Author: Crossfire

If there’s one thing I begrudge the elderly it’s their vice like grip on certain items of clothing. Admittedly I do have the upper hand when it comes to “not letting a bit of wee out” when I hear loud noises and with the possible exception of Christmas Day I manage to stay awake all day without a nap but that’s not the point; old people have been monopolizing certain styles of clothes and I’m not going to stand for it.

Take Cardigans for example. Someone, somewhere wondered what would happen if you created something that was halfway between wearing a jumper and NOT wearing a jumper at the same time and there you have it, a button up jumper was renamed and the rest is history. The only problem is those sneaky old bastards laid claim to it and the whole thing was relegated to pensioner-land faster than you can eat a Werthers Original or ask what’s going on in Murder, She Wrote…

But what would a world where cardigans aren’t the sole preserve of the elderly actually be like? Well wonder no more Crossfire fans… The endlessly rad folks over at Fourstar have obviously been asking the same question and have come up with the Ramsey.

A heavyweight knit, the Ramsey ticks all the right boxes; its comfortable, stylish, practical and in the face of the impending British Winter, that beautiful time of year characterized by the drop in rain temperature, its warm enough for those long walks back from the pub or waiting in the car with the dodgy heater praying for that wet car-park will dry up.

With a team that includes Mike Carroll, Rick Howard, Guy Mariano, Max Schaaf, The Gonz and Eric Koston plus having spent the past 13 years churning out consistently top notch gear, you know it’s going to be a legit affair, with some nice subtle Fourstar logos, high quality construction and a good fit, you won’t be disappointed. It even passes the girlfriend test which means that inevitably, sooner or later I’m going to lose it when she gets cold…

I’ve been on the lookout for a decent cardigan that fulfils all my fussy criteria for ages: Pockets, buttons, no zips, no hoods, no fake fur lining (seriously) and the Ramsey comes through on all counts. Admittedly it’s probably not for skating time but it has a classy looking understated vibe which would be perfect for après-skate beers or just loafing about.

Talk to your local skate shop to ask about ordering them in.

Dickfingers

Some things you just shouldn’t mess with. Things that have stood the test of time have usually done so for good reason and tinkering around with them rarely works out the way it should. Basically, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Half Cabs, for me, fall into this category as something so fundamentally ‘unfuckwithable’ that only idiots would argue otherwise. Thankfully, as Mrs Dickfingers is all too eager to point out, I am occasionally wrong and very often an idiot. This is one of those cases: Crossfire Fans, I present: the Half Cab Pro.

The boffins at Vans HQ deciding that an idiot wasn’t really worth listening to, decided to ignore my earlier statement and update the classic Half Cab, a shoe beloved by almost every skater out there, for a new generation. Bringing new colour ways, better quality materials and improved construction to the table, which can only be a good thing, they took something that was great to start with and improved it.

Having had a fair few pairs of Half Cabs in the past I knew roughly what to expect and was hoping for big things. I can happily report that I was definitely not disappointed. My only real gripe with the original was the foot bed, which I’m pleased to report has been changed from the unsupported insole to a reasonably thick, removable foam affair which provides a lot more support if you are a fan of hurling yourselves down and over things. (Or walking about comfortably in my case.) The shoe itself is very similar to the original although at a push you could say it is slightly thinner, more similar to the Syndicate Half Cabs than the originals themselves.

The waffle sole is as grippy and hardwearing as you would expect and overall the shoes “feel” like more attention has been put into the assembly process and gives the impression that they will last a bit longer than the originals which might go someway to justify the slightly elevated price tag. Over the last 6 months I have been happily rocking a pair of the Ray Barbee Colour ways, the black Urban Camo’s and am currently chuffed to be kicking about in the Tri Tone Grey (pictured).

These are definitely worth checking out if you are already a fan of the Cabs or if you are looking for something with a little bit more support than a low top.

If you like these, click here for a recent 20 yr shoe review.

Dickfingers