Here on Sneaker News, our readers discussed the Nike LeBron 8 ‘South Beach’ to tedium, with the drawn line separating two major groups – the true sneaker fans, and the hypebeasts. The latter category is one that nobody admits to being a part of, but face it – we’ve all fallen victim to hype at one point or another. The South Beach LeBron 8 is one sneaker that always stirs up the ‘hypebeast’ debate, because at the time of its release, LeBron James was, arguably, the most hated man in sports, and the major reason many people were buying a LeBron shoe was due to it being limited in nature. Without surprise, the ‘hype’ surrounding the LeBron quickstrike release built, and the sneaker now fetches $1,000 with ease in the resale market.

Whether or not this display of sneaker sacrilege is a valiant attempt to prove a point or a pathetic attempt at sports performance is a judgement we’ll leave up to you. Elias of FeedingTheStreets and notable sneakerhead Franalations recently got together for a quick game of hoops, putting their own sneakers on the line. The losing player would burn their shoes, and it’s clear that Franalations and his Space Jam Dunks had a lot less on the line than Elias did, who put up his LeBron 8 ‘South Beach’ to the test. In the end, Elias lost a shortened game of HORSE, which resulted in his LeBron 8 South Beach experiencing Heat in many more ways than one. Check out the video below (wait ’til the very end) and let us know your opinion on the Burned South Beaches and the fact that someone actually did this!

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Apparently the ‘People’s Instinctive Travels’ at Nike SB have consisted of journeying through time, as Swoosh Skateboarding has reprized a variety of classic colorways on new models during 2011.  This new Nike SB Blazer High represents a different kind of historical salute, their black suede uppers treated with a flowy tonal design pattern that along with the red and green accents echoes the Afrocentric aesthetics from A Tribe Called Quest‘s heyday.  It’s a combination of design elements that hints at the album art from Tribe’s 1991 classic The Low End Theory and will likely remind experienced sneakerheads of similar Air Jordan 1 High Straps issued in ’09.  Q-Tip’s ‘Abstract Dynasty’ collaboration with Nike has gone AWOL but these are expected at SB retailers this September, so click through to see more angles and stick with Sneaker News for the exact release date.  via N-SB

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With Eric Koston being a long time member of Nike SB, putting his touches on various Dunk models throughout his tenure on the team, it was only a matter of time before he got his own signature. Some would say too much time, but the Nike SB Zoom Koston 1 is here at last, and skaters have welcomed the results with open arms. The simplistic looking silhouette betrays the high tech innards of this shoe, which utilizes Nike’s Lunar technology to bring a new level of cushioning to skate shoes. This latest colorway is one of the darker editions, featuring an upper dipped in a nearly black suede, with minimal red accents on the outsole, insole, and Nike SB badge on the back. Continue reading for more photos of this Nike SB Zoom Koston 1, which is available now at SB accounts like Premier.

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His JS Panda got a bunch of attention upon their arrival to retail last week, but it was a different modified version of the Metro Attitude basketball hightop that earned Jeremy Scott his Stripes.  Scott’s most popular silhouette, the adidas Originals JS Wings will return next spring n a new look, this time inspired by everyone’s favorite all-purpose pants with a washed denim build held together by bronze stitching.  Even the laces themseles are denim on this one, a less obvious if even more satisfying detail than the bronze rivets and leather tags we’ve seen on other jeans-inspired sneakers.  Click through to get a closer look a the denim JS Wings and stick with Sneaker News for the US release date.  via HS

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We’re sure that a fair share of you were out chasing the Space Jam SB Dunk Low this weekend, but keep in mind that the heat doesn’t stop there when it comes to Dunk Lows from Nike’s skateboarding division. If you need any evidence of that, check out the upcoming Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Iron’, a clean grey colorway with some ice cold blue mixed in. Long time SB heads will recognize this familiar combo, with the original ‘Irons’ being released as a Dunk High way back in 2003. Continue reading for some more pictures of the upcoming Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Iron’ and stick with Sneaker News for release info. via NSB

Nike SB Dunk Low
Medium Grey/University Blue
304292-022

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The video game releases from EA Sports are always some of the most anticipated of the year, and Nike has teamed up with the virtual powerhouse for a very special edition of the Nike Trainer 1.3 to commemorate the just released NCAA Football ’12. The trainers get their design cues from a letterman jacket, with a fuzzy wool upper paired and chenille swoosh to make the inspiration evident, with the “EA” badge on the tongue being the letters you are repping here. The darker colorway gets a bit of pop from the blue and red EA logo as well as the nice icy soles on the bottom. This Nike Trainer 1.3 is available right now online at Nikstore, so head over there to grab a pair before they dry up.

