Sneaker showcases like the Afew Vintage Gallery don’t come around very often. If you’ve been to a major sneaker event like Sneaker Con, chances are you’ve been impressed with massive Air Jordan and Nike SB Dunk collections, but a mass gathering of vintage originals is a rare treat that is likely a near-extinct event here in the U.S., where the sneaker game is dictated by new releases and re-issued classics. As you may be well aware of by the now, the footwear scene overseas is not what you might be used to; it’s heavy on classic runners from the early-1980′s to mid-1990′s from a wide array of brands like Nike, Asics, Reebok, adidas, and a few more that some of you may never have heard of.

This past weekend, the Afew Vintage Gallery showcased some of the greatest running sneakers from that era – one that some may argue is the greatest of all-time. Lining the walls are original running models that may either look familiar to you or look too plain – it’s likely you overlooked them back then when a handful of brands were pumping out some real quality goods. We’ll just throw a few names out there: Nike Air Skylon 2, Asics Gel 120, Nike Air Tech Challenge Huarache. Ring a bell? The Afew Vintage Gallery is about as close shoe porn there is, so sit back, dim the lights, and enjoy viewing some of the sickest sneakers to have ever graced the planet. Thanks to EuKicks for the pictures.

Tweet

Continue Reading   

For Jordanheads, Nike SB fiends, Vans fanatics and other brand loyalists, you might glance at this latest drop from adidas Originals and feel like you’ve just seen these.  But that just means you’re a regular Sneaker News reader who saw our profile of the MEGA Torsion RV whose colorway was inspired by one of the OG ZX 8000 colorways.  And now less than six months later, there’s a new release that’s even closer to the original, but still offers a twist of its own.  The adidas for atmos ZX 8000 G-SNK takes the late ’80s ‘Aqua’ look and applies a scaley texture to the overlay sections.  And as detail-oriented readers will already know from the ‘G-SNK’ designator, this was done to keep with the ongoing collaboration’s use of glow-in-the-dark snakeskin.  Check out more images after the jump and get your passport in order because these will hit atmos in late October.

Tweet

Continue Reading   

To help the EA Sports Madden developers celebrate the Madden ’12 Hall Of Fame Edition game, Nike created this limited edition Nike Trainer 1.3 Max, presented to members of the EA Sports team. Matching the bronzed Marshall Faulk on the cover of the game, this Trainer 1.3 Max features a metallic bronze/copper upper with a tonal mesh toe and center panel with a black swoosh and lining. Nike Football‘s partnership with EA Sports has resulted in some great releases like the recent Nike Trainer 1.3 ‘Letterman’, but unfortunately, these bronzed Trainers won’t release (for now). Check out a close-up of the PE below and let us know what you think.

Tweet

Continue Reading   

Re-selling isn’t something that only effects sneakers; one of the most notable examples of luxury goods scalping happening just weeks ago with the near-instant sellout of the Missoni for Target capsule.  The idea was to bring the Italian label’s high-end look to the masses at a fraction of the typical cost, but how it actually played out was quite different.  Will the latest run of Missoni x Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars be treated to the same aftermarket quadrupling in price?  These two new Missoni Chucks will be available at First String retailers like Hanon starting this Saturday, October 1st, and you can see more details after the jump.

Tweet

Continue Reading   

“Black cards, black cars, black on black, black…Cement IIIs?” Sure, we changed the lyrics to that Jay-Z x Kanye West song just a bit, but it’s an edit that both Jay-Z and Kanye would welcome since the Air Jordan III Black/Cement is a favorite of both those guys (as well as Jordan fans worldwide). Capping off a great year for the OG Air Jordan III colorways is the Black/Cement colorway, which is currently slated for a Black Friday 2011 release (that’s November 25th if you need mark your smartphone calendars), but Sneaker News is looking to lace up your feet with these much earlier via the latest Sneaker News Giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is ‘Like’ Sneaker News on Facebook and join in on the Air Jordan III Black/Cement Giveaway Discussion, and answer the three easy questions. Remember, just ONE entry is allowed, and your answers do not affect your chances of winning! Good luck!

Tweet

Continue Reading   

“We took pride in the sneaker game because we grew up under the OGs that . . . put us on to what was fresh.”

Few things can match New Balance’s identity of pure ‘classic’ style, but this latest odd coupling makes total sense when you hear the first bars of Criminology and find yourself instantly transported back in time to 1995. Wu-Tang Clan OG Raekwon the Chef did some of his very best work on the ‘Purple Tape’ that guest starred self-proclaimed ‘Wally King’ Ghostface Killah, and two years after Cuban Linx Pt. 2, he’s linking up with New Balance and DJ Mars on a retrospective on the last two decades plus of sneakers and streetwear as part of Mars’ ‘History of Mixtapes’ project. NB is one of those brands that has endured Raekwon’s entire reign and you can see his thoughts on their timeless runners by clicking on the jump below to watch the full video.

