, July 19 in Santa Monica (Third Street Promenade at Arizona Avenue from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.), Friday, July 20 in Venice Beach (Abbot Kinney Boulevard between Palms and Venice boulevards from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and Saturday, July 21 back in Santa Monica (Third Street Promenade at Santa Monica Boulevard from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.).  At the Venice Beach stop, style expert, author and former Los Angeles Times market editor Melissa Magsaysay will be on hand to offer style tips, help customize shoes and give away a limited number of signed copies of her new book "City of Style."

Want the van to make a trip to your side of town? You can petition for an appearance through the Havaiana's Facebook page.

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twitter.com/Jenn_Harris_

Photo: The Havaianas custom flip-flop van. Credit: Havaianas.

DC, Converse give Batman and Bane the All Star treatment

Just in time for Comic-Con -- and in advance of the movie's July 20 release -- Converse is rolling out its "Dark Knight Rises" Chuck Taylor All Star collection, which will be sold exclusively through Journeys boutiques and website.

The latest collaboration between Converse and DC features a Batman shoe printed with an image of the Caped Crusader from the movie and a sneaker that pays homage to the villain Bane, with his image screen-printed on the canvas upper, and, as befits a baddie, a predominantly black shoe with a red racing stripe accent. 

Both versions feature QR codes hidden in their woven labels that can be scanned to access special comic-book downloads and have a suggested retail price of $59.99.

Both shoes are supposed to be available as of today, though, as of this writing we could only locate the Bane hi-top at Journeys website.

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Photos: The Converse "Dark Knight Rises" Chuck Taylor All Star collection includes a new Batman style, left, and the first sneaker to bear the likeness of Batman's new nemesis Bane. Credit: Converse

Painted Bird crocheted shoes arrive just in time for summer

Painted Bird shoes are like little pieces of art for your feet.

The hand-crocheted flats come from India by way of Laguna Beach, where former fashion publicist Jennifer Samson started the brand earlier this year with her friend, surf apparel industry vet Nicole Halpern.

The timing couldn't be better, because crochet is definitely having a fashion moment. There were crochet stitched bags and sandals on the spring runways at Dolce & Gabbana and Tory Burch, and crochet tops and dresses are on the racks at places that include Urban Outfitters and Free People. Nike is even making a crocheted sneaker, the Flyknit, which will debut at the London Olympics.

Samson discovered the woven flats through a sourcing partner with whom she works in her interior design business, Jennifer Samson Interior Design.

"I was getting blankets from him, and one day I noticed he also had a couple pairs of woven shoes from a little manufacturer in India. I bought them and started wearing them, and the response was incredible," says Samson, who helped launch the Style Network and worked in PR at Salvatore Ferragamo before moving from Los Angeles to Laguna Beach 2 1/2 years ago.

She and Halpern secured an exclusive with the Indian manufacturer and started designing their own styles, some with ankle straps and some without, in vivid painterly colors.

"There is a whole beach energy infused in these shoes," Samson says. "They take any outfit to another level. I wear them with my Lululemon to yoga, with cutoffs when I'm going to the beach, and with a dress when I'm going to dinner."



"I've almost closed the chapter on stilettos, but I still want to feel unique. I still love fashion," she says. "I feel like these shoes let you express your own sense of style no matter what you have on."

Painted Bird shoes, $72, are available at ShopPaintedBird.com.

-- Booth Moore

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Missoni for Converse Auckland Racer debuts on Milan runway

Photos from Painted Bird

Missoni for Converse Auckland Racer debuts on Milan runway

The latest collaboration between Italian luxury label Missoni and Converse, which made its runway debut at Missoni's spring/summer 2013 men's show Monday in Milan, riffs on a '70s-era running shoe called the Auckland Racer.

Although we couldn't be runway adjacent to check out the kicks ourselves, we're told they're constructed with Missoni's signature multistitch fabric in two different versions, one multicolor (top center, above) and the other a "grayscale gradient-fade" (bottom center, above). 

Converse describes the Auckland Racer as a running shoe introduced in the 1970s that "carries a lineage associated with early pioneers of the jogging movement." 

