Sneaker News first showed you this colorway of the Nike Zoom Kobe VII earlier this month, and while most were quick to appoint these the ‘Christmas’ colorway, it was concluded that these were in fact not reserved for the special holiday (although they would’ve been a worthy stand-in for the Leopard). We did spot it in that Kobe Bryant x Eric Avar video that we showed you last week, but a better look at the heels reveals that these are likely the 2012 ‘Year Of The Dragon’ release. Check out the extra shots via Complex below and if you want to grab these early, there’s a sample waiting to be scooped up by jpbjork9 on eBay.

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The list of spring 2012 Air Jordan 1 Phat colorways continues to grow, and though we’re used to seeing a single month’s releases feature a single theme or blocking pattern, it’s starting to look like all the Q1 drops eminate from a similar source. This new Varsity Red, Cool Grey and white edition shares its colorblocking with the black and Action Green ‘Altitude’-esque pair slated for February, and is also similar to the UNC-style edition set to release around the same time thanks to a leather upper adding layered mesh to its side panels and ankle collars. It’s a look we saw executed quite well on the Obsidian and Cool Grey joints that just hit retail, so now which of these four most deserves your attention even as the onslaught of Air Jordan Retros continues with no rest in sight? Have a closer look at these after the jump and stick with Sneaker News for the US release date. via Chapter Express

Air Jordan 1 Phat
Varsity Red/Cool Grey-White
364770-602

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The NBA All-Star Game is likely the most star-studded, action packed event in American professional sports. Dunk contests, skills challenges, the Rookie Challenge, and of course, the Sunday Night main event make up the most exciting weekends in sports, and you can certainly expect LeBron James of the Miami Heat to be on the front lines for the Eastern Squad. The Nike LeBron 9 ‘Big Bang’, which has been the hot topic in Nike LeBron new lately, turns out be the 2012 NBA All-Star Game shoe, which is rather interesting considering the East has been represented primarily by blue. That’s why that ‘Griffey/Dunkman‘ edition we showed you late last week was first thought to be the All-Star edition, but it appears for now that Nike has some special plans of intergalactic proportions. We’ve got a new set if images for you courtesy of air-randyhk below, so take a peek and let us know what you think, and stick with Sneaker News for more updates regarding this possible All-Star colorway.

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With this new drop coming up next month, nonnative will have successfully started each of the last two years with two New Balance collaborations that both take their inspiration from desert imagery.  Ironic for a streetwear brand not exactly known for their rugged selections, whose home country has all of one major sand dune formation, but you can’t really argue with results like the nonnative x New Balance CM997HNN ‘Dune’.  This tonal brown NB997 mixes supple suedes and leathers with mesh toes and covers something like ten different shades if you count the cream-colored midsole sections.  Next to those on the medial side, you’ll find a blue run that gives these a distinct feel when compared to this January’s ‘Coyote’ 1500s; will you grab these when they arrive at Caliroots on January 30th?

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Many will point to the 1990′s as the greatest decade of Nike Basketball, but some will even narrow down that span to the mid-90′s, when classics like the Nike Air Max Tempo came to life/ The full-length truncated Max Air unit and boot-like design is something you probably won’t see in today’s Nike Basketball catalogs, but the Tempos were undoubtedly one of the hottest items both on the court and on the streets back then, and with these new Spring 2012 Retro releases, the Tempo is about to relive some of its past fame. Sneaker News already gave you the heads up on the availability of the White/Black-Mystic Teal colorway, but don’t hold your breath too long because a White/Navy and all-new Grey/Neon will hit stores very soon. We’ve got new angles for you to bask at below, so check ‘em out and let us know what you think. via lowtex.

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2011 has been one of the more distinguished years for the Nike Air Force 1 in recent memory, so Nike Sportswear has decided to “wrap” things up with a sick giveaway of a special edition AF1 known as ‘The Gift’. On Monday, Sneaker News have you a nice teaser preview of the shoe, which features premium materials on the upper with a sick detailing inner lining and a gift-wrapped box logo on the heel of the shoe, but today, we finally have a nice look at this notable pair that’ll surely have Force-fiends spinning in circles. 21 Mercer has given away a few pairs of these joints yesterday, but it appears that more will be handed out today, so follow @21_Mercer on Twitter for updates after you check out the full angle shot below.

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Already certified the ‘Most Improved’ of this cycle of signature kicks, the Nike Zoom KD IV has skyrocketed up sneaker power-rankings with its high-energy releases and Durant’s consistent participation in promoting his kicks. On Christmas Eve, Durant was out on his #BasketballNeverStops van, showing up at random pick-up basketball games in OKC while giving away free pairs of the Zoom KD IV ‘Christmas’, so that has wondering if he has any similar plans for the Easter Holiday. Here we have a look at the Nike Zoom KD IV ‘Easter’, which features a matte mint green tonal upper with a bright turquoise Adaptive Fit strap and a white midsole. We previewed this sweet colorway back in October, but now we have some added info that these are quite possibly the Easter Holiday edition. Let us know what you think in the comments section below, and be sure to stick with us for more KD IV release updates. via NT.

