For a while, it felt like every sneaker was white, beige, or black.
2026 said no more of that.
Bright sneakers are everywhere now.
Blue that almost hurts your eyes. Neon green. Pink. Orange. Yellow. Even shiny silver.
These shoes don’t blend in. They take over the outfit.
And that’s exactly the point.
Most people keep the rest of the look simple so the colour stands out even more. All-white outfits with red sneakers. Neutral cargos with neon trainers.
It’s an easy way to make a plain fit feel styled.
And people aren’t scared of clashing colours anymore. Pink with red. Blue with green.
If it feels fun, it works. No overthinking.
After years of muted fashion moods, a lot of folks just want colour back in their lives.
Starting with their shoes feels like a safe place to begin.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) can be found in many everyday items from cosmetics to raincoats and non-stick pans. They’ve also been found in food and water – and even in our bodies. But what exactly are they? And are they dangerous? Scientist Mark Miodownik explores.
Hyundai Venue Pros And Cons: The Hyundai Venue has always been seen as “baby Creta”. Now, in its second generation, it feels more grown-up than ever. It looks sharper, it is slightly bigger, and it comes loaded with more features than before. I (Lakshya Rana) spent time driving the new Venue across city roads and highways to see what has changed. On paper, it promises a lot. Multiple engine options, new tech, and even a sportier N Line version for enthusiasts. But no car is perfect. While the Venue does many things right, there are a few areas where it could have done better. Here are its top pros and cons:
Hyundai Venue Pros
1. The new Venue looks completely fresh. The design is bold and futuristic. It definitely grabs attention.
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2. Build quality feels solid. The doors shut with a reassuring thud. Fit and finish are impressive, just like you would expect from Hyundai.
3. One of the biggest strengths of the Venue is the wide choice of powertrains. You get petrol, turbo-petrol, and diesel options.
4. Hyundai has also added the missing diesel automatic combination, which many buyers wanted. This gives the Venue an edge, especially for people who drive long distances and prefer the convenience of an automatic.
5. The suspension setup is well-tuned. It handles bad roads comfortably and feels stable around corners. It strikes a nice balance between ride and handling. It does not feel too soft or too stiff.
6. For enthusiasts, there is the N Line version. It adds a sportier character and sharper driving feel.
7. Feature list? It’s long. You get a 360-degree camera, a dual-curved panoramic display, and an 8-speaker Bose sound system. Wireless smartphone connectivity is there. Ventilated front seats are a big plus in our climate. Rear passengers get sunshades, which is a thoughtful touch. Overall, the Venue feels modern and well-equipped.
8. Safety has also been taken seriously. You get six airbags as standard. There is Level 2 ADAS, electronic stability control, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, and even all-wheel disc brakes on automatic variants.
Hyundai Venue Cons
1. The design, while bold, may not appeal to everyone. It is sharp and edgy. Some people will love it. Others may find it too much.
2. Pricing is another concern. The top variant is expensive. In many cities, the on-road price is close to Rs 19 lakh, which is too much for this segment SUV.
3. Cabin space has improved slightly. But let’s be honest. This is still a four-seater at best. The rear seat is not comfortable for three adults on long journeys.
4. The light-coloured interiors look premium. But they get dirty very easily, which can be frustrating over time.
5. There are also a few missing features. You do not get automatic wipers. Steering reach adjustment and a full-size spare wheel are also absent.
Should you buy Hyundai Venue?
Overall, the Hyundai Venue is feature-rich, well-built and offers a wide range of powertrains. It feels premium and modern. But high pricing and a few practical compromises may make some buyers think twice. It, however, is one of the best options to consider in the segment.
Bad Bunny wins hearts with sweet gesture at Super Bowl Halftime Show
Bad Bunny won hearts as he revealed how he paid a sweet honour to his late uncle at the record-breaking Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The Puerto Rican superstar wore a custom Zara set emblazoned with his last name and the number 64, which he later revealed was a nod to his uncle Cutito, who was born in 1964.
