Item: A Bathing Ape Roadstas (Aomori Exclusive)
Description: When I lived in Osaka back in 2005 I was already aware of the then-underground popularity of A Bathing Ape. The NY store had opened 1 year prior and the buzz surrounding it, along with hip-hop stars Mos Def, Kanye West, DJ Shadow, Futura, Nas, etc constantly roaming the colorful carpets and perusing the racks there, only magnified my interest when I came to Japan, because I knew I could get all of that hype for the cheapest, rock-bottom price that's still considered retail and well, still considered expensive. This pair on the other hand was purchased at the Bape Pirate Store, which opened in December in a deserted outlet in the middle-of-nowhere area known as Sanda, Hyogo. The whole store is already discounted compared to Bape retail, but I just so happened to go there during their "Grand Opening" sale, so it cut off another well-needed 10%. Retail price for these shoes: 16590yen ($174). What I paid: 7390 ($78). This could start up my interest for the brand all over again. So much for a recession emergency fund.
A Bathing Ape