Tweet

Continue Reading   

The Nike LeBron 9 will make its U.S. debut this October 25th when the Black/White-Sport Red colorway will officially hit stores. However, we’d like to update you with some more release information for new colorways slated for a November 2011 release. On November 4th, you can expect two colorways of the LeBron 9 to hit stores – the Home ‘Scarface’ colorway and a new Cool Grey/Vivid Grey-Black-Cherry – followed by the U.S. release of the ‘Cannon’ on November 11th. Finishing off the November 2011 releases is the yearly staple ‘Blackout’, which will be come available on November 23rd, a day before Thanksgiving. Continue reading for full product information below and stick with Sneaker News for more information on the upcoming Nike LeBron 9.

Tweet

Continue Reading   

The Nike LeBron Ambassador line has grown from an AP-exclusive afterthought to a model with tech specs more closely approaching King James’ flagship model.  The latest goes so far as to feature Flywire and a carbon fiber look on the upper plus a mix of Max and Zoom Air cushioning in the heel and forefoot, respectively.  This pair of Air Max Ambassador IVs approaches a ‘South Beach’ look, but thanks to orange accents instead of pink, the end result is quite different.  In fact, this released version is also different from the samples we’d seen earlier wherein the entire upper was Cannon blue.  Is the finished product better than the prototypes, or would you have liked to see less black on these in favor of the steely blue hue?  Have a closer look at some comparison shots after the jump and look for this newly released colorway to make its way to the States via resellers in the coming weeks.  via LRJ23

Tweet

Continue Reading   

If you’ve been in the sneaker game long enough, who knows what forgotten gems you might find. Go spelunking in your sneaker cave for a few minutes and you’d probably surprise yourself, gleefully thinking “wow, I had these?” while moving the box to the front of the class for a next-day wear. “Hawaii Mike” Salman recently rummaged through his at-home stash and came up with his 25 favorite sneakers that were lying around in his apartment. In this list you’ll find some unique gems, like a one-piece Air Jordan XIV that a gift from Mark Smith, a pair of Spiz’ikes autographed by Tinker Hatfield, Air Jordans galore, and some of the most notable collaborations in history, like the Eric Haze and Alphanumeric Dunk Lows. Check out some of this crazy Top-25 below and head to Complex for the full list!

Tweet

Continue Reading   

Foamposite mania will take a minor turn in the road as we Nike Sportswear pauses the One/Pro releases and re-introduces the Nike Total Foamposite Max on the final day of the Fall 2011 season. The Nike Air Total Foamposite Max was one of Tim Duncan’s signature shoes back when Nike employed up-and-coming superstar big-men Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, and by the time the shoe was retroed in 2005, Duncan had already parted ways with the Swoosh and joined the three-stripes campaign. The Total Foamposite Max should give you Foam-heads your fix for the rest of the year, as no other Foamposite One/Pro releases are scheduled to drop (unless NSW wants to hit us with another QS release a la the Black/Lime House of Hoops release from earlier this year). MrRSports in Miami has these available just a few days before the official release date, so hit ‘em up for a pair, or snag one now on eBay.

Nike Total Air Foamposite Max
Metallic Silver/Black-Photo Blue
472498-040
09/30/11
$225

Tweet

Continue Reading   

Amare Stoudemire is a man who likes to stay strapped when it comes to sneakers. Having previously played in the Nike Zoom Huarahce TR Mid, he’s been spotted more recently rocking a particularly sweet PE pair of the Nike Air Max Sweep Thru. Well for those of us who aren’t NBA stars, the Nike Air Max Sweep Thru is beginning to pop up on retail shelves, with this black/aqua version being the first available. The colorway calls to mind another strapped up sneaker, albeit the Sweep Thrus have a much more contemporary look. Check out the full view after the jump and grab these now from DC retailer Major.

Tweet

Continue Reading   

To this point in its 2011 Nike Sportswear resurrection, the Vintage Nike Sky Force ’88 Mid has appeared exclusively in classically styled color-on-white designs or fresh takes on tonal suede and leather.  These new editions have a similarly old school feel thanks to some high contrast blocking in their own right, but you’ll find taht these two new pairs achieve a vastly different end thanks to large portions of black on the base layer.  Red or blue framing elements give these a ‘J-Pack’ look that’s sure to be gone from store shelves with the quickness, so act now if you wanna grab one today from the UK’s Size?.

Tweet

Continue Reading