While many younger sneakerheads have only known classic Air Jordans as Retros, some of us were actually around for the original releases. Back in 1989, sneaker culture was not even really a concept yet, but many of us were instantly pulled in by those early glory days of Nike and the Air Jordan line. Before there were internet stores, eBay and blogs, you had to be resourceful and actually hunt down your kicks by foot with a lot less options to work with. The term sneakerhead hadn’t even been coined yet, but we were out there drooling over everything that was emerging from the golden Tinker Hatfield era.

Without the world wide web, print media was a go-to source for info on the kicks and players we loved, but without sneaker magazines, it was rare to get a look at some Air Jordans in anything other than Sports Illustrated or the local sneaker store. Many were smart enough to hold onto their OG Jordans, and we see those on the regular, but here is a look at something a little more obscure. Just as he was becoming the NBA’s biggest star, a young Michael Jordan was featured on the cover of the March 1989 GQ Magazine, a testament to Mike’s style and a bold move to feature an athlete on the magazine’s cover.

One veteran sneakerhead had the foresight to jack this from his local library as a kid back in 1989, and was kind enough to share it with us 20 years later. Knowing the Jordan love out there in sneakerland, we figured our readers might appreciate it too. Keep reading to check out some more pics of the MJ cover and article, as well as a look at some vintage Nike and Foot Locker advertisements. Big thanks to CK for the hook-up.

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Before he was even out of high school, LeBron James was already a household name, and by the time he was taken number 1 overall in the NBA Draft, the expectations for greatness were inevitable. It seemed that he couldn’t possibly live up to the hype, but he actually quickly exceeded it, not just with his play on the court, but the mature way that he handled himself off the floor. The eighteen year-old was built like a hardened veteran in his prime and his skill-set and athleticism had arguably never been seen in a player of his stature. As we follow LeBron’s ongoing quest for an NBA ring, the King James legend grows daily. Since he first came into our awareness, we have all been “witnesses,” and in their latest commercial, Nike Basketball lets some other awed witnesses tell their stories. Keep reading after the jump to see the ad in its entirety, and feel free to share your own “witness” accounts with the rest of us.

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There’s nothing better than a pair that gives simple colors, but rather stands out with its use of materials.  A pair of black and grey blazers would most likely be slept on by the jaded sneakerhead, but one might consider a pair furnished with carbon fiber.  The lightweight woven filament takes the entire upper, supplimented with grey accent paneling and midsole, along with a white swoosh and branding.  A unique alternative to a popular shoe, street racers are probably already coming across these on eBay as they bid for more parts for their precious rides.

Style: 316664-004
Color: Shadow Grey/White

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Last month we gave you a little peek at the Nike SB Low Premium orange hemp for the current 2009 season. The Hemp design was made famous in 2004 and became one of the most sought after SB Dunks produced. These updated versions feature some nice design additions that are sure to please SB enthusiasts everywhere. There are a few accents of red that give these Dunk Lows some good contrast, while the main colors are a rich orange suede and off white Hemp. Some brown deatails like the brown outsole and speckled brown liner also give a more depth to what could have been a very simple and minimal design. Although these Nike SB Low Premiums do not bring back the fat tongue everyone seems to be missing they are surely going to sell quick to all of you SB Dunk lovers out there. If you are interested in copping a pair now they are available at KixFiles.

Color: Sail/Black
Style: 313170-101

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No this isn’t one of those high-end brands making a shoe that just-so happens to look like a Chuck Taylor. It’s a good ol’ Chuck Taylor, but with a new twist.  Converse probably noticed they didn’t have a model to compete against the rising success of strappy sneakers, say, Reebok’s Ex-O-Fit or Supra’s TK Society.  Even DC got the hint and made the Admiral WT.  Alas, Converse upped the ante and added a double strap to their staple shoe.  Rather than laces going all the up and choking the ankles, the two velcro straps add a more contemporary look (not to mention makes less left-over lacing since most of us never tied it all the way up anyway).  But this isn’t the only modification.  Elastic padding is fitted as an upper heel counter for extra comfort.  In monochrom choices of white or black, these are a nice new look for the old shoe brand.  via streething.com

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We all know that for certain Holidays we can always expect a themed sneaker to drop. As far as Valentines day goes, sneaker designs are a dime a dozen and the red and pink designs with a heart slapped somewhere seem to be a bit too cliché. These women’s Nike Court Forces included in the Valentines Day Pack take a different approach and use small details to execute the Holidsay’s theme. These Court Forces feature a plaid heel panel and patent leather side panels with a heart perforation detail. The upper consists of leather and patent leather with some purple accents, and sit on top of a white midsole and red outsole. Via guillotine

