“[Kobe Bryant] originally said, ‘I want the lowest, lightest basketball shoe ever.’”

The Nike Zoom Kobe VI is set to launch later this week and the latest Kobe Bryant signature from Nike Basketball represents years of refinement.  2008 saw the Zoom Kobe 4 break what was once thought to be a cardinal rule of basketball sneaker ankle support with Kobe choosing a soccer style cut because, as Nike designer Eric Avar relays, “[Soccer players] do all the same movements I do, and they’re always in a lowtop.”  Avar divulges further improvements in the latest Zoom Kobe shoe including a lower, lighter sole design with Zoom Air cushioning and a dual-layer memory foam insole, and you can’t forget the ZK6′s black mamba-nispired scaly upper.  Click through to see a full video of Eric Avar discussing the Nike Zoom Kobe 6 and stick with Sneaker News for upcoming release dates.

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Plenty of Nike colors have alternate versions.  Summit White sometimes give way to a Metallic shade, Varsity Purple can either be straightforward or more of an ‘Eggplant’ if its done in Foamposite, but never before has the Swoosh simply chosen to name a new shade as the sequel to its predecessor.  But maybe Nike chose to give ‘Pinkfire II’ an unassuming name cos as soon as you see it on this new Nike Hyperdunk 2010, your eyes are going to pop right outta your skull.  Maybe these could have been ‘Metallic Pinkfire’, cos these look to have been crafted in some alloy (it’s Flywire-embedded TPU, of course), and the wow factor is strong enough that you don’t think twice upon learning this is a men’s colorup.  Have a closer look after the jump and grab these today from NikeStore.

Style: 407625-602
Color: Pinkfire II/White-Myth Heather

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Coming up on its tenth anniversary, the Jordan Brand Classic high school all star basketball game has grown to rival the iconic McDonald’s All American Game.  After having been played at MCI (Verizon) Center in DC when MJ was with the Wizards and subsequently at Madison Square Garden, next April’s JBC will take place in Jordan’s current home digs, Time Warner Cable Arena.  Previous Jordan Brand Classic standouts include Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, LeBron James, Amar’e Stoudemire and 2006 MVP Kevin Durant.  Could 2011 be a showcase for a future elite talent?  Seems like a pretty good shot, but whatever the case be sure to check back with Sneaker News for the likely Air Jordan PEs for next year’s Jordan Brand Classic.

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So far, Gilbert Arenas and the Orlando Magic are 0-2 since Arenas arrived, with the only wins coming from the new Orlando guard’s sneakers. He debuted in an Orlando uniform Monday night wearing the Air Jordan XII ‘Nubuck’ and followed it up with the Nike Air Max Penny 1 on Tuesday. Gilbert’s already been spotted with the Air Max Penny 1 during team photo-shoots in the pre-season, but since then, Arenas has racked up a considerable amount of sneaker highlights. So what will Gilbert Arenas wear next? The Nike Air Foamposite One ‘Royal’? The Air Penny II? Or will he surprise us with a blue-infused Air Jordan like the Air Jordan XVII in College Blue, the Air Jordan IX Low in Pearl Blue, or the Air Jordan III in True Blue? Check out Gilbert and his kicks in action after the jump and vote for what you’d like to see Gilbert wear next. via ESPN.

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The design is something of an ’80s basketball simulacrum, so it was only a matter of time before the Nike Convention High saw a release with Air Jordan influence.  But did you also expect that the first Convention Highs to feature Elephant print would also be an ACG-inspired pack?  Check out these new colorways straight from the recently retroed Nike Air Escape ACG.  Everything down to the multi-speckled midsole is just like the OG Escapes except for an Elephant infusion on the toebox and eyelets.  Click through to get a better look at both pairs and grab one or both today from NikeStore.

Style: 432103-200
Color: Baroque Brown/Chilling Red-Bright Mandarin

Style: 432103-700
Color: Honeycomb/Concord-Mineral Blue

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Foamposite infusion has been one of the biggest trends in 2010, but Nike Sportswear offered two Nike Blazers in a Foam-imitating satiny synthetic material as early as holiday 2009.  Here’s a new Blazer Mid GS that goes with that same pearlized finish and ends up looking something like the Metallic Platinum Air Foamposite One that’s going to hit retailers early next year.  The black nubuck details atop a silvery base make for an interesting contrast and it’s particularly fitting on a model with a storied history as long as the Blazer’s.  Nike Basketball’s first two decades in a blender, served up in grade school sizes: these foamy Blazer Mid GSes are available now from 95soleman on eBay.