Nike Trainer 1.3
Black/Black-Metallic Silver
454170-004

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It’s always fun to look into these ‘Top 25′ lists of notable sneaker influencers, so without further ado, here’s a look at some of Frank The Butcher’s (of CNCPTS) favorite kicks of all time. It’s a pretty fair list of sneakers we all love and enjoy, like the Air Jordan III in both the Black and White colorways, the Air Foamposite One, and the Air Max 95, but it’s got some of the more uncommon entries like the Air Son of Lava Dome and the classic 6″ wheat Timbs are worth noting as well. Think you’ve got a similar list of 25 faves? Does his Bespoke make his own list? Check out a sampling of Frank The Butcher’s list after the jump and be sure to head to Complex to check out the entire list.

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Nike’s Match Classic has lived a long and sturdy life, beginning its existence as a performance tennis shoe and thriving today as one of the Nike Sportswear’s most popular models. In fact, many casual and lifestyle-inspired sneakers that are popular today were inspired by the earliest tennis shoes, and this simple lace-up returns to us in premium leather and in two colorways – this rich Pony brown previewed here, and another Iguana green colorway. September will be the month of release of these timeless classics, so expect these at select Nike Sportswear retailers then and stick with Sneaker News for more updates along the way.

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They’re probably not quite at the level of the bred palette spawned by the Air Jordan Legacy but nobody would argue that the Air Max 95′s OG Neon colorway isn’t among the most oft-copied in the history of sneakers.  The Ninety-Five’s distinctive white-grey-black gradient accented by a bright shade has spawned countless copycats, but here’s a look at another Nike Sportswear model that’ll make you do a double-take thanks to its subtle script shifting.  This new Nike Air Max 90 appears to be an AM95 tribute at first glance, but the visually keen will sense something’s amiss upon noticing that the outsole and toebox are different colors, the latter actually utilizing a navy blue shade instead of the traditional black.  Makes for an interesting twist on a beloved classic and you can pick them up right now from an NSW dealer like End or on eBay.

Nike Air Max 90
Medium Grey/White-Volt
309299-037

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Did Nike SB accidentally order more buttery soft black leather than was needed to realize Tom DeLuca’s vision for Brooklyn Projects’ ‘Slayer’ Dunk High SB?  Because we’ve seen a similarly supple material show up on the ‘Golden Hops’ Mids that are slated for next spring and now there’s an entire Nike SB Dunk High crafted in the stuff.  They look downright elegant thanks to the classic appeal of a white/gum mid/outsole combo, the former of which matches the laces while the latter corresponds with the golden tumbled leather Swooshes.  A no-nonsense design that continues Nike SB’s exploration of core skate aesthetics, these too will join the ‘Golden Hops’, ‘Un-Tiffanys’, ‘Gold Dusts” and several other Dunk SB releases during Q1 2012.  via N-SB

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he Nike Hyperdunk series has been among the most popular choices for NBA players since its debut in 2008 when Kobe Bryant was the first to wear the groundbreaking Flywire-reinforced design.  Kobe rocked the OG Hyperdunks in the NBA regular seasons sandwiching his contribution to the USAB Olympic gold medal team in 2008 but then departed for his own revolutionary design, leaving the Hyperdunk without a specific signature athlete for a few years.

But then LA Clippers rookie sensation Blake Griffin came along and dunked over a Kia, and now we’re looking at one of the single most significant colorways in the entire series’ history, Griffin’s Nike Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 player exclusive.  This earthquake-detailed perfect ’10.0′ comes in a blistering red shade that reveals its crackly texture under the right light, though the same texture always wraps the heel counter and gives way to a unique speckle on the midsole.  This seems fitting as the model is now compelling from every literal and figurative angle, but only 30 pairs have popped up on NikeHK’s Skinner Box-like landing page this week; will we get a chance to finish off a similar oop thanks to an assist from US retailers?  Click through to see more angles and stick with Sneaker News for word on a possible US release date for the Blake Griffin Hyperdunk 2011.  via Kenlu.

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Nike SB held a launch event for Paul Rodriguez’ fifth signature shoe in Barcelona over the weekend, and though he’s not signed with the Swoosh, Tampa-based skater Rob Meronek was on hand to participate in the happenings.  It turns out much of his time was spent in search of local skate spots (there were many), but the key piece of Sneaker News in this travelogue turned out to be the revelation of the Nike SB P-Rod 5 on NIKEiD.  The P-Rod line has been distributed more widely than the rest of the Nike SB catalog for a few seasons now, and becomes SB’s first model available for 1of1 customization.  Click through to get a glimpse at the options and stick with Sneaker News for updates including the exact date for the Nike SB P-Rod V on NIKEiD.

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