Of all the classic runners in Nike Sportswear’s Air Max lineup, the Nike Air Max 97 is the least frequently released.  The Ninety-Seven has a sleek design that’s so inextricably connected to the OG ‘Silver Bullet’ colorway that some have a hard time seeing the shoe beyond that particular model’s brilliance, but here’s one that should appeal to fanatics and casual sneaker buyers alike.  This new Air Max 97 follows in the steps of a recent Air Max 2011 by utilizing black leather in place of its traditional materials, a rich and classy look that you might even be able to sneak in place of dress shoes.  Click through for more angles and look for these at NSW retailers like Finish Line.

Nike Air Max 97
Black/Metallic Hematite
312641-020

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A rugged take on a design that itself is a revised take on one of the brands originals (which, in turn, copied the Air Jordan XII), the Gourmet Quattro Skate has quite an interesting pedigree.  This Gourmet staple has been held aside as their sole skateboarding sneaker amongst an ever-expanding selection of lifestyle looks, and this new collection for the end of this year into spring 2012 offers a nice balance.  Most of the pairs are tumbled leather with tonal suede on the ollie area, but notable exceptions include the camo canvas/black leather joints and a black-on-black tumbled and patent leather getup that has us wondering what a ‘Space Jam’ AJ12 might look like.  There’s no need to speculate on the future of the Quattro Skate, though; you can see more images of the upcoming colorways after the jump. via FNG

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Whenever you see an ‘H’ in front of a New Balance model, you know that shoe has been altered for hiking purposes, an example of which you can see pictured above.  The New Balance H520 takes a classic, rarely seen silhouette (the NB 520 has been reappropriated for a new entry level tech-oriented runner), and adds a chunkier sole with aggro treads to handle the roughest terrain.  Two earthy colorways with corded laces and a metal top eyelet serve to reinforce the rugged feel, and you can see both pairs after the jump.  Let us know which is best and stick with Sneaker News for word on a possible US release date.  via mita sneakers

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These days when you think of adidas, the first thing that comes to mind may be the wacky, off the wall creations of Jeremy Scott. However, adidas Originals hasn’t abandoned their bread and butter, still coming with strong simple sneakers that echo the old school flavor of the three stripes. In that vein the adidas Originals Stan Smith 80s is a certified classic, hitting this time in two separate suede versions. The two sneakers feature a host of killer details-metal eyelets, patterned laces, a striped heel tab, and a bit of eye-popping contrastive stitching. Hit the jump for more photos if you’re on the fence about these, and then head to Crooked Tongues to pick a pair for yourself.

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We’ve already given you a look at the Bape and Undefeated collaborations from the adidas Originals B Sides series, and we’re back with final piece of this collection. The initial release of the Micropacer came at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles back in ’84, where it was a truly ahead of its time design, featuring a built in pedometer laying over the lacing system. These still look pretty futuristic, coming in a robotic silver colorway with some blue and red for accenting. The adidas Originals Micropacer ‘B Sides’ is dropping around the middle point of August like the other shoes in the series, so stay tuned with us for more info as it becomes available. Hit the jump to take a full look at this high-tech model from adidas Originals. via HS

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The various Nike Free models have become running staples since their introduction back in 2004, but only this year has Nike really stepped up the colorway and community treatment with the Nike Free Run+ 2. Earlier this year we saw the City Pack, and now we have a special iD model created for London’s own Run Dem Crew. This pack of runners has galvanized the jogging community in London, coming together as a group that accommodates all paces and levels of experience. This version of the Nike Free Run+ 2 was handed out to members of the crew who completed the recent London Marathon, with the pair pictured above featuring the time of completetion on the special RDC tongue tag. Hit the jump to get a full look at this killer collaboration between Run Dem Crew and Nike. via CT

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Diggy Simmons’ Chivalrous Culture line continues to add new colorways to the catalog for its flagship model, this latest edition offering an homage to traditional Chinese aesthetics.  The Chiv Culture Hamachi ‘Jade’ utilizes a mix of smooth and tumbled white leather so that your eye can’t help but notice how green the laces appear by comparison.  The strings feature gold tips to match the lacelock and come with a genuine jade bracelet for those who have the swag necessary to rock a little matching jewelry.  Click through to see more angles and pick up one of this 50-pair limited run right now direct from Chivalrous Culture.

