The Nike Vault is a basketball-specific and Kobe-centric shop located inside The Staples Center, the home of the Los Angeles Lakers. To gear up for the official release of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, the Nike Vault has set up a snake tank display housing various colorways of the slithery Nike Zoom Kobe VI in its natural habitat – a jungle-like setting for the Black Mamba to furtively maneuver around its prey and quickly strike without a hint of a warning. Will LeBron James be the Black Mamba’s latest victim? Kobe Bryant will debut the Nike Zoom Kobe VI ‘Grinch’ tomorrow against the Christmas Day match-up against the Miami Heat, and you can see this gorgeous display beginning on Christmas Day by visiting the Nike Vault @ The Staples Center. For a closer look, check out the detailed gallery below.

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The Nike Zoom Kobe series has come to give us a few ‘standard’ colorways throughout the years.  Aside from obvious Lakers models, you can always expect an All-Star colorup, a Chicago-style look, one in baby blue for the MPLS Lakers, and in recent years both Chaos and Finals special editions.  Could the ‘Glass Blue’ accented palette on this new Nike Zoom Kobe VI join that select list and become an annual occurrence?  When you see how great they look with an average pair of blue jeans, the answer probably should be ‘yes’.  The dude in these pics is clearly a sneakerhead as judged by his black Air Penny II retros, and we’re glad he took the time to snap a few shots to give us an early look at what’s gotta be one of the most wardrobe friendly Zoom Kobe sneakers yet.  Check out more after the jump and stick with Sneaker News for the Glass Blue Zoom Kobe 6 release date; looks like they’re already out in China.  via HoopChina

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For some, the Air Jordan XI ‘Cool Grey’ was an easy cop. Hit up Nikestore, Foot Locker, or any other major chain retailer at midnight with lightning-quick credit card skills or have your pairs on lock at your local spot, or wait a couple of hours on a massive yet controlled line, and you probably ended up with a pair. However, in some places, the excitement escalated and the release got out of hand, like at Deerbrook Mall in Humble, TX. Although no doors were torn down (like last year’s Air Jordan XI Space Jam Release), a lack of order meant police intervention, innocent people getting trampled or pushed down stairs, and a handful of people missing out on the biggest, most hyped release of the year. Check out the news video from the ABC News (courtesy of MN) of the area and let us know how bad (or easy) the release was in your area, and if you haven’t picked up a pair just yet, grab one now on eBay.

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Throw those Uggs back into the closet ladies, because for Spring 2011, some new Air Max 1s are begging you to make some room in the rotation. All three colorways have a Spring-time hint of light pastel colors of Filament Green, Glacier Blue, and Lemon Frost, with synthetic suede uppers and mesh toe-boxes for the classic Air Max 1 appeal. All three brand-new colorways are available now at Nikestore so maybe it might be a bit early to ditch the Ugg-warmth, so take a detailed look at all three colorways in the meantime and let us know which of the three you like best.

Style: 319986-300
Color: Filament Green/Lemon Frost

Style: 319986-401
Color: Glacier Blue/Sail

Style: 319986-601
Color: Deep Burgundy/Filament Green

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Air Jordan 1 Phat Low ‘Vamps’? These share quite a resemblance to the SB Dunk Low colorway from 2003 but of course we know that the black-and-red Air Jordan outdates the Nike SB Dunk (then again, one could argue that the Nike Dunk outdates the Air Jordan). Moving along, this new colorway of the Air Jordan 1 Phat low features the aboriginal Air Jordan colorway with a translucent outsole and a stealth grey inner lining and ’23′ on the tongue. The patent leather red swoosh as well as the contrast stitching on the midsole as well as on the Wings logo on the heel provides even more ‘umph’. Take a detailed look after the jump and expect these to hit Jordan Brand retailers soon. via Dunk.

Style: 338145-007
Color: Black/Varsity Red-Stealth

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Just because most people have all but wrapped up gift buying and the ‘Cool Grey’ Air Jordan XI Retro is sold out everywhere, doesn’t mean holiday spending has ended.  If you’re lucky enough to read this in time, you’ll find that for the first time ever, both the Nike Air Force 1 High + Low are available on NIKEiD.  The colors and materials from which you can choose have been inspired by b-ball teams from around the AF1′s 1982 debut, and for the first time on iD, you can add the signature ‘AIR FORCE 1′ script to a clear outsole.  Head over to Nike iD then click ‘view all’ to get started on yours now before the super-limited 350 pair run is gone!

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Next week, Sneaker News will reveal our Top 30 Sneakers of the Year list, but before we do, we wanted to give you, our loyal readers, a chance to let your voices be heard. With such diversity in the world of sneakers, everyone has their own personal favorites, so here’s your chance to make your valuable opinion count. The first ever Sneaker News Readers Choice Poll presents the opportunity for our readers to vote for their favorite sneakers from the previous year, as we explore a wide variety of categories containing some of the best releases of 2010. The voting will begin tonight and remain open until December 31st at midnight, so make sure you cast your ballots to support the kicks that you feel are the best of the year. The results will be revealed in the first week of 2011, as we will announce all the triumphant winners of the 2010 Sneaker News Readers Choice Awards. Continue on after the jump to throw in your two cents and help ensure that your favorites come out on top.

