Last-Minute Holiday Gifts for Boys Big and Small
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been bringing you a plethora of gift ideas inspired by thriving cities around the world — and yet, we’ve focused predominantly on goodies for the ladies, so we thought it was only fair to show the fellas some love with a gift guide installment dedicated exclusively to them. And since, as the adage goes, the difference between men and boys is the size of their toys, we decided to incorporate some trinkets for both the little and big men in your life.
Whether shopping for your son, nephew, cousin, co-worker, brother, dad, uncle, friend, boyfriend, or husband, you’ll find something worthy of the boy’s club!
PUMA Toori Run C Running Shoes, $90. Available at Shop.PUMA.com
Inspired by the Japanese anime — think Dragon Ball, Princess Monokone, and Haiyore! Nyaruko-san — not to mention Manga comic books and the bright lights in Tokyo’s Ginza district, the PUMA Toori Run collection incorporates a futuristic, brazen, bold color combinations and thick, comic book-worthy lines. As an athletic performance shoe, the Toori Run C features breathable mesh uppers, synthetic leather overlays that yield stability and maintain the shoe’s structural integrity, a comfortable and shock absorbing cushioned heel, and a grippy rubber outsole. Though they’ll be a hit at the gym, the Toori Run C can make any guy the talk of the town thanks to its phenomenally unusual, attention-grabbing design. Whether your guy’s a certified sneakerhead, a fitness enthusiast, or just a cool dude with an urban style sensibility, these shoes are likely to earn you more than a few “arigatos.”
Capcom Street Fighter 3″ Figures, $9.9 each. Available at Kidrobot.com
Most thirty-something guys will recall spending hours playing the classic Street Fighter game, standing before booth-like arcades , clanking on the round buttons and tugging at the joystick controls, fussing over the quarters they kept having to insert into the machine’s slots and, most likely, pounding on the sides of the arcade whenever they were defeated by one of their virtual foes. To tap into the nostalgia surrounding this classic arcade game, Capcom has released 3″ vinyl figures of the twelve original World Warriors — including Ryu, Ken, Chun Li, and Blanka. The vinyl figures come blind boxes so you won’t be sure which character lurks inside the box, making opening it all the more surprising and exciting.
New Era Rucksack, $85.99. Available at Shop.NewEra.com
You may associate New Era with fitted caps, but the brand has been steadily expanding its offerings to include a number of accessories such as the Ruck Sack shown here in blue. Weighing 2 lbs. and 10 oz., this 100% cotton bag features a built-in Cap Protector to ensure fitted hats don’t get crushed during transit, a laptop compartment, and contoured shoulder straps. The main compartment can be secured via a cinch closure, plus it has a water resistant lining that will keep your valuables safe and dry.
Bounty Hunter Skull-Kun Snowdrome, $80. Available at TheFancy.com
Even “Bah! Humbug!” types will crack a smile when they see this badass snow globe from Japanese toy brand Bounty Hunter, which features their iconic Skull-Kun figure encased inside a glass orb set on a grooved black wooden base with a golden metal plate featuring the brand’s logo. Best of all, your guy can watch the snow flakes swirling inside this decorative snow globe well after the holidays elapse.
PF Flyers Center Hi in Wool, $89.95. Available at PFflyers.com
Thanks to the famed PF Flyers Posture Foundation insert, these hi-top kicks feel comfortable whether your guy is on the run or standing in place for hours at a time. Best of all, this limited-edition version of the Center Hi features preppy Fair Isle-style knitted wool uppers.
Swatch Medal Rose Watch, $150. Available at Store.Swatch.com
Alpha Industries Driver Jacket, $99.99 Available at UrbanOutfitters.com
A supplier of military gear for the US Army, Alpha Industries has created this stylish but tough blended cotton jacket by relying on a slimmer, more modern fit while holding onto some of the classic combat gear accouterments: four snap flap pockets along the front, epaulets at the shoulders, adjustable cuffs, a quilted lining, a concealed drawstring along the waist, and even a logo patch trim.
