Calling all big kids: have you ever been jealous of the kids zipping around on those shoes with the hidden wheel in the sole? Cursed the shoemaking gods for not thinking to extend the same favors to adult sized sneakers? You’re not alone.

Dualeez, evidently a company full of kids-at-heart, have built these Mutli-LED Strap-On Skates to leave a blaze of color as you skate around the quad/office/grocery store/wherever. No batteries required (it’s all magnetic flashing-light technology), the pair of skates easily strap to the heel of your sneakers adjusting to fit your shoe, and are quickly put on/removed so you can throw them into your bag once you’ve had your fun. With two wheels on either side of your heel you’ll enjoy a little more stability than those poor kids with only a single wheel in the center, but mind your balance (and your toes!) to avoid a full-force faceplant. Available from Glow Authority for CAN$39.95.

ZZ Top wasn’t lyin’ — women really do go crazy for a sharp dressed man. And since we’re nowhere nearer to bringing the fedora back into mainstream style (dammit), you can still safely lean on a well built suit to drive the ladies wild this Valentines, date or not. The real problem with suits, of course (beyond those unfortunate souls wandering around in something so ill fit you could swear it was stolen from an uncle’s wardrobe), is that a trip to the local mall forces you to choose from a truly ho-hum variety of neckties.

But you, you’re too sharp for that pedestrian crap; you’re a shining star and deserve a tie as stunning as you are. And we’ve got just the place for you: check out Cyberoptix TieLab, a bounty of hand silkscreened ties “that don’t suck!” — and really, they don’t. Just check out some of our favorite picks below, available in a ton of fantastic designs and prices (median pricing sits somewhere around the $30-$70 range).

I’m not suggesting that cats come with enough hair of their own, or even saying that your special bond with your feline friend isn’t the best relationship ever, but word to the wise: if you’re going to start putting wigs on your cat, be prepared to sleep with one eye open. The ladies over at Kitty Wigs either have the most mellow cats ever or a trunk full of kitty tranquilizers, because somewhere between hectic workdays, loud music and dancing the idea of crafting high-color wigs for cats — with chihuahua versions expected in 2008 — came naturally. All of the wigs sell for $50, with 20% of the profits being turned over to the ASPCA (without a hint of irony). Want to test your kitty’s love? I dare you — and please, please take pictures.

Sometimes you’ve just got to wear your geekiness on your sleeve — or chest — so why not throw in some function while you’re at it? Even in familiar stomping grounds, (aside from the local cafes) it’s hard to know where you can actually pick up a wi-fi signal anymore, and while the Wi-Fi Detector Shirt can’t tell you how many of the networks are password protected (how annoying is that? you see a list of seven available connections but they’re each asking for a password when all you want to do is check your email), it *can* let you know when you’re standing in the middle of some strong signals.

Here’s how it works — blue glowing bars on the front of the black shirt dynamically change as the surrounding wi-fi signal strength fluctuates, all powered by a tiny battery pack concealed in a small pocket that’s been sewn inside of the shirt (requires 3 AAA batteries). The removable decal picks up signal strength for 802.11b or 802.11g (pick your pony) and, when you’ve worn it to the point of being funky, just peel off the decal, unplug the ribbon connector and battery pack, and throw it in the wash (what geek has time for dry cleaning anyway?). For $29.99 from ThinkGeek, it’s a handy little piece of fashion, and may just strike up a few interesting conversations!

Do you have a bedbuddy with a case of the groundshaking snores, or are you the one keeping the neighborhood up all night? It’s a little “shock the monkey”, but the Snore Relief Wrist Band may be a better option than those horribly ugly nose strips (yes, I know, you’re asleep and it shouldn’t matter, but rolling awake to someone with the flesh-colored sticker on their face isn’t the hottest morning look ever). And since there are only a few things worse than being woken by rattling snores intermittently through the night, this might make you a tad less cranky during the day, too.

Here’s how it works — sensors in the band detect noise throughout the night, filtering out ambient sounds like the hum of an air conditioner, but when the device detects snoring it releases an electrical signal (read: mild shock) to the median nerves located at the inner wrist that stimulates you enough to halt the snoring but not jar you awake. To be sure of its efficacy, the manufacturers conducted clinical trials at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and discovered that 80% of the participants (and their spouses) observed a decrease in snoring after two weeks of use, nevermind the improved sleep quality. For $79.95 from Hammacher Schlemmer, this is truly one of those gift buys that keeps on giving. But if you’re a big fan of the midnight kick, feel free to keep that up as well, I’m sure your partner loves it.

Tripp Gregson builds traditional and artistic furniture and accessories from vintage materials and objects. He calls his work “Retro Nouveau,” because antique wood, hardware, old signs, doors, and other found objects are utilized in the construction. One of his latest creations, the Recycled Street Sign Briefcase, is a street-savvy take on the traditional briefcase and a surefire conversation starter on the subway.

