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The H-Town Sneaker Summit Winter ’11 wrapped up this past Sunday to a massive crowd of sneakerheads, but it was also a major treat for audiophiles and sports fanatics alike. Houston’s biggest celebrity sneakerhead Bun B was in the building, as were The Cool Kids for a meet-and-greet as well as a live performance. If that wasn’t enough of a draw, NBA legend and former Houston Rockets superstar Hakeem Olajuwon graced the event-goers with an appearance, as did Arian Foster of the Houston Texans. The H-Town Sneaker Summit was an event for all ages, with an open bar and lounge available for the age-appropriate sneakerheads. Check out the huge crowds and big stars from the H-Town Sneaker Summit Winter ’11 below!
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Earlier today, Sneaker News had the very special privilege of checking out the official unveiling of the Air Jordan 2011 in New York City. We’ve already brought you a number of preview looks at this year’s anticipated new Air Jordan model, but as any sneakerhead knows, sometimes you really can’t get a full appreciation for a shoe until you see it in person, and the Air Jordan 2011 no doubt falls into this category. You’re never going to please everyone with a new Jordan model, but this time around, the JB design team seems to have made great strides in terms of better understanding what contemporary consumers want in terms of both style and performance.
Aesthetically, the Air Jordan 2011 immediately stands out as being perhaps the simplest silhouette ever seen on an Air Jordan legacy model. At a quick glance, there doesn’t seem to be much involved with the basic two-section upper, but a closer look will reveal the type of thoughtful touches that can always be counted on from MJ’s signature shoes. The most notable visual feature of the 2011 is without a doubt the depressed graphic pattern that appears on the overlay section of the upper. Inspired by the basketball warrior mindset of Michael Jordan himself, the abstract design not only helps tell another aspect of MJ’s story, but provides the otherwise minimal design with a nice touch of depth and contrast within the indented grooves of the graphic.
As you’d expect, aside from the look of the shoe, the Air Jordan 2011 also continues to push the performance/technology envelope. In addition to being incredibly lightweight and breathable, the functional highlight of the 2011 is the newly introduced option of two sets of swappable insoles, featuring two different types of cushioning engineered to meet different on-court needs depending on body type and style of play. Consumers are encouraged to figure out whether the “Quick” (Zoom Air) or “Explosive” (Max Air) is a better fit and feel for them, marking the first time that a singular basketball shoe has offered the opportunity to explore both of these different possibilities.
Both sets of insoles come with their own individual bag, housed along with the shoe in an all new white box sporting a large black Jumpman on the top and a “Choose Your Flight” invitation printed inside the box top. Whether it be the intriguing insole options or streamline look, take it from us that the Air Jordan 2011 is worth a look when it hits retail next month. Jordan may have missed the mark for some with recent releases, but with its tastefully minimalist aesthetics and anticipated performance potential, the AJ 2011 is looking like a definite step in the right direction for JB. Keep reading for a detailed look at the first four colorways, as well as some dismantled sample pieces and original Tinker Hatfield sketches, and stay tuned tomorrow for our in-depth interview with Air Jordan 2011 co-designer Tom Luedecke.
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Low-top Air Jordans have a lukewarm following from Jordan fans. Some love ‘em and some don’t care for ‘em, but it should be noted that Michael Jordan himself preferred low-cut shoes during the latter half of his Chi-Town tenure. The Air Jordan XI IE Low opened the door for other low-top Air Jordans from later models and again from Retro releases, like the Air Jordan XII ‘Taxi’ that first released back in 2004. With the mid-cut Taxis releasing as part of the Air Jordan XI/XII Collezione Package release in 2008, some have scratched their heads to this release, considering that so many more Air Jordan XII colorways (both new and old) might’ve been due up, but at the rate of Jordan Retros being released every year, you’ll be just fine holding your breath. Kickscrew has the Taxi Lows available early so take a look below and cop a pair now.
Style: 308317-104
Color: White/Black-Taxi
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A few weeks ago, we gave you a sneak peek at the upcoming Packer Shoes x Reebok Grand Slam Pack, a collection of four Court Victory Pumps inspired by the biggest tournaments in the world of tennis. As previously mentioned, each of the four CV Pumps will be released around its respective Grand Slam event, and with the Australian Open in full swing, it’s almost time for the first colorway to drop. In addition to the color schemes, the materials of all four Grand Slam Pumps were specifically chosen with elements of the different tournaments in mind in an effort to make each design as true to its inspiration as possible.