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With tons of new lifestyle-oriented designs from Nike Sportswear and mass amounts of Dunk and Air Force 1 colorways, the Nike Court Force has seen a relatively slow 2010.  Here are two new Court Force Highs that offer classic yet timely looks thanks to the buffalo plaid wrapped around their ankle collars.  This makes for a nice warm addition to otherwise leather designs, the two pairs both opting for simple palettes.  It’s your choice between black/royal/white and grey/black/white; we’ve got photos of both pairs awaiting your click on the jump and the UK’s JD Sports currently has both of them in stock.

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Here’s a look at the Air Max Iconic II, a new Air Max design with design cues borrowed from Air Max legacy models of the earlier years. The midsole and large visible Air unit on the heel is borrowed from the Air Max 93, while the upper features hints from the Air Max LTD. Other details include a toe-cap for a sleek look and a jeweled swoosh with a volt-green contrast stitching border. This model is an obvious sequel to the Air Max Iconic, which featured a large swoosh and a perforated upper, but features the same midsole and Air unit from the ’93. This new colorway just released in Switzerland’s Titolo so check out the extra angles of this new Nike Air Max release and give us your opinion on this new design.

Style: 31894- 008
Color: Black/Volt

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Carmelo Anthony’s been feeling the Nike and Jordan Brand love when he first came upon the NBA, as we’ve seen Carmelo sport some great Air Jordan Retro PEs during games and off the court. Here’s a look at a clean pair of Air Force 1 Lows made for Carmelo Anthony back in 2004; it features the classic Nuggets white, powder blue, and maize with Carmelo’s ‘Melo’ logo stitched on the rear heel. The Denver Nuggets colors surround the shoe, as seen on the double-layered swoosh, stitching on the midsole, inner lining, and tongue label, but as we know, it’s the white base that controls the simplicity of this rare pair of Air Force 1 PEs. Take another look after the jump and to cop this size 14 collectible, check out the auction from toebox_champ on eBay.

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On the eve of his much-anticipated match-up with the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets superstar and Brooklyn-born Carmelo Anthony sat down with Sneaker News after a team practice to discuss his brand new signature shoe with Jordan Brand, the Jordan Melo M7. Passionate energy has been one of Carmelo Anthony’s calling cards throughout his career, whether it be about his hometown roots, family and loved ones, his teammates and professional success, and particularly his signature line of footwear with Jordan Brand. Now seven deep into the Jordan Melo sneaker legacy, the Melo M7 is on the brink of writing another sensational chapter in Carmelo’s growing legacy; the deceptively lightweight construction combined with unique pairings of materials like Foamposite and patent leather result in arguably the best Jordan Melo design yet, with top-notch on-court performance as well as an off-the-court lifestyle appeal to boot. Continue reading for a Sneaker News Exclusive interview with Carmelo Anthony to find out more about the Jordan Melo M7.

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Tom Cruise is more than just an actor, but rather a internationally recognized brand usually tied to blockbuster movies. Cruise can be regarded as the biggest movie-star of all time and that certainly has garnered him notoriety on an unmeasurable scale, but it seems like Cruise is also a big name in one small sub-culture comprised of sneaker geeks and Jordan fanatics. Alongside his wife Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise was spotted on the streets of New York City wearing a crisp pair of the Air Jordan XI ‘Concord’. Upon closer inspection, one can point out the slightly blue tint on the translucent sole, which could mean that Mr. Cruise got his hands on a pair of the recently confirmed 2011 release of the Air Jordan XI ‘Concord’. Then again, if you’re Tom Cruise, how can you not get special dibs from Nike? Unfortunately, we don’t get to see Tom in his kicks that often – the last such reported occasions of this year was when he was spotted with the Air Max Hyperize and Air Max LeBron VII. Check out Tom Cruise after the jump and let us know what you think of his kicks.

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With the Jordan CMFT Max Air 12 having been pulled together from Air Jordan XII and Nike Air Max 97, it’s fitting that we’ve seen colorway nods in both directions.  This latest CMFT Max Air 12 GS manages to go both ways on a single design, all at once evoking the classic ‘Gold Medal’ AM97s and adding that classic Air Jordan aggression courtesy of a black mesh upper with a Jumpman on the tongue.  And there’s a bit of crosspollination from the mudguard down, with the metallic sections done in the patent leather made famous by the AJXII’s prequel, plus some Chicago red inside the AM97′s groundbreaking full-length Air unit.  These will hit retailers in February 2011 along with the French Blue joints we showed you earlier — which pair’s better? 

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