It may seem a bit redundant for brands to honor every Chinese New Year, but look at it this way- Asia has a lot of pull as far as the sneaker world is concerned.  But more importantly, not only does each zodiac only occur every 12 years (enough time for ‘heads to disappear once the mainstream sneaker trend dies out, or even for new ‘heads to enter the game), this particular New Year has a serious significance, as the “Golden Tiger Year” only occurs every 60 years.  Herego, Converse has gone all out for a commemoration.  First up to the collection is the Weapon and One Star.  Like most Asian-influenced packs, the colorways mix and match reds, white, golds and blacks.  All of the footwear included in these packs seem to feature some high-quality leather, as well as golden Tiger embroidery on the tongues.  Despite the Chinese New Year not being for another three weeks, the pack’s official launch is already in full effect, exclusively available in China.  Via SF

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Asics is getting ready to gear you up for the upcoming Spring/Summer season. Peep these clean and refreshing colourways of the Asics GT-II and the Asics Aaron MT CV. Of the new GT-II colourways are grey/purple, tan/blue/brown, and a olive green/orange, similar to the Mango Nike Air Stab from 2005. The Asics Aaron goes mid-top with the ever-so-casual vulcanized sole, and features an upper material similar to a burlap sac. These casual/lifestyle kicks will be available at Asics retailers in July. via Hypebeast.

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The Charlotte Bobcats beat the Atlanta Hawks this holiday weekend.  It was strictly a numbers game, and oh yeah, they didn’t actually play a game on-court.  The Bobcats win we’re referring to was referring to their dope Air Jordan XII PEs, and the Hawks made it a win-win.

Charlotte’s team is partially owned by MJ himself, so it’s only natural that their three Jordan Brand sponsored players is tops in the league.  Stephen Jackson rocked the Rising Suns with his home uniform against the Suns on Saturday, but he might have been overshadowed by teammates Gerald Wallace and DJ Augustin.  They showed up wearing Flint Grey and white/navy AJXII PEs, respectively, each with Bobcat-orange on the inset ‘JUMPMAN’ insiginas.  Those were crazy, but what about Wallace’s black/orange joints from today’s game?!  Just, wow.

And don’t forget about the most successful JB-rockin’ teammates in the A, who just so happen to play, in the A.  Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Joe Johnson had a AJ12 PE of his own, with his point guard Mike Bibby rocking a white/red lowtop Air Jordan XIII.  Dope looks all around, so be sure to check out photos of each pair after the jump.  Photos via YahooSports

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Rumor has it that the LA Lakers are trying to trade Andrew Bynum (and pieces) to the Raptors for Chris Bosh’s expiring contract.  Will Laker fans be more excited with CB4 in the lane, or rocking these on their feet?  The latest Nike Dunk High Supreme looks superb in the purple and gold.  There are different shades of purple on the lining, laces and Swooshes, which makes the transition to a gum sole quite natural.  These should hit stateside soon, and are already available from mita sneakers.

Style: 324759-071

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We came into 2010 saying it was going to be a big year for the Air Jordan VI.  That’s still true, but given the Air Jordan 25th Anniversary this year, it’s only natural to see some of the other pairs get in on the celebration.  Here’s another brand new Air Jordan II Retro colourway, the likes of which we’ve never seen on a Jordan retro.

Sure, there have been snakeskin Jays since the Air Jordan XI LE introduced us to lowtop Jordans back in ’96, but this brown mix of leather and faux-croc is the first of its kind.  Halfway between a lifestyle sneaker and an OG retro colourway, these are poised to pick up where the upcoming Black/Carolina joints leave off.  Stick with Sneaker News, and we’ll update you as soon as a release date is announced.  via NT

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Didn’t make it to the Nike Live with Kobe Bryant event at the Montalban in LA on Saturday?  Take a look at these photos, and you’ll have a better idea of what it was like to be there.  The picture above depicts a breathtaking display of Kobe signature shoes hanging in clear cubes from the ceiling.  Can you identify all of the different Nike Zoom Kobe IV colourways in the photo above?  There’s also at least one ZKIII and a couple Huarache-series kicks there, and you’ll find all the ways the Montalban was decorated for the Mamba’s latest Swoosh-sponsored appearance.  via Cris Bernabe-Sanchez

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How can you know pretty much how an entire shoe is going to look just from the toes?  Well, when it comes to Nike Basketball shoes for the NBA All Star Game, you know it’s red=West and blue=East.  So when we saw these sharing the same woodgrain pattern that appears on the ASG Zoom Kobe Vs and Air Max LeBron VIIs, we knew what to expect, and are still pleasantly surprised.

