Author Archives: Aaron Kr.
February 25th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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We’ve seen extensive looks at the signature installments of the 2012 Nike Basketball All-Star kicks, but you knew that once the weekend came around there would be some interesting PE’s popping up to liven things up a bit. These Hyperdunk 2011 Lows made for New Jersey Nets star point guard, Deron Williams, definitely do just that. Working in the “Galaxy” theme seen on a variety of Nike B-Ball and NSW All-Star releases, these Hyperdunk Lows sport the galactic graphic on the lining, ankle and laces, combining with the starry midsole and glow in the dark translucent outsole to easily make these a worthy offering to the group. Expect to see Deron in these over the weekend and stay tuned for more All-Star PE heat coming your way. via NJ Nets/DeronWilliams
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February 24th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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Everyone knew that the jawdropping Galaxy edition of the Nike Air Foamposite One would cause release hysteria. After being pulled from the NikeStore release roster earlier this week, the only chance of getting a pair was to get out there and take your chances at one of the select few retailer spots that would be carrying them. In NYC, scores of determined sneakerheads camped outside of stores in sleeping bags and lawn chairs for over a week to improve their Galaxy prospects. It was clear that this would be a blockbuster of a release, with the limited nature of the shoe, the current unquenchable thirst for Foamposites and of course the wild galactic theme, but the scene down at the Florida Mall in Orlando tonight just raised lowered the bar for sneaker release mayhem. From early reports from DJ Clark Kent and others on the scene, over 3,000 people showed up with the crowd getting so out of control that even the small army of cops in riot gear couldn’t handle the charging crowd trying to inch their way closer to their pair of Galaxy Foams, and there have even been reports of shots being fired. Around 10:30pm, well before the intended midnight release, police shut down the mall and sent the unruly mob home with no sneakers.
No word yet on how a rescheduled release will play out down in Orlando, but we’re sure we’ll hear plenty more stories from the Galaxy releases around the country by morning. We know that it’s easier said than done, but just maybe, it might be time for these retailers to start looking into putting some better systems in place to avoid these kinds of unfortunate situations. Or maybe Nike can just stop putting out shoes that people want so badly. Lets hope it’s the former and not the latter, but let us know what you think should be done to remedy the issue and stay tuned for more on the Galaxy Foamposite release saga.
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February 17th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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Who doesn’t love a beautiful woman rocking heat? Vandal-A‘s latest sneaker-inspired t-shirt design brings together two iconic visions of beauty who both, in their own way, embody the pinnacle of style, grace and timelessness. For the retro release of the White/Cement Air Jordan IV, Vandal-A flips Marilyn Monroes’s most well-known snap shot by placing her in a pair of the legendary kicks with the simple tagline, “Classic” placed in the corner. And what’s more classic than these two, so seeing them brought together creates for quite a tasty image, especially with the subtle touch of the red Jumpman logos on the tongues against the vintage black and white photo. If you’re picking up your crispy new IV’s tonight or tomorrow and need a classy tee to match, hit up the Vandal-A store now to cop your Monroe IV shirt while supplies last.
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February 10th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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Sure, some solitary sneaker releases like the recent Air Jordan XI ‘Concord’ Retro and a few others have packed as much (or more) anticipation and frenzy, but we’re not sure if there’s ever been a date in sneaker history with so many high profile releases all dropping on the same day. Where do we start? How about the Dave White Air Jordan 1 which has been heavily previewed and eagerly awaited while sitting in limbo without a confirmed release date? Or maybe the Nike ‘Black History Month’ Collection featuring Nike Basketball’s three-headed signature model monster and an accompanying set of four NSW offerings? Still not cracking your wallet open? Perhaps the ‘Old Royal’ Air Jordan X will change your mind. Or with Valentine’s Day on the way, maybe it will be a pair of the ‘Voltage Cherry’ Air Jordan IV GS for the lady or little lady in your life. Last but not least is the ‘Dynamic Blue’ colorway of the popular Zoom Rookie LWP model which has thus far been absent from the 2012 release schedule until now.
Quite a crop indeed, and while there is no singular release in the eleven sneakers anywhere near Concord-ian magnitude, the sum of all these parts adds up to quite possibly the most action-packed release date we’ve ever seen and a lot of difficult decisions for sneakerheads everywhere. Oh yeah, and by the way, White/Cement Air Jordan IV’s drop next Saturday and the All-Star weekend batch at the end of the month may trump this week’s bonanza. Hottest month ever? Foot Locker thinks so. Time to smash open those piggy banks and gear up for month long release mayhem, all starting tonight at midnight on NikeStore and nationwide at brick and mortar retailers like Extra Butter. Let us know what you’ll be copping tomorrow night and stay tuned to Sneaker News for all the latest on the February heatwave.
