When you see the shoe pictured above, you know it’s part of the Air Jordan legacy, but it’s probably one of the most overlooked models in the vault.  They don’t have a name like their regular season counterpart, the ‘Taxi’ and there’s no single moment of dominance they symbolize like the ‘Flu Game’, nor any controversy in their release like the also white ‘Rising Sun’.  Despite the apparent lack of history, yours truly likes these best of all the Air Jordan XIIs (12).

I still remember sitting in the wood-paneled den at my best friend’s house on opening night 1996, staring with disbelief at a new red-on-white colourway of the upcoming Jays I had recently seen teased in a Sports Illustrated ad.  The Taxis weren’t even out as of this point, so the sight of what the original ‘rising sun’ was a shock (Air Jordan XII marked the first time an Air Jordan released in five colourways during the season).  Maybe that’s what compelled me to trade my size 9  Zoom Flight 96s for my seventh-grade classmate’s size 6.5 Twelves during gym class about a month later.  I still remember that November night watching TNT and to this day can barely fathom a shoe so amazing that I’d risk breaking my feet to wear them.

With all these vivid memories, you can imagine how personally exciting our latest Sneaker Wallpaper is for me.  It features the shoe so at home on the road that during that 69-win season that SI depicted a cartoon MJ wearing them while buffing his fingernails in mockery of the competition.  You can relive the beginning of the second greatest season in NBA history by making these your new desktop wallpaper thanks to our new SneakerNews Wallpapers.

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Maybe they are taking the whole 2012 thing seriously, cos with only three years left ’till the supposed end of the world, Jordan Brand is emptying their vaults of highly sought-after heat.  It already started this holiday season with all the Air Jordan XI and XII retros, and January’s Air Jordan VI (6) release points to no end in sight.  Somewhere along this timeline we’ll find the above pictured Air Jordan Spiz’ikes at retailers.

One mixes ‘cement’ and ‘grape’ base colourways, much like the cement/true blue/fire red thing that happens on the ‘Fresh Since 1985′ joints that are also slated for early ‘10.  As for the black joints, call them ’stealth’ and you’ll immediately recognize the connection to the most popular pair of Air Jordan XXs (laser-etched nubuck is both quintessentially ’stealth’ and a dead giveaway).  Take a closer look at both of these 2010 Spizike releases after the jump.  via Warped

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Though the championship inspiration is clear, we all wondered why Nike would push out so many Zoom Kobe IV colourways when we know the ZK5 is right around the corner.  It’s not too often that we see non-retro releases of an earlier sneaker than is the more recent, but such is the case with the Nike Hyperdunk Low.  You could say it’s a sequel of sorts, but given that the Hyperize is already firmly set as the number one choice for this basketball season, it’s slightly strange to see its predecessor suddenly pop up in a lowtop.  Then again, we’re not complaining either, cos this shoe looks pretty much perfect in the Chicago-style colourway.  Take a look at these photos in advance of the 2010 release and stick with Sneaker News for updates on the entire Nike Hyper- series.  via Kinstor

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The releases of Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers editions of the Air Jordan Sixty Plus leaves just the ‘D’ in the ABCs of unstoppable scoring.  Enter the Detroit Pistons edition, making the Motor City look as good as possible in this backhanded souvenir.  Blue contrast stitching looks perfect against soft nubuck, while speckled sections of midsole tie in the silver, blue and red all found on the tongue.  They’re dropping next month, so stick with Sneaker News for updates.

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For those who have seen the original Reebok Pump (the Bringback in case you weren’t sure), or may remember Dominique Wilkins holding it down with these on, you may recall how absurdly high these high-tops are.  A while back Size? gave warning that their big collaboration with Reebok was going to be something to not reckon with.  As stated last time, their Pump20 release is really for the collector, only releasing in a colossal size 20, making it hard for people to rock these on a regular basis.  But it only seems appropriate given the name of the UK shop and the alloted number of shops taking part in this collaborative project.

Now Sneakernews can give you a first look at some more images of their giant Pump20’s.  Continuing to play off the “20-foot monster sneaker” imagery found on the previous post, the UK shop creates some nice shots portraying a gargantuan perspective using miniature models.  Quite amussing.  Check at the last of the images to get a true point of view of how big these shoes are, when comparing them to average sized sneakers.

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For sneakerheads, the Spiz’ike typically tends to be a matter of black and white  – you do or don’t like it.  But for others it could be grey matter depending on the individual colorway of each release.  But it seems this pair has been getting love all around, after all it’s a combo of 3 fan favorites of the Air Jordan 3 – White/Cement, True Blues and Fire Reds.

Most descriptions and images you may have seen have revealed the Mike/Mars lace locks or the “Did You Know” print on the inner lining.  But another gem unseen to many is the insole, which graphically depicts the title of this colorway.  Found on the red insoles is a print of the typical Mars Blackmon image, honing in on the famous marketing campaign that Nike took a huge risk on to promote the AJ3, and later on the next few succeeding Jordans.  The text below it is unique, though, from other Jordan graphics.  “Fresh Since 1985″ is simply recognizing the beginnings of the Air Jordan dynasty, making athletic footwear apart of pop culture and fashion.  Though pairs have been popping up for sale, these don’t officially release til January.  For those willing to wait, enjoy another look with these new images.  And if you really look staring at them, consider getting the wallpaper found at our new Sneaker Wallpaper feature.

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In the 2+ years since its release, the Supra Skytop has benefited from alot of social proof, both direct (Jay-Z forced folks to take notice in Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’ video) and indirect (Air Yeezy, RT1 and a plethora of other very-hightops led to a full-fledged trend).  For the sequel, another famous shoe set to re-release next year finds itself reappropriated.  However obvious the Air Jordan VI (6) inspiration for the tongue you see on this Supra Skytop 2, it’s clear that the next generation is pushing fashion forward.

With a mix of tonal greys, black and bright red, these have just a touch of that ‘Staple’ vibe, but the horizontal stripes on the side panels make these feel like a breath of fresh air.  600 individually-numbered pairs will drop on November 21st at Paris’ colette, where Chad Muska will be on hand to sign autographs.  Stick with Sneaker News for updates on the upcoming Supra Skytop 2.  via sneakerb0b

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With Yao Ming out indefinitely following last year’s broken foot, an even larger contengency of Chinese viewers will watch the NBA rooting for New Jersey’s Yi Jianlian.  The seven-foot power forward will be seen rocking this white pair of Nike Zoom Skyposites when the Nets play at their Izod Center, and the kicks are a perfect match for NJ’s home uniforms.  The white upper has a coated carbon fiber look to it, while the particular shades of navy blue, red and grey are so complimentary, they could have been blocked in practically any way.  Here’s hoping we see more mixes of this smooth palette, but for now, enjoy more photos after the jump and stick with Sneaker News for release updates. via Kenlu

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