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The Nike LunarGlide+ 3 has been a successful model from the get go, but sometimes you gotta wait a couple months after a model drops to get to the good colorways. Fortunately Nike is turning up the heat with these, coming with two new editions in some classic two color combos that any sneakerhead should be familiar with. Up first is the black and yellow pair, a one-two punch that has been featured on many a Dunk over the years. Next we have the black and pinks, a colorway used by all time greats like the Kid Robot Air Max 1′s or the Nike Air Yeezys. With the super lightweight LunarGlide+ 3 branching out colorwise, we should see these on feet more and more in the coming months. Hit the jump to get a full look at each of these upcoming colorways and let us know in the comments which you prefer. via HB

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Around this time last year, Sneaker News gave you the news of the sweet pack of Air Force 1s paying homage to the five boroughs of New York City. For the second straight year, Nike Sportswear will release another NYC x Air Force 1 Pack, this time going the simpler route while emphasizing each of the major NYC territories. In Air Jordan news, Sneaker News filled you in on a sweet tutorial for a ‘Nike Air’ custom, which previously garnered a whole lot of attention from our readers. Nike SB is gearing up for new releases, like fresh colorways of the SB Dunk and the introduction of the Team Edition 2. In basketball news, it was reported that the Nike LeBron line would outfit three college teams, perhaps a method to maintain sales numbers as the NBA lockout detracts attention away from new releases of basketball shoes. Kevin Durant is certainly having his fun this summer, as he was in China to meet and greet fans while sporting some new colorways. Kobe was in Asia as well, taking part in activities in South Korea.

Jordan Brand athlete Derek Jeter officially reached the 3,000-hit milestone in supreme fashion, notching the magic number with a home-run. We also showed you a look at some PEs from Jeter’s fellow Jordan Brand athletes like Warren Sapp and Eddie Jones. In other sneaker news, Nike iD revealed a new list of upcoming models that would be available for iD. Sneaker News also brought you an exclusive look at upcoming colorways of the Trainer 1.3 Max. The Asics Gel Lyte III will be the choice model for yet another collaboration – this time with hanon of Europe. Another notable collaboration is the UNDFTD x Converse Ballistic Pack, which we revealed the release information for. The past week was filled with sneaker event news, like SneakerFriends 2011 in Toronto and Nike Basketball ‘Boulevard Ice’ in Harlem. The Air Jordan VI has been one of the more common and popular Air Jordan customs, so we grouped the best of the bunch for a all-out battle for best AJ6 custom. And finally, Sneaker News revealed this week’s Buyer’s Guide, which featured some great mid-July releases. There’s a lot more to see so check out the rest of the Sneaker News Weekly Rewind after the jump!

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In terms of popularity, Kobe Bryant is the king of Asia (among active players), and the Black Mamba embraces that role with open arms. It’s a flat-out mob scene whenever Kobe makes a trip to the other side of the globe, and while fellow Nike athlete Kevin Durant is spreading his wings in China, Kobe was spotted a bit further East on the peninsula known as South Korea, where he stopped at Nike Hoopcity as part of his Korea Tour. Nike Hoopcity was transformed into a thorough Nike Kobe shrine, detailing his entire signature shoe line from the Air Zoom Kobe 1 to the current Zoom Kobe VI; countless fans showed up in the rain to see the Black Mamba in person and to cop some the new Kobe VI Camouflage, while a lucky few drew some freebies like a limited edition figurine and commemorative t-shirts. We’ll let the pictures do the talking, so continue reading for a nice visual recap of Kobe’s trip to Nike Hoopcity in South Korea and let us know what you think! via IST.

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The Air Jordan XI IE Low will always be considered one of the more enigmatic Air Jordans in history. For one, the upper design is very different from Air Jordan XI mid version – not what you’d expect from a ‘low-top’ version of a shoe. Secondly, the ‘IE’ designation is still a mystery, as Tinker Hatfield himself isn’t sure what the two letters signify. These funky tidbits of info haven’t gone in the way of the popularity of the shoe, because many of our readers have been waiting patiently for the official release of this OG model/colorway. You can find them at Jordan Brand retailers like Primitive tomorrow so don’t miss out by copping a pair at the convenience of your home computer by checking out eBay.

Air Jordan XI IE Low
Black/Varsity Red-White
306008-001
07/16/2011
$120

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They don’t have the international or collaborative presence of fellow Massachusetts residents New Balance, but Saucony continues to release enough heat to rival NB for the title of New England sneaker champs.  Sock-ah-knee has gotten some much deserved attention thanks to the sick Elite collection, but they also have the other end of the spectrum covered with one of the single best sneakers you’ll find with a $65 MSRP.  The Saucony Shadow 90 has aged supremely well, a model whose classic style extends in both directions far beyond its three decades running the streets.  Click through to see more angles of this autumnally-colored duo and pick up one or both of them today from Premier.

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