The latest Nike Air Max 97 does a good job of honouring its heritage, but takes things one step further.  Upon first glance, especially in the right lighting, everything glitters, and it’s fishscale.  The metallic silver scales are probably more like a snake, but you won’t find anything in nature with those atop a black base.  These have yet to drop stateside, but you can pick up a pair from Swiss retailer Titolo today.

Style: 312641-012

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Look down at your feet.  There’s an excellent chance that you’re wearing a pair of sneakers that wouldn’t exist without this man.  Or at least, they wouldn’t exist in their current form without him.  Marlon Frank Rudy, inventor of the famous Nike Air, passed away last week at the age of 84. Starting off his career as an aerospace engineer for the military, he later moved on to become an independent inventor around the 60′s, and ultimately had over 250 patents to his name.

But his most prominent brainchild was the Air Sole that he pitched to Nike co-founder, Phil Knight, in 1977. Knight tried on a pair, like he does with most prototypes, took it for a run and was astounded by the improved cushioning and stability it provided.  The Nike Air Tailwind became the first official production to feature the Air bubble, then moved into the realm of basketball for the Nike Air Force 1.  The rest is history. We all know, though, that it didn’t make a substantial mark until the Nike promoted the Air Max  during its ‘Revolution’ Campaign in 1987.    Think about how many classic sneakers have Air, then ponder if you would still like some of them without it?  The entire Air Max series, most other Nike runners, the Jordan III – VI, or more recently – Air Max Lebron VII.  Nike would still be struggling with competitors if it weren’t for Rudy’s ingenuity.  Nike President and Chief-Executive, Mark Parker, states:

“Frank Rudy holds a singular place in the pantheon of Nike innovation… His relentless creativity and focus on solving problems was, in many ways, the template for how Nike pursues performance to this very day.”

Not just a man to be remembered for his brilliance, Frank Rudy was also a philanthrope. In more recent years, Rudy focused much of his energy to support Cancer research in major clinics in Albany and Cleveland. Not just spokesperson or charitable donor, good friend ,Ben Walby, explained that Frank was hands-on, helping researchers using his analytic engineering skills. “He liked medicine and that was the ultimate puzzle for him. He wasn’t one to shy away from the ultimate challenge. The bigger the problem the more complex the problem, the deeper he dug in.”  via Oregon Live

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While LeBron continues to tease the Knicks, adidas still has an exclusive contract for NBA gear.  This new Forum Lo RS isn’t adorned with a logo, but it should be a bit of a consolation for NY sneakerheads.  These also have a nice old school aesthetic, with the crisp white leather and lattice instep, so these will probably do just fine anywhere.  Grab a pair for yourself today from Schuh-You.

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When it warms up this spring, get yourself ready with this new Nike Dunk High Premium.  Up close, the tri-coloured gingham upper is plain ot see, but from afar, the colours sorta blend into a melty blob of Paas.  It’s a fresh look for the upcoming warm weather, so the white Swoosh and midsole are appropriate, and the gum outsole is doing quite well on spring 2010 Nikes.  These won’t be hidden for long, so stick with Sneaker News for updates.  via HB

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We all know that St. Vincent St. Mary is LeBron James’ high school alma mater.  And we know that like Kobe Bryant with Rice HS in Harlem, Bron-Bron also sponsors Christ the King and several other high school and colleges.  If you ever got curious, you might have also looked into his work with the Summit Lake Hornets.  Why are there no Google results for “Summit Lake High School”?  Because they were actually King James’ first rec-league team.

These Nike Air Max LeBron VII Lows are a worthy followup to last year’s version.  Whereas The Six was black, these go with a mix of white and light grey for a nice ‘homey’ look.  These don’t have the speckled midsole sections we’ve seen on other AML7 Lows, but still look nice with a teal section framing the Air bubble.  These should probably hit retailers sometime this summer, and you can own a sample in US mens size 9, available from cigar0330 on eBay.

