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.
September 12th, 2012 by John K.
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ADIDAS CLASSICS WEEK
In 2004, adidas Originals celebrated the milestone 35th Anniversary of the adidas Superstar – a sneaker that is undoubtedly one of the most iconic sneakers in the history of the genre. Up there with the Chuck Taylor and the Air Jordan 1, the Superstar was at the helm of a rebellious movement that combined sport, street culture, hip-hop, dance, and anything that was seemingly against the quite norm. For the 35th Anniversary, adidas embarked upon the adidas Superstar35 Project – a collection of thirty-five Superstars categorized into five categories. Part of the Consortium series was Japan-based Neighborhood, who re-built the classic Superstar with premium materials in a no-frills tonal-black appeal and a yellowed sole. The Consortium Series of the entire Superstar35 project were incredibly tough to obtain, as they were released on New Year’s Eve, and even compared to the 34 other designs of the set, NBHD’s design stood at the top of the heap. More of this adidas icon just ahead, so take a look and stay tuned for more adidas Classics Revisited features throughout the remainder of the week.
NBHD x adidas Originals Consortium Superstar
2005
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September 11th, 2012 by John K.
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ADIDAS CLASSICS WEEK
Since June of 2008, adidas received a healthy boost of off-the-wall streetwear notoriety with the launch of the Jeremy Scott for adidas Collection. Recognized primarily for the outrageous add-ons of wings and stuffed animals, Jeremy Scott put adidas Originals back on the map thanks to these cracked out designs, but Scott wasn’t the first to attempt an energetic revitalization of adidas’ most prized models. Just a few years back, in 2005, adidas Originals quietly launched the adidas Oddity Series – a small capsule of four Originals colored up in some of the most outrageously out-of-bounds colorways ever put forth by the three stripes label. The four models were the adidas Questar, Rising Star, ZX800, and the lesser known adidas Handball 5 Plug, and were released at select adidas retailers in the U.S. and in Europe. While the Oddity Series continued to exist several years after the original ’05 set, none are as coveted as the four listed here, so check out these worthy inclusions of our Classics Revisited series below and let us know if you’ve got a pair in your stash!
adidas Oddity Series
2005
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September 10th, 2012 by John K.
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ADIDAS CLASSICS WEEK
The last several weeks of Classics Revisited were all about the most prized Nike relics of our generation, but adidas deserves just as much mention as its competing brand. We’ll go ahead and state the obvious and say that adidas has a lot of ground to cover in the American lifestyle/streetwear scene, but the next five adidas shoes we’re laying out this week have as much clout as any other shoe we put front-and-center for Classics Revisited. We might as well set the bar high and kick things off with what might be one of the best sneaker collaborations of 2007 – the IRAK x adidas EQT.
IRAK is a notorious group of NYC-based graffiti artists known primarily for shoplifting (yes, shoplifting) outside of graffiti. Started by Earsnot in 1997, IRAK boasts around 50 members and roughly ten years later, IRAK released its own line of products (mostly tees and the like) with famous slogans like ‘Shoplifting is not a crime’. Through some connections with NYC-based retailers, IRAK hooked up with adidas and got to play around with EQT Remix, devising two colorways and topping both off with some of the most aggressive branding ever – a rather lumpy ‘IRAK’ embroidery at the very front of the shoe. Two versions were released (IRAK 2007 and 2008) in limited quantity at $200 a pop. More of the IRAK x adidas EQT right ahead, so take a look and stay tuned for more adidas Classics this week!
IRAK x adidas Rmx EQT Support Runner
Ice Grey/Black/Pop
12/26/07
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September 7th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE AIR FORCE 1 LOW WEEK PART 2
Closing out this week of Classics Revisited isn’t one particular pair of the Air Force 1 Low, but a concentrated capsule of Forces that pay tribute to five countries competing in the 2006 World Cup. Each pair was designed with the trendy patent leather materials, color-blocked to match South Korea, Brazil, Holland, Mexico, and Portugal. Each Air Force 1 of the World Cup Pack featured a custom insole that displayed imagery of each country’s football kit, and inside each box was a small booklet detailing the teams of the 2006 World Cup. 2006 saw plenty of Football-themed releases, like the Japan Club Kashima Antlers Pack and other country-specific Nike Dunk Lows. Nike iD also featured the five countries as part of the customizable options. We’ve got a look at the entire set of the 2006 World Cup Pack, so take a look and let us know which of the five you’ve got in your stash!
