Warning: Uncontrollable cuteness ahead. Check out the Hello Kitty x Vans Footwear Collection, featuring a number of classic Vans silhouettes plastered with the decades old yet freshly adorable Hello Kitty graphics. The Slip-On, Authentic, and Sk8-Hi D-Lo are part of this series, featuring tonal graphics and a neat spin on the classic checkerboard print (Hello Kitty’s face on the white boxes!). A number of releases for women (unisex) and kids will hit Vans and Sanrio online stores on June 1st in limited quantities, so continue reading for another look and let us know what you think. via Nitrolicious.

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Oh, how awesome a ‘Mid’ version would be. The upcoming Air Jordan XII Low in Black/Varsity Red has been the topic of debate among Jordan circles mainly because this sick Bulls-centric colorway might’ve been better off as a ‘Mid’ version. Low-top Jordan Retros aren’t nearly as popular as the original Mid-cut designs (an emphasized truth for the Air Jordan XII), but that won’t stop Jordan fans from copping these once they release next weekend. It’s everything you’d want in an Air Jordan shoe; a black and red colorway, patent leather, and nubuck suede uppers, so check out this new set of detailed images courtesy of mita-sneakers and stay tuned for a release on May 28th.

Air Jordan XII Low
Black/Varsity Red
308317-001
05/28/2011
$115

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In a skating world where vulcanized and cup soles are the chocolate and vanilla of sneaker bottoms, the Nike SB Blazer CS Low is the delicious ‘twist’.  The SB Blazer CS features vulc aesthetics and overall board feel with the extra cushioning of a cup sole plus Zoom Air in the heel for one of the most rideable designs yet from Swoosh skateboarding.  The latest CS Blazer SB is a lowtop in Bison brown suede with Sport Red and white accents that’s sufficiently neutral to stick around for pretty much every season, and you can find them at select Nike SB retailers like Flatspot.

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We’ve seen several instances in recent months of the Nike Air Force 1 coming in bunches with various colors of a single material pattern, but here’s a case where the Uptown is subject to another Nike Sportswear design tendency.  Check out the Air Force 1 Low for women in Lightbulb and white, the same palette seen on a womens Dunk Low that just hit retailers.  The AF1 is slightly different with its use of a white Swoosh but otherwise quite similar, the contrasting leather and textile adding some depth to the yellow parts.  Click through to see more and grab a pair right now from ID4shoes on eBay.

Nike WMNS Air Force 1 07
Lightbulb/White
315115-700

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The Nike Air Max Skyline was one of the first models to mark Nike Sportswear’s surge toward hybridization and modular design back in 2009, but we’ve only seen a single new colorway so far this year.  Make that two thanks to this new Air Max Skyline, a mostly black model with white and grey accents plus a burst of energy from select neon accents.  The Skyline already had that early ’90s look down pat and with the AM95-leaning neon incorporated this is far-reaching pastiche.  Click through to see some more angles and grab a pair from SNS.

Nike Air Max Skyline
Black/White-Dark Grey-Black
343886-025

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A trio of colorways from its sequel hit retailers earlier this year, but what about the original adidas LA Trainer?  The shoe with the crazy pegged sole design (both mid- and out-) has been resurrected by adidas Originals and this tonal ‘white’ look with metallic silver and royal blue accents manages a perfect balance between retro and simple style.  So is this a case like many great films and books where the first one is always best?  Click through to see more and if you prefer the original, head over to Schuh-You to grab the adidas LA Trainer.

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Reebok’s Night Sky hiking boot has been subject to a couple high profile collaborative releases of late, but what about RBK’s other rugged models?  The Vector brand doesn’t have a separate outdoor division like All Conditions Gear but this new Reebok Lynjon S.T. from their ‘For Reebok’ collection is quite impactful all the same.  These feature a unique three-toned camo print to accent a rich black tumbled leather upper that also adds some earthiness thanks to black-on-beige speckled soles.  An Insta Pump Fury in a similar motif should hit select Japanese retailers soon and the ‘For Reebok’ Lynjon ST just hit atmos Select.

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Nike SB released the ‘Trickstar’ pack around the time of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and with the Dunk Gyrizo having been similarly limited in time, what does the Swoosh have to offer the sport of BMX?  Check out the new Nike 6.0 Mavrk Low 2, the latest from Beaverton’s action sports sub-label that’s pictured above on Nigel Sylvester‘s feet in a beautiful Tiffany suede.  This model comes with the same Flex Wrap sole pioneered on the Braata and also featured on several other Nike Six silhouettes, and you can see detailed images of four new colorways when you click on the jump below.  via FRESHNESS

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Puma’s ongoing ‘The List’ project was used to launch the German Cat’s Faas running series in premium fashion, but for their latest release, we’re getting something from the brand’s heritage.  Check out the Puma Suede Mid and Basket created for the ‘Gold Classic Pack’, a set of six shoes built to the exact specifications of their OG counterparts, save the addition of a metallic gold leather lining.  Click through to see three colorways from each model plus tee shirts and track jackets in complimenting colors and look for these at a select list of Puma retailers around the world. 

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Thrasher collaborated with Converse Skateboarding in late 2009 to commemorate their ‘Prevent This Tragedy’ video, and though the seminal skate magazine started their own footwear line about a year after that, it’s been a shame that we haven’t seen many releases since the debut.  But that changes today with our look at the first Thrasher sneakers collaboration, the mita sneakers x CLUCT x Thrasher midtop.  These joints are almost line-for-line clones of the Vans Chukka Boot but bold ‘Skate and Destroy’ stitching on the heels of black and navy pairs makes them stand out.  Click through to see more angles and stick with Sneaker News for updates on this late 2011 drop and any possible US release info.  via Grandh.

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adidas Originals has been pushing its retro-inspired footwear releases quite strongly, focusing on heritage-based models like the adidas Originals Hard Court Hi. Four new colorways are set to hit stores this month; it features a mid/high cut with an oversized tongue featuring the adidas tre-foil logo, a simple vulcanized midsole, and a netted texture on the ankle. While these can be considered Retro-inspired, it does capture a sleek appeal that mixes contemporary styling with adidas’ classic look. The colorways you see here are a lot moree attention-seeking than the adiColor Pack that dropped two months ago, so watch for these four releases exclusively at Champs this month, and let us know which of the four colorways you like best.

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So far, the story of the Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’ has been a strange saga. It was all the way back in August that we got our first look at this special edition of the infamous red/black/white Air Jordan 1, which was originally banned by the NBA in 1985 for violating the league’s dress code. In addition to the X’d out graphics on the heels and the special insoles and box, this pair also featured a return to the original Nike Air logo on the tongue, making it an instant must-have for most Jordan collectors. Sadly, news later emerged that the enticing release looked to have indeed been scrapped, although a few samples leaked out to give us some more looks at the eagerly anticipated drop that would most likely never be.

In an interesting twist of events, a batch of the “Banneds” mysteriously showed up at a Portland Nike Outlet yesterday with a price tag of $109.99, creating quite a stir in the sneaker world and as you can imagine, quickly selling out before the end of the day. It was reported that of the small run that hit the store, some pairs were B-grades, while others featured no indication, but regardless of which you got, it was still one of the most unexpected treasures ever to hit the outlets, so it’s a win either way for whoever was lucky enough to cop. A few pairs from yesterday’s random outlet drop have hit the resale market, so if you’re willing to pay the price, you can snatch up a pair of these rare gems now from *vnds* on eBay.

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