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The Nike SB Dunk Mid is set to shed its trademark ankle strap, so a proper sayonara would be necessary. Here’s a look at the Black/White colourway of the Nike SB Dunk Mid, keeping it simple and straightforward. Reminiscent of the Griptape Dunk SB Low and the Venom Dunk SB High, this colourway employs two different materials on the upper; suede in the front and leather on the rear and toebox. This pair comes adorned with a gum-sole, a thumbs-up to gum-sole aficionados. These are already starting to pop up at SB retailers, so keep an eye out. Via Shoeniverse on eBay.

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Giving a glimpse of what to expect in 2010, February will also show consistency from Jordan products.  Though the unexpected release of the Motorsports Jordan 6 is the only retro, the other models bestow strong silhouettes and colorways.  It’s safe to say there’s a little bit of something for everyone.  New to general public is the Jordan All Day- featuring pretty simple yet impressive tooling and details.  Wouldn’t be to surprised if that becomes a common shoe on street courts across the world.  We expect that the classic colorways of those Jordan Classic ’91 will present itself as another lifestyle alternative sneaker, similar a couple of RT1′s being used to spiffy up a certain look.  Nonetheless, Jordan Brand shows good effort to build confidence back into the naysayers.  Stay tuned for further release dates.

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Ken Griffey Jr.’s most famous Nike signature received a warm welcome when it retroed this year.  The Nike Air Griffey Max 1 even made it to our Top 30 Sneakers of 2009 list, but the best might be yet to come.  The Kid’s first kicks are back in an entirely new colourway that adds just a hint of bright blue to an otherwise cool grey design.  Take a look at detailed images after the jump to get a sense for how soft the putty grey suede uppers really are, and if you need to get them early, Osneaker has a few pairs.

Style: 354912-004

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As all Nike running shoes do, a Women’s colourway of the upcoming Nike Lunarswift+ is also available. The Lunarswift, slated to take the place of the discontinued Nike Free Everyday, combines the lightweight and breathable upper with a Lunarlite midsole. The Nike Lunarswift+ also allows you to take advantage of all that Nike+ has to offer, like iPod integration and pedometer readings. A ton of colourways and a wide release make these readily available at Nike retailers nationwide, so keep your eyes peeled. via chajinyoung.

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Have you joined the Supra Society yet?  Terry Kennedy’s two-strapped superhigh signature is all set for new retail releaases this Spring.  If it seems like you’ve seen these before, that’s because we’ve already previewed the metallic copper joints and the pair in neon blue/green, plus the black pair (which looks to be TUF) resembles a suede release from this holiday season.  You can find detailed images of all three after the jump, and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for updates on all Supra TK Society release dates.  via SF

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With 2010 set to be a big year for Air Jordan VI (6) retros, here’s a closer look at one we expect to drop a little later this year.  It’s a colourway that clearly evokes the Detroit Pistons’ uniform colours, but these could have just as easily been suitable for Prom, with the black suede-on-patent uppers.  Enjoy some closeups after the jump and if you need these early, you can get a limited size run from Marquee Sole.

Style: 384664-001
Color: Black/Varsity Red-True Blue-Light Graphite

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Style: 386424-008

To some degree, the Nike Hyperdunk was regarded as the next-of-kin to the Nike Huarache basketball line. Despite not having any characteristics that would categorize it as a Huarache, the Nike Hyperdunk was still a widely popular basketball performance shoe just like the Nike Huarache 2k4 and 2k5 was. But, the family ties stop there; neither the Huarache 2k4 nor the 2k5 have spawned a low-top version of the shoe (and no, the Nike Total Package Low does not count). Here are pictures of the Nike Hyperdunk Low in a Dark Grey/White colourway, set to drop in 2010. Based on the pictures, you could call it a relative of the Nike Zoom Kobe IV or V, a distant cousin if you will. A nubuck upper, flywire integration, and low-cut design will make these a popular choice for the ballers who prefer the lower cut kicks. via tistory.

Style: 386424-008
Color: Dark Grey/White

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