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The designers at Nike (and their collaborators) have warmed to using tattoo graphics recently. Here’s a Nike Blazer High for men that looks like it could have been straight from Mr. Cartoon’s right hand. They go with an all white base, adding red leather to the Swooshes and heel tab. The key feature, of course, is the black and grey sketches that wrap from the outer heel all the way back around to the inner toes. If you don’t know anyone with a sufficiently steady hand to rock out a pair of customs, cop these from FinishLine.
Style: 316397-161
Color: White/Beet-Black
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The Nike Auto Force 180 Mid AC is set to hit retailers next month. This Air Force 180 with an autoclaved (read: vulcanized) sole will release in two dark editions in October. Both go heavy on black leather with black patent leather providing some tonal accents. For one pair, that’s it: black on black with a white sole. The other joints add some blue and yellow. When we showed you these first, all the way back in March, we reported that these would play a key role in the ‘Force vs. Flight Story’. While it’s clear Nike has an East vs. West Rivals Pack on the way for late ’09, we haven’t heard more on the Force/Flight promotion. Stick with Sneaker News for updates on all things autoclaved.
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It’s impossible to know if Kevin Garnett can overcome his age (read: NBA game experience) and knee to lead the Boston Celtics back to the NBA Finals. We do know that he’s going to look good all the way there, though, as the adidas TS Commander LT in Celtic green is quite aesthetically pleasing. They use green around the bottom, including ’5′-marked clovers, opting for white leather on the upper. That upper is heavily perforated and brings in a darker shade of green for the signature three stripes. These will release in November at adidas Basketball retailers like Foot Locker.
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We’ve seen plenty of shoes adopt Nike Flywire for the performance benefits and abandon it later for fashion. The latest is the Nike Air Max+ 2009 NFW. It appears above in a super-clean black leather construction. The criss-crossing design of Flywire on the side panels remains a key feature, accented nicely by the silver outline on the Swooshes. This silvery hue is replicated on the massive Air bubble along with several other little touches. These should drop sometime next month, so stick with Sneaker News for updates.
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Maybe this new colourway signifies the hardships endured during a two season swing that included two trips to the NBA Finals, an MVP award, a championship ring, an Olympic gold medal and very little rest. The Nike Zoom Kobe IV is back in yet another colourway, and while Kobe Bryant didn’t suffer too many black eyes during that extended run, surely he can relate to being bruised and bloodied. A snakeskin toe adds a nice little pop to this pair, which will release at Harlem’s House of Hoops on Monday, along with other Foot Locker locations later in September.
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Bodega will be busy this fall. We already know about their triumverate with Vans Vault and Realtree on the green suede Woodland Chukka Boot, and now comes word of a collaboration with Reebok in celebration of the OG Pump’s 20th birthday. These use a slightly darker green, along with several other earthy shades. The ‘Outback’ Pump comes complete with a lining that reveals clues sneakerheads can use to solve some kind of mystery. What kind of mystery is itself, well, a mystery. A scant 31 pairs of the ‘Outback’ Pump will be available on November 22nd. That means the 100 pairs of Woodland Chukkas will be considerably easier to find. Fast forward the video to about 90 seconds in to find the Bodega collabos. via G4
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Chances are, we’re not going to see any stitches shed from violence, but it looks like Nike is pitting its top two classic basketball sneakers against one another in an East vs. West battle. The latest entrant is the Nike Air Force 1 High designed by frequent Swoosh collaborator DJ Clark Kent. DJCK opted for the most ‘New York’ of all colourways with this mix of black, orange and blue leathers. The first two are smooth full grain but that blue back panel has a faux-lizard feel. Add in the polka-dotted lining and these are impossible to ignore. We already knew DJ Clark Kent designed an Air Force 1 Low and a Dunk High to go toe to toe with Eddie Cruz’; should we take these as a sign of things to come from UNDFTD? Stay up to date on these 0.44 soles by sticking with Sneaker News for updates. via NiceKicks