The DtMF hitmaker revealed that Cutito taught him about NFL and how he wanted to take him to a Super Bowl but never could.
In an interview with The Cut, Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, said, “I always dreamed of taking my uncle to a Super Bowl, and I couldn’t.”
“He left unexpectedly, without warning,” he added. “So during my Super Bowl halftime show, I decided to have him on my shirt.”
“I dedicated my performance to him before it began. I’m sure he saw it, he was present, and he felt proud of his nephew.”
Reacting to his interview, fans penned on X (formerly Twitter), “Everything about him is so amazing.”
Another wrote, “That’s actually beautiful. honoring his uncle on the biggest stage while the whole world watches is powerful.
“the 49ers shade at the end is perfect too. family first then roasting your team is exactly the energy needed,” they added.
“You made history king,” one tweet read, while another fan gushed, “Craziest part is how a 13 minute performance can hold years of memories. you never really know what someone’s carrying on that stage.”
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Overall trading volume decreased to 734.6 million compared with Tuesday’s tally of 1.06 billion
Overall market participation was strong, as 1,066 million shares were traded with a total value of Rs. 49 billion. KEL led the volume chart, with 195.8 million shares..Photo: Express
KARACHI:
In a session marked by volatility and investor jitters, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark index gaining 0.49%.
Trading remained choppy throughout the day as early pressure gave way to buying interest, pushing the market into positive territory, with late-session support helping the index maintain its gains by the close. Selective buying in cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, and oil and gas exploration companies underpinned the benchmark despite cautious investor sentiment.
The index touched a high of 183,801.71 and a low of 182,054.65 during the session. The KSE-100 Index advanced 896.25 points to settle at 183,049.81 after moving in a wide intra-day range.
Topline Securities observed that KSE-100 index settled at 183,049 points, posting a gain of 896 points in a predominantly range-bound session. Throughout the day, the index moved within a band, touching an intra-day high of 183,801 points and a low of 182,052 points.
Support from major heavyweights such as Engro Holdings, Lucky Cement, Faysal Bank, MCB, and Bank Al Falah underpinned the market’s performance, jointly adding 920 points to the benchmark. In contrast, Bank AL Habib, Pakistan Petroleum, and United Bank weighed on the index, collectively trimming 311 points from the day’s gains, Topline said.
Ismail Iqbal Securities summerised in its report that benchmark index closed on a positive note after an initial dip at the start of the session. Trading activity remained largely stock specific in the absence of any strong positive trigger, as investors positioned themselves ahead of the ongoing results season. Trading volumes decreased to 350 million shares as compared to 636million shares in the previous session.
Subsequently, the KSE-100 index gained 896 points to close at 183,050 level, up by 0.49% DoD. banks, cement, and power sectors were the major contributors in Wednesday’s session, cumulatively adding 619 points to the index, the brokerage house noted.
Overall trading volume decreased to 734.6 million compared with Tuesday’s tally of 1.06billion. The value of traded shares stood at Rs35.3billion, while shares of 477 companies were traded. Of these, 208 stocks closed higher, 223 fell and 46 remained unchanged.
K-Electric continued to lead the volume chart with trading in 120.7 million shares, falling Rs0.03 to close at Rs8.60.
Australia captain Mitch Marsh has faith his team can cope with the spin-friendly conditions at the T20 World Cup. Photo: AFP
COLOMBO:
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh will miss the opening game of their Twenty20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on Wednesday with a groin injury, Cricket Australia (CA) said.
Steve Smith will now join the squad in Sri Lanka as cover, with fellow batsman Travis Head captaining the side at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium and Matthew Renshaw coming into the team.
Marsh sustained a direct blow to the groin during training earlier this week and is experiencing pain and discomfort which is restricting his movement, the board added.
“Scans have confirmed internal testicular bleeding, and he will require a period of rest and rehabilitation. His return to play will be guided by symptom resolution and medical advice,” CA said in a statement.
Head said at the toss later that Marsh was unlucky to miss out and appeared to play down the seriousness of the injury. He did not give a timeline for his teammate’s return.