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February 7th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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After wrapping up the question and answer portion of the Air Jordan 2012 Media Launch with Tinker Hatfield and Tom Luedecke, media was sent over to “baggage claim” where flight attendants presented us with a Jordan x Cole Haan Weekender Bag containing a pair of Air Jordan 2012s and some gear to hoop in. After “choosing our flight” and suiting up, it was on to the next curtain, which moved aside to reveal a full hardwood basketball court inside the airplane hangar. We were run through an extensive set of drills and warm-ups, putting the shoe to all kinds of tests in order to get a feel for the on-foot reaction to all kinds of movements, cuts and impact. Whether it was the high or low liner option, everyone seemed to respond favorably to the performance of the shoe, but it was some pickup games for the attendees left standing after the drills portion that would provide the ultimate test for the Air Jordan 2012.
Alongside the court, another long curtain walled off the final area of the launch – an overwhelming spread of Air Jordan 2012 samples covering most of the room. While some new colorways like the All-Stars and Bred edition seen earlier today were revealed, the majority of the Air Jordan 2012s seen throughout are Nike iD samples showing off the multitude of customizable options for the shoe. In addition to the Air Jordan 2012′s arrival on Nike iD on February 14th, we can also expect to see an iPad app and some other goodies on the way. Keep reading to check out some pics of the event, some new upcoming colorways and a slew of iD samples that very well may change the way you look at the Air Jordan 2012. Whatever you thought you knew about this shoe up until now, put it aside for the moment and take a look at what the Air Jordan 2012 has to offer.
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February 7th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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Jordan Brand is well known for pulling out all the stops for the launch of a new flagship model, and this year’s Air Jordan 2012 media unveiling was certainly no exception. Sneaker News was fortunate to be part of a select group of media picked up this morning and driven to a mystery location for the event. The cars eventually pulled up to a hangar in New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport with a large metallic Jumpman logo on the side of the building leaving little doubt that we had arrived at our destination. Once inside, media was “checked in” to their “flight” at a counter manned by members of the JB team and even a few flight attendants, and then piled into a room where the Air Jordan 2012 was officially introduced. After a brief set-up, the shoe’s designers, Tom Luedecke and none other than the legendary Tinker Hatfield (proudly repping his alma-mater in a pair of ‘Oregon’ Air Jordan III’s), were brought up on stage to run through the backstory and details of Jordan Brand’s latest installment to the Air Jordan heritage line.
As you might expect from what you’ve seen of the shoe, there is certainly a dress shoe influence, but it’s origin might not be what you were thinking. The inspiration for the wingtip aesthetic came from quite an unlikely place – a Tinker Hatfield architecture gig for the city of Portland. Tinker had been working on a rejuvenation project for a Portland neighborhood known as Jump Town, which was once a Northwest hub for jazz music and its fashionable culture. He was intrigued by the idea of the wild “zoot suits” that were worn in those days and the flashy footwear that often accompanied them. The idea was born and the look was translated via iPad sketching into what eventually became the Air Jordan 2012 – a shoe with some visual call-outs to a forgotten era crossbred with some next level technology found inside.
Aside from its unique look, the standout feature of the Air Jordan 2012 are its modular parts and the wide variety of options that can be explored. The idea of offering two different inner sleeve booties and three swappable insoles with different levels of cushioning comes down to one simple concept – allowing the consumer to tailor the shoe to their own customized specifications. No matter your size, position, style of game, there is something to cover it all, whether it be over the long haul of a season or switching up from game to game to adapt as you go. The innovations cross into some new ground for the Air Jordan line and are definitely worth a closer look in person when they start hitting retailers tomorrow in the first two colorways. Keep reading for a thorough look at this afternoon’s Air Jordan 2012 introduction with Tinker Hatfield and Tom Luedecke and stay tuned for part 2 of our launch recap later tonight.
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January 28th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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As previously seen with the Nike LeBron 9, Zoom Kobe VII and Air Foamposite One models, Nike basketball will be playing up the “star” angle this NBA All-Star weekend with a cool “galaxy” motif. The starry outerspace theme can’t be missed on Kobe’s shoe and is a bit more subtle on LeBron’s, and now we finally get a look at Kevin Durant’s All-Star kicks which look to fall somewhere in the middle. A space travel-ready metallic silver upper is set off by orange accents, with a star covered black midsole sitting atop an ice outsole and galaxy’d out shank plate. The galaxy graphic appears again on the lining with the tongue logo appearing to adopt a similar style to the labels seen on the LeBron 9 tongue and Kobe VII heel. Check out some more pics after the jump and stay tuned for more info on all the Nike Basketball All-Star kicks leading up to next month’s festivities in Orlando. via US11
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January 25th, 2012 by Aaron Kr.
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As of late, Nike iD has been rewarding the Air Force 1 faithful out there with a special new option each month. First it was wool, then premium boot leather and this past month just saw some interesting ballistic mesh and rubber options. Each has been limited to 750 pairs and have all gone pretty fast, but now for the February offering comes something sure to disappear even quicker. Until now, if you wanted elephant print on an Air Force 1, you could check out eBay for one of a handful of previous general releases that dabbled with the beloved pattern, or if you really wanted to go all out, you could always put it on a Bespoke. Now at long last, elephant print will be available on the Nike Air Force 1 iD. While excessive use has slightly diluted the power of the almighty elephant touch over the years, we’re sure that there will be plenty of folks eager to slap some on their AF1′s with the quickness. Look for these to hit Nike iD around the beginning of the month and stay tuned for sample pics coming soon.
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