When you’ve already up and changed the game by going to a cutting edge Flywire-equipped lowtop sneaker instead of the mids and highs that have dominated basketball for decades, what more can you do?  That’s the problem facing Nike Basketball and the Nike Zoom Kobe series.  Kobe’s been a champion as long as the ZKs have been lowcut, so it looks like they’ll keep that trend and move further in the direction of textured uppers for the latest followup.  The Nike Zoom Kobe VI is quite possibly the most highly textured sneaker intended for performance basketball use, ever.  In these new teasers, you can see a black and yellow pair that’s completely covered in a scaley texture that, while totally unlike the real black mamba, suits Kobe’s nickname quite well.  Click the jump below for more shots of the Zoom Kobe VI and let us know what you think.  via Kenlu

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As part of the buildup to the World Basketball Festival, Nike designers got up with a group of talented youngsters for a Make Something!! workshop.  During these crazy sessions at Nike Stadium in the Bowery, these kids were charged with creating a hybrid design that combines elements from the three biggest Nike, Inc. brands: Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse.  What they ended up with most strongly favors the Nike Air Max Hyperdunk, but the strap has been moved lower and updated with a Jumpman logo, while the heel has been modified with some Converse flavor.  Click the jump below to see a video detailing the process and stick with Sneaker News for more on how Nike Basketball shoes come to fruition.

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In the past week, we’ve learned the release dates for both the ‘Cranberry’ Nike Air 1/2 Cent and the Air Jordan 1 Armor, but little did we know we’d be treated to a Cranberry AJ1 Armor!  Varsity red is among the most common colors to appear on Jays so this pair with the pearlized Foamposite upper with black and white accents is right at home with the rest of the Air Jordan family.  Set to touch down a month after the Metallic Silver AJ1 Armors, the Cranberry Air Jordan 1 Armor will release at select Jordan Brand retailers including Foot Locker in December 2010.  Click the jump below for more photos and stick with Sneaker News for updates.

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From the moment cover images appeared with Michael Jordan as the signature baller for NBA 2K11 in the Air Jordan XII ‘Playoffs’, sneakerheads were put on notice that 2K Sports does indeed know it is the shoes.  The NBA 2K series has allowed players to add a couple pairs of Jays each year, but this new release features an unprecedented 40 Jordan Brand signature sneakers!  From all 25 sneakers in the Air Jordan Legacy to CP3s, Melos and the rest, all of your favorite Jordans are in the game and unlocked roughly in the order of easiest to hardest to get.  So you can draft a 22 year old MJ in the game and then outfit him with any of the kicks he made famous, which might make NBA 2K11 the single most compelling basketball video game ever released.  Click the jump below to see screenshots of rookie MJ and read more about Jordan’s presence in NBA 2K11 as both a playable character and a brand, at ESPN.

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The Star Wars invasion of adidas Originals has led to some sick shoes and the concepts are truly endless due to the vast array of characters and themes of the Star Wars saga. Check out the Star Wars x adidas Originals Conductor Hi, designed after the Death Star; the upper features a two-toned white/black colorway with white leather on the front and a mix of black materials on the center panel and heel. A Stormtrooper/Death Star logo sits on the tongue – not much different from a biker gang crest planted on the back of leather biker jacket. ‘DS’ can be found on the lateral heel in Letterman-Jacket style print. These just hit select adidas retailers like Extra Butter so don’t miss out on these joints!

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Nike ACG was always ahead of its time but these new designs are downright otherworldly.  Following the LunarPath and Lunar MacLeay onto the surface of the moon are the ACG Lunarwood and LunarBoot aka Lunarstorm.  The former is an updated take on the classic Wildwood trail runner seen initially in a collaboration with WoodWood, while the latter updates the Woodside rainboot with a sleeker look.  Both of these come in a grey and black mix with just the right amount of neon accents and you can see both of them in more shots after the jump.  Be on the lookout for these at Nike Sportswear retailers and stick with Sneaker News for more All Conditions Gear releases.

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Two weeks ago, Sneaker News began its first Sneaker News Giveaway contest, with the recently released Nike Air Max 90 ‘Infrared’ being the prize on the silver platter. That special package is on its way as we speak, and already, Sneaker News is giving away another pair of kicks this month – the Air Jordan VII ‘For the Love of the Game’. These were an instant sell-out, so if you were unable to get your pair, or are looking to double up, Sneaker News got ya! In order to win this fresh pair of Size 11 joints, all you need to do is enter the Sneaker News Giveaway contest, and entering takes no more than a few seconds – we swear! Continue reading for full instructions on how to enter and remember, your chance is as good as any other, so make sure to participate in the latest Sneaker News Giveaway!