For the Australia installment of the pack, the upper features a blue grip tape material intended to replicate the hard texture of the Aussie Open court, while the white mesh areas were chosen for breathability purposes – a nod to the 100 degree temperatures that often haunt the yearly tourney. Additional design touches like the stars on the mudguard and hits of red throughout are obvious nods to the Australian flag, while the kangaroo-inspired terrycloth stash pockets behind the tongues provide a more subtle inclusion of “down under” flavor, complete with a “Packer Slam” label as an added bonus. Take a look at some more pics after the jump, and look out for these to release in limited quantities at Packer Shoes this Saturday, January 29th.
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The last time we saw a new Vans Vault Mid Skool ’77 LX was part of last year’s Major League Baseball Opening Day Pack. And while one pair is basically the opposite of those Dodger joints, there are no other similarities in theme save the demand for premium quality. Each of these Mid Skools is crafted in premium leather with super-simple two-toned colorups giving way to Vans’ classic black-on-white waffle sole. Check out the aforementioned white/blue pair along with Bred and black/white joints after the jump and look for these at select Off The Wall retailers in March. via Provider
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In what has become an undeniable and distinct theme for this particular model, the Nike Air Max 90 is back again in a high contrast colorway that features patent leather accents. These might not be as bold as some of the others in this same category, but the all-black base with blue accents including all stitching makes these a head-turner. This application is something like the footwear equivalent of Duke University students camping out overnight at Krzyzewskiville but will likely find fans all over the globe, and the only place you can get em is from the UK’s JD Sports.
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“I know what i’m doin’ people! I’m something like a genius.”
True, the above statement is debatable. But Specialist H isn’t wrong when he says that some people need Quickness and some need Explosion, and the all-new Air Jordan offers that dual purpose. The Air Jordan 2011 was recently unveiled to the media and with a wide release hitting on February 19th (after a first drop of the Air Jordan 2011 ‘Year of the Rabbit’ on February 3rd), we can expect Dwyane Wade to finally hang up the Air Jordan 2010s for the all-new 2011 (that he briefly wore during the Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers). Here’s an all new commercial for the Air Jordan 2011 in which you can see how the ‘Quick’ and ‘Explosive’ can benefit different types of games, and stick with Sneaker News for more updated info regarding the Air Jordan 2011.
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As part of Nike Sportswear’s ‘Be True To Your Street’ collection, we’re seeing the first new pack of vintage Nike Dunks in nearly three years. It’s no coincidence that the last VNTG Dunks were a BTTYS pack of the ‘School’ variety, and while these aren’t exact replicas of the Original 7, there are definitely some similarities. The Steelers-style Lows are pretty much a chopped-off Goldenrod/Iowa, but when you consider the Un-Ultraman colorway, it becomes clear that this pack is actually a retro of CO.JP releases from all the way back in 1999. So there’s no doubting the heritage common to these kicks, but the real question is which pairs do you plan to purchase? via HB
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Think ‘Pink’ and think ‘Kids’ with this upcoming Nike Zoom Kobe VI release. Although not the ‘Think Pink’ colorway (although that should be arriving sometime later this year), this new GS colorway features a nice mixture of grey, black, and bubble-gum pink for the Kobe fans ages 13 and under (and probably of the female gender). The grey upper snakeskin is matched with pink on the swoosh, inner lining, and rear midsole, with black on the heel-cup, outsole, laces, and Kobe logo on the tongue. Hard to imagine this pink colorway to strike fear in opponents, but we all know those elementary-school level girls basketball games can get pretty rugged. Check out these new images of this upcoming GS colorway of the Zoom Kobe VI below and stick with Sneaker News for more information as it develops. via MarqueeSole.
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Behind the beauty of the Air Jordan 2011 lies a beast of performance machine, built on classic Nike technology and refined with contemporary styling and tooling. Featuring the first-ever interchangeable insole cushioning system, the Air Jordan 2011 allows you to ‘Choose Your Flight’; you can be Quick with the Forefoot and Heel Zoom Air insole, or Explosive with the Max Air embedded in Cushlon. In addition to the interchangeable cushioning is a lightweight upper featuring the Internal Locking System which locks down the forefoot and heel. The Air Jordan 2011 was designed by two design legends of Beaverton in Tinker Hatfield, who was responsible for some of the most historic Air Jordan and Nike designs, and Tom Luedecke, who spearheaded some of today’s revolutionary basketball technology and engineering. Continue reading for the full video detailing the technical specifications of the Air Jordan 2011 and let us know what you think.
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