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Nike has run hard in the Air Max 1 this year. With a wide variety of releases this summer, the ’87′ has dropped in a bunch of colourways, including some enhanced with Flywire. That completes a sort of cycle of legacy, as the Nike Air Max 90 was the first to be thrust into the oughts with that space age material. Both come back in looks that are both familiar and not. Neither uses Flywire in this collection, instead modifying classic designs with patterns on the midsoles (the pair above will drop in its OG colourway soon). Aside from those remade legends, there are a few new low key colourways in tow. Check out all the photos after the jump and stick with Sneaker News for updates. via SneakersBR
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There have been plenty of animal-inspired Nike SB releases. The latest in that category is a sample Nike SB Dunk Low with a feature we’ve never seen before. No, we’re not talking about the furry material on the sockliner that was a major part of the Three Bears Pack, but rather, something you can’t see. It’s the tongue. Like all samples, it has a thin tongue, but if you press into it, you’ll hear a bird chirping. Take a look at more photos of these plus a video detailing the sound, all after the jump, then stick with Sneaker News for more info on these. via N-SB.org
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Even though Mike walked away from the game a few years ago, his legend lives on everyday, not just in the world of sports and the hearts of his fans, but as you well know, in the unquantifiable love for the sneakers that are as linked to his legacy as his basketball career. The marriage between Michael Jordan and Nike is one of the most magical unions in the history of popular culture. At the time of their initial partnership, neither was the undisputed best in their field yet, but it was undeniable that both sides were overflowing with potential, and it didn’t take long at all before we saw exactly how much.
It all started with the infamous Air Jordan 1′s that were “banned” for violating the league’s footwear color policies. The NBA fined Michael $5000 each time he wore them and Nike happily picked up the tab, knowing that they couldn’t ask for better publicity for the shoe. With each new NBA season came a new Air Jordan model, and every time, both Michael and Nike raised the bar for their respective competition. Before long, it was a runaway and the rapid evolution of both MJ and Nike were mirroring each other, as the mutually beneficial relationship became something more than just a sneaker brand and its athlete endorser.
By 1997, the Nike Air Jordan line had become so wildly popular that, in an unprecedented move, Nike decided to create Jordan Brand, an autonomous leg of the company that would just focus on all things Jordan. With that came team and non-signature Jordan sneakers, as well as a slew of apparel and accessories. With twelve years and a ton of Jordan Brand products since, it’s easy to take for granted how remarkable it is that an athlete became so iconic and beloved in his own lifetime, that something like this actually came to be. In fact, it would be hard to argue that any other athlete/celebrity in history has had that kind of star power and marketability.
The question, “Is it the shoes?” was raised by Spike Lee’s Mars Blackmon character back in the classic ad campaign, wondering if Air Jordan sneakers were the reason for Michael’s next-level abilities. 20 years later, the question comes up again, but this time in a different context. As sneakerheads, we have to honestly ask ourselves: ‘Did we love the shoes so much because of Michael or did we love Michael so much because of the shoes?’ For many of us, that question will be pretty hard to answer, because the two have become too inter-mingled to differentiate. Michael’s game spoke for itself, but we have to ask ourselves if we would still be so infatuated with him if he had signed with another company and wore insignificant kicks throughout his career. John Stockton, the NBA’s career assists and steals leader will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight, but does anyone remember what shoes he wore? As trivial a thing as that may sound like to some, the notion carries some weight.
There’s no doubt that no matter what sneakers he wore, Michael Jordan would have been the greatest basketball player of all time, but the Air Jordan sneaker line unquestionably ensured that his legacy will live on in a way that no other athlete has ever experienced. Being that this is a sneaker website, we’ll leave the retrospectives of Mike’s on-court career and accomplishments to the sports media, but we felt our own obligation to honor his Airness in a way that readers of our site would appreciate. Keep reading after the jump to see a goosebump-inducing highlight reel of the man of the hour doing what he did, day in, day out, over the course of a long and immortal career. Congratulations Michael! Thanks for the memories.
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