Nubuck used to be such an underrated and occasionally used material for sneakers until the rise of sneaker culture.  It’s no surprise though that it wasn’t utilized much by athletic footwear brands because it wasn’t as durable or weatherproof as it’s rawer version, suede.  (Yes people, to many surprised- some of our favorite brands actually made shoes specifically for activity, not just to stroll down the block for attention).  Nonetheless, the felt feel of nubuck adds so much flavor and sophistication to a shoe.  Case in point, the AF1 shown here.  A classic deep red tonal upper featuring nubuck to accompany it’s typical leather makes for a slick look.  Available at SneakerBistro, or any of your other local Nike retailers.

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Volume 12 of Japanese sneaker magazine, Shoes Master, is about to hit shelves, and with it comes a preview of an interesting new collaboration between Hiroshi Fujiwara and Nike Sportswear. Fujiwara and fragment design are no strangers to Nike collabos, but this time, the renowned designer will be bringing the “Noise” concept, already seen on t-shirts, to the Nike Terminator High Premium. The shoe features premium Black leather with Metallic Silver accents and a large “NOISE” print on the heel replacing the standard Nike block letters. For more on the Terminators, as well as an interview with Hiroshi Fujiwara and looks at new collections from Nike Sportswear, Puma, Madfoot and more, you can find Shoes Master Vol. 12 hitting select retailers like Gettry beginning tomorrow.

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Last week, we showed you the Jordan Hallowed Ground PE made for Rip Hamilton, and now we take a look at another PE version of the shoe that reps for a fellow Jordan Brand athlete, Carmelo Anthony. This version of the Hallowed Ground honors Virginia basketball powerhouse, Oak Hill Academy, where Melo played his high school ball. The shoe sports a Black suede upper spiced up by some Varsity Red contrast stitching and Varsity Maize embroidery on the Jumpman and the Oak Hill logo that appears on the tongue. Additional accents are provided by a Varsity Red outsole and a speckled Red gradient effect on the rear section of the midsole. As a final touch, the Oak Hill Academy Warriors mascot is printed on the insole, helping to make this a very tempting offering for fans of Carmelo and Oak Hill Academy. Check out some more pics after the jump and look for them to hit House of Hoops locations some time this November. Via FootLockerUnlocked.

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First came East vs. West, and now more and more pairs pop up showing the glory of the North and South.  The shoe features a leather upper rocking the killa bee colors.  And although we’ve seen plenty of black/yellow sneakers, especially Nikes- even more specifically the Dunk – who can resist another pair to rock for any season.  Especially when this pair has a synthetic material on the wings to create a nice effect, unique from those others of a similar colorway.  Available now, cop a pair from the ‘Bay.

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We’ve seen the gradient Kobe IV’s receive plenty of approval, but it couldn’t just stop there.  In light of the Black Mamba seizing victory for LA and winning his fourth ring, Nike is releasing this Quickstrike fitting the gradient motif.  Thought the Home and Away colorways were dope?  This Midwest Gold/Concord screams “Champion” four times over.  As said before, this Kobe IV also rocks the gradient, but also comes well equipped with plenty of other features.  Also found on the Olympic Kobe IV, the MVP‘s signature is embossed on the heel tab.  But it seems that some of the best stuff has been found on the insides of kicks lately.  Behind the tongue, a patch of the MVPuppet 4-Rings imagery, with similar graphics printed on the insoles.  Act quick to grab the last remaining pairs from MarqueeSole.

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Here’s the third member of the Winter Journey Pack of Nikes we promised you yesterday.  This one takes a different route from the other Nike Terminator High we saw, opting for a tonal brown design that’s more like the Blazer Low that sports a similar pattern on the upper heel.  That pattern is the same on both Terminators, a largely primary-coloured Native American pattern that itself contrasts the autumny vamp.  These also share the same bright laces that look like multicoloured yarn and should drop later this year.

