John Kim 
The Tecate was flowing and the mood was cheery, as friends of Paul Rodriguez and Nike SB gathered Thursday night at Nike Stadium on Bowery to celebrate the launch of P-Rod’s fourth signature shoe, the Nike SB P-Rod IV. Paul Rodriguez, Eric Koston, Theotis Beasley, Daniel LeBron, and other Nike SB riders were there to support their fellow teammate as were celebs and notables DJ Clark Kent, Gucci Mane, Lil’ Kim, and Stash, but the mood was more ‘catching up with old pals while throwing down some brews’ than anything else.
It’s been over a half a decade since P-Rod joined Nike SB and his fourth shoe might be the most rider-specific to date; the P-Rod IV features an extra-breathable mesh tongue (P-Rod’s got sweaty feet), a toe with better grip, and two-piece dual density sidewall, and a siped outsole with flex grooves, all of which that combines to fit P-Rod’s exact needs. The event space itself – Nike Stadium on Bowery to be exact – was transformed into P-Rod and Nike SB central, with a ton of wall displays and Nas’ poem lyrics printed on the wall, with a makeshift stage at the far corner for Gucci Mane’s performance. Check out the gallery of images of the P-Rod IV Launch Party after the jump and let us know what you think of the design of this new shoe.