“Unfortunately Mitchie Marsh has copped a blow at training a couple of days ago and no one has been willing to massage it out for him,” Head joked after winning the toss and opting to bat.
“He’s the unfortunate one but the rest (of the side) is the same. It’s nice to have a couple of boys back from the Pakistan series. Strong team and we’re looking forward to going well.”
Australia are also without fast bowler Pat Cummins, who was ruled out of the event after failing to recover from a niggling back injury. Fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood lost a race to be fit after Achilles and hamstring injuries.
Mitchell Starc has quit the format, leaving them without their top quick bowlers.
The big-hitting Tim David was also ruled out of the first game as he returns from a hamstring strain.
The 2021 champions take on Zimbabwe in their second match on Friday.
Elizabeth Merrill is a senior writer for ESPN. She previously wrote for The Kansas City Star and The Omaha World-Herald.
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FOUR MONTHS AFTER the Philadelphia Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII, Cam Jurgens glanced at the team schedule and came upon something that stopped him.
“Ring Ceremony.”
It was June 2023, and Philadelphia still wasn’t over its 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. “What the hell is the ring ceremony for?” muttered Jurgens, then a second-year offensive lineman. “We lost.”
But it was supposed to be a nice thing. The team gathered in a meeting room and watched a highlight video of the 2022 season, and boy, were there some lovely highs — the 13-1 start, the 70 sacks. The reel ended, and the Eagles were directed to a table in the cafeteria, which held a heap of boxes of personalized conference championship rings. The reward for finishing second.
Jurgens grabbed a box with his name on it and stuffed it on a shelf in his closet.
“Honestly, I wasn’t so thrilled about getting a ring that felt like a participation trophy that I had to pay taxes on,” Jurgens said.
“Like, it’s second place. You know, you made it to the Super Bowl; you participated. So here’s a beautiful, nice-sized ring as a token, or a reminder of you losing the Super Bowl. … It’s not necessarily just a participation trophy, but it’s a reminder that, hey, you made it all the way to the mountaintop and failed.”
The NFL game operations manual says that the team that loses the Super Bowl “will receive awards” for winning its conference championship. That prize traditionally has been a ring.
But word of the “other” piece of jewelry doesn’t seem to make the rounds. In more than a dozen ESPN interviews last week with players and coaches in Sunday’s Super Bowl, only two knew they’d eventually be walking away with something, win or lose. It’s not as if second place isn’t rewarded in other sports. The Olympics have the silver medal, Wimbledon has a silver platter for each singles runner-up, and Major League Baseball hands out rings to the pennant-winning team that falls short in the World Series.
There is, however, no pea-green jacket for the Masters.
Jurgens can’t remember whether he ever tried on his NFC championship ring, which is gathering dust. It became particularly irrelevant last year, when his team beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
“I’m a lot more proud of that,” he said.
“Yeah, I’ve worn that [ring]. I feel like it weighs my whole arm down, but I’ve worn it.”
THE CHAMPIONSHIP RING business is competitive, and as the final seconds tick away on Super Bowl Sunday nights, Jason Arasheben is busy constructing an email to the winners. “Congratulations on an epic win,” the note might start.
Arasheben is the CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills and has designed championship rings for the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and WNBA. His pitch to the Eagles landed last year, and Arasheben was the mastermind behind their Super Bowl championship ring, a 140-gram monstrosity of diamonds, white gold, a sapphire and a push button that pops out two eagle wings. Each ring reportedly cost $40,000.
Pitches to the losing team require a little more patience.
“It’s a completely different mood,” Arasheben said. “You don’t want to reach out to them the very next day because the last thing they want to hear is, like, ‘Congratulations, you lost your game.’ Now here’s your second-place ring they don’t want because obviously they’re upset. So you have to tread softly with something like that.