Which is fine by us -- just as long as the '70s-era track suit silhouette doesn't plan on making a comeback.

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Photos: Looks from Missoni's spring/summer 2013 runway show Monday in Milan, at left and right, special-edition Missoni for Converse Auckland Racers, center. Credit: Missoni 

Olympics 2012: Gear, garb and goods for the armchair athlete

Although those of us watching the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics aren't likely to get our hands on the exact same clothes and accessories the athletes will be wearing as they parade into the stadium (some of which I've detailed in a story for Sunday's Image section), there are plenty of purchasable options for anyone angling for a style-centric buy-in to the Olympic fervor. Among them: 

A consumer version of the Puma by Cedella Marley yellow windbreaker that Jamaican athletes will wear on the medals podium at the 2012 London games is expected to hit stores (and online via Macys.com) Monday ($70), and running shoes with a design inspired by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's spikes are available through Puma's own e-commerce site now.

If your tastes are more on the Marley side of the Puma/Cedella Marley partnership, you're in luck, since the eldest daughter of late reggae legend Bob Marley has recently expanded her own clothing line by adding swimwear. The High Tide collection of bikinis and monokinis (all $59.99) is available through the Marley family's Zion Rootswear site. 

Omega, the official timekeeper of the 2012 Olympics, is marking this time around -- its 25th -- with a trio of special-edition Seamaster watches. All three are described in detail on Omega's website, but our
hands-down (make that "wrists-down") favorite is the 1948 Co-Axial "London 2012," which is a redesign of the brand's first automatic Seamaster timepiece, issued in 1948 -- the same year London last hosted the Olympic games. It is a sleek, uncluttered and classy-looking timepiece, and the only overt reference to the Olympics is an 18-carat yellow gold medallion fixed in the caseback that's been embossed with the London 2012 Olympic Games logo. But since it's a limited edition --only 1,948 are being produced -- keeping time in that kind of Olympic glory comes with a price tag of $6,800. (As of this writing, the Omega boutique at the Beverly Center has all three of the above watches in stock.) 

If that leaves you feeling the need to go begging  -- hat in hand -- through your office cube farm for donations to an Olympic watch fund, there's one final item to consider: the Ralph Lauren Team USA 2012 bucket hat (in navy or white, $55) from the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic athletes.

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Photos: At top left, a Puma by Cedella Marley Team Jamaica podium jacket ($70, credit: Puma). At right, a bikini from the High Tide Swimwear by Cedella Marley Design (style shown is "One Love," $59.99, credit: High Tide). Center, front and back views of the limited-edition Omega Seamaster 1948 Co-Axial "London 2012," ($6,800, credit: Omega). Bottom, Ralph Lauren Team USA bucket hats ($55 each, photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren).

Remyxx kicks around new idea: 100% recyclable sneakers

Millions of shoes are trashed in the U.S. each year. That's a lot of Nikes and Converse that are languishing in landfills, never to be seen again. But a new shoe company hopes to change that. Remyxx, in Charlotte, N.C., announced Monday that it would go into production with a 100% recyclable sneaker made from a blend of plastic, polyresin fabric and rubber.

Remyxx was featured on the season finale of the hit ABC TV show "Shark Tank" in May, after which Remyxx founder Gary Gagnon was tasked with proving consumer interest in the concept through the online fundraising site Kickstarter.com. On Monday, Remyxx reached its $40,000 fundraising goal, preselling more than 450 pairs of shoes, which will now go into production. Five styles will be manufactured in sizes ranging from a youth 4 to a men's 12. Deliveries are expected in October.

"I'm your everyday consumer who lives in the suburbs, but I've always been a diligent recycler," said Gagnon, who was inspired to create the shoes in 2009, when he noticed his kids' beaten-up sneakers piled near the trash can. "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice to recycle sneakers?' "

It would, indeed. While some shoe companies use recycled content in their products, most shoes still end up in landfills due to their use of mixed materials. And while Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program has recycled an astounding 25 million pairs of athletic shoes into things like running tracks since 1990, it's still just a drop in the bucket.

