Author Archives: Sneaker News
December 31st, 2012 by Sneaker News
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On Friday, Sneaker News launched our annual Sneaker News Top 30 list, detailing the most compelling and significant footwear-related stories of the year. Narrowing it down to thirty choices was a tough task, but we don’t intend to leave any of 2012′s top releases out because it’s time for you, our faithful readers, to let us know what you thought were the best sneakers of the year. We’ve narrowed it down to twenty-one categories with some difficult choices to be made, so take a look below and be sure to vote. Winners to be announced this Friday.
POLLS CLOSE ON THURSDAY AT 11:59 PM EST
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December 28th, 2012 by Sneaker News
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For better or worse, 2012 was a defining year for the sneaker world and all that it encompasses. It was a year that saw certain shoes throw the laws of supply and demand so out of whack, that brands and retailers had to completely rethink the way they sell shoes to the public just to keep the peace. If you were willing to put in some legwork or, better yet, had the right connections, it was a banner year for sneaker enthusiasts. “Must-have” releases seemed to be at an all-time high and nearly every weekend offered up some sort of temptation for consumers. 2012 saw the release of some of the most eagerly anticipated and passionately sought-after sneakers the game had ever seen and it’s safe to say that things will never be the same again.
In between those, there were plenty of other desirable targets along the way, from the special limited editions and collaborations to beloved Retro returns and promising new designs and innovations. There were even a few certified sleeper hits that organically carved out their place among the year’s best releases. Due to an exponentially expanding consumer base and a heightened level of product awareness, you might not have been able to get your hands on every shoe you hunted for in 2012, but there was certainly no shortage of solid alternatives ripe for the picking in their absence.
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December 28th, 2012 by Sneaker News
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2012 was an incredible year for sneaker enthusiasts and brands alike. It was a non-stop celebration of new innovations and nostalgic undertones in footwear, with several labels playing vital roles in what was the most outstanding year of sneakers to date. The Sneaker News staff is of course very much involved in this hobby, so as the months passed, we’ve jotted down the releases that were the must-have game-changers that truly made 2012 a historic year and compiled them into the Sneaker News Top 30 of 2012. The paperback book is eighty-pages of the most desirable and effective shoes, with some exclusive photos and even a sick glow-in-the-dark back cover. If you copped last year’s book and want to continue your own collection of Sneaker News Top 30 books, continue on for direct links for purchase (both U.S. and International)!
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June 18th, 2012 by Sneaker News
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You might not know it from the way he’s been playing basketball as of late but LeBron James does indeed spend some time off the court. What does his footwear look like during those moments? The recent LeBron James x Nike Sportswear pack is always a viable option, as is the Nike Air Yeezy 2 thanks to his connections with the man behind those. Adding to LeBron’s choices is this Nike Trainer 1.3 Max, a special pair equipped with the Dunkman logo on the back, LeBron’s scrawl at the top of the toebox, the LBJ emblem, and a familiar ooze green colorway. Could you see yourself rocking this spinoff of a LeBron sneaker? Let us know after you check out the LeBron James x Nike Trainer 1.3 Max ‘Dunkman’ after the jump from DJ Clark Kent and keep it here for word on whether or not they’ll be releasing.