“Typically we take a little longer before we reach out. Let the loss settle in and let them have an opportunity to reflect on the season and reflect on some of the good things that happened. The fact that they did make it far in the playoffs, the fact that they did win their conference and make it to the championship game. And then at that point when everything’s kind of calmed down — we’ll slowly and gently approach them and say, ‘Hey, you know, congratulations on winning the NFC or AFC championship.'”
Some teams are active participants in the design process. Arasheben said he has had MLB owners who’ve come to the realization that they don’t know when their next chance at a World Series will come, and they want to celebrate the journey of the season. They want something they can look back at 20 years later, with a clearer perspective.
Others want very little to do with the process.
In 2024, the San Francisco 49ers enlisted Jason of Beverly Hills to make their runner-up rings, albeit half-heartedly. The 49ers are a storied franchise that has won five Super Bowls and had just lost in overtime to the Chiefs — the team that also beat them in the Super Bowl four years earlier.
“One thing I’ve noticed is that when you’re dealing with teams that have a history of championships,” Arasheben said, “they’re even less inclined to do this ring than the teams that have never won before.
“So for them, they were like, ‘Ugh, we’re going to do it for the players. We want to give them something special. But what we really want to be designing here is a championship ring.'”
That sentiment isn’t entirely foreign to Arasheben.
“Is the goal, the No. 1 prize, to get the championship ring? Of course it is,” he said. “Even though in the moment I might not be as happy as I would be if I was getting the Super Bowl ring, I feel like it’s equally as important because it’s just another relationship.”
The 49ers’ NFC championship ring has an appraised retail value of $10,000, Arasheben said. It has 1.70 carats of white diamonds set onto white gold and is showcased in a lighted box with a rotating platform to give the recipients “the same special feeling” as if they had won the Super Bowl.
IN THE SPRING of 1991, Buffalo Bills general manager Bill Polian informed the team of a “shindig” scheduled for the Super Bowl runners-up at a country club in Orchard Park, New York. Former Bills receiver Don Beebe said the players wore their best clothes, ate a big dinner and received their AFC championship rings.
When they lost 20-19 to the New York Giants on a field goal attempt that sailed wide right in the closing seconds in January, Beebe figured that quashed any future celebrations.
“You know the way you get a ring, you’ve got to win it,” he said.
But the Bills eventually embraced the accomplishment, and Beebe appreciated the keepsake. He believes that making it to the Super Bowl is a big deal, and that a winner is defined by “who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish.” He said that’s what Buffalo coach Marv Levy stressed.
And for three straight years after that, after three more Super Bowl losses, the Bills gathered to collect their AFC championship rings. Beebe said they all look the same; former Bills receiver Steve Tasker said each one is kind of unique.
“It’s weird,” Tasker said, “to get a piece of jewelry that’s that cool and that disappointing all at once.”
Tasker said the final weeks of the 1991 season were the most stressful work environment he had ever experienced. Players practiced with the flu and through injuries because they were “hell-bent,” he said, to make it back to the Super Bowl and atone for the game that slipped away.
The pressure was palpable in the locker room, and the Bills lost to Washington 37-24. Then Dallas crushed their hopes for a title the following two seasons. Still, the rings, at least for Tasker and Beebe, aren’t sad reminders of what was lost. They represent the accomplishments of the only team in NFL history to make it to four straight Super Bowls. They bind the 22 players who were part of all four teams.
Three decades later, they take trips together and call each other to catch up. Beebe said quarterback Jim Kelly recently sent a bunch of the old teammates a picture of a buck he shot during a hunting trip.
“Everybody wants to win it. However, everybody would love to have been on that team. What we did and accomplished as that group gave us tremendous memories and things that have impacted the rest of our lives.”
Beebe did eventually get his Super Bowl ring, in Green Bay. It came in his first season with the Packers, in Super Bowl XXXI in January 1997. The next season, they made it back to the Super Bowl but lost to Denver. Another runner-up ring for Beebe.
He cannot wear any of the rings because of a high-velocity Brett Favre throw that blew out the ring finger on his right hand, leaving it eternally swollen and crooked. Beebe keeps all six rings in a box in his basement. The only time he opens that box is when he’s doing a speaking appearance or visiting a school.