Gagnon, 43, had never worked in fashion or had ever thought to go into the footwear business, but he set to work on discovering whether a 100% recyclable shoe was possible. He hired a chemist and consulted with various recycling entities. He investigated what makes most shoes nonrecyclable and learned that some sneakers contain more than 100 different materials.

Gagnon says Remyxx shoes are constructed from a mix of polyresin materials. The top part looks like canvas, the sole like rubber. The entire thing is classified as, and labeled with, the No. 5 recycling symbol and can be recycled curbside in many cities that accept No. 5 plastics -- presuming the recycling agencies recognize the shoes as recyclable.

"It's still a sneaker to the collection agency," acknowledged Gagnon, who advocates "true and honest recyclability." To reduce the likelihood of Remyxx shoes being thrown in the recycling bin but still winding up in a landfilll, Remyxx plans to run a take-back program called Reduce, Reuse, Remyxx. Consumers who mail their used sneakers back to the company will get a $5 credit toward another pair, Gagnon said. While Remyxx shoes will be made in China, they'll be recycled in the U.S., he added.

As for the involvement of "Shark Tank" advisor, Daymond John, Gagnon said he was offered $50,000 for an 80% stake in the company on the show -- a deal Gagnon took but hasn't played out. John does not own a majority stake in Remyxx but is, instead, consulting with Gagnon.

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Photos: Remyxx 100% recyclable sneakers; No. 5 plastic recycling symbol. Credit: Remyxx

High heels and Marchesa tops: NBA, NFL ramp up fan fashion

While most of the sports world has been focused on the NHL and the Los Angeles Kings' first-ever Stanley Cup win  -- a pair of merchandise and marketing deals announced Monday by the NFL and the NBA indicate that there's also a full-court press underway to focus on the female fan base.

The National Basketball Assn.'s recent efforts include a licensing deal with New York City-based Herstar to offer two styles of high-heeled women's footwear -- a limited-edition, crystal-encrusted pump that will boost women fans a bit closer to the rim thanks to a 6-inch heel and 3-inch platform ($249.99), with a not-quite-as-steep microsuede version with a 4-inch heel and 1-inch platform ($99.99). Both versions are blinged-out by hand in each of the 30 NBA team color combinations with the franchise logo emblazoned across either the side (for the crystal version) or top (microsuede) of the vamp. 

And as industry trade paper WWD first reported, fashion-forward football fans can expect to see some sort of limited-edition shirt from Marchesa -- a label better known for the runway than the sidelines -- released in collaboration with the NFL. League representatives confirm that there is, indeed, something in the works with that luxury label, but they declined to offer any additional details as to price, availability or even what kind of shirts (T-shirts? fancy tops?) we might expect to see.

According to WWD, whatever kind of shirt it is "will make its debut during the NFL's two weeks of kickoff festivities in New York planned around the Sept. 5 New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys opener." 

Apparently the still-in-the-works collaboration became prematurely public knowledge last week during a photo shoot for the NFL's upcoming female-focused print advertising campaign featuring high-profile football fans like former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, mogul spouse Melania Trump, DJ Kiss (a.k.a. JaKissa Taylor-Semple), Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders, former Miss USA Susie Castillo, owner spouse Suzanne Johnson (husband Woody owns the New York Jets) and "Dancing With the Stars" dancers Peta Murgatroyd and Kym Johnson, which is scheduled to hit the September issues of assorted fashion glossies.

But, while the Marchesa news may set the bar for sideline style a good deal higher, league reps point out that the NFL's outreach efforts to female fans is now in its third year. Last year's theme was "rivalry," we were told, and this year the campaign's theme is: "It's My Team."

Except for Los Angeles where there's been no "my" in "home team" since 1995.

