The upcoming Air Jordan 2012 flagship will make a ton of noise once it splashes down in 2012, but does it have what it takes to be deemed a successful follow-up to the Air Jordan 2011 – the ‘comeback’ Air Jordan? On the outer face of the shoe is a wingtip-inspired construction, with perforations lining the upper leather panels, but inside the shoe is a high-tech performance-grade build, with the ‘Fly Over’ cushioning insole and the removable inner bootie. Thus far, we’ve seen just the White/Black version as well as the ‘University Blue’ and the polarizing ‘Year of the Dragon’ edition, but stick with Sneaker News for even more updates and get your Air Jordan XXVII ahead of time by copping this sample from smooth888168 on eBay.

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‘Tis the season for year-end recaps, and we couldn’t be any prouder to unveil our annual Top 30 Sneakers of the year list. “Best of” lists are a dime a dozen these days, so here at Sneaker News, we like to really go the extra mile in our efforts to pinpoint the top sneaker releases and stories of the past year. After the exhaustive process of choosing and narrowing down all the selections, each of the 30 shoes is ranked by the members of the Sneaker News team, with the eventual averages determining the final order. While we recognize that these lists are completely subjective, we stand by our selections, and with the staggering wallet-draining onslaught of juicy sneaker releases that the year had to offer, we can guarantee that there will be something for everyone. In addition to the stellar crop of 2011 footwear, we’re also excited to introduce some new features of the yearly SN Top 30 extravaganza – a gorgeous HD slideshow gallery for each selection, an editors’ picks section at the end and even a Top 30 book coming soon. You’re really in for a treat this time around, so clear your schedule and head over to Sneaker News HD for the Top 30 Sneakers of 2011.

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The Air Max 1 would be a first-ballot unanimous choice for a sneaker ‘Hall of Fame’, as it is recognized as the fire-starter for the most historic running legacy ever created as well as one of the most ‘collectible’ sneakers known to man. A look at this 2012 sample reveals some interesting plans for the Air Max 1, given by the lux materials used on the upper, like black suede, black leather, and a distressed brown leather on the tongue label. The midsole is also a solid brown, while the outsole uses the multi-colored blocking. Golden Nike Air stitching on the heel completes this premium-grade Air Max 1 package, which has us wondering what other gems Nike Sportswear has planned for 2012. Check out the detailed angles below courtesy of airkena on NT and let us know what you think.

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“…and you don’t need anyone’s advice. That’s how I know you need mine.”

It would be wise to take basketball advice from five-time NBA Champion Kobe Bryant. In this latest video featuring Kobe Bryant and the Zoom Kobe VII, the Black Mamba challenges the Chuck Norris’ and the most interesting men in the world with the Kobe System – the two-pronged attack consisting of Attack Fast and Attack Strong. In a nutshell, the Kobe VII System is ‘Success For The Successful’, so the question remains – are you ready to take it to the next level? Check out this latest Nike Basketball video below and stay tuned for #KobeSystem to rise up on Twitter.

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The Nike Air Safari will triumphantly return once again in 2012, and unlike the upcoming ‘Suede Pack’ that we gave you an exclusive look on, these four Air Safaris use…Safari print. Coming in four rusting color-combinations with some rugged materials, each of the four Air Safaris captures that outdoor motif with unsurprising ease. Two of the colorways look to be VNTG offerings as well, as they featured the white chalky oxidation treatment on the outsoles. We’ve got individual shots of all four after the jump so take a look and let us know what you think, and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for more Nike 2012 releases.

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Since its debut in early 2009, the Nike Blazer High VNTG has followed a simple recipe: start with slightly distressed suede to the upper, add Sail on the laces, unfinished tongue, heel tab, Swoosh and sole, then apply a slight yellowing to the last of those parts to achieve a pre-oxidized look.  It’s a can’t-miss combination that can be replicated across a huge range of earthy and otherwise rustic shades, so what happens when Nike Sportswear makes a subtle shift and changes one fo these key components?  If anything, the new Vintage Blazers are even better now with the classic rough-around-the-edges tongue now coming in a tonal nylon compliment to the suede shade, this new Gorge Green edition a sign of good things to come that’s available now at select NSW retailers like Wish.

