When thinking of the Vandal Hi Premiums from the Nike For Love of the City pack in the context of Houston, almost every sneakerhead could immediately pick up on the liquid inspiration.  The first glance at these Nike Dunk Low Premiums reveals a photo blue beauty with white contrast stitches, but what’s the gimmick?  Thinking about their exclusive release at the Los Angeles House of Hoops maybe points to the Dodgers, but beyond that, we bet you’re stumped.  Come to find the contrast stitches are so wide because they represent the City of Angels’ predilection for plastic surgery.  With a lightbulb turning on (perhaps the flash from “photo blue”), you can really appreciate the naked Swoosh outlined in said stitches.  Nice little touches make for a killer drop on Saturday, February 21 at the LA House of Hoops.

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Sneakerheads and hip-hop go hand in hand, and one can’t help but think of a certain purple drank (sic) when imagining Houston, Texas.  The syrupy flow of Chopped and Screwed rap works well with this new pair of Nike Vandal Hi Premiums that represent the strappy addition to Nike’s For Love of the City Pack, exclusive to the House of Hoops.  Quite literally dripping with a concord patent leather upper that seeps onto the white midsole, the almost-tonal blue accents and gold piping make for a tasty treat.  We can’t guarantee you won’t get addicted, so you better get a few pairs to stash away when these drop at the H-Town House of Hoops on Saturday, February 21.

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Some upcoming New Balance models were recently previewed at the Stocklist tradeshow in Canada. The most notable standout has to be the suede moccasin-style high tops in two colorways, but there are several other more traditional styles in view as well. Many running models are featured with what appear to be some nice lux makeovers. It’s too soon to report on release info, but we’ll let you know as soon as we find out when these will be dropping. via Hypebeast.

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Considering the vast innovations in basketball sneaker design that have spoiled us over the years, it’s hard to believe that the Pro-Keds Royal Lo was at one time the top performance shoe in the game. Originally released in 1949 as one of the brand’s first models, the Royal Lo helps Pro-Keds celebrate their 60th anniversary with four nubuck versions of the shoe in colorways paying tribute to some classic NBA history. Once worn by superstars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Bob Lanier, Lou Hudson, Bob Love and JoJo White, the nubuck models are colored in the style of some of the legendary NBA teams these players suited up for. Show your love for the old school by picking up a pair of nubuck Royal Lo’s in your favorite team’s colors at Pro-Keds and other select retailers. via Hypebeast.

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At a glance, the Converse Shoot Neon Tube Hi appears to be a nice classic looking basketball high top, updated with some bright accent colors. The white leather upper with blue, pink and yellow complements looks pretty good in the daylight, but you should see it when the lights go out. These sneakers have been enhanced with glow in the dark materials, giving them an entirely different appearance depending on the time of day or the light in the room. If you play b-ball at night or just dig the novelty factor, these are available now at Undefeated Tokyo.  There is no word yet on a U.S. release, but we’ll keep you posted.

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Taking cues from the iconic Blazer and the perhaps even more so from the lesser known Zoom Sabaku, the Nike Air Zom Toki Lux takes its luxurious label seriously.  Appearing in clean black and gum medium brown colourways, each with a sail blue-accented white midsole, the Zoom Toki takes the chukka/sneaker hybrid to a new level.  The sail blue bottom eyelets and heel-tag are also nice touches.  The lighter brown “blur” pair is coming soon only to the 21 Mercer Street store in NYC while the brown and black pairs are set to drop nationwide next Friday, February 13.  Click the link below for the list of exclusive retailers and more pics.

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In recent releases, Reebok has relied heavily on bangers from their late 80s’/early 90′s peak of power.  With this new style just for ladies, it looks like they went back to the future for a design that’s best described as “spacey”.  The Reebok Smooth Fit All Out features a metallic upper with a few patterns of perforations swooping around the curvy silhouette.  Throw in a hexagon-laden Hexride-equipped heel and the effect is both distinctly futuristic and distinctly RBK.  Available in the gold pair pictured above and another set in silver, both are ready for you now at retailers like Overkill.

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Supra’s spring 2009 collection will surely further elevate their status as one of the most stylish skate shoe brands in the game. New colorways and materials have been applied to the Cruizer, Diablo, Sport, Skytop, Skylow 1.5 and Cuban, as well as new high and low versions of the Suprano and Vaider. Most noticable among the bunch are perhaps the pink tiger-striped Skytops and the fingerprint graphics on the Cruizer and Vaider. Check out some more pics of the upcoming Supra collection after the jump. via nicekicks.

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An interesting thing about the Nike ACG Air Zoom Tallac Lite: no one seems to remember its original release.  Unlike most of the ACG throwback joints we’ve seen from Nike Sportswear, these clearly weren’t built in the early Nineties.  Zoom Air technology was introduced in late 1995, taking flight on the wings of the Air Penny 1, Jason Kidd’s Zoom Flight 95 and a few select others.  Add to that the Presto-like proto-Flywire elastic spines on the side panels, and it seems more likely that they dropped sometime after 1998.  Either way, the Air Zoom Tallac Lite has aged well, and it’s back in another colourway evoking the early days of All Conditions Gear.  A good choice for the current freeze, these joints can be had at Nike Sportswear retailers for just over a hunned ($112 USD).  Via SOLEblvd

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Baseball as a whole remains tainted with the controversy surrounding steroid use in the 90′s and early 2000s, but it’s undeniable that we witnessed some killer stickball over that ~15 year period.  Remembered most fondly among these by your author are the collection of flashbulb moments poppin’ off the bat and glove of one Ken Griffey Jr.  The Kid is widely recognized as the best player of the Nineties, and while his seemingly unlimited potential ran head (and hamstring) first into walls of injury Junior couldn’t climb, his legacy remains that of an all-time great.  Ironically enough, his absence during the peak of the early 00′s home run boom has served to solidify Griff’s reputation and few people question the legitimacy of his accomplishments.

Nike took notice of Junior’s greatness early on, and in 1996 released the first Air Griffey Max crosstrainer.  Distinctly 90′s in its construction, the shoe features a chunky sole and a ankle strap that no doubt influenced the construction of LeBron James’ second signature sneaker.  This pair rocks a varsity royal, white and black colourway with splashes of volt for contrast.  Something of a time capsule, these perfectly recreated retros are set for a May 2009 drop from Nike urban accounts like FootLocker with an MSRP of $140

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Reebok recently showed off some of their spring/summer 2009 collection at the launch of the EXO-FIT Hi at the Sole What? store in Kuala Lumpur. In addition to the EXO-FIT, which is looking good in a solid red upper with two straps, three new styles for the Reverse Jam were previewed. Unlike any version we’ve seen, these Reverse Jams are colored with a gradient effect that gradually takes them from either yellow, pink or blue to white as they get higher. The EXO-FIT Hi SG Strap is available now at Sole What?, but you’ll have to keep an eye out for the Jams. via Hypebeast / streething

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The New Balance 996 is one of the all-time classic running models in the legendary New Balance arsenal. Recently revitalized by the Candy and Pantone editions, the 996 is back in three new colorways for release in Japan. The pack will contain black and white versions in smooth leather, with a beige model coming in suede. The heel caps on both the black and white 996′s have a yellowed look that really give the shoe a vintage appeal. Stay tuned for additional info on availability. via sneakers.fr.

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