The 2nd Annual Eastbay List of the Best Gear

In honor of the great sneaker institution of Eastbay, which was tragically shuttered last year. I dedicate this annual list of the best gear to it.

Here are some ground rules:

• I would personally buy or already own everything mentioned
• No weirdo fashion – stuff you can wear on the street without small children staring and pointing at you
• Basketball-related stuff gets priority
• No sponsored placements

1. Local Hoops Artist Basketballs

Local Hoops’ mission is to build a global community around the game of basketball, which we salute.

Besides providing an interactive global court map, it also helps facilitate court renovations in partnership with other organizations and sells basketball-inspired merch.

Part of its current merch lineup is independent artist-painted basketballs which come in an assortment of designs and colorways to appeal to nearly anyone’s poor taste.

2. Jordan Brand Socks

Jordan brand socks are as durable as a kung-fu master’s crotch!

Have a look at these bad boys

I have been the proud owner of these fading low-cut Jordan brand socks for the past 20 years!

That’s no typo, my mom copped these for me just as I was about to start eighth grade, and as you can probably tell by the pics, I have regularly been wearing them ever since.

In all this time, not a single hole has developed, just some inevitable erosion of the elastic and material.

I also have other Jordan brand products purchased years ago and I can confirm they are equally as well-constructed.

But before we give Nike all the credit, remember they only design and market the finished goods. It’s the factories Nike outsources manufacturing to and most importantly their workers who stitch the items who are the real MVPs.

3. Tyler Upchurch Limited Edition Prints

I originally came across Tyler’s work on IG because someone in my extended network shared it.

In this case, social media brought me an absolute gem instead of harlots showing me their ass cheeks and for that I am grateful🙏

Tyler’s prints are in a word – distinct. Have a look for yourself:

Each piece is either an original creation from the creative mind of the man himself or captures a historic moment in time, in its unique way.

All prints come in one of two sizes on a smooth matte canvas and are individually numbered and signed by Tyler.

They can be purchased directly from his website.

4. BasketPong

Like to shoot hoops and drink beer?

Well, now you can do both at the same time without having to worry about hustling back on defense in a drunken stupor thanks to BasketPong.

Brought to us by some pretty creative hardcore alcoholics, the game is played just like traditional beer pong, except instead of tossing ping pong balls into a cup, you’re jump shooting them…into a cup.

The game is portable and comes replete with a carrying case that only weighs 12 pounds, so even a fiend can transport it, and a vertical backboard to practice your shooting fundamentals.

Apparently, we have a lot of basketball fans out there who are also heavy drinkers as Amazon is currently all sold out of the party game, but go ahead and add this to your list to be notified when it comes back in stock.

5. AlexTheGat Merch

If you love originality and humor like me, then you are going to love this.

LeMickey, Ja Wick, Zion da Trick, and seemingly the entire Charlotte Hornets squad.

My time spent scrolling Twitter or whatever the kids call it nowadays has finally paid off.

Speaking of paying off, get 15% to 20% off sitewide at the NBA Store until March 1st.

That is where I originally came across AlexTheGat who perfectly captures all of the NBA’s current drama on an assortment of graphic hoodies and tees. Prices start at only US$25 for a tee, which is well worth it to capture a moment in time and history.

Subscribe to the site’s newsletter for the latest designs, which should be even wilder than the ones up now, as well as periodic deals.

6. Vișinată Romanian Alcohol

Technically not “gear” but I recently spent some time in Romania’s capital of Bucharest like Andrew Tate and got a little tipsy on the best liqueur known to man.

Sour cherries, sugar, and vodka combine to create an elixir affectionately known as Vișinată, which is a derivative of the Romanian word for sour cherries, “visine.”

The crimson red drank is often home-made by amateur alcohol connoisseur grandmothers in the countryside, who let the combination of ingredients marinate for weeks or even months to attain just the right flavor, before serving it up to their house guests throughout the day.

However, don’t let the liqueur fool you, as depending on the blend, Visinata can reach up to 40% alcohol content or more.

Due to uppity regulators who create import tariffs to line their own pockets, alcohol is notoriously tricky to buy online. But the genuine article can still be obtained from various websites starting at under US$20 for a 700 ml bottle.

7. Rhuigi x Puma Suede “B-Boy”

The Puma Suede is an iconic sneaker that was first released in 1968.

Since that time it has survived the disco era, the crack epidemic, and not one, but two Bush presidencies. So you know it’s a damn durable shoe.

The lightweight and flexible Suede was also popular among breakdancers in the 80s and this collab with the founder of Rhude pays homage to that era.

The shoe was released in April of last year and is no longer available via the Puma website, so resellers are your best bet.

Its pink colorway won’t be for everybody, but I fuck wit it for nostalgia.

8. Boring Fits

Home of the best bootleg Jordans tee on the planet, including the Jumpman Meltdown tee.

Boring Studios also produces a host of other fly merch, with new looks being added regularly, so be sure to follow their IG or subscribe to the newsletter to stay in the loop.

9. Tiffany & Co. x Nike AF1 Low 1837

On its face, a collaboration between a nearly two-centuries-old luxury jeweler, popular with old ladies who rock pearls, and a sportswear brand seems odd.

But the end result was a pleasant surprise.

This sexy beast sports leather, suede, and laser-etched silver plates above each heel!!!

Such rich features came with an “affordable luxury” price tag of $400 upon release last March, however, this has since gone up to around a G-note in the resale market, which is more in the Tiffany starter range.

Check for these on your preferred resale platform or on the feet of middle-aged Upper East Side folk.

10. Death At The Derby Footy Jersey

Last year streetwear fully embraced football (soccer for those stateside), with a slew of brands releasing footy jerseys.

Death At The Derby did it first and best.

DATD is the brainchild of LA-based emcee Cousin Feo, Toronto-based artist Lord Juco, and LA producer & DJ, DJ Dubplates. Together, the trio has released some of the dopest and most innovative independent hip-hop records of the last few years.

True to its name, releases center around the beautiful game’s deadliest derbies while blending the global cultures of hip-hop & football to create a brand-new subculture.

The merch, from vinyl to limited-edition items has been equally as original and high-quality and is exemplified best by the Death At The Derby Football Jersey.

All DATD jerseys were pressed on Nike dri-fit material and included custom embroidery work, as well as an authentication tag on the bottom left corner.

To top it off, every order was hand-packed by the artists themselves to ensure quality, gotta love the hustle.

All jerseys are now sold out, so in the famous words of Road Dogg Jesse James…your ass better call somebody!!!

Till next year,

Theo

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