Fashion
Mid-Pandemic, Ski Towns Are Seeing a New Influx of Year-Round Residents
Remote workers are looking for wide open spaces and settling on small towns with great powder. What impact will they have?…


When the pandemic shuttered parts of the U.S. last March, many companies discovered workers didn’t need to be in one place. And many workers discovered if you can work anywhere, then you can live anywhere. Some left urban areas for the suburbs—some relocated to the open spaces of Western ski resorts. According to MLS reports, sales and rentals are booming in mountain towns particularly. As Ben Fisher, a Park City broker, told the Wall Street Journal, “This was the busiest summer selling season ever.”
For young professionals leaving a major city, the main reason for relocation is the high cost of living, according to a Quicken survey. It shows 34% of millennials are now working remotely, a number which is expected to increase. Some experts predict tech workers will never return to an office: Microsoft announced that it would offer the option to work from home permanently, just as Facebook and Twitter did.
There’s an old saying about newcomers to ski resorts: “I came for the skiing, I stayed for the summer.” In these pandemic times, it’s morphed into “I came to escape a pandemic, and I stayed for the lifestyle.”
After graduating from Middlebury, Nicole Roos, 26, moved to San Francisco to work as a recruiter for an executive search firm. A Sun Valley native, she always planned to return home—someday. The pandemic accelerated that decision. “We spend so much time doing our jobs, so it’s amazing to be able to do work I love, and also take a ski run for lunch,” she says. “And I love the cultural scene.” Sun Valley offers a prime example of how Western ski towns, from Aspen to Truckee, have become more accessible, year-round mini-cities, with quality arts and culinary offerings. “Ultimately I now have a balance in my life,” Roos says.
A dream job at Facebook drew Bronwen Raff, 29, to the Bay Area. As a program manager, she works with international partners to advance gender equality. When Facebook said stay home, she and her partner, who works remotely for a sports media company, immediately questioned their location. “Before the pandemic, we planned to quit our jobs and travel the world,” she says. “Now we can do that with jobs.” They’re staying in Airbnbs as they explore the American West, while looking for what she sweetly calls a “forever place” to live. Now they’re in Bozeman, with great snow sports and Bridger Bowl ski area nearby. “The pandemic allowed us to create the life we wanted on an earlier trajectory than we anticipated.” Every mountain town they spend time in, they donate to a local charity and frequent the nearby shops. Up next? Colorado (she’s looking at Breckenridge and Carbondale).
News
Nike Zoom Hyperflight “Safari” Official Images Reveal Bold Print Ahead of Holiday Release
The Nike Zoom Hyperflight is getting a bold new look, with the “Safari” colorway coming soon. We have official photos of the unique design for a closer look. The sneaker sports bright orange accents and a translucent outsold, and is expected to arrive during the holiday season at a retail price of $190.
The new version is inspired by the Safari print that is familiar from the Air Safari. That pattern covers most of the Hyperflight’s soft, molded upper, giving the basketball shoe a unique look compared with some of the model’s other recent colorways. Together, the unusual texture and pattern make the silhouette feel especially suited to the adventurous design.
The primary contrast across the shoe is orange, used in the trim and other details. The bright color pops against the speckled base without being overwhelming. Black is also present in the design, on the glossy support structure around the midfoot and the soft leather collar. The look is topped off with a see-through outsole that adds another visual element to the overall color scheme.
The sneaker will drop with style code IZ2573-010 and is expected in men’s sizing. With a retail price tag of $190, Nike, Foot Locker, and Sheikh are among the expected retailers. As for when you can expect it, it’s likely to be the holiday season, though we don’t have a solid release date.
The “Safari” colorway comes amid a busy period for the Zoom Hyperflight. This year, Nike has revived the model in several colors, bringing a new wave of attention to the silhouette through a series of releases. Another forthcoming option is the vibrant “Green Apple” pair, also scheduled for a holiday season release.
The Hyperflight’s history also provides context for the latest return. Jason Williams wore the model in the early 2000s, linking it to a memorable era for the sneaker. That association also helps explain why new colorways can generate excitement beyond the shoe’s look, especially for those who remember it from its previous run.
The Safari design is a definitive statement that does not change the characteristic shape of the Hyperflight. Instead, it uses the familiar silhouette as a canvas for a pattern that has already become recognizable through another Nike model. The orange accents provide a bright contrast, while the black midfoot structure and collar balance it out.
Now that official images have surfaced, sneaker fans have a clearer idea of what to expect from the holiday release. The $190 price, style code, and expected retail partners have also been identified, but a specific launch date has not been confirmed.
For Nike, the “Safari” is another way to bring attention back to the Zoom Hyperflight. One of its more distinctive new looks is this returning model, featuring speckled print, orange trim, black support details, and an icy-looking translucent outsole.
News
Lil Yachty Previews Another Nike Air Force 1 Mid, This Time With Blue and Orange Stitching
Lil Yachty has added another eye-catching design to his ever-growing collection of Nike US Force 1 Mids, this time going for a cleaner white look accented by blue and orange stitching. The rapper’s latest take on the shoe keeps the familiar silhouette. Still, it uses contrasting details to give the shoe its own identity, something the artist is known for, showing off a steady run of variations on the silhouette.
Dubbed the “White Contrast Stitch,” the pair features white leather across most of the upper. Rather than altering the classic Air Force 1 Mid profile or incorporating a strange material, the design uses stitching to separate the design visually. Blue stitching embellishes the leather panels, and each side of the shoe’s Swoosh is lined with orange.
The combo adds a subtle but noticeable splash of color to the mostly white sneaker. It’s a more muted take than some of the more adventurous pairs Yachty has shown recently, so this version feels like the more no-nonsense option in his growing collection.
The new design adds to the long list of Air Force 1 Mid looks associated with the rapper this year. Earlier previews have featured a stars-and-stripes pair, an orange version with black stars, and a yellow colorway tied to ComplexCon. Each has put a different spin on the familiar silhouette, helping make Yachty’s run of designs a continuing talking point among sneaker watchers.
Earlier this year, another pair of the shoes, this time with blue and red detailing and thick white stitching, was also teased. That version is expected to launch around the holidays, but the details provided don’t confirm whether it will launch alongside the recently unveiled white one.
Some questions remain unanswered about the “White Contrast Stitch” design. Nike has not confirmed any price, style code, or even whether the sneaker will be released to the public. The design has drawn attention through its online appearance and Yachty’s preview, but neither sets a launch date nor guarantees consumers can buy it.
That anticipation makes the latest reveal more of a first look than a proper release announcement. The white leather upper and blue-and-orange stitching are on display, but key retail details remain unknown. For now, there is no confirmed timeline for when the pair might hit stores, or if it will be offered beyond the preview.
Still, the design adds another variation to a collection that has featured a wide variety of colors and details. The white base makes this one more subtle, while the contrast stitching keeps it from being a straight-up all-white release.
Yachty’s latest preview continues his ongoing relationship with the silhouette, with several other Air Force 1 Mid designs already shown this year. It’s not clear if the “White Contrast Stitch” pair will ever make it to the light of day, but it’s definitely added another distinct look to his growing collection.
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