Browsing the "Classics Revisited" Tag
CLASSICS REVISITED Our Classics Revisited feature is a retrospective column on some of the best sneaker releases of yesteryear. Click through for photos, release dates, and information on classic sneakers.
October 16th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE SB DUNK LOW 2005 WEEK
One of the most popular SB Dunk releases of 2005 was the tribute to the Roswell Rayguns – the fictional semi-pro basketball team that was featured as part of Nike Basketball’s advertisement campaigns of 2005. It features the signature Yellow/Orange colors on the center and heel panels with the Rayguns logo embroidered on the heel. Aside from being one of the more coveted SB Dunk drops of the year, there are some interesting facts about the Rayguns that are often overlooked. For one, the Black pair was considered the ‘Home’ version and the White was referred to as the ‘Away’ (an unusual exception from what’s become accepted as Home and Away colors). Secondly, the Rayguns were one of the very few SB Dunk releases that released in Toddler sizes. And finally, the Rayguns were designed by custom sneaker extraordinaire Methamphibian, who would go on and create his own SB Dunk representing his SBTG label. More of tonight’s Classics Revisited is just ahead, so check out both colors and let us know if you have either one in your stash.
Nike SB Dunk Low
Orange Flash/Black-Black
304292-803
02/2005
Orange Flash/White-White
304292-902
02/2005
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October 15th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE SB DUNK LOW 2005 WEEK
The landscape of Nike Skateboarding has changed quite a bit since it first opened up in 2002. Today, it’s the series of pro-models in the name of Koston, Janoski, Rodriguez that dominatesthe scene, but for the first four years SB’s existence, it was all about the SB Dunk. The Dunk experienced an easy transition into the skate scene because the Dunk was already a popular skate-shoe option in the 80′s and 90′s, but in the 2000′s the SB Dunk was the object of sever desire for sneaker collectors around the world. Artistic collaborations with Supreme, Pushead, Zoo York, and transformed the SB Dunk into a rehashed skate shoe to a legend and firestarter of the sneaker culture today, so we’ll focus this week on five notable SB Dunk Lows that paved the way.
Starting off, we’ll take a look at this August 2005 release of the Nike SB Dunk Low, designed by Nick Diamond of Diamond Supply Co. as part of the ‘Team Manager’ series. The Team Manager series included this SB Dunk as well the Zoom Team Edition, the Zoom FC, the Blazer, and another pair of Dunks (by Stussy). There’s no question that the pink-box Diamond Supply Co. design was the most coveted of the bunch, as it borrowed the iconic colors of Tiffany & Co. to create this luxurious pair – unquestionably one of the most popular SB Dunk Lows of all-time. More of this Classics Revisited below, so take a look and stay tuned for more SB Dunk Low goodness as the week rolls along.
Nike SB Dunk Low
Aqua/Cool Grey
304292-402
08/2005
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October 12th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE BASKETBALL 2000′s WEEK
Welcome to the original “What The?” shoe. The Shox Stunner of 2002 was in fact every major basketball technology that Nike had come up with meshed into one outstanding design utilizing the latest, state-of-the-art cushion technology in the spring-boarding Nike Shox. Take a good look and you’ll begin to notice all the qualities of Nike Basketball history rising to the surface; an ankle strap (Air Force 1), a inner-sock design (Air Jordan VII), a zipper (NDestrukt and late 90′s Zoom Flight), the bottom Shox plate from the BB4, and the center outsole from the Zoom Flight Five.
The Shox Stunner might as well be a ‘What The Basketball’ because it encapsulated all that was right and ready about Beaverton Hoops, spun together with daunting attitude and flair that only Nike has achieved. This 2002 release fell smack in the middle of the streetball craze and the Nike Battlegrounds campaign (the shoe actually came with those baller bands). The Stunner was popular among the unequivocally lithe forwards of that era – the Shareefs, the Jermaines. This is what Classics Revisited is all about – giving honor to the sneakers of the past that pave the way for today.
Nike Shox Stunner
2002
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October 11th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE BASKETBALL 2000′s WEEK
Has Foamposite ever been properly used? During the original run of Foamposite and its immediate successors, only the extreme ballers gave the Posite line a chance. It simply was not a shoe for everyone, but that usually is the case for a product designed for the extremes. Consider every Posite Basketball shoe release like the debut of a high-end supercar; not for everyone, but admired by all. Today, Foamposites have reached that level of intended popularity as a Lifestyle footwear selection rather than a performance model, but the recent debut of the Hyperposite aims to change the attitude of Foam from a street-ready stomper to a sleek, lightweight, and game-changing design.
But perhaps the best-performing Foamposite shoe ever is Aaron Cooper and Jeff Johnson’s Nike Ultraposite of 2003; it was designed as somewhat of a descendant of the Flightposite Series, but the Ultraposite certainly stands on its own for a number of reasons – it was the first full-Foamposite shoe that used a full-length carbon fiber plate, but more importantly, it utilized a lighter Foam material. With almost every shoe in the ‘Posite line (with the exception of the Flightposite III) already re-issued, will we see Ultraposite make a return? More of tonight’s Classics Revisited below, so take a look at the gallery of this masterpiece and stay tuned for tomorrow’s final feature of the week.