Palladium by Richard Chai Pampa Boots, $120. Available at PalladiumBoots.com
For Fall/Winter 2012, New York-based designer Richard Chai collaborated with Palladium, a company originally devoted to building sturdy rubber tires for aircrafts before venturing into the footwear realm in the late 1940s. The Palladium by Richard Chai Pampa Boots feature the brand’s durable, one-piece rubber outsole and toe cap, but the lightweight canvas uppers typically associated with the Pampa boot are here replaced by very thinly ribbed, washed corduroy. A sheepskin lining, meanwhile, makes the boots perfect for chilly winter weather.
Red is the color of passion, so it’s the perfect color to describe this new Lacoste scent, with its spicy notes of mandarin liqueur, Madagascan black pepper, Indian ginger, and Guatemalan cardamom — an exotic blend that’s at once mysterious and invigorating, enticing and enigmatic.
Kenneth Cole Roma Leather Satchel Bag, $395. Available at KennethCole.com
Whether he’s a frequent traveler or he simply tends to lug quite a bit of work-related files and materials with him, this espresso brown leather duffel bag will keep his belonging safe while also upping his style rating. The roomy bag features a two-way zipper closure with a lock and key for added security, two exterior pockets that allow passports, airline or train tickets, and phones to remain within close reach, interior zip pockets for excellent organization, and a reinforced bottom with metal feet.
DCI The Cassette Tape Retro Pillow, $20. Available at Karmaloop.com
Chances are the guy in your life made some mixtapes back in his teen years — whether they were gifts to a girl he was crushing on, makeshift demos that showcased his musical skills (and those of his band or rap crew, of course), or simple collections of his favorite songs that he could play on his Walkman. Help him relive these simpler times with this three-dimensional printed pillow measuring 18″ in length, 10″ in width, and 4″ in depth.
Hasbro Words With Friends To Go Game, $14.99. Available at Yoyo.com
We all know Words With Friends is habit-forming — just ask Alec Baldwin! Now that Zynga and Hasbro have joined forces to release board game versions of the popular Words with Friends app, everyone can enjoy playing this game — even if they don’t have iPhones and Androids. Best of all, the entire family can play together, instead of being restricted to two digital players at a time. This travel-sized version of the board game comes with a game board, 104 tiles, a portable case, and a game guide, as well as instructions on how to use the Word Check and Score Pad apps on your smartphone (the first of which allows you to contest a questionable word, while the second makes scoring a breeze and liberates you from the pen-and-paper tracking system).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney, $7.64. Available at BarnesandNoble.com
The seventh book in Jeff Kinney’s über popular book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this tome centers on Greg’s attempts to find a date for his middle school dance — almost all of which, of course, go hideously and hilariously wrong.
Spongebob Memory game, $9.99. Available at Toys R Us stores and ToysRus.com
Your kid can exercise his memory skills without it ever seeming like a task with this Spongebob Memory Game, a modern twist on a classic card game. Whether playing by himself or with a group, he can set down the 72 picture cards , backs facing upward, and, strategically go about matching each pair of cards, flipping over two cards at random and, as the game proceeds, attempting to remember the placement of previously flipped cards so as to more easily find the desired matches. And, since the card faces include images of Krabby Patties, Squidward inside a boat, and Spongebob himself in a number of different situations, he’s bound to let out a few giggles as the game chugs along.
Hot Wheels Mega Garage, $29.99. Available at Target.com
Forget about a measly two-car garage outside a residential home! When Hot Wheels says “garage,” it means a veritable wonderland of looping paths and ramps. The Mega Garage, then, is a mammoth three-level structure featuring five curving ramps, turnstiles, a moving car elevator, two built-in car launches, and several nooks in which to “park” or “store” cars.
Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo and Michelangelo Ninja Combat Gear , $15.99 per set. Available at ToysRUs.com
What little boy hasn’t gone through an I-want-to-be-a-ninja stage? This cool play set allows kids to channel their favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle characters donning a mask-style bandanna corresponding to that character’s signature color, and defeating imaginary opponents with that turtle’s weapons of choice. The Leonardo combat gear, for instance, includes his blue bandanna, two throwing stars, and a noise-making katana sword, while the Michelangelo set incorporates an orange bandanna, two throwing stars, and a noise-making nun-chuck. Cowabunga, dude!
