Puma has enjoyed a particularly strong year for a couple of its classics, thanks to some key collaborations and an overall commitment to quality that keeps these six-decade veterans relevant.  The Puma Suede Classic Eco comes in a well-named colorway that combines Chili Pepper red suede with a Forever Blue Formstripe.  The former fairly accurately denotes the caliente appeal of this pair’s bold, velvety upper, while the latter is a reminder that this silhouette will be around as long as there’s leather with a shaggy nap.  Click through and you can see more of this true OG after the jump, then grab a pair from TGWO.

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We’ve arrived to the point in sneaker history when classic casual and dress shoe designs are being incorporated more than ever before, and following the huge wave of boat shoe influence, we’re starting to notice another trend of familiar element appropriation.  Models ranging from the Nike SB Zoom Stefan Janoski to the Air Jordan 2012 have shown off their perforated embellishments, all of which were borrowed from the same source as lends its name to the Vans Era Wingtip pictured above.  Vans were ahead of the curve on this movement, having gotten up with Marc Jacobs in 2007 for a collabo Slip-On whose drawn-on wingtip details led to a variety of brogued-up kicks from Off the Wall in the subsequent years.  This new pair adds a red leather lining to the black upper for a look sneakerheads will find familiar, and they’re available now at select Vans stockists like Flatspot.

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It’s been a while since we gave you an update on Chinese upstart Li-Ning, but the brand has been hard at work pushing their unorthodox designs in an attempt to carve out a lane amongst the majors of basketball footwear. Collabo models are always a big step in curating a brand for the sneakerhead set, and although our stateside readers may not be familiar with the partner here, Kenlu is one of the bigger online sneaker outlets for the Chinese market. This team up in celebration of their tenth anniversary sees the Conquer model get a digital camo peppered with plus signs, dubbed ‘decade camo’. The special detailing continues throughout the body of the sneaker, with the various ‘Kenlu’ hits and the swappable ankle patches making this Li-Ning release truly unique. Hit the jump for a more in depth view and let us know what you think of the KENLU x Li-Ning Conquer ‘Decade Camo’.

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Supra has made 2011 their ‘year of packs’, and back in early November, the Crown brand unleashed a duo of Supra Skytops in a material that named its drop.  The ‘Canvas TUF’ pack featured red and navy blue pairs riding white soles, constructed in the abrasion-resistant material that has come around again just in time for the holidays, only, under a different banner.  These new grey and black Skytops are said to come in ‘Express TUF’ as if that’s another application entirely, but a quick look at the website from the store to whom these new pairs or exclusives, reveals that they’d also given the ‘Express’ label to last month’s ‘Canvas’ pack.  So whether they’re exactly the same or a subtle variation, these simple yet satisfying Skytops are yours from the taking, and they’re avaialble exclusively at Zumiez.

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Next year marks the 25th anniversary of the Nike Air Max 1, and while we haven’t seen any direct evidence of a birthday blowout, there are indeed a range of solid colorways on deck for the early part of 2012. The key theme with these new drops is adding two contrasting tones atop white mesh on the upper, in this case mixing Signal Blue with Anthracite. That latter choice gives these a slightly softer feel than had it been cast in straight black, and when compared to the mix of Midnight Navy and Action Red on another upcoming pair, it’s practically tonal. These are the latest of early leaks from the Q1 ’12 collection from Nike Sportswear, and they’re available direct from NikeStore.

Nike Air Max 1
White/Signal Blue-Anthracite-Pro Platinum
308866-109

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One of the earliest sneakers to rep the see through look, the Reebok Ventilator is gearing up for a bit of a comeback this holiday season. You saw the revamped HLS version that’s on its way, but if you wanna stick to the OG version then check these out. The white and black base gets injected with a vibrant pink, perhaps inducing nostalgia in some of you who remember when these pastel tones ruled the roost in the running world. Follow us after the jump for a detailed look of this new Reebok drop, which can be had at retailers like Mr. R Sports.

