I received my orders from Ranui that I must complete while in Japan, Number 1 on the list was to find a type of cafe where the girls who serve you are dressed in wierd outfits. This is the result of one of Ranui’s research methods into japanese culture, and you’ll have to ask him what the program was called as I can’t remember.

So to get to this cafe I ended up walking around Nipponbashi, and then asking an overtly excitable sales assistant in a clothes shop if there were any Maid Cafe’s about and she gave me some simple directions and then sent me out the back of her shop to get there. I have to admit that there were times when I thought that I may have been going to a brothel….but alas…i wasn’t.

I got to the cafe and its pretty normal, apart from the funnily dressed girls, and then the 10% of customers who are utter freaks and are pretty dang scary. They pay like a fiver to get a picture with the maids, and ring bells to call them over, and collect maid cards with the girls in different clothing outfits etc. Wierd. But the majority of people in there are totally normal, just going in for the fact that its a cafe and does good iced coffee.

Hot off the back of the post about ALIFE x G-Shock collab we bring you ALIFE’s Spring’09 Footwear Collection. This release mostly includes all hi-tops and mids, but also represents a slight maturing of ALIFE’s footwear scene I feel. Look for these now….SHABBA.

Casio G-Shock have added Alife to their list of clients that have managed to get their very own G-Shock model. We haven’t managed to get added to that list as of yet….but it is one of my goals in life. POW. Hopefully one day. This collab is one of the most inventive yet in terms of the streetwear collabs that have been happening. It features an engraved back case, special packaging, ‘A New York State of Mind’ embossed onto the wristband. This one is limited to 100 pieces so its gonna go quickkkkkkkk.

Alife has been let loose on another Reebok shoe. This time its the Reebok CLassic, a staple shoe style for the brand through the years. With Alife’s hand at work, the shoe is made of embossed leather, and feature the Alife cursive embroidery, commonly seen on Reebok collabs. These kicks also have the Alife tag on the underside of the tongue. The pair comes with 3 different lace sets, to match any colour scheme desired. They are available in whte, grey and black and you can get these bad boys at SIZE? [freshness]

The first release from New Balance’s Globabl Partnership Program, is this Collaboration with Alife on the 1300 series. All 3 sneakers feature suede and mesh and come in a variety of teal, grey and white colorways. This will be available in extremely limited quantities in Malaysia and Singapore. [soleredemption]

Barney’s are getting ready to release Alife’s already successful Everybody Mid shoes on Black Friday at Barney’s New York and Barney’s Co-op locations. This time around, the shoes take on a shiny patent leather body and the continued use of the elastic cord as laces is seen yet again. Also, the texture on the sides of the shoe are embossed Alife logos and a Barney’s logo has been embroidered on the side of the heel as well as featured on the bottom of the sole. These fine shoes will be available in black, red, and yellow. [thehundreds]

The Everybody Mono Super is part of the Fall/Winter 2008 footwear collection of Alife. It’s philosophy is premium, casual and less sporty. It will be available in black and white leather.

A life like no other. Once again ALIFE hasn’t disappointed us with their latest arrivals in NEW ERA 59Fifty fitted baseball caps. We had heard of big things in the works, the rumours proved to be true. Along with the popular Antique A returning in Turquoise, ALIFE is introducing a new style.

The choice of materials and the execution of detailed embroidery set this apart from much of what we’ve seen this season. ALIFE’s Reebok Court Victory Pump, “Ball Out” is an obvious inspiration. The felt is a low pile material which is much smoother and less “wooly” than what was used on the shoes (and tennis balls). [strictlyfitteds]

Are there ever days when you want to roll in to work on your skateboard but still have to look somewhat presentable? Well, the latest collaboration between purveyor of all things sneaker, Alife, and French sportswear mogul, Lacoste, is a polo shirt that is the perfect combination of preppy and punk. Featuring the largest alligator ever to grace a (legitimate) Lacoste shirt, and the number “158″ across the back, the address of the Lower East Side Alife store, this shirt is sure to fulfill your inner brand whore while still maintaining some street cred.

The shirts sell for $175 and are available at Alife Rivington Club or through their online store.

SIZE? and Fred have teamed up to create some real nice pieces, two colourways each consisting of two styles of shoes and a polo. Here are some snaps we got…

I’m no black matt, so my pictures and general camera work leave a lot to be desired…but get into SIZE? and check out the other black and red colourways. hot. fact.

Thought I’d leave you with ALIFE at SIZE?.