2012 is shaping up to feature a strong run of GS-sized Air Jordan Retros, three of which are separated by mere degrees.  The Air Jordan IV GS is pictured above in a white leather construction with Ultraviolet accents, just a bit of extra grey and one hit of Cyber or two from matching the Air Jordan X GS also set to hit soon.  And though the colorways are nothing alike, it could be argued that this IV’s feminine appeal more closely correlates with the other AJ4 GS coming up soon in Voltage Cherry with the FTLOTG symbol on its heels.  So as you can see, there’s quite a lot of heat for the young (ladies) coming up early next year from Jordan Brand, and you can see a bit more from the Ultraviolet Air Jordan IV after the jump.  via Soleland

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Imagine if LeBron James had come out of high school and followed the career path we’ve seen through, say, about season four, met with an untimely demise.  A closer analogy to Steve Prefontaine might actually be Drazen Petrovic, since both young athletes were killed in car accidents.  But where Petrovic remains a Croatian legend and one of the Nets’ all-timers, Pre was more like LeBron in the sense that he created a legacy of excellence early in life, had an impact well beyond his sport, and always wore the Nike Swoosh.  That’s just a bit of historical context for the Nike Pre Montreal Racer, a model so classic that we can’t pretend like that explanation was just for the ‘young’ sneakerheads.  This shoe was one of Nike’s first runners, a 1973 debut that showed Nike would stand behind Prefontaine’s push to capture that elusive 5000m gold at the ’76 games in Quebec.  But Pre never made it to Montreal, but thanks to the internet, we have the ability to visit England for a chance at the Quickstrike that’s only available in the UK at Size?.

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During the late 1980′s, the footwear scene in two popular sports would change forever. The Air Jordan III was created by Tinker Hatfield, re-routing the Air Jordan legacy into the astounding heights it is currently floating around today, and inline skates began to be mass-manufactured, making the 2×2 roller-skate set-up an official ‘Retro’ and vintage item. This funky pair of Air Jordan III Rollerskates in the ‘True Blue’ colorway was recently ‘flossed’ on the internet by a stern-faced Russell Westbrook, who backed up his photo with a claim that his skating skills are up there with his rock-dishing ability. You might remember that OG pair of the Nike Killshot roller-skates we showed you on Sneaker News before, but you would you consider rocking Air Jordan Retro rollerskates to your local roller derby?

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Nike’s Lunar cushioning platform has stolen the majority of the Running division’s new releases from the Air Max and Zoom setups that’ve dominated for years, this latest entrant likely to find itself somewhere in the middle of that pack in terms of both technical specs and price.  The Nike Lunar Forever is a nice mix of refined old school meets cutting edge new (hence the name), a shoe whose leather and mesh upper is downright retrofied compared to some of the Hyperfuse and Flywire-laden drops we’re used to these days, but one whose LunarLon sole immediately establishes its modern day credibility.  This ‘Mango Fog’ colorway was crafted especially for ladies, and like the Air Force 1 Light we previewed a short while ago, it’s unclear as of this writing if we’ll see these in mens sizes as well.  Let us know if these would make your shopping list if they do, and you can click through on the jump below to see more details.  via Sneaker Freaker

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The Nike Vapor Talon Elite Fuse  was introduced during the Nike Football Innovation Summit in late November, setting the tone for Nike Football’s take-over of NFL outfitting beginning with the 2012 season. However, the Vapor Talon Elite Fuse is not only already in action on the NFL grid-iron right now, there are some Player Exclusive colorways in the mix. Marshawn Lynch, who sports quite a number of nicknames on the field, was spotted wearing the Nike Vapor Talon Elite Fuse ‘Skittles’ PE during this weekend’s game; Lynch has been known to munch on Skittles candies during games, a quirky habit that dates back to his High School playing days when his mother used to give him a fresh bag before games. When cameras caught him snacking on the food during a game on December 1st, Mars (who manufactures/distributes the fruity candy) offered him a two-year supply as well as a candy dispenser for his locker room. He can now go ‘beast mode’ on his favorite treats whenever he wants – all while wearing one of the funkiest PEs we’ve ever seen. Check out more of Marshawn in action below and let us know what you think. via Yahoo!.

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The upcoming Air Jordan 2012 flagship has caused quite a stir since detailed images surfaced just weeks ago. The White/Black colorway was scrutinized down to the tiniest of details, and the ‘Year of the Dragon‘ coerced some interesting thoughts from our readers, but what emotions are evoked by this University Blue/Grey colorway? Featuring a tonal upper with suede panels overlaying the glossy Flywire-laden shell, the Air Jordan 2012 ‘University Blue’ transmits that ‘UNC Tar Heel’ message clearly while maintaining that grown-up, graduate appeal. Of course, your opinions matter the most, so drop in your two cents in the comments section below after taking another look at this upcoming Air Jordan release. via aaronknows.

