Author Archives: Aaron Kr.
April 19th, 2013 by Aaron Kr.
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When Nike Basketball unveiled the initial Elite Series last spring, a lot of eyebrows were raised in response to the high pricetags, but upon examination of what you were getting for your money, it became clear that these shoes were packing some next-level performance features. We sat down with designers Leo Chang and Jason Petrie prior to the release of the first Elites to really delve into what made the shoes so “elite” and why the product justified the hefty pricepoints. As we learned, every tiny detail of the shoes are analyzed, considered and upgraded using materials and technologies that could never make it onto the in-season models because of their high cost. The Elite Series lets these designers loose to do all the things they’ve always wanted to do on a basketball shoe, and the end result is the pinnacle of what’s been achieved to date in the basketball footwear genre.
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March 3rd, 2013 by Aaron Kr.
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In the past few years, Packer Shoes has teamed up with Reebok for a solid stretch of collaborative efforts, and it appears that there’s more in store for 2013. The NJ shop recently posted a teaser image for their latest project, showing only a Packer branded insole sitting atop an OG pair of the cult-classic Reebok Aztec runners. Further details on this upcoming collab are on the way, so check out the teaser for now and stay tuned for pics and info coming soon.
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February 16th, 2013 by Aaron Kr.
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Since the kickoff of the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend, there has been no shortage of new Air Jordan XX8 colorways popping up left and right, and here we have a look at the latest to surface. This pair is on Russell Westbrook‘s feet right now during the Saturday night events and features the familiar “Why Not?” slogan that appeared on various Westbrook PE’s while a member of the Nike roster. We’ll have to wait to see if Russ sticks with these for tomorrow night’s game or if some more surprises are in store, but for now you can get a better look at the Air Jordan XX8 “Why Not?” PE after the jump.
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February 12th, 2013 by Aaron Kr.
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Making its first appearance in GS form with a 2013 suffix, this new modification to the Son of Mars hybrid represents the first such move from a Jordan Brand mashup. The Jordan Son of Mars Low resides in that 5/8ths territory with a low-cut silhouette that offers a middle ground between the traditional basketball midtop and the football-inspired lows that’ve gained traction over the past five years. This new shot emphasizes the appearance of a patent leather sweep in office lighting; have a closer look below and let us know what you think of this new Spike Lee joint.
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December 7th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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It’s been a pretty big year for Kevin Durant. In addition to claiming his third consecutive scoring title, taking his first trip to the NBA Finals and winning an Olympic gold medal, KD has also taken huge strides when it comes to not only letting his personality show, but letting it shine. As a result, he has gone from shy and unassuming rising star to full blown superstar, and his marketability is at an all-time high right now. Along for the ride on KD’s dominating 2012 campaign was his fourth signature Nike shoe, the futuristic KD IV, a true gamechanger for the KD line that helped catapult it into the same rarefied air with the annual LeBron and Kobe sigs.
There’s no doubt that the humble and easy to like young star’s growing popularity had a lot to do with the shoe’s status leap, but a large share of the credit goes to Nike Basketball Design Director, Leo Chang, who has overseen the entire lifespan of the KD signature lineage, focusing on mirroring the evolution of Durant’s game with each shoe, each step of the way. There’s no doubt that Leo raised the bar with the KD IV, which turned a monumental corner for the line in the hearts and wallets of consumers, so expectations were understandably high for the fifth shoe and Leo was up for the challenge. The result was an unexpected sharp turn away from the previous models, both functionally and aesthetically – a decision that Leo told us came from KD, himself, and one that he was eager to oblige with. Continue on for our one on one interview with Leo Chang to get the full lowdown on the new KD V, and look out for the first colorway hitting Nike Basketball retailers everywhere this weekend.
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November 13th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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Over the last few years, we’ve seen an influx of great footwear releases led by sports simulation-game magnate EA Sports in the form of special editions, player exclusives, and much more. The overlap between kicks and gaming is larger than you might think, and and thusly EA Sports evolved itself into much more than a gaming brand and into a lifestyle label; it’s connection with Nike and footwear brands in general goes back longer than you might be aware of, even teaming with Nike with the Air Force II back in 2003. Sneaker News got the opportunity to chat with EA Sports VP of Brand Marketing Chris Erb (a major sneakerhead himself) and discuss the past, present, and future of EA’s relationship with Nike.
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November 13th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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Right around a month ago, Sneaker News teamed up with the world’s largest online sneaker collection, Sneakerpedia, in an effort to give you a little bit of background on the personal tastes of the folks who make this site tick. We whittled the most cherished sneakers in our personal collections down to individual top 20 lists, bringing you some background on why those sneakers meant so much to us. But of course, as every collector knows, on the flip side of all our rewarding conquests and acquisitions, there will always be the ones that got away.
This latest edition of our Sneakerpedia team-up is the tale of those models, the ones that we never got our hands on or that we had and may never find again. Mind you this isn’t necessarily a definitive list of our ‘grails’, but rather a compilation of our most personally lusted after releases from amongst the impressive Sneakerpedia selection. Stay with us after the jump for the Top 5 Sneakerpedia sneaker grail lists from our SN editors and let us know if you’ve got any in common with us in the comments below. If you didn’t see your personal favorites in here, head over to the Sneakerpedia archives to see what kind of long-lost heat people are holding onto and feel free to sign up to start uploading your own treasures now.
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November 1st, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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At the moment, Northern New Jersey’s Teaneck Armory is serving as a refuge for those without homes and power from Hurricane Sandy, but almost half a century ago, it was the home of the New Jersey Americans. The now defunct ABA basketball team played in the Armory from 1967-1968 before eventually moving on and becoming the NJ Nets, and as a tribute to the longstanding structure, another Teaneck institution, Packer Shoes, will be paying tribute with their latest sneaker collaboration. Packer has teamed up with adidas Originals for a contemporary new spin on the classic Conductor Hi model, giving it a luxurious makeover with a patriotic look that ties in both the Teaneck Armory and the long gone NJ Americans bball franchise. Keep reading for a look at some teaser pics shot on the actual Teaneck Armory grounds and stay tuned for detailed images and full release info coming soon.
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