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In 1995, Michael Jordan returned to the game of basketball after a short retirement sparked by the sudden death of his father and desire to excel in other sports. During the second round of the 1995 NBA Playoffs, Michael Jordan debuted the groundbreaking Air Jordan XI ‘Concord’ as well as the Black/White colorway, but an early exit at the hands of the Orlando Magic left spectators short of views. The black/white colorway was produced with ’45′ on the heeltab, matching Jordan’s new (but temporary) jersey number, but the shoe itself never released alongside the other original colorways. A year later, Jordan returned for a full season with his original ’23′ jersey number but we also got a look at Space Jam, a film starring Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes cast, and other NBA Superstars; in that movie, MJ wore the black/white pair of Jordan XIs once more – and the nickname stuck due to the combination of black, white, and hints of blue being a perfect match for the intergalactic theme of the film.

In 2000, the Air Jordan XI ‘Space Jam’ was finally released to the public; by that time, Jordan had won another three NBA Titles and the number 45 was a mere afterthought, a minor tidbit of trivia of Michael Jordan’s storied career. However, a few sample pairs of the Space Jam XI were produced with ’45′ – not ’23′ – on the heeltab, but Jordan himself vetoed that decision and the samples were scrapped. Here’s an auction for a deadstock pair of the Air Jordan XI Space Jam with the rare ’45′ on the heel; the shoes comes with a custom wooden box with special engravings, but included in the package is some rare Space Jam memorabilia, like a VHS copy of the movie, packaged figurines, a necktie, and trading cards. Truly a collector’s item for any Jordan fanatic, this auction is one-of-a-kind and must-watch, so keep an eye on this auction from SoleSupreme on eBay.

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Last week, Sneaker News readers and WDYWT regulars voted the Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Paris’ as the Best of WDYWT for the week of 8/10 to 8/16. What shoe will come out on top next? The Sneaker News staff picked twenty fresh pairs for this week’s Top 20, and right off the bat, the decisions were tough to make; up for picking was some original Air Max heat as well as never-released pairs of Player Exclusives, and a pair of Bespokes popped up as well. Jordan Retros, Nike SBs, and other classics have made their way once again to this week’s Top 20, so check out this week’s Best of WDYWT and vote for the number one spot; you have until tomorrow, August 24th to let your voice be heard – polls will close at 11:59 PM ET and the winner will be announced in our Sneaker News Blogs: WDYWT section. In the meantime, be sure to submit your kicks to WDYWT and check out Sneaker News Blogs!

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Shortly after being name the number 1 earner on Forbes’ 2010 “Hip-Hop Cash Kings” list, Jay-Z and his wife, Beyonce, took a vacation to Portofino, Italy where they were spotted walking the streets. Jay-Z was seen rocking a pair of the Fall/Winter 2010 Balenciaga Patchwork sneakers that feature premium leather pieces on the upper and a clear translucent or “ice” midsole and outsole. Could these have been the inspiration for some of his collaboration “All Black Everything” Air Force 1′s with Nike? via UH

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Last week, we showed you how Diana Taurasi’s Nike Air Max LeBron VII ‘Think Pink’ PE was sold at auction for over $3k.  They cost so much cos you simply can’t get them, but the ladies will have a shot at another LeBron James sneaker in white/pink.  The Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier IV TB is the ZLSIV’s simplest colorblocking pattern, typically reserved for team-uniform matching.  But as we’ve seen from the NBA and WNBA, everybody can get by with pink kicks at the right times.  Check out more shots when you click the jump below and grab a pair of these Pink ZLS4s from NikeStore.

Style: 407638-116
Color: White/Pinkfire

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Just over 16 years after the United Center opened in Chicago in August ’94, here’s the shoe that Michael Jordan would have worn that season had he not been busy in the outfield.  The Air Jordan IX ‘Charcoal’ is back to add to the staggering quantity of IX Retros we’ve seen in 2010.  These are right up there with the finest of that bunch, with the combination of black, Dark Charcoal and True Red looking just as fresh as a decade and a half ago.  These have been slated as a September 4th release for some time now, and while it looks like that will remain the case, you might want to avoid the rush and pick these up early from JBseller on eBay.

Style: 302370-005
Color: Black/Dark Charcoal-True Red

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