Alright. I’ve fallen for it. The Swiss Army brand has moved into shoes and I’m in. The shoes, lead by Established Brands, have been expertly produced with the expected simplicity, ease of use, and signature red color that is important to give it that Swiss Army feel. I grew up owning a Swiss Army knife, and I never thought much of it except that it was just so damn cool. And it’s this sort of child like deep mental bond that pulls me in to the lust for these shoes. What makes these shoes cool if you took the logo off? Well, their still light weight, well made, rugged, and thoughtfully designed, but quite frankly, if they had a Payless logo on them then I wouldn’t be writing about them.

Like so many other products on DesignCrack.com, there is not much you need to say beyond your immediate visceral reaction to clever products such as this tape dispenser. Yep. It’s a tape dispenser in the form of that all important audio media device: the cassette tape. The design is so damn cute. And at twenty five bucks, your cleverness expressed in this product won’t break the bank and pays tribute to a bygone era.

Finally! I’ve gotten around to this post. It is a rare pleasure to get tips from my friends in town. Yes, I get tips about products from my cyberspace friends and from my PR friends, but rarely do I get any great leads on well designed products from the people that I see on a weekly basis. Those people usually don’t like to admit their product obsessions to me. What is this product? A toothbrush with a mission. The Radius toothbrush has been designed to be the OXO of the oral hygiene world. The toothbrushes feature ergonomic designed handled custom taylored for either right handed or left handed people.

It’s very rare that I look at a product and just say to myself “Awwww, you are so cute!”, but I must admit that I did this when I saw the carafe and jacket by Eva Solo. The object is a simple glass carafe that is quite wide at the base and tapers up. Surrounding the carafe is a thermal jacket made of black neoprene that zips up. It looks like a little Fonzie from Happy Days if Fonzie were an inanimate glass object. The jacket obviously keeps your hands cool and the liquid inside warm, and that’s all there is to it. The broader discovery for me is Eva Solo’s product line. This Danish company has created dozens of highly functional, refines, and beautiful everyday objects for the home. I was particularly impressed with their kitchen utensils. Definitely have a look if you like to cook and collect ingenious kitchen gadgets.

A couple of weeks ago, Dosh sent me an anoucment to me. I spent some time on the site, and I must admit that I really like the wallet. The designers of the product have developed a clear and compelling site to promote their product which I think on its own might have been overlooked. What Dosh has done here is create a well designed wallet where they thought of a number of things that are often neglected in wallets such as water resistance or where you might put your keys. OK, so it’s a wallet, WTF? I’ll tell you WTF. What’s even more compelling than the wallet is their imagery of the wallet. The website features images of the wallet under a faucet. It’s a brilliant way to make the idea stick. Now you know your money and cards will be safe if you can run it under a faucet. The wallet immediately establishes its credibility, aesthetics, and key differentiating feature in one simple picture. I give Dosh an A+, and I hope their sales are brisk.

Nani Marquina, an awesome rug making company, has just developed the Bicicleta Rug. This rug is special because it brings two of my life’s interests together: bicycling and design. If you didn’t know already, I attempt to ride my bicycle to work each day, and I’ve been doing that for nearly ten years. In that time, I’ve probably worn out just enough tire tubes to make one of these rugs. Oh, and if you haven’t figured it out yet, the Bicicleta rug is made of recycled tire tubes. I must admit, I have not felt this rug yet, but I’m really anxious to be near it and put my feet on it. As much as I like the concept of using recycled bicycle tires as a rug material, I still can’t get that grease and rubber smell out of my head when I change a tire. There is something also about the texture of the tube that, for me, does not lend itself to touching. That’s why I’m thinking when get a better feel for the rug in person I will be able to put those concerns to rest and just enjoy.