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Photos: Behind-the-scenes images from the Friday photo shoot for the NFL's upcoming female-fan-focused "It's My Team" campaign, which included at top (left to right) DJ Kiss, actress and former Miss USA Susie Castillo and Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders (Credit: Esther Nisanova/NFL). At middle, the two styles of newly licensed NBA high heels from Herstars include a microsuede pump with a 4-inch heel (shown in Clipper colorway and logo, $99.99) and a crystal-encrusted pump with a 6-inch heel (shown in Laker colorway and logo, $249.99). Credit: NBA 

Nike, Kanye West's Air Yeezy II drops June 9

The Nike Air Yeezy II, the follow-up to the brand's 2009 collaborative shoe with rapper/designer Kanye West, will be released June 9 at select retailers worldwide, Nike announced Wednesday.

According to the news release, while the original Yeezy used a late-'80s basketball shoe as its starting point, the II is built on a tennis shoe outsole (the Air Tech Challenge II, to be specific), and the overall silhouette is comparatively slimmer than that of its predecessor. Part of this is thanks to the elimination of unnecessary padding and partly due to the fact that it's tailored to the shape of Kanye West's (presumably narrower) foot. 

There are nearly enough animal references in the Air Yeezy II to stock a zoo, including anaconda-textured leather quarter panels and eyelets, a molded area above the heel with raised bumps that resemble the armored underside of a reptile, a bird design on the tongue, and a parade of critter hieroglyphics (spelling out 'YZY' we're told) across the loop strap.

The limited-edition shoe, with an MSRP of $245, will be released in two colorways -- "platinum" (we're going with "two slightly different shades of gray") with the sparest of orange accents, and black with accents in pink. Based on the photos we've seen, both versions of the shoe have a sole in a shade of minty green.

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Photos: The Nike Air Yeezy II, scheduled for release June 9, will be available in platinum, top left, and black, top right, at a price of $245. Details include a bird design on the tongue, middle, and a green sole, bottom. Credit: Nike

Undefeated for Converse Jack Purcell drops May 25

The Undefeated for Converse collection that hits retail this Friday isn't the first time the Los Angeles sneakerhead heaven has teamed up with the 104-year-old Nike-owned footwear brand, but it does mark the first time the classic Jack Purcell silhouette has been part of their collaboration.

The Undefeated for Converse Jack Purcell collection tweaks the rubber and canvas shoe -- which was originally designed in 1935 for the badminton court (it's named after a world champion badminton player) by adding simple red and navy racing stripes to the rubber rands, a terrycloth lining and footbed, and a barely noticeable Undefeated logo pull-tab at the heel. (Don't worry Jack Purcell fans, the signature "toe-smile" detail remains untouched.)

The limited-edition kicks will be available  in a white, black or red canvas upper through Undefeated stores (including the La Brea, Santa Monica and Silver Lake locations locally) as well as select retailers of Converse First String merchandise at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $55. (If you're looking for a pair that's slightly more unique, go for the red version, which is exclusive to Undefeated doors.)

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Photos: The spring/summer 2012 Undefeated for Converse Jack Purcell collection (MSPR $55), which hits retail stores on Friday, will be available with a red, black or white canvas upper. Credit: Converse.

New Missoni for Converse collection drops April 14

The fifth collection of collaborative kicks from Italian luxury brand Missoni and U.S. footwear brand Converse is set to hit retail on Saturday, Converse announced Thursday.

The Spring 2012 Missoni for Converse Chuck Taylor All Star collection includes two women’s-only silhouettes with uppers in Missoni’s signature zigzag knit --  one in green and white with a dash of silver and gold metallic sparkle and another in more muted shades of white and tan with accents in pale peach, silver and gold. The unisex silhouette is rendered in the Italian label's signature multi-stitch space-dyed cotton in a color palette of navy blue and white. 

The shoes, which retail for $200, will be available locally at Missoni's 469 Rodeo Drive flagship, the Fred Segal Center on Melrose, Undefeated's Santa Monica, La Brea and Silver Lake boutiques and online at Converse.com starting April 14.

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Photos: The fifth Missoni for Converse Chuck Taylor All Star collection includes two women's-only silhouettes featuring zigzag designs (left and center) and one unisex silhouette in a multi-stitch space-dyed cotton (right) for Spring 2012. The sneakers will retail for $200 a pair and go on sale April 14. Credit: Converse