Nike Air Force 1 Low World Cup Pack
White/Grenadine-Deep Royal (South Korea)
309096-063
2006
Gold Leaf/Black-Team Red-White (Portugal)
309096-701
2006
Varsity Royal/Varsity Royal-Maize-Classic Green (Brazil)
309096-441
2006
Hoop Orange/White-Varsity Royal (Holland)
309096-811
2006
White/Sport Red-Pine Green-Obsidian (Mexico)
309096-162
2006
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September 6th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE AIR FORCE 1 LOW WEEK PART 2
Let’s go back to back features of Air Force 1 Lows designed by Japanese retailers by following yesterday’s Classics Revisited of the atmos x Nike Air Force 1 Low with this 2004 design my mita. At the point of its release, this Air Force 1 Low was among the most outrageous colorways ever created, but along with a visual distinction this mita design must be recognized for its supreme selection of materials. White leather toe-boxes were contrasted with the luxurious ostrich-skin toeguard, a dark black nubuck on the mid-panel, Swoosh, and lace-placket, a glossy patent leather on the heel, and one under-represented decision of Nike Dri-Fit on the interior lining completes this amazing design. The mita x Nike Air Force 1 Low is heralded as one of the greatest ever, and even Nike used the mita-bred colorway to create it’s own general release in 2006. Fortunately, deadstock pairs are available around $200-250 these days (an alternative to the $200 AF1-XXX releases that have been dropping every month or so).
mita x Nike Air Force 1 Low
Black/Black-White-Forest
307334-001
2004
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September 5th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE AIR FORCE 1 LOW WEEK PART 2
It’s gotten pretty clear why the same names keep popping up in Classics Revisited collaborations. atmos, mita, Stash, Parra – these units of creativity are all responsible for building up that ‘specialty sneaker’ genre that made the sneaker game what it is today. Japan-based atmos continues to play a major role today with ongoing sneaker collaborations with various brands as well as a retail presence in multiple spots in the world, but it might’ve started with their Air Force 1 Low colorway of 2001. It’s about as basic as an Air Force 1 Low can get – a two-toned colorway in a history Navy/Grey ‘Georgetown’ colorway – but credit the amazing leather materials and the rather hidden surprise in the green insole to give these that kick. The atmos x Nike Air Force 1 Low is considered by many as one of the greatest AF1s of all-time, and considering the simplicity has yet to be duplicated in the same manner, these will continue to hold onto that distinction. More of the atmos x Air Force 1 Low is just ahead!
Atmos x Nike Air Force 1
Medium Grey/Twilight Blue
630033-044
2001
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September 4th, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE AIR FORCE 1 LOW WEEK PART 2
Nike Sportswear continues to lengthen the honorable tradition of creating special Air Force 1 Low releases to commemorate the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. With this year’s trifecta of Dragon drops and last year’s amazing Year of the Rabbit, you may believe that the ‘Year of the…’ releases have always been ornate, but that isn’t the case; most of the earlier versions featured basic, tonal uppers with minute details in the form of Chinese characters. The 2006 release of the ‘Year of the Dog’ changed all that; designed by Runyo Chen of Nike, Himm of Shanghai’s Urban Magazine, and PK of LC Advertising, the Year of the Dog was actually a two-pronged release – one in the classic, subtle version that would be pleasing to the masses, and a second version that was far more decorated.
The primary inspiration behind the Air Force 1 Low ‘Year of the Dog’ was the Tibetan Mastiff as well as other cultural tidbits from Tibet. The toe-box featured bright colors influenced by Tibetan jewelry and garments, while the laser detailing on the orange sectionals was a tribute to the traditional robes worn by monks. The Chinese character on the heel also represented the Tibetan Mastiff dog, one of the most powerful breeds in the entire species. As we alluded to before, there were two versions of the shoe – the second being a two-toned red upper with the festive graphic on the heel-tab and the character on the heel. The trio of Runyo, Himm, and PK was responsible for other China-specific Nike releases in the past as well, like the ‘Shanghai’ Nike SB Dunk Low as well as the ‘Year of the Phoenix’ Air Force 1 Low. Today, Runyo continues his sublime work with Nike Sportswear, leaving trails of his influence on NSW footwear and apparel in years past. More of the ‘Year of the Dog’ is just below, so take a look at tonight’s Classics Revisited and let us know where this ranks among the best ‘Year of the…’ releases of all-time!
Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘Year of the Dog’
Varsity Red/White-Orange
313404-611
2006
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September 3rd, 2012 by John K.
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NIKE AIR FORCE 1 LOW WEEK PART 2
For a fresh week of Classics Revisited, Sneaker News will revisit the Air Force 1 Low for a second time (simply because one pair of Forces per night for five days simply was not enough)! Right smack in the middle of the 2000′s, the Air Force 1 Low took a distinct turn; the shoe was made popular by earlier releases thanks to durable yet delicate leathers and suedes, but most of what came out of the Nike Sportswear production line featured patent leather galore. Kiwis, Easters, LeBron James Premiums, Scarfaces, Halloweens – all of these great Air Force 1 releases had ‘patent leather’ in common. Perhaps the most coveted of these shiny Air Force 1s is the ‘Houston Astros’ version; this particular pair, like the aforementioned models, utilizes the glossy patent leather on the upper in the colors of the Houston Astros throwback uniforms. The Houston Astros Air Force 1 Low was part of Houston Tribute Pack that also included a Zoom LeBron III (Houston Oilers) and Air Zoom Kobe 1 (Houston Rockets). This limited edition set was never released and instead were handed out to VIPs during the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, TX. More of this amazing Air Force 1 Low below, so take a look and prepare yourself for another streak of awesome AF1 goodness!
Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘Houston Astros’
2006
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