December is the month that many sneakerheads adore. It means one thing: coveted Retro sneaker releases. It happens every time, Jordan Brand and others re-release classics so that Santa can make many ball players and sneaker aficionados happy. I personally love the idea of Retros; I can save my OG’s and not worry about air bubbles busting, leather peeling, or viewing yellowed soles with sloppy glue marks from prehistoric sneaker technology. With all the new releases in 2009, a quarter of the NBA and professional players still wears Retros, showcasing their popularity on and off the court.
On December 19th, Jordan Brand is re-releasing the Jordan XII in the white/varsity red colorway. Reebok this month also re-released The Question in its original white/red colorway. Anybody remember? I’ll give you a hint: Lower East Scribe posted a picture of this epic match-up a few days ago. Ah yes, these two sneakers highlight one of the most pivotal match-ups between Jordan and the young whippersnapper A.I. The question I ask today is simple: What would you buy?
Show some love to Lower East Scribe and his recent article. You can view it HERE.
It’s personally fitting to me that Allen Iverson’s first shoe is called the Question, because ever since he’s been in the league I’ve had to ask myself one: do I love him or do I hate him?
Last week, I was walking to the train, knocking Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Mobb on my iPod and asking myself what makes me love A.I.? Before I could finish my thoughts, Weezy’s lyrics gave me the answer I was searching for.
“Hold court with the apes/I’m a gorilla but lighter/got the, eye of the tiger/the heart of a fighter…”Read More »
Before the time of high-speed Internet and online shopping, sneakerheads and basketball connoisseurs had to wait monthly for the new Eastbay in order to buy sneakers. I was “The Man” when I brought the new Eastbay to school. People who did not acknowledge my existence suddenly asked to see the catalog with me. A huddle of teenagers would surround me while I was flipping through the pages. People would point at the shoes they wanted to ball in or wear out on the weekend. The people who initially ignored me soon gave me attention because a like interest was discovered. It’s funny because I only got a few catalogs before they cancelled my subscription; one had to be a customer to get it every month. My funds at the time were low so I could not get the catalog sent to my house for long. Other people would give me their catalogs and I would just look at them thinking one day I would get those Eggplant Flightposites. I remember teens cutting out the shoes they wanted from the catalog and taping them inside their locker. One guy I knew adorned the inside of his locker with old Christmas Eastbay catalogs for the holiday season. Those were the days.
If there were a starting five for basketball kicks, the Reebok Pumps would be the perfect power forward. They’re sleek enough to run the floor but eye-catchingly powerful, like a body-to-body banger on some unworthy opponent.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Pump, Reebok teamed up with Sneaker giants like A-Life, Bodega and atmos, to release new designs for the iconic classics on Nov. 20.
A couple weeks ago, our friends over at Dime told you about their trip to Lynn (MA) English High School, where Team Flight Brothers helped kick off the season with an aerial display in support of Reebok’s Above the Rim footwear collection. The ATR collection will be worn by some of the top players in the NBA this upcoming season, along with TFB in all their performances. The kicks designed for high flyers, will be launching exclusively at Sears this week.
The Reebok ATR Lock It Up Full Hexride is a mouthful toiling away in relative obscurity. After some visuals of the shoe surfaced on Kenlu last fall, the ATR LIU HR appeared intermittently throughout the season on Orlando’s less than spectacular Polish big man, Marcin Gortat. The Above The Rim entrant features a lavishly sculpted TPU heel counter that’s sure to provide support when Steve Burtt Jr.’s running you off picks at Kingdome. RBK’s latest cushioning advancement, Hexride, resides in full-length under the plastic shell. I haven’t given it a run yet, but experts purport that it supplies a ride that’s smooth like Howard Tate on vocals. (See the Puerto Rico issue for Bob’s thoughts on the Reebok Omni-Hexride.) An ankle strap that reads “Lock It Up” reinforces the collar, while ventilation studs mark the LIU’s middle panel. If you’re searching for a durable option for the summer months, look no further. Eastbay has ‘em in team flavors, perfect for pairing with more obscure uniform colors.
Composed like some sort of WWE rendition, the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona was an overblown nightmare of the grandest proportions. Whether it was Kobe and Shaq sharing the MVP Award (Who could forget the feud that stemmed from Bryant’s “selfish” play and promiscuous actions in Colorado?) or KryptoNate popping up out of nowhere to douse Superman’s kid-friendly grin (I didn’t know “dunking” included using shoulders and Wilson Chandler’s back as natural catapults, but I guess they were props, right?) There definitely wasn’t much to cheer about during this star-studded weekend, but I was pleased to see an aging Allen Iverson chop off the braids and come hard with his latest signature heat, the Answer XII. Maybe its wishful thinking on my part, but most of me believes that AI is too hood to remove the ‘rows as part of a contrived PR stunt. Besides, his kicks speak for themselves and were my favorite pair to appear on the ASW scene. The All-Star XII features a navy blue middle panel and sky blue toebox that’s offset nicely by a gradient pattern out back along the heel collar.
DJ Shadow recently partnered up with Shoe Biz and Reebok create a limited version of the brand’s classic Ventilator jogger. The model is colored up in white/dark grey/black color scheme that for lack of better word is reminiscent of something shadowy. The shoe is accented by a mesh toebox, translucent outsole, and a “What Does Your Soul Look Like?” logo that rises vertically on the runner’s posterior. The Vent is accompanied by Shadow’s “Quannum Stone Cold Winter” disc. To learn more, please visit here.