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Having had the taste of victory the season prior, Michael Jordan entered the 1991-92 NBA Season with ‘swag’, an unshakable and indefinable confidence that cast a shadow on the entire league. Winning was everything for Michael, as displayed by his leadership of the Chicago Bulls to a then-franchise record sixty-seven wins and a second trip to the NBA Finals. Jordan began the NBA Finals on a high note, finishing the first half of Game 1 with 35 points and the infamous shoulder-shrug after hitting six three-pointers – an outstanding scoring feat even Jordan himself couldn’t comprehend, as he looked to those in the audience for some sort of explanation. Michael Jordan led the Bulls to an eventual (and inevitable) victory over the Blazers while capturing the NBA Finals MVP, which completed the trifecta of MVP awards of that season. However, according to Jordan himself, winning his second championship wasn’t his favorite moment in the Air Jordan VII. In fact, that moment occurred halfway around the globe.

Months after winning his second title, Michael Jordan embarked upon a journey to the international stage, as he, alongside eleven other NBA superstars, formed the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. Prior to the 1992 Olympics, NBA players were not allowed to participate in the Olympics, but in 1992, the ‘Dream Team’ was formed and steamrolled through the competition and dominated each and every contest by wide margins. Michael Jordan, who wore the ‘Olympic’ colorway of the Air Jordan VII, captured his first and only Olympic Gold Medal, and refers to his experience in Barcelona as “one of the best times of my life”.

The Air Jordan VII was designed once again by Tinker Hatfield, who was behind the Air Jordan III-VI, and was inspired by African tribal artwork. The design was also an evolutionary step forward from the Air Jordan VI while adopting some structural ideas from the Nike Huarache based on the cut and construction of the ankle. However subtle the jump from 6 to 7 may be, some major differences should be noted. For one, it did not featured a visible Air unit that was seen on the previous four models, nor did it showcase any sort of Nike logo or branding with the exception of the insoles. The shoe itself was very minimal with branding, as it featured just a small Jumpman on the upper ankle and the bottom sole, an AIR JORDAN label on the tongue, and Jordan’s ’23′ on the heel (’9′ on the Olympic version). As Jordan did with his previous models, he debuted the Air Jordan VII at the NBA All-Star Game, wearing the ‘Bordeaux’ colorway, and then followed that with the ‘Hare’ for the rest of the season, the Black/Red colorway for the 1992 Playoffs, and the ‘Cardinal’ for the first half of the 1992-93 season. Michael also wore the French Blue colorway during his years with the Wizards. After Retro releases in 2002, 2004, and 2006, the Air Jordan VII was released once more in 2010 in ‘Premio’ form as part of the Jordan Brand Bin 23 Collection. Continue reading for a look at Michael Jordan and the Air Jordan VII and stay tuned to Sneaker News for the next installment of Michael Jordan Through The Years.

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Around the time of the Nike SB Dunk’s emergence, a line was drawn between new-age SB Dunk fans and old-school puritan followers of the Air Force 1. Of course there are many sneakerheads out there who show equal love to both but that overlapping session of the Nike venn diagram isn’t as big as you might expect. DJ Clark Kent is part of that group of equal opportunists because while he’s known as a big-time Air Force 1 fanatic, he’s also an SB Dunk supporter – which even he knows is a surprising fact to others. How does Clark show that he might not favor one side over the other? His insane collection of Nike SB Dunk Force 1s, which feature a classic Air Force 1 chassis with an upper from a Nike SB Dunk. Some of the original SB Dunk versions of what he has are tough to get, so you can imagine the height of Clark’s tier in Nike’s inner circle. Check out DJ Clark Kent’s rare collection after the jump and let us know which pair you like best. via ITSB.

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The Nike ACG Lunar MacLeay+ is one of All Conditions Gear’s best new models this century.  It’s a design so good that all at once you get a subtle sneaker you could very easily rock with most well-conceived outfits and one whose subtle ruggedness hints at a true mountain warrior.  Throw in the lightweight performance of a LunarLon sole and these truly are kicks for ‘all conditions’, and the latest release is making its way to US retailers as we speak.  These joints are crafted in Fog grey nubuck with just the right amount of yellow and orange so you’re getting the vivid look ACG is known for, but on a more wardrobe-friendly scale.  Check out more shots after the jump and grab one today from select NSW/ACG accounts including JBseller on eBay.

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An all-black Air Jordan 1 Anodized released as part of Jordan Brand’s December lineup and here’s a familiar hybrid model with its own nod toward Nike Foamposite technology.  The Air Jordan Six Rings is pictured above in a black and Dark Shadow colorway that’s most notable for its use of a pearlized leather on the mudguard and heel that give these the same velvety sheen as Nike Basketball’s suddenly oft-copied Foams.  It’s a luxurious twist on a colorway that’s a natural fit for a shoe modeled after the six MJ wore in the NBA Playoffs en route to championships and you can get a better look by clicking on the jump below.  via Rstor

Style: 322992-003
Color: Black/Dark Charcoal

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Popular culture typically portrays punk music and culture as being a nihilistic all-out party, but straight edge offers a significant subset that reminds us the key unifying factor for all punks is social critique and the hope for a better world.  And for those of us who enjoy colorful sneakers, the world will be a better place next spring when the Gorilla Biscuits x Vans pack releases to retail.  Consisting of a Vans Sk8-Hi and Slip-On, these joints both go with bright pastel shades in place of Vans almost-always-white waffle sole to further accentuate a couple of solid palettes.  Check out both pairs after the jump and look for these at select Off the Wall retailers next month.  via FNG

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