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We’ve seen this womens’ Nike come out in bright and loud colors.  Another drop for the Aeroflight, these joints are also out there rocking a different gold from it’s previous release.  Making even more of a statement with the use of leopard print on the heel and toebox, and dimpled leather for the rest of the upper that very much looks like that of a basketball.  Throw in the hot pink laces and silver shining in the swoosh and tongue branding- fuhgeddaboudit.  via SneakerFreaker.

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Despite having drastically different names, the DC Shoes Admiral hightop and Sector 7 lowtops look pretty similar.  They share a toebox, sole and basic profile, and frequently show up in the same colour.  This time, they’re paired in a collaboration with Michael ‘PMKFA’ Thornsby for France’s Sixpack.  Both kicks go with a smooth mix of micro-perforated and dimpled grey leather.  The Admiral has a tonal sole, while the Sector 7 opts for a translucent purple sole that steals the show.  Expect these to drop along with a few tees and New Era fitted caps at DC LIFE retailers soon.

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The Gel Lyte has been around more than 3 decades, yet it hasn’t gotten much love within the sneaker world until recently.  The runner, always a fave in pedestrian cities around the world (certainly not in the US), comes out in a new colorway.  In it’s traditional leather, suede and mesh upper, this one gets olive, black, accents of orange and a splatter on the grey midsole that might remind you of Jackson Pollock.  A good look as Autumn creeps on in.  via Hanon Shop.

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It’s not everyday that we get a look at a pair of kicks this old, rare or intriguing. What you are looking at is an early prototype for the Air Jordan 1 that was obviously changed quite a bit before releasing in the final form that we have come to know and love. This prototype sample features a number of glaring differences from the eventual retail version, most notably a significantly higher cut around the ankle, a completely different midsole and outsole and an alternate shape for the mudguard section of the toe as it makes its way up to the lower eyelet holes. Also of interest, you might be wondering about the “BIG JOHN” printing on the heel section of the ankle. Apparently, this sample was made up specially for Nike’s sales manager back in January of 1984, who went by the nickname of, you guessed it, Big John. Keep reading after the jump for a look at some more pics of this incredible sample including some side-by-side comparison shots with the actual OG Air Jordan 1 in the same colorway. Big thanks to zoopreme700 for the pics and the heads-up.

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The Air Jordan XI is one of the most beloved models in the entire Air Jordan series, and the “Bred” edition that made its way back to stores as part of last years 11/12 Countdown Pack is right at the top of the list of the most popular colorways of the shoe ever to drop. The Air Jordan XI has been released in its share of Low colorways, but we’re willing to bet that most of you have never seen this one. This Air Jordan XI Low features the same color blocking as the Bred High model, leaving many of you staring at your screens right now cursing Jordan Brand for never releasing these. This sample pair was given to Ceola Clark, a friend and former teammate of Michael Jordan’s son, Jeffrey. As we all know, it pays to have friends in high places and here is yet another example of the perks of being a Jordan friend or family member. Keep reading after the jump for some more pics and a video interview from the Chicago Tribune in which Ceola Clark shows off some of the prized pieces from his personal Air Jordan collection.

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Mita is beasting it with their collabs, especially with Reebok.  Again using the EX-O-Fit Strap as the canvas, Mita decides to follow the current trend of sporting the OG Gucci colors (hint, hint Gucci!).  We’ve most recently seen the Gucci concept applied to Clark Kent’s Dunks from the East vs. West pack, and now the red/green/black color scheme is showing up again on a Reebok shoe, along with a combination of premium materials.  On close brain waves with the world-famous DJ, the EX-O-FIT SG Hi also features ostrich and (perforated) leather, however, they also contain snakeskin on the straps and micro-mesh for the vamp.  Mita’s branding strategically found on the velcro patch, along with white piping just to step it up even more.  Expect to drop this Saturday, October 3rd.  via Mita Sneakers.

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