We’re wrapping up the first third of 2012 with one last look at the twenty best from Sneaker News Blogs: WDYWT, and as we reach this milestone in the year, we can only expect our readers to deliver with some true neckbreakers for the remainder of the year. We’ve got another sick selection to choose from, from an original Air Jordan X from the City Series, some great Nike iD creations, a pair of Footscape gems from ’99, and one of funkiest Jordan x Nike swaps we’ve ever seen. More on the twenty best below, so take look, vote for your favorite, and submit your own kicks to Best of WDYWT!
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2012 will be a (painfully) joyous year for Retro fans thanks to the slew of Trainer re-issues like the Air Diamond Turf II and Air Speed Turf Max on top of all the Air Jordan Retro madness. But some will say (we emphasize ‘some’) that the Air Woven is the Retro of the year; it’s undeniably a cult classic that not everyone will appreciate, but releases are so few and far in between that anytime it does pop up, it’ll be rushed off the stores shelves in a heartbeat. The best part? There are six colorways to choose from, like this Obsidian/University Red-Deep Royal Blue that just hit some retailers in Asia like Limited Edt. Is the Air Woven your ‘thing’? Let us know in the comments area below, and we’ll keep you up to date with a U.S. release. Photos: SM
Nike Air Woven
Obsidian/University Red-Deep Royal Blue
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As the world as a whole turned the corner into uncharted chronological territory (ie when we started numbering our year of existence with a ’2′), Nike introduced the Air Woven – a sneaker that was anything but the ‘sneaker’ that we’ve come to familiarize ourselves with. No laces, no mesh or leather uppers, but instead a one-piece upper constructed of polyester and elastic webbing that provided the perfect fit for any foot, giving the Nike Air Woven a distinct and profound existence. The later Air Woven releases would become one of the most sought after collectible items on the sneaker market before funny nicknames and ‘inspirations’ hit the SB Dunk, and while the Woven has been somewhat of a dying breed, living only through select Nike Sportswear inclusions, it’s elbowing its way back into the limelight with this comeback consisting of six colorways inspired by Euro Football teams. Originally reported by overseas outlets as a Japan exclusive, this half-dozen of Wovens will be available on a global scale at select retailers and also online. Reacquaint or introduce yourself to the Air Woven below and stay tuned for more release information on this cult classic.
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Introduced in 2011 as a ‘Freed’ Footscape Woven was the NIke Footscape Woven Chukka Motion that combined the awkward upper design of the Footscape Woven with a Free-grooved outsole specific to the foot-formed Footscape mold. We saw a plethora of releases in leopoard prints, mesh uppers, and plain ‘ol suede, but for the upcoming year, we’ll be getting a basic black and white duet of counterparts that feature a colorful rainbow schematic embedded into the weaved upper. Both feature the curious number designations on the tongue label, solid white outsoles, and a eager following of Footscape fanatics that’ll surely be on they hit retailers. Check out individual angles below and let us know what you think. via us11
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The ‘Sawtooth’ Pack is an unexpected visual punch even from this series known for its avant garde approach, and the Premium pairs are downright impressive with their top-notch materials, so what about a ‘plain’ Nike Footscape Free? This one would have to be the most basic you’ll find, its colorway lacking any sort of accent shade in favor of the stark black/white look that’s sold so well this season. Check these out up close after the jump and let us know if you’ll be grabbing these from a Nike Sportswear retailer like Caliroots.
Nike Footscape Free
Black/Black-Black-Sail
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After a 2011 that emphasized the Woven and Chukka variations to the exclusion of the more basic composition, Nike’s avant garde Footscape series positioned itself for a return in 2012 by debuting the Nike Footscape Free this spring. And after a couple of colorways done in the OG style, previews emerged depicting a couple of top-end luxury builds that go with neutral uppers, white soles and leather liners for quality you can feel from a distance. This pair pictured above opts for an earthy sand brown that leans toward green in the right light, a rustic pairing you can examine in greater detail after the jump below. Let us know how these rank against the black ones that dropped earlier this month and find the new ones at select Nike Sportswear shops soon. via Nike Harajuku
Nike Footscape Free
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It’s the warm, Spring-time climates that we’re experiencing nationwide that evokes thoughts of the perfect seasonal sneaker, and if you’re already thinking the Air Woven, you’re not very far off from a release. Woven technology was first introduced to Nike’s library of quirky kicks in 2000, and since then, the Air Woven has become one of the pricier and rarified collectible items of the last decade and has weaved itself into the tight fabric of Japanese footwear culture. The recent introduction of Fly Knit technology is a bit like an advanced version of the Woven, but that isn’t saying that the Woven is a dead technology; in fact, its Retro appeal is what keeps the Woven spirit alive and this March 31, a small capsule of six Air Wovens will release in limited quantities at select retailers like SOPH.NET. We’ll keep update you should more information spills out, so check out all six colorways after the jump and keep in tune with Sneaker News for more. via honeyee
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The Nike Footscape series has been all about providing avant garde luxury to the most discerning of forward-looking sneakerheads, and with this latest arrangement of materials and colors, Nike Sportswear very well might have nailed down the epitome of this offset-laced icon. The Nike Footscape Free Premium NRG looks the part of a top-notch release thanks to soft black leathers on its upper paired with the peanut butter interior that instantly denotes quality. This black edition is like the olive green joints we showed you last week with its white sole adding a pristine punctuation mark to this classy design, so stick with Sneaker News for updates on US availability now that they’re arriving at Asian retailers like Limited Edt.
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