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We’ve seen a variety of Nike Air Force 1 Lows released with woven panels over the years, but next fall will see a whole new style applied to this 30 year veteran.  The Air Force 1 Low would look great if all that was going on here was a monochromatic leather upper plus tonal mid/outsole setup, but look closer.  The rear panel on this Deep Royal Blue Uptown is crafted in the faux carbon fiber texture that marked this summer’s Air Jordan 1 Phat and Six Rings releases as well as many others before that.  A whole rainbow of these in reds, greens and other shades would likely be just as popular as this pair, so is this the first sign of a pack for Q3 ’12?  We’ll have to be patient to find out, and you can see more photos of this pair in the meantime, and consider grabbing this sample pair to jump ahead of the curve thanks to dballaholic on eBay.

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A good chunk of the adidas Originals lineup consists of heritage models that have withstood the test of time, but then there are those models that bear the same great design yet managed to slip between the cracks for one reason or another.  The adi-Archive collection has some of both, and today we’re focusing on the latter category with three new releases that you don’t typically see on shelves at Three Stripes retailers.  First up is the adidas Originals Marathon 88 in a white with a unique blend of accent colors.  This almost-USA colorup is joined by a navy and green Malmo riding a gum sole, and last but not least comes the Tobacco lowtop in a name-appropriate mix of browns.  Check out all three after the jump and look for these at select adidas Originals accounts like Atlanta’s Wish.

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Maybe ‘Year of the Dragon’ means ‘Year of the Scoring three-peat’ for Kevin Durant. KD hasn’t lost a step in his game thus far, dropping 30+ a game while leading the Thunder to a 3-0 record in the West, and he’s doing it while wearing one of the most trendy kicks at the moment – the Nike Zoom KD IV. If you missed out on the Weathermans, Nerfs, and Christmas joints, you still have the ‘Year Of The Dragon’ to look forward to (as well as the Easter and a ton of more great GR colorways). This close-up visual of the heel reveals the ancient dragon swirling its way around the KD logos on the heel – much like how KD eludes defenders on his way to an easy two. Best KD IV thus far? Let us know in the comments section below. via hk-kicks.

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Some fine detailing went into the design of the Nike LeBron 9 ‘Watch The Throne’ PE, and with just six pairs rumored to be in existence, it was certainly worth it to go all out on these special edition PEs. There are a few notable details about the WTT LeBron 9, like the luxurious black/gold colorway, the sublime graphic on the inner lining and laces inspired by Riccardo Tisci’s design work with Givenchy, but sitting atop the midfoot is one of the most eye-catching set of ‘lacelocks’ ever seen – the gold-plated jewel piece crafted by jeweler Gabriel Urist. Some of you may remember Urist’s gold-plated Air Max 1 replica from a few years back, but the Watch The Throne jewel piece takes the cake as the most dazzling sneaker-accessory ever created. We’ve got some additional shots of Urist doing his handiwork with these gems below, so take a look and let us know – is the LeBron 9 ‘Watch The Throne’ the best unreleased PE LeBron ever? via InsideTheSneakerBox.

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Michael Jordan is all about the winning spirit; Six championships, numerous MVPs and scoring accolades, and Olympic Gold Medal make up quite a collection of accomplishments, but for MJ, all of those pale in comparison to his latest trophy – Yvette Prieto. It has been reported by media outlets that Michael Jordan is now engaged to Prieto, the Cuban-born model that Michael had been dating for three years. Michael’s last marriage to his first wife Juanita ended with one of the largest divorce settlements in history, but he’s rebounded rather nicely with Yvette – the future Mrs. Jordan. Now what would Jordan wear to his wedding? He’s got a ton to choose from, but there’s no doubt a pair of Air Jordan XI Concords would be proper. Let us know what you think about Michael’s latest personal move and if you haven’t copped your own Concords yet, snag one now on eBay.

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For their latest collaborative release, Supra must’ve wanted “some of that hi-hat stuff,” because they got up with a hip-hop superproducer whose energetic sound helped to define the early to middle parts of this decade.  Will Just Blaze‘s upcoming Supra Skytop II design be just as distinct as his tensely dramatic instrumentals, and perhaps more importantly, can they hold a candle to his own impressive collection?  Only time will tell, as today gives us a sneak peek at the heel portion of the shoe, which appears to be fully illuminated in flashing lights (good ‘ol reflective material). Let us know which rapper or producer’s collabs are #1 and stick with Sneaker News for this pair’s US release date.

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