He puts all six of them in his pocket.
THE WIDE-EYED and hopeful week leading up to the Super Bowl is probably the worst time to ask about the other ring.
It’s kind of like propping up spinach at a barbecue; nobody is thinking about something that comes with a bitter taste.
New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai said his team is “here for one thing” — a Super Bowl ring. If that didn’t happen, he said, he’d probably give the conference championship ring away to his mom or dad.
“I couldn’t care less about getting the runner-up ring,” Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada said Wednesday in a ballroom at the San Jose Convention Center. “It’s interesting that they do it. That’s about all I have to say about that.”
After Seattle’s 29-13 win over New England in Super Bowl LX, Okada doesn’t have to say anything more.
He has a cache of state wrestling medals and other awards at his parents’ house in Minnesota. Every player for the Seahawks and Patriots has old, stored-away trinkets that at one time meant everything.
But Coby Bryant, a fellow safety who was sitting across the table from Okada, said this is different. Bryant won conference championship rings in his last two college seasons at Cincinnati, and up to this season in Seattle those were the biggest awards he had ever received. He gave one ring to his dad and the other to his grandfather. They were part of his journey, he said.
“Super Bowl ring, I’m keeping it forever,” Bryant said. “That’s something I’ll always have. Especially for my kids, when I do have kids.
“I would keep [the NFC championship ring] too. But my mind is on having the biggest ring.”
The recipients of recent conference championship rings have shared similar sentiments.
In 2024, days before San Francisco played the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, 49ers captain Fred Warner shook his head and laughed in a news conference when a reporter asked him about his thoughts on his 2019 NFC championship ring.
“I don’t know where that ring is,” he said. “But I remember we got one. I was like, ‘Oh, this is cute.'”
Warner is still chasing that larger, elusive ring.
This past summer, after another set of conference championship ring boxes arrived for another Super Bowl runner-up, three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes described his emotions on the ring to reporters in Kansas City.
“I appreciate it,” Mahomes said, “because I know at the end of my career I’ll look back and remember those times with that team …
“But it’s a reminder for you to go out there and be better. I put it this way — I put those in my safe and I put the other ones on top of my safe. I keep those, but some of them I showcase a little more.”
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was more than a bit less bullish. “I’m only interested in Super Bowl rings,” said Kelce, whose 2020 AFC championship ring sold through Goldin Auctions for a staggering $34,404.
Auction houses regularly oversee ownership changes for conference championship rings. Some change hands for a few thousand dollars, but others are far pricier.
This past weekend, John Riggins’ 1983 NFC championship ring fetched $22,325 in the Super Bowl LX Live Auction in San Francisco, according to Hunt Auctions. (A portion of the proceeds benefits NFL Auction-related charities.) David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, said estimating the value of championship rings can be tricky.
“You can have a really significant player where it’s their conference championship ring and it brings the same as the world championship ring would bring for a front office person,” Hunt said. “There is not a cut-and-dried formula for value.”
The NFL game operations manual includes specs for the Super Bowl consolation prize: “the award will be a piece of jewelry such as a ring, a watch, a medal, etc., which in no event may cost more than one-half the established price set for the Super Bowl ring to the winning team.” The league reportedly kicks in between $5,000 and $7,000 per ring, up to 150, for the Super Bowl champion. The team takes on any cost above that. The Super Bowl champions don’t also receive a conference championship ring. Those are reserved for the players not heading to a victory parade.
In the days leading up to Super Bowl LX, Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford — who won a national championship with LSU — wasn’t thinking about an NFC championship ring. He expected to be on the stage with his teammates Sunday night.
But Bradford didn’t dismiss the relevance of the runner-up award. What’s wrong with having something to show for a year’s, a lifetime’s worth of work?
“That’s pretty cool,” Bradford said about the prospect of everyone walking away with something.
“This is the end of the row right here. It’s very hard to get here. Top of the top, best of the best.”
