Sneaker customizer MizzeeCustoms has carved (or rather, painted) quite a nice little niche for himself in the game by applying well known colorways to different models, but it looks like he’ll have a battle on his hands if he wants to maintain the number one spot.  Zen One has staked his claim with this new run of ‘Bordeaux’ Nike Air Max 90 customs designed after the Air Jordan VII Retro colorway that released this past weekend.  These Ninetys feature that same classic black/grey base with the uniquely paired accent shades coming in on an AJ7-mimicking tongue along with the AM90′s signature heel tabs.  Click through to see some more angles and let us know how these compare to the other custom sneakers we’ve profiled here on Sneaker News.

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Now that the men have been separate from the boys, it’s time to further distinguish the kings amongst the men. The real NBA season began on Saturday, with super Nike athletes Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Paul Pierce starting their quests for championship glory. The road to a championship “is paved with EPIC performances that build heroes and cast legacies”, and Nike Basketball is celebrating these inspiring moments and the players who create these long-lasting memories. Out East, you have LeBron battling Paul Pierce in a mammoth match-up of elite small-forwards, while the West features the game’s best winner in Kobe Bryant facing off against Kevin Durant, the most dangerous scorer in the NBA. Who you got in the Finals? In any scenario, expect to see a showcase of some great Nike Basketball sneakers, like the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, Nike LeBron 8 P.S., Nike Zoom KD III, and the Nike Air Max Flight ’11. A detail gallery awaits you below so take a look and get prepared for the most anticipated NBA post season of the century!

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Nike has numerous retail locations throughout Japan, but given the relative difference between American and Japanese sneaker preferences, you would have assumed Jordan Brand would have set up shop here in the states before the Far East.  Apparently that won’t be the case, however, as the Jordan Tokyo23 shop is set to open its doors (and website) soon, anchored by a dope Air Jordan V Retro release that’ll have US sneakerheads yellow with envy if they turn out to be a Japanese exclusive.  This electrifying new colorway has a bit of AJIV ‘Lightning’ DNA, but features a distinctive ’23′ stitch on its lateral heels that’s unique to the entire Air Jordan Legacy.  Will we see this insignia pop up on future Air Jordan T23 releases?  Will the AJ5 Tokyo23 be a Japan-only drop?  Many questions remain to be answered so click through to see more and stick with Sneaker News for more including the release date.  via Us11

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Kobe Bryant needs to channel his inner Michael Jordan if he wants to complete his second three-peat of his career. While he got off to a good start, arriving at the Staples Center before the start of Game 1 wearing the Flint XIII, the Lakers as a team did not, as they squandered Home-court advantage to the swarming New Orleans Hornets. Seeing Kobe in Jordans isn’t exactly an oddity, as Kobe wore a plethora of Air Jordan Retros as well as PE colorways after he signed on with the Swoosh as a Nike Basketball athlete. Are these the best Jordans we’ve seen Kobe Bryant in? Check out the extra shots of the Black Mamba wearing the Black Panther-inspired Jordans and let us know what you think. via ESPN.

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In May 2009, the Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Patagonia’ released in a black and Academy Blue palette with orange accents to mimic their namesake brand’s mountain logo.  They were something of a sleeper upon initial release but the same is unlikely to be true of this new ‘Patagonia’ Dunk Mid SB.  These joints don’t simply reprise the same color scheme, but rather opt for a rich outdoorsy mix of tonal browns, forest green and brick red, a palette that you’ll also see on a set of related gear.  Click through for more, let us know what you think and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for updates on these and all Nike SB release dates.  via N-SB

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The 4/20-themed ‘Cheech & Chong’ Dunk High SB dropping in May is a bit strange, but then again, any semblance of required timing for sneaker releases ended for 2011 when the Air Jordan VII ‘Year of the Rabbit’ failed to hit retailers around the Chinese New Year in February.  But luckily their strange timing doesn’t mean this dope AJ7 Retro has gone up in smoke, and quite to the contrary in fact, for this model that’ll soon drop with a sweet special package.  Their gold-on-red box is done with ornate graphics that mirror the shoe’s accent colors and should hit stores sometime between the just-out Bordeaux Retro and June’s Cardinals.  Click through to see more shots and stick with Sneaker News for the exact release date.  via Kix-Files

Air Jordan VII Retro ‘Year of the Rabbit’
Light Silver/Metallic Gold-True Red-White
459873-005

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The opening games of the 2011 NBA Playoffs began on Saturday afternoon and ended last night with some surprising headlines. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers gave up home-court advantage to the New Orleans Hornets, while the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs also gave up their higher seedings by dropping the first games at home. Ray Allen gave the Boston Celtics a Game 1 victory with a go-ahead 3-pointer with seconds to go, while the OKC Thunder survived their opening match-up behind Kevin Durant’s 41 points. We also got a look at some great sneakers over the weekend, like the debut of the Nike LeBron 8 P.S. and the adidas adiZero Crazy Light.

Dwyane Wade’s Air Jordan 2011 and Carmelo Anthony’s new Knicks-inspired Melo M7 were the keynote Player Exclusive colorways, while Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo sported the upcoming Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2011. Gilbert Arenas kept it smooth with the Air Jordan XI ‘Cool Grey’, while other Jordan Brand athletes like Gerald Wallace, Ray Allen, and Quentin Richardson wore the Jordan Play In These F TXT. Continue reading for a full recap of the 2011 NBA Playoffs: Round 1 – Part 1 below and stick with Sneaker News for more NBA Feet updates throughout the entire postseason. via Yahoo!.