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The holiday season is filled with familar symbols and signs of the various celebrations from all corners of the world, but perhaps none is more universally recognized than Santa Claus.  Then again, Santa might be up against some stiff competition with Michael Jordan, a man who nearly a decade after his last retirement, remains the most popular and recognizeable athlete in the entire world.  Santa’s been carrying quite a lot of Jays with him over the past few years as Michael and his Brand have come to dominate Christmas sneaker shopping with their annual Air Jordan XI Retros, and from the looks of the video you’ll see after the jump, they’ve actually been acquainted for quite a bit longer.  Check out this vintage Nike commercial spot showing Kris Kringle getting the short end of His Airness’ fancy footwork in a game of 1-on-1.  Both ‘players’ are wearing Air Jordan 1s, but does Santa steal the show with his ‘Banned’ colorway?  Happy holidays, Sneaker News readers, and check back with us for all the info you need to make 2012 a Happy New Year!

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If it ever made sense for a non-basketball player to get a PE colorway, than Spike Lee would have to be the dude in question. His courtside dedication to the New York Knicks has been unmatched through the years, and since he already has a Jordan Brand hybrid model named after him in the form of the Jordan Spiz’ike, the homage just makes sense. The alternating blue and orange colorways were made extra special by an NYC scavenger hunt where pairs were tucked in hidden locales in the city, each one signed by Spike himself and accompanied by the super luxe wooden boxes, only eight of which were produced. Fortunately, at least one of the lucky winners from said scavenger hunt is parting with their pair, with this size 8.5 available now on your favorite auction site. Hit the jump for the full images and scoop this collectors item up from ace1185 on eBay.

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Kobe, LeBron, KD, and Amare – four of the NBA’s brightest stars that proudly represent the swoosh. On Christmas Day, all four superstars will take the court as the 2011-12 NBA Season officially kicks off after a prolonged lockout that deprived basketball fans of NBA action, and on their feet will be the ‘Christmas’ colorways of their respective signature shoes. The Kobe VII ‘Leopard’, the LeBron 9 ‘Christmas’, the Zoom KD IV ‘Metallic Bronze’, and Air Max Sweep Thru ‘Christmas’ will all hit Nike Basketball retailers on Christmas Day, so after you cop one, or two, or three, or the entire set, you can watch the kicks in action when the NBA games go live on the holiday. Which of the four do you like best? Let us know below, and be sure to celebrate the holiday in the right way by copping the Nike Basketball Christmas 2011 Pack on Nikestore at midnight on Christmas Day or at 21 Mercer on Monday, December 26th.

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Yeah we know, the holiday season has you stressed out trying to lock down a pair of Concords or pick out which pair to scoop up from the Nike Basketball Christmas pack. Let’s not forget that it’s the season of giving though, and with that in mind you’d better have some plans to keep the sneaker loving ladies in your life happy come Christmas. With that in mind, check out this new WMNS colorway of the Nike Air Force 1 Low that just dropped, taking a some seasonal color cues with the red and white, and throwing in some black to keep them from going all-out candy cane. Follow us after the jump for a better look and grab a pair now from Finishline.

Nike WMNS Air Force 1 Low
Gym Red/Black/White
315115-603

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If you’re on the hunt for winter footwear, you’d be ill-advised to pass up all the heat that Nike ACG has been cranking out. Enter the Nike ACG Lava Dunk High, a smooth boot that pairs a chunky sole with the classic Dunk DNA, bringing d-ring fasteners for the laces as another small tweak to the standard Dunk design. The suede pair shown here is one of more neutral Lava Dunks on the market, with the majority of the previous releases wearing bright colors characteristic of the ACG lineup. Hit the jump for a better look and if you like what you see, call up Concepts to lock down a pair for yourself.

Nike ACG Lava Dunk High
Grain/Black/Gum
454480-200

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In a contemporary sneaker landscape that’s seen just about every sneaker brand incorporate at least some of the traditional duckboot styling into its rotation of classics, adidas has been conspicuously absent.  The Brand with the Three Stripes has co-opted design cues from a whole bunch of other different types of boots in recent years, so this latest release seems long overdue, if not at all unpredictable.  The adidas Originals Tsumo Pu pairs a sleek waxex canas upper with what look like they should be waterproof mudguards, which, upon further inspection, reveal themselves to be crafted in a black suede you most certainly do not want getting wet.  A nice juxtaposition of materials that’ll make an observant sneakerhead grin, these should be out soon in the States with sizes now shipping from Japan’s ZOZO.

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