“I’m just happy to have my own shoe!”

Recognized on the court for his unparalleled offensive prowess and off the court for his humble nature, Kevin Durant is quickly becoming the next face of the NBA in an era marred with pop-culture, self-promotion, and media hoopla. Not only is Kevin Durant an elite player in the league, his signature shoe with Nike is by far the most affordable among his fellow sig-shoe superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade. During the World Basketball Festival, KD commented on his true opinion about how his shoes look (spoiler: he doesn’t care) and the type of fit he was looking for in his signature line – the Zoom KD III being the latest installment. The Nike Zoom KD II and all the great colorways that dropped this year was certainly a sleeper hit of 2010 so continue reading to hear Durant’s opinions on his shoes and chime in with your own thoughts. via Eastbay.

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Li-Ning already made the jump onto the somewhat crowded realm of basketball footwear, but the previously previewed Li-Ning F2 Lift Off should garner the brand some elbow room. Here’s a look a Li-Ning’s upcoming running shoe, the Li-Ning F2 Runner; the upper features Li-Ning’s Foam Frame material, a molded construction that should offer lightweight advantages as well as a form-fitting feel, as well as enough ventilation holes to prevent overheating. The seamless upper is also given additional stability via the polymer like harness of sorts, located at the instep of the shoe, and also acts as the lace placket of the sneaker. The design of the shoe is more high-tech space-age rather than classic runner, which might remind you of the classic Reebok Insta Pump Fury or the equally futuristic Nike Shox XT during the Nike Shox heydey. A number of colorways will be available for men and women so take a look at the detailed images after the jump. via CK.

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Is it just us or have the Bespokes been getting way better lately? It seems that Bespokers have been stepping up their game recently and the latest evidence comes from all the way across the pond. The UK may be dominated by Air Max devotion, but you might catch Gary Warnett of Crooked Tongues fame in a pair of Black/Cement Air Jordan III’s. So during his recent trip to NYC, Gary just couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a Bespoke session. The result is right up there with the best we’ve seen, in thanks perhaps to the inspiration behind this design achievement; none.

Despite the overwhelming task of having to get an $820 sneaker creation right on the first shot, instead of coming in with a calculated gameplan, Gary chose to wing it and just let the fresh come together spontaneously. As you can see, he stayed cool under pressure and wound up whipping up one of the cleanest Bespokes yet, denying the urge to use every material and color available and going with a tasteful simplicity that lets the materials and color choices speak for themselves. Keep reading for more pics after the jump, and for more details on the materials and design process, you can check out Gary telling the story himself over on Crooked Tongues.

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This new Nike Trainer 1 Low in white with purple and yellow accents and Flywire on the side-panel could have you confused with, say, the Nike Zoom Kobe Dream Season II or even the Zoom Kobe IV. The Trainer 1 debuted last year as the revitalized successor to the Nike Air Trainer 1; the Trainer 1 (no Air) features a visible Air unit with a Free-grooved sole and Flywire on the upper, but as we mentioned before, the yellow/purple trim could have ‘Lakers’ come into mind. While these have no affiliated to Kobe, we perceive these to be a hit in the So-Cal area once they drop. Check out the details after the jump and stick with Sneaker News for release info. via ESTPremium.

Style: 386483-151
Color: White/Club Purple-Metallic Silver-Varsity Maize

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Back in June, during the WBF announcement events, we spotted Mark Smith in a strange hybrid shoe that looked like a cross between an Air Jordan IX x Air Max 1. At the time, we chalked it up to some type of 1 of 1 Innovation Kitchen fun, but a few weeks later, we brought you a first look at the Jordan Vis Air CMFT 11, leaving us to believe that there might just be something more to that crazy Mark Smith sample. At this point, we’ve already seen the Vis CMFT 11 and 12, but it remains to be seen if the 9 will follow, or if this is just a sample that Mark can’t stop wearing, because he was rocking these again at the JB x Atmos party a few nights back. You can check out a closer look after the jump thanks to some new photos from SoleCollector, and let us know if you’d cop a pair if and when they release.

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Many Converse Skateboarding releases feature a lobster embroidered into the back of the tongue tag, a way to keep the memory of the company’s northeastern US heritage alive when the CONS division is headquartered in Cali.  But not so for this new CONS Star Player Mid, whose colorway, as you can see in images following the jump, has been inspired by pro skater Kenny Anderson.  This navy blue suede design with white accents will play well with most of your fits in the real world, so check out more shots after the jump and grab a pair from DQM.

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Here’s a new colorway of the Nike Air Max 90 that borrows a historic (more like THE historic) colorway from the Nike Air Max 1, Tinker’s first visible-Air shoe that caused Air Max mayhem for over two decades. Featuring a Sport Red leather upper with a white mesh base and a light charcoal grey bottom sole, the colorway is an exact match but the color-blocking is off by a few, but no shoe is at fault. Perhaps a suede upper with a light charcoal quarter might have emulated the OG Air Max 1 a bit more precisely, but these still make for a great colorway. Check out the extra shots after the jump because this new Air Max 90 colorway is available now at KicksCrew.