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Cheech & Chong’s films are known for their cloudy comedy more than any kind of real drama, but Todd Bratrud’s Nike SB Dunk High inspired by their legacy has taken a serious turn toward psychologically thrilling cliffhanger.  On Friday, we brought you the unfortunate news that the ‘Cheech and Chong’ Dunk High SBs were nixed due to legal reasons but one prominent SB retailer insists this simply isn’t true.  Brooklyn Projects tweeted yesterday that “the 4/20 Nike SB dunks ARE coming out, [but] they are late coming in from the factory.”  BP went on to suggest a delayed drop in May, but word is five German stores will have theirs on time next week.   Click through to see another round of images and be sure to check back with Sneaker News for updates on this twisted saga.

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A day before King James and the Miami Heat took home a hard-fought Game 1 playoff win, Sneaker News had the privilege of heading down to Miami for a special media wear-test session at American Airlines Arena. Upon entering the building, we were led through a long hallway celebrating the team’s 2006 championship and eventually into the locker room, which for the day was converted into Nike LeBron 8 PS central, complete with shoes and wear-test gear ready to go. But before it was time to take the shoe for a test drive, head LeBron designer, Jason Petrie, was brought in to take the group through a thorough breakdown of the three stages of the Nike LeBron 8 and finishing off with a comprehensive focus on the third version of the shoe, engineered specifically for the post season marathon set to begin the following day.

Jason set up the three-phase concept of “Ignite, Attack, Finish” with a comparison to sports car design and how it often serves as inspiration when creating footwear for the world’s top athletes. With the Lamborghini Gallardo in mind, Petrie explained the notion of three versions of a peak performance automobile, each one top of the line in its own way, but each tailored with a targeted purpose – one luxurious and fully equipped (V1), one stripped down and slicker in aesthetics (V2) and finally, one built straight for speed and raceday performance (PS). Building off that foundation, the barely street legal LeBron 8 PS was carved, shaved, punctured and ventilated to the limit in the name of developing a lightweight shoe that can stand up to the rigorous demands required to protect Nike’s two most valuable feet come playoff time.

Nowadays, if you can hang around until the end, the NBA playoffs can go on for nearly two months and a quarter season-plus of games. With the 8 series, the idea is to lighten the load for LeBron each step of the way, eventually ending with a bare bones ride intended to add a little extra spring in LeBron’s step after a long season when he’ll need it most. With a full Hyperfuse upper utilizing bonded layers of mesh and thin synthetic materials and a combination of an Air Max 180 heel and Zoom forefoot, the LeBron 8 PS has successfully addressed support both under and around the foot while still managing to shed a full 1.5 ounces of weight. With the full lowdown on the shoe succinctly laid out for us, it was time to hit the floor and see for ourselves, however, in order to get the full effect, the group was suited up in the V2 first for the warm-up and drills session run by none other than former NBA star Kenny Anderson.

After getting a little sweat going and some touches on the ball, it was time to hit the bench to switch over to the PS and get back on the court for scrimmaging. While you might not think that even a substantial difference of an ounce and a half would be that noticeable on foot, the disparity was felt immediately after the shoe change with the super-airy breathability standing out as the major source of lightweight feel from one to the other. Acknowledging that a quick afternoon session of b-ball can’t duplicate the feel of a full 82 game season, there’s no question that the PS can provide some relief for your feet if you’re in search of an ultra-lightweight shoe that will stand up to some punishment on the hardwood. While initial reactions to LeBron 8 PS preview images have been mixed, seeing the shoe in person and trying it on will definitely sway some opinions. Continue on after the jump for a full recap of the LeBron 8 PS media wear-test, and if you’re sold already, get a pair now from Nike retailers or on eBay.

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Kanye West surprises us once again with the public debut of the Nike Air Yeezy 2 while performing the closer to this years Coachella. We previous saw just a glimpse of the Air Yeezy 2 in Nike/Kobe Bryant short film/commercial The Black Mamba. Just hours ago, Kanye gave the awaiting world the best view of the latest Yeezy yet during his performance but those watching live on youtube only saw them through the grainy live stream, and even those in attendance only had a distance view. Sneaker News will start digging up more photos once they are available so stick with us for the latest.

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2011′s already brought us a brand Air Jordan VII colorway, and we still have to original version headed our way. Dropping this Saturday is the ‘Bordeaux’ colorway of the Air Jordan VII, but some of you may have had your eyes on the White/Cardinal Red, which is currently slated for the June 18th release. Michael wore the Cardinals a lot more than he did the Bordeaux VII, but with a release of the Cardinals coming just five years ago, the excitement surrounding these may not be as high. Even during that famed ’06 retro release, it was overshadowed by the Flint Grey colorway that dropped on the same day. If you need more convincing, check out this new detailed gallery from kicks-lab and pick up a pair ahead of schedule from eBay.

Air Jordan VII Retro
White/Cardinal Red-Black-Bronze
304775-104
06/18/11
$150

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All of the sneaker cakes that Sneaker News has shown you were modeled after hot releases and classic sneakers. Here’s a look at true Kobe Bryant fan-dom – a Sneaker Cake modeled after the adidas The Kobe. For the young’ns just jumping on the Kobe bandwagon, Kobe Bryant was with adidas for the first six years of his career and had a line of signature shoes that was truly like none other. The adidas The Kobe, inspired by the Audi TT,  debuted in late 2000 and was a huge hit thanks to Kobe’s budding superstardom and the Lakers coming off a championship season. Ellis Barba selected the adidas The Kobe as the muse for the birthday cake for his 24th birthday, and the side-by-side shots of the cake and the actual shoe reveals how good of a job the baker did. Continue reading for a full gallery of the adidas The Kobe sneaker cake and let us know what you think.

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