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Out of all the Pump20′s we’ve already seen, Hanon did the best at building hyped anticipation by not giving a glimpse too early.  With only a week left, the UK shop finally discloses shots of their collab with Reebok.  A conventional color scheme, the grey upper is suited with equally conventional materials, suede and nubuck, accented with bits of red.  The only facet of particular design is the digital pixel pattern inside the tongue, using white, grey, red and yellow as the color coordination.  However, the subtle appearance is contrasted by the OD of Hanon branding.  Found on almost every aspect of the shoe – lace locks, tongue, side rands, heel tab, release valve – Hanon ensures everyone that they had a hand in this pair.  via HB

Be sure to check out Hanon’s Pump20 spec clip after the jump…

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You would think that getting your own PE version of a popular basketball sneaker, proudly rocking your college colors, would motivate you and your team to do well.  Apparently, that’s not the case for the Oregon Ducks, as they ultimately failed to make it into the postseason, and therefore never getting the chance to wear their new PE Zoom Lebron II’s.  Rough, here’s the dagger to the heart… having to watch your college football team and marching band be blessed with PE sneakers for their own use.

These Zoom Huarache 2k5′s were given for to wear for game day and traveling, sporting black nubuck uppers along with a patent leather rand.  The colors seemingly miss one of the college’s more distinguishable colors, but can be found in small amounts on the bottom of the sole.

But this wasn’t its final design.  Taking a look at two alternate designs, the first sample shows a similar look to its final counterpart, having an entirely nubuck upper rather than having patent accenting.  The next sample contemplated a different colorway, balancing out the black and yellow with white, but still hiding green on the sole.  Thanks to SoleCollector for the inside look.

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For those who’ve been out of the loop, Bodega is on the roster for Reebok’s 20th Anniversary Pump Collection.  Here new shots reveal some more features we haven’t seen in the last preview.  Already knowing of its military theme, we now see how the Boston shop is able to further express the inspiration with high quality material, army style branding along the heel, speckled sole to insinuate outdoor wear & tear, and “survival” embroidered inside the tongue.  To coincide with the collaborative release, set to drop on Friday, November 20th, a shirt has been created to commemorate the event.  Donning a sly fox with an eye patch and beret to follow the Pump20′s theme, the shirt will also feature Reebok Pump 20 branding on the sleeve.  via Hypebeast

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Jared Jeffries is dangerously close to the Fred Jones line (read: JB needs a guy in New York, but maybe someone who scores more than 5 a game?) and might be the least high-profile NBA player on Jordan Brand’s roster.  The former Hoosier might not play more than 20 or so minutes a night, but dude has some of the dopest Air Jordan XX3 PEs we’ve seen.  University of Virginia basketball was at its peak while MJ was at Chapel Hill, so we’re a little surprised to see their colours look so good on the UNC-inspired ‘argyle’ side panels.  Then again, while Jeffries’ best years may have been in school, the Knicks palette on this sleek AJ XX3 has a strictly-professional look.  via FC.T

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With the near-complete proliferation of broadband, we’ve been hooked to YouTube for at least three years now.  This project represents perhaps the most clever use of online video to promote a sneaker collaboration.  For their upcoming ‘Skippy’ edition of the New Balance 850, Australian magazine Sneaker Freaker cranked the kitschy/’viral’ knob up to 11 and produced a teaser clip for ol Skippy that’ll have you in stitches.  As for the shoes themselves, we also get an extensive detailed look at the rarely used 850, enhanced by kangaroo leather and a colourway that is all at once unreasonable and unavoidably brilliant.  They’re set to drop on December 5th, so in the meantime, peep over a dozen new photos and the Skippy ‘trailer’ video after the jump.

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Here is a pair of the adidas Samba in collaboration with Japanese artist Madsaki. These will be part of the adidas Five-Two-3 City Pack, all releasing soon. The inspiration for these adidas Sambas are from Madsaki’s time working as a bicycle messenger in New York, the Samba was a great choice in shoe because it is actually worn by bike messengers in NYC. These shoes feature an upper made up of a water proof snake skin material and a black midsole that has white triangle pattern that go around the whole shoe. If you are a bike messenger or just want to cop these to wear they are available now through SNS

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