Peep the collection of Nike Hyperizes and the KDII that are all done in Nike’s 2010 ASG motif.  Kevin Durant’s signature shoe appears in all red with a woodgrain strip along the outer side panel.  Its sole is considerably bluer than the straight-up ice found on a red Nike Hyperize plenty of his teammates are sure to be seen rocking.  It’s just like the blue Eastern Conference version, except the East joints also have a bluer sole.  Stick with Sneaker News for release info on these and all Nike Basketball release dates.  via Kenlu

Nike KDII
Style: 386423-600

Nike Hyperize – Eastern Conference
Style: 367173-401

Nike Hyperize – Western Conference
Style: 367173-118

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Reebok’s new squiggle soled runner are sure to grab attention if they ever hit retail.  With this latest collaboration, we know they’re going to release, and they’re sure to get their own share of double-takes.  The Reebok x Armani EA7 collection includes two shoes, the EA7 Runner and Mega Chic lifestyle hybrid.  The former is a classier take on traditional running styles, sorta like a souped up Reebok Classic.  AS for the Mega Chic, it’s unlike anything we’ve seen.  They’re smooth and sleek like dress shoes, but with what appears to be a Hexalite heel block.  Interesting stuff here, and we have more photos after the jump.  via EUkicks

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Kenlu’s K-Pals expo in Taipei wasn’t just about crazy limited Air Jordans.  K-Pals also featured the biggest collection of Allen Iverson Reeboks we’ve ever seen.  A huge range of colourways was on display, from his immortal rookie year shoe, the Reebok Question, all the way through to last year’s Answer XII.

The new Answer XIII is shown in a new dark red colourway, which might turn out to be the NBA All Star edition if the league’s ASG voting holds true to form.  In the mean time, click the jump below to see part of why Iverson is so beloved that he’s going to start in the All Star Game despite below average numbers.  via Kenlu

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adidas Consortium is a sub-label typically reserved for collaborative designs, but these just celebrate the classics.  Three new Consortium-level releases include a blue and infrared ZXZ NLT that looks like Knicks colours in these photos.  Next up is the Tokio Low, which would appropriately hewn in red and white.  Instead, that colourway is reserved for the ZX 450s pictured top-center, and the Tokios have a Mardi Gras thing going on.  All three are now available at select adidas Consortium retailers.

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We’ve already given you a thorough look at the best of LeBron, Kobe and of course, Air Jordan kicks from Kenlu’s recent K-Pals sneaker exhibit in Taipei, but those weren’t the only big names with their kicks on display. While Carmelo Anthony might not quite pack the star power of the previously mentioned names, he’s right at the top of that next tier and has the signature sneaker catalog to back it up. K-Pals offered a nice look at a plethora of Melo’s signature Jordan kicks, as well as some Air Jordan and Olympic PE’s and even some sweet Syracuse edition Huarache 2K4 PE’s. Keep reading for a nice look at the Melo spread and stick around for more from K-Pals later today.

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The past few years, we’ve been overwhelmed by so many colorways of the Nike Zoom LeBron and Zoom Kobe signature lines, that all the new info may have pushed out some of our memories of older models from the sneaker past of Nike’s dynamic duo. Kenlu‘s recent K-Pals 2010 exhibit gives us a great opportunity to take a look back and reminisce over some of the stunners and not-so-stunners from King James and the Black Mamba’s respective sneaker histories, including kicks from Kobe’s early adidas days. Keep reading for a look at some rare and forgotten treasures from the signature sneaker arsenals of the game’s two biggest names and stay tuned for more pics from K-Pals later today.

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