Style: 325018-600
Color: Sport Red/White-Light Charcoal

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Ronnie Fieg’s been one of the luckier sneaker guys out there, being able to pick and choose his own colorways of the Asics Gel Lyte III while photographing beautiful ladies wearing his selections. We recently showed you the Ronnie Fieg x Culture Shoq x Asics Gel Lyte III with model Amee Enger, and we’re sure those images alone made you want to cop a pair of the white/black/purple pair that featured perforated leather and a contrasting purple on the bottom sole. Luckily for you, these just dropped at David Z online, but these are very limited – 190 pairs for men and 24 for the ladies. Check out the extra shots after the jump and grab a pair before they disappear.

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The inaugural World Basketball Festival invaded the work of basketball and sneakers with tons of special events, openings, and celebrity appearances, but Sneaker News kept you on top of every single minute of the action. Sneaker News was first to bring you a preview of the Air Jordan Legacy ‘For the Love of the Game’ Laser display as well as a look into the Opening Party of the Air Jordan x Atmos Pop-Up Store. Skull Candy joined in on the WBF fun as did Jay-Z who also performed on Thursday night to cap off the first night of the WBF. When D-Wade, Melo, CP3, and Michael Jordan showed up for the event, Sneaker News kept you on top with coverage throughout the day.

In other Sneaker News, Dutch artist Parra worked on yet another pair of sneaker this year, while Nike created their own special pair for its Nike AGS employees. A new Nike hybrid finally came to light, whereas a new colorways of one of 2009′s best kicks of the year was confirmed for 2011. adidas brought the heat as well, as the new Jeremy Scott and Star Wars collaboration releases were brought to light. In addition to the celebs that came out for the World Basketball Event, other big-name athletes demanded our attention by wearing some intriguing shoes. And finally, as a sign of appreciation to our loyal readers, Sneaker News launched its first Sneaker Giveaway, so stop in to get caught up on all of the World Basketball Festival Coverage and the rest of this week’s Sneaker News.

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2010 has been one of the best years ever for Air Jordan retro releases, and the calendar culminates right before Christmas with the eagerly anticipated Air Jordan XI ‘Cool Grey’.  Released only once before nearly 10 years earlier, the Cool Grey AJXIs are slated to hit retailers on December 23rd, the 1 year anniversary of the bedlam that was the ‘Space Jam’ release date.  Whether the Cool Greys can top the Space Jams in terms of reception is a thought we shudder to consider, but this nubuck and patent leather heat is sure to be one of the hottest gift items this holiday season.  Check out a series of new images and hit up VMVINC because the kids pairs dropped early.

Style: 378038-001
Color: Medium Grey/Cool Grey-White

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Sneakerheads love to specialize on a particular shoe; there are Nike SB guys, Nike Basketball guys, dudes who are strictly Puma, and so on. The Air Force 1 is certainly one of the pillars of the sneaker game and the Foamposite is certainly a growing category in the world of sneaker collecting as well. The Foamposite x Nike Air Force 1 was surely a project just waiting to happen, and despite Nike’s penchant for fusions and hybrids, the Foam and Force breaks away from the pack and truly speaks for itself because the shoe needs no “hype”. Finally arriving in Nike Sportswear retailers tomorrow is the long-awaited Foamposite x Nike Air Force 1; while some lucky few have managed to get their pairs early, these will truly stand out as one of the best releases if the year. Be sure to check your local spot because these are indeed a Quickstrike release so take a look at the collection of images after the jump and don’t regret passing on these by guaranteeing your pair now from footsoldiers on eBay.

Style: 415419-002
Color: Metallic Silver/Black

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The past seven days has been one of the biggest weeks for Nike and Jordan Brand; we’re right in the middle of the World Basketball Festival and two great Jordan Retros – the Air Jordan IX and Air Jordan VII ‘For the Love of the Game‘ – just dropped and the Foamposite Air Force 1 will make its way into stores as well. For those who are into the Air + Air Fusions, the well-received Air Jordan Force Fusion XII in Obsidian will release, as will a new colorway of Black/Sapphire. The Obsidian Fusion is definitely on the better end of the AJF catalog while the Black/Sapphire joints add some interesting color to a shoe that always sparks debate. Both the Obsidian and Black/Sapphire Fusion XII will release tomorrow at Jordan Brand Retailers, but you can also pick up the Black/Sapphire pair on eBay.

Style: 317742-401
Color: Obsidian/White-French Blue-University Blue

Style: 317742-001
Color: Black/Blue Sapphire-Cyber

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