Nike Zoom KD IV
Mint Candy/New Green-White
Summer 2012
$95

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Just last night Sneaker News broke the news of a possible Nike Air Yeezy 3 in its beginning stages, as Kanye West mysteriously tweeted his desire to ‘sketch’ the Nike Air Yeezy 3. While this news is rather exciting, we still don’t know much about the Nike Air Yeezy 2, except that the tentative release date is currently set at March 23, 2012, and that the group of people who are known to have the Yeezy 2s in their possession is rather exclusive. You can add Kanye’s ‘big brother’ to that list, as Jay-Z was spotted sitting courtside at last night’s Nets/Hawks game wearing the Air Yeezy 2 in the Black/Pink colorway. The Yeezy 2 is apparently a hot courtside-Feet item for the Watch The Throne stars as Kanye West was also seen wearing the Yeezy 2 during the Christmas Day game between the Lakers and Heat. Check out Jay-Z and the Nike Air Yeezy 2 below and stick with Sneaker News for more Yeezy 2 info and updates.

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LeBron James is kicking off the 2011-12 NBA Season with back-to-back on-court wears of two high-energy colorways of the Nike LeBron 9. He started things off with the ‘Christmas’ on the Sunday, and followed that up with the Nike LeBron 9 ‘Freegums’, which is actually a special release commemorating his birthday, which falls this Friday, December 30th. The Freegums, of course, is especially distinguished for its detailed graphic on the inner lining as well as the tonal print on the Hyperfuse shell upper; it’s a nice home-grown touch to the Nike LeBron, as Freegums is an artist of the local scene in Miami. Other notable kicks from that game included Dwyane Wade’s ‘Home’ colorway of the Jordan Fly Wade 2 and Juwan Howard’s Air Jordan X ‘Chicago’. Check out more shots of LeBron James in action courtesy of Yahoo! and let us know how these compare to previous Nike LeBron ‘Birthday’ releases – or pick up a pair of the Freegums right now on eBay.

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With the holiday season coming to a close, we’ve been dishing out a steady stream of previews for what’s in store for the early part of 2012. And as February draws near, you can expect to see a handful of holiday tie-ins dropping on or around February 14th. This Valentines Day sneaker comes in the form of the Big Nike High, an OG basketball sneaker from the Swoosh that was pretty quiet this calender year. Its upcoming return will strike in GS sizes, with a bit more playful approach then also-rumored Valentines Day release the Nike Air Foamposite One ‘Metallic Red’. Get the full look at this upcoming Big Nike High after the jump and stick with us for word on a US release. via mita

Nike Big Nike High GS ‘Valentines Day’
344572-160

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Nike SB did some interesting things with the Dunk in recent years.  After defattening and refattening the tongues on the Lows and flirting with strap removal surgery on the Mids, the Dunk Pro SB got a new sole construction and traction pattern in 2011 along with improvements to the cushioning and overall feel.  This past year also saw a marked increase in ‘Un-’ style colorway reduxes, whereby classics from the past decade were reworked and applied to different silo heights.  And now somewhere between those appropriations, carryover models like the ‘Griptapes’ and true retro releases comes this new Nike SB Dunk Low that you’d be hard pressed to call anything other than ’Loden’.  That’s because they look quite a bit like the 2002 pair by that same name, but Swoosh skateboarding hasn’t gone so far as to officially link them or suggest further tributes.  So what say you, Sneaker News reader?  Should Nike SB retro some of its beloved classics, should they continue to push the envelope with new themes and references, and which pairs would you be more excited to add to your collection?  via N-SB

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Kevin Durant made the leap to elite superstardom in just his second NBA season, winning the first of back-to-back scoring titles and leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first playoff appearance.  The first PPG crown and an impressive performance at the FIBA World Championships during the summer of 2010 put KD on the map as a household name, but it’s arguably only now that his Nike Basketball signature series is getting the kind of attention a bonafide all-world talent like Durant deserves.  The Nike Zoom KD IV has become the Durantula’s most popular sig yet thanks to the energetic and unique ‘Nerf’ and ‘Weatherman’ colorups, but don’t forget it was the ‘Creamcicle’ OKC look that first drew our eyes toward the KD series.  This new look is something like the opposite of those famously orange colorways, this pair opting for a shiny dark navy upper and keeping the unrhymable color to a few accent hits.  These are certainly calmer than the aforementioned ‘name’ releases, but do these images provided by Sneakerbox Clyde catch your eye enough to warrant a purchase when these hit select retailers like Mr. R Sports in Miami?

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