The aluminum casing is covered in modern iconography, each unique in its own way, with salvaged traffic signs cut and emblazed on all sides. Measuring 17.75 x 13 x 5″, the briefcase comes with an interior organizer and file pockets, combination locks to keep unwanteds out of your privates, a laptop compartment for snug travel, and an adjustable carrying strap if you’re not the hand-holding type. This perfect gift (or self indulgent buy) is ideal for the personality-plus types — available now for $250 from UncommonGoods.com.

This one’s a no-brainer for cyclists that ride at night or are just in need of some increased visibility during their daily commute. Which may be just about every bike commuter in America, really, since the reports of “I didn’t see you!” vehicle-on-bike accidents doesn’t show any sort of stopping trend. (I’ve said it before, I’ll say it a million times more — put down the phone, do your makeup at home, read on the subway, and just CONCENTRATE ON DRIVING when you’re in a motor vehicle; there are no brownie points for multi-tasking during your commute).

Mr. Chen of London (do you suppose that’s how his friends address him?) is sympathetic to the plight of a cycling commuter and, unlike so many of us that just share war stories and scars at the bar, he’s gone and done something about it. He’s invented a high-visibility cycling jacket with built-in brake lights and indicators to help keep you from fading into the night. Full of all sorts of clever tricks, an accelerometer controls the color of flashing LED lights along your back (green when you’re moving forward, red for when you apply brakes) while amber indicator lights along the sleeves are turned on by a tilt-switch as soon as you raise your hand to give a turning signal. End result? You’re a glowing, flashing madly-safe cyclist winding through the streets at night a lot more safely than you did the night before.

The jacket is still in the development phase (Mr. Chen was awarded the first prize from the British judges at the James Dyson design awards), but he’s hopeful that it’ll be on sale by Christmas for around £100. We’ll keep you posted as this one’s certain to be a hit.

[via Spluch]

This just in from Amsterdam, design your own messenger bags from Tagger. Ok, so you can’t exactly upload your own designs, but you can choose from a wide variety of pre-designed panels (including a soon to be released Halo 3 series), plus 11 different colors for the base of the bag and strap. And if none of their standard flap designs knock your socks off, you can always order the bag with a blank front panel and use some markers to fill in with your imagination.

Designed by Peter van Veldhoven, the Tagger bag line has been inspired by graffiti, hip-hop and other trends in modern art. The very first line of bags came with blank flaps and a set of markers, enabling upcoming graffiti talent the space to create their own ‘Piece’. Since then the line has grown to include a collection of flaps from various designers, allowing you to pick and choose designs that best suit you. Tagger messenger bags fit laptops up to 15″, with bag flaps and straps that stick and click to the bag with velcro and buckles.The bags are available in two different sizes, the medium sized “Crew” at 13.5 x 10.5 x 5.5 inches, and “Flow” at a slightly smaller 11.5 x 8.5 x 4 inches. Baseline priced at $60, it’s a great value when stacked up against other messenger bags without so many customization options.

Everybody’s got their tricks for staying awake on long drives — rolling down the windows for cold blasts of air, stopping to do jumping jacks on the side of the road, taking caffeine pills sold by twos in gas stations, etc. But what about an option that doesn’t involve hypothermia, losing time, or dosing up?

Check out the Drive Alert Master — ok, so it’s not exactly the most stylish, but talk about effective. The ergonomic master-blaster clamps behind your ear and lets you set your desired “wake up” angle with a switch. When you start to fade behind the wheel and your head begins to nod forward, the Drive Alert monitors this movement and triggers a loud beeping sound to wake you up. If you’re the sort of sleepy driver whose head actually rolls back against the seat when you’re passing out this may not be the right solution for you, but I’d certainly rather deal with some beeping to keep me going on long, dark nights than pills that make you jumpy. For $29.95 from Gadget Universe, give it a shot, it just may save you from a messy narcoleptic accident.

Converse may be responsible for bringing on this wave — a couple of years ago they launched a feature on their website that allowed chuck-lovers to pick and choose colors and patterns to create their own unique shoe. Vans followed not long after, and now Nike’s come on board with a section of their website called NIKEiD where you can build and buy your own shoe, selecting from their infinite collection of styles.

Just browse through the styles to select your favorite, and in the bottom left corner you’ll see an option that lets you START BLANK. Click the white canvas and away you go! Modification features include the selection of colors for each element, from the stitching to the swoosh; you can even get really adventurous and upload your own personalized design for the heel tag, or have letters stitched in instead. Final price? Curiously in-line with the stock versions — my personalized Nike Shox Rival Premium iD shoe came in at $120, the same price as it’s equal off-the-shelf style, the Nike Shox Rivalry Premium. Guess this means “they didn’t have a color I liked” isn’t a valid excuse anymore.