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With 2011 coming to a close, free thinkers are beginning to ponder a personal ‘year in review’ covering range of topics like world news, sports, and music. The Jay-Z x Kanye West ‘Watch The Throne’ tour covers all three of those aforementioned categories; it’s one of the most successful tours in history, selling out huge arenas at every tour stop, and with the Nike LeBron 9 PE coming into the mix, it certainly brings in the sports flavor to the conversation. The ‘Watch The Throne’ PE of the LeBron 9 surfaced not long ago, and with just a handful of pairs to be rumored in existence, not much information has been made – until now. This particular pair is currently on display at LeBron James’ new boutique UNKNWN, and the first-hand detailed viewing shows just how luxurious a basketball shoe can be. Building off of a simple Black/Gold colorway, the detailed inner lining, inspired by the trademark of Givenchy Creative Director Riccardo Tisci. Check out the gallery below and let us know what you think. via stickie213.

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While US sneakerheads were going stark raving mad over the Air Jordan XI Retro ‘Concord’ release this past week, the Euro scene shifted its attention to Amsterdam where the boutique that topped many best-of 2010 lists issued their latest collaboration with a brand whose recent resurgence they can be seen to have sparked a couple years back.  The Patta x Asics Gel Saga release represented the rise of both of these brands’ status to cult heroes within certain corners of the sneaker scene, with a large yet peaceful queue starting some two days before the December 22nd drop and building up to an instant sellout that also included some dual-branded winter gloves for the lucky ones in attendance.  Click through and you can see a video profile of the event featuring Nas’ steallar ‘lost’ track ‘Take it in Blood’ and stick with Sneaker News for event recaps from around the world.  via EUKicks

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The NBA Feet features on Sneaker News had to take a bit of an extended break due to the lockout, but it returned with a bang on Christmas Day when ten NBA teams battled it out to open the 2011-12 season. On the day after Christmas, the rest of the league partook in the opening days of the season as twelve high-octane match-ups provided enough basketball for fans who have been craving the sport. To recap yesterday night’s games: The Los Angeles Lakers fell to 0-2 as Kobe Bryant wore the Black/Del Sol colorway of the Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme. The Washington Wizards made some noise as Reebok’s marquee athlete John Wall sported some fresh new Zig Encores, while teammate Jordan Crawford broke out the Air Jordan VII ‘Bordeaux’. Paul George of the Indiana Pacers rocked the Concord XIs, while teammate George Hill, who has shown a liking to Nike LeBron comfort, wore the original Zoom LeBron Soldier. The most interesting detail of the last couple of days was Jason Kidd’s apparent reconnection with Nike, as he was spotted wearing the Zoom Uptempo V and the Zoom Brave V. Check out some of the highlight’s of last night’s NBA Feet action and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for the best NBA Feet features out there! via Yahoo!.

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A Zoom KD IV inspired by meterology, a whole pack of Zoom Kobe VIIs dedicated to deadly predators and now a Nike LeBron 9 ‘Big Bang’ colorway — anyone care to venture a guess the Color, Graphics and Materials Team over at Nike Basketball has been watching a bunch of the Science Channel lately?  We saw a pronounced shift toward college-themed releases when the NBA and its PA couldn’t get their act together during the early fall, and this same kind of looking beyond the bounds of your everyday average NBA signature sneaker likely played a role in getting all these wildly inventive new looks to market.  The ‘Big Bang’ LeBron 9 is arguably the most intense of all these colorways, a blazing mix of orange and red that features more little details than any release this side of Freegums’ doodle-heavy design.  Sneaker News readers seem particularly jazzed about the galaxy represented on this pair‘s shank plate and insole, but that’s taking nothing away from the novelty of a sewn-on tongue tag.  Click through and you’ll see all of these and more, and be sure to check back with us periodically for updates including word on their availability.  via SoleWings

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The ‘Battle in Beijing’ might not be a real military conflict, but there was indeed quite a bit on the line when the 2011 edition went down on Christmas Eve in China.  That’s when a lucky 24 sneakerheads got their hands on a double-pack of Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme ‘Leopard’ and a previously unseen Air Force 1 Low in all white with purple laces to bring the two designs closer together.  Both came with ‘Battle . . . ‘ hangtags that furthered last year’s theme, but their double-drawered box, while nicely detailed, can only compare to the GR release of last year’s LeBron 8 V/2 ‘Christmas.  The special wooden packaging wasn’t replicated on this year’s double-up, so would you have rather had one shoe in a sick box or two dope pairs, each with its own special theme?  Let us know with a comment when you click through to see all the photos and stick with Sneaker News for all the Zoom Kobe VII release dates.  via HC

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We’ve been seeing previews of this model off and on since this past May, but those Sneaker News readers with memories sharp enough to remember that initial preview will also recall that they’ve always been slated for a spring 2012 debut. So though it feels like an eternity since we first laid eyes upon the Nike Air Max Barkley, it’s actually arriving about a week earlier than we could have expected. This first colorway seems appropriate with its mostly white build adding Old Royal and Gym Red hits in honor of Sir Charles’ early years with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team with whom Chuck built his rebellious public persona and earned the nickname ‘The Round Mound of Rebound’. The Air Max Barkley, like Charles in his earlier days, is decidedly sleeker than the Air Max2 CB ’94 silo upon which it was based, and you’ll find them at select Nike Sportswear retailers like Premier.

Nike Air Max Barkley
White/White-Old Royal-Gym Red
488119-106

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