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June 18th, 2012 by Sneaker News
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We’d seen it briefly as a part of the wider Jordan Brand spring 2013 preview earlier this morning on Sneaker News and now it’s time to take a closer look at Carmelo Anthony’s innovative new signature design. The Jordan Melo M9 breaks all the rules we’ve come to know about how Flywire integrates into basketball sneaker designs, turning these stabilizing cables from mere ribs in a TPU shell to integral elements in a lacing lockdown system unlike any other. In the image above, we see how the heel diamond resembles the Air Jordan 2013 teaser’s carbon fiber curves and can’t help but wonder if this means we should expect something similar from the Jordan Fly Wade 3 as JB’s top flight models converge on this foundational area. Click through to see these and more details like the unique visible Air cushion and textures midsole tooling, let us know where these rank against Carmelo’s best and stick with Sneaker News for the Jordan Melo M9 release dates. Photos: hupu
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June 18th, 2012 by Sneaker News
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We used the expression ‘SP13′ in the Nike Sportswear spring 2013 preview you just saw, and now next spring’s theme shifts to ‘Supernatural Performance’ as we begin a look at Beaverton’s modern marvels of basketball tech. Jordan Brand leads the way with a teaser of the Air Jordan 2013, including a Jumpman-emblazoned carbon fiber plate that judging by its size, position and curvature is quite possibly a heel counter a la Nike Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 Elite. Three bullet points describe features but only ‘Proplate Zoom’ is offered in English; might it be joined by the LunarLon we’ve come to expect from the Jordan Super Fly Low? Or perhaps the forefoot Zoom cushioning in the Jordan F2F III or Jordan Ace 23? Meanwhile on the Max Air side of things, the Jordan Melo M9 shows off a few of its possibilities and the early-90s throwback Jordan Blueprint shows up in a new style vaguely similar to the ‘Motorsports’ AJ6. Check out all of these after the jump in a bunch of additional images, let us know your thoughts on the first Air Jordan 2013 photos and all the rest of JB’s lineup for next year and stick with Sneaker News for breaking developments and release dates. Photos: hupu
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June 18th, 2012 by Sneaker News
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Jordan Brand teased its biggest release for next spring with a mysterious shot of the Air Jordan 2013, but that tiny glimpse suggests quite a bit about what to expect from next year’s flagship. Over in the Nike Basketball camp, the Zoom Kobe 7 has been a hit since the ‘Grinch’ made Christmas 2011 the NBA’s most successful yet, so we also have a frame into which the new Nike Zoom Kobe VII Point 5 can fit neatly. This apparent ZK7 takedown doesn’t seem to use any Flywire or offer the kind of graphic capabilities as its TPU-uppered big brother, but the impact of this now familiar silhouette in a more traditional build is just as striking and a further testament to the depth of Eric Avar’s ‘systemic’ approach.
LeBron’s Nike Air Max Ambassador V appears in two colorways and is joined by another that might end up being titled Nike Ambassador Point 5 (another affordably priced takedown). The new Nike Zoom Hyperdisrupter makes its first appearance and we get a look at the Flwire pattern on the Nike Lunar Hyperdunk+ Low, while another look at the Nike Zoom Hyperdunk 2012 Point 5 reveals its build as in line with the other slightly less tech heavy ‘Point 5′ designs instead of the embedded Flywire continuation we expected from the early catalog images. Inspect each of these models after the jump, let us know what you think about Q1 ’13 so far and stick with Sneaker News for all the spring 2013 release dates. Photos: hupu
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November 15th, 2011 by Sneaker News
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Unless you’ve been living under a cool and damp rock, you already know that ‘Watch The Throne’ Tour by Jay-Z and Kanye West has taken the hip-hop world by storm, thanks to the Jay-Z x Kanye West collaborative album, which was followed by the magnanimous concert tour that has garnered millions of viewers in just a short amount of time. The ‘Watch The Throne’ album and tour will forever be recognized as one of the greatest hip-hop efforts of all-time, and Jay-Z’s NBA Superstar pal LeBron James is getting in the mix. How? Check out the Nike LeBron 9 “Watch The Throne”; set off by a crispy-clean Black/Gold colorway and a translucent outsole, this special edition LeBron 9 is elevated to the level of kingship with an ornately designed inner lining and shoelace combo resembling the Watch The Tour album artwork, which was done by Givenchy Creative Director Riccardo Tisci. Continue reading for detailed shots of the Nike LeBron 9 ‘Watch The Tour’ and stick with Sneaker News for more updates, and let us know if you attended the latest Watch The Throne tour stop, which is currently in Miami! via randomactsofcool.
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