Nike Ultraposite
Black/Black-Metallic Silver
304884-001
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October 10th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE BASKETBALL 2000′s WEEK
Such a generic name for a sneaker that, if released today, would be a gigantic hit. Over a decade ago, Nike released the Nike Air Signature Player as a team-based model. It was in fact a popular team shoe and was worn by a small handful of NBA players like Paul Pierce, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Juwan Howard, and Kenny Anderson, but the Air Signature Player was sort of an attempt to bring Foam to a broader audience with the lower-in-comparison $130 price-point. Visually, the shoe was a stunner, with great attention to detail shown on the outsole as well as the distinct upper mold. The build consisted of visible Max Air unit at the heel and an encapsulated unit at the forefoot, a full Foamposite upper, and a full-length Dynamic Fit inner sleeve.
Unfortunately, the Air Signature Player is just one of many shoes that might’ve been too ahead of its time. The $130 price-tag was still relatively high for a Nike Basketball shoe, which many consumers considered too steep for an ‘experimental’ material. It was still a top performer, particularly among bigger guards and small forwards (the cushioning was a bit softer than Zoom Air). Several white team-based colorways of the Air Signature Player released, with the most exciting ones being the ‘Royal’ pair and ‘Gold’ pair. If you find a deadstock pair in your sights, cop ‘em quick! More of tonight’s Classics Revisited is just ahead.
Nike Air Signature Player
830274-401
2001
$130
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October 9th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE BASKETBALL 2000′s WEEK
We can’t have a week-long tribute to Nike Basketball during the early 2000′s without a reference to one of the true evolutionary pieces of Nike history, now can we? While the low-cut sneaker boom might be credited to Kobe Bryant, it was the Air Zoom Jet Flight of 2001 that should garner all the props. Like the Air Flight Max III of the same year, the Air Jet Flight resembles a running shoe more than it does a basketball shoe. Structurally, the Air Jet Flight was a beauty. Build on a midsole that featured high-volume visible Max Air on the heel and fore-foot Zoom Air with a high-wrap midsole and a TPU-support midfoot strap, the Air Jet Flight was on a separate playing field from anything Nike Basketball had done before. While there wasn’t much ankle support in this low-cut construction, the strong and sturdy heel-counter as well as the strap is what kept the athlete upright in position. Much of the Air Jet Flight Max concept is used in the current wave of highly-praised Zoom Kobe releases, and much like the Kobes, the Air Jet Flight wasn’t exclusively a guard’s shoe; it was worn by Steve Nash, Baron Davis, Dirk Nowitzki, Keith Van Horn, Jason ‘White Chocolate’ Williams, and Bruce Bowen. The Air Jet Flight is considered, by serious ballers, as one of the best of the decade, so familiarize yourself with this Nike Basketball gem below and stay tuned for more Classics Revisited throughout the week!
Nike Air Jet Flight
Varsity Red/White-Silver
Dark Charcoal/White-Royal-Medium Grey
Black/Metallic Grey
02/2001
$90
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October 8th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE BASKETBALL 2000′s WEEK
Debates will be had and arguments will be made, but there is nobody – not even Michael, Dominique, Shawn, or LeBron – that is a better dunker than Vince Carter. The UNC alumni sprung into the NBA highlight reel almost instantly, pulling off inhumane feats of aerial assaults with a rare and cherished combination of finesse and power, throwing down sweet windmills on everyone in his path. VC went from highlight-reel regular to international superstar in a short span of five months, beginning with his Slam Dunk Contest showing in February of 2000 and his leapfrogging over Frederic Weis during the Sydney Olympics later that year. The one major difference between the February and August occasions was what was on Vince’s feet; during the Dunk Contest, VC rocked the AND1 Tai Chi, but by August, he used his airborne abilities to showcase Nike Shox technology and the Nike Shox BB4. It was a match made in heaven; who better than Vince Carter to represent a technology that propelled the athlete off the ground?
Vince Carter’s allegiance to Nike would come at a major, major price; his new contract with the Swoosh rewarded him a cool $30 million, but roughly half of that amount went to Puma to pay off a ‘breach of contract’ fee of sorts. It was a price Vince was willing to pay as the path down Nike would certainly lead to greener pastures, as the Nike Shox VC line would debut not even two years later (Christmas 2001, to be exact). Nike introduced the Shox VC with the ‘Dr. Funk’ campaign – a fictional story dating back to 1975 where a ‘new school cat’ with a strange pair of vinyl and zippered shoes would dominate the old school ballers with ease. The Shox line would go one for five more signature models, and although Vince no longer has a signature shoe to call his own, he still rocks Nike Shox footwear on the court (but you can catch him in the Hyperposite this season). More of this classic era of Nike Basketball below, and you can bet we’ll revisit another Shox model during this week’s Classics Revisited!
Nike Shox VC
Metallic Silver/Black-Varsity Royal
302277-001
Black/Varsity Red-Metallic-Silver
302277-061
Varsity Red/Black-Metallic Silver
302277-601
Midnight Navy/Metallic Gold
302277-471
2002
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October 5th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE AIR PENNY WEEK
In 2006, amidst a slew of Air Penny IV releases, Nike went a bit out of bounds with one design by applying a unique digital camouflage print on the upper and strap of the shoe. This funky upper wasn’t alone either; the Huarache 2k4 – a staunch performance basketball shoe – was created in tonal classic camouflage and snakeskin uppers and quickly hit the clearance racks while absorbing some laughs along the way. However, that style, including this digi-camo Air Penny IV, might do better in today’s sneaker scene, where loud designs and graphics reign supreme. This digi-camo pair of Penny releases didn’t do so well in stores and quickly became one of those unique outlet finds, but could Nike revisit this idea when the Penny IV re-releases again? Check out the final installment of this week’s Classics Revisited and let us know if these are hiding in your collection!
Nike Air Penny IV
White/Midnight Navy-University Blue-Ice Blue
315455-141
2006
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