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These Nintendo 64 Air Max 97s Are The Ultimate 90s Kicks

by admin | Jul 16, 2019 | Featured, Sneakers

Nike has dropped plenty of memorable Playstation sneakers including the rare Air Force Ones and most recently Paul George’s line has seen an exclusive Playstation colorway. Now, the House That Mario Built gets its chance to be immortalized on a Nike sneaker. This upcoming Nike Air Max 97 implements design features from one of the greatest gaming consoles of all time–the Nintendo 64. The N64 was a revolution, it was the first video game console to successfully implement the analog stick and the full 360 control it allowed completely revolutionized gaming. The access to full spectrum of movement it allowed games to pivot to the open world style adventures we love today. Mario evolved from a side-scrolling platformer to a world full of adventure in Super Mario 64. Goldeneye 64 set the standard for shooting games and the analog stick allowed for movements only PC gamers had experienced. So its only right to recognize such a game changing system via one of the coolest sneakers of all time.

Image via Nike

This Air Max 97 hits all the right buttons. Though the N64 was available in a sundry of colorways, undoubtedly the most recognizable is the plain gray color which finds itself represented on the 97 as the base color. The bottom two of the Air Max 97’s iconic wraparound bands are blue and green representing the A and B buttons respectively. The upper is covered with a multitude of tiny triangles reflecting the directional and control pads found on the console’s controller. The C-pad is once again reflected in the pop of yellow in the legendary air bubble. That collection of color plus the hits of red found on the start button are also a homage to the N64’s multicolor logo. At the tongue you’ll find “Reset” and “Power” badges instead of the typical Nike branding. The inside of the shoes even get the retro treatment with a ESRB label inspired Nike badge printed on the insole with a “Designed in 1997” stamp. To tie the whole piece together, the heel tabs features “Air Max” in the style of Nintendo’s quintessential logo. This epic collection is set to drop sometime this summer. Get your RumblePaks ready.

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Jul 16, 2019 No Comments

The Nike Zoom Freak 1 Is Now Available For Customization Via Nike By You

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by admin | Jul 16, 2019 | Featured, Sneaker Releases, Sneakers

Giannis’ debut sneaker the Nike Zoom Freak 1 has quickly swayed public opinion with its wealth of incredible colorways. From the bright orange “All Bros” to the majestic simplicity of the “Roses” colorway, the Freak 1 is built to tell a story. Now, you can tell your own. The Zoom Freak 1 is now available for customization via Nike By You.

Photo via Nike

The silhouette comes with a myriad of customization options including paint splatter on the midsoles, glow-in-the-dark outsoles, and text customization. Though there are limits on the range of colors Nike By You still allows an outstanding array of color options. The extra step of customization puts the Zoom Freak 1 at $140. You can get started on yours here.

Photo via Nike

Photo via Nike

Jul 16, 2019 No Comments

Adidas Unveils Donovan Mitchell’s D.O.N. Issue 1 Signature Shoe

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by Travis Singleton | Jul 9, 2019 | Featured, Sneakers

Donovan Mitchell took the league by storm in his rookie season last year for the Utah Jazz. Mitchell was able to set himself apart from other rookies in the league early. He gained the respect of NBA All-Stars like LeBron James, Paul George, Russell Westbrook just to name a few early. When it was time for the bright lights Donovan Mitchell was able to impress people and gain comparisons to a young Dwyane Wade. Mitchell was able to shoot and slash his way to scoring 23.8 ppg as a rookie. In the playoffs, Donovan was able to put his name and game on notice for the whole league to see when his Jazz eliminated the OKC Thunder. The quick growth and maturity that Donovan Mitchell showed in his game propelled Adidas to make him one of the faces of their brand heading into the future. Adidas wanted to reward Mitchell on an excellent rookie campaign with a signature shoe.

Donovan Mitchell’s nickname is “Spida” so it only made sense that Adidas linked up with Marvel to do a SpiderMan themed shoe for the Utah star. The Adidas D.O.N. Issue 1 was debuted his signature shoe in December 2018. The D.O.N. Issue 1 has an amazing cushion around the ankle and has a light mesh that makes this shoe extremely comfortable. Adidas did an amazing job with Mitchell’s first shoe and made all of them based off of Marvel characters which were even better. Check out some of the official images below and check out some of the clips of Donovan Mitchell putting in some work with his Adidas D.O.N. Issue 1 on the court as well.

D.O.N. Issue 1 – SpiderMan

D.O.N. Issue 1 – Venom

D.O.N. Issue 1 – Iron Spider

D.O.N. Issue 1 – Green Goblin

The D.O.N. Issue 1 released on July 5th for $100 so make sure to be on the lookout for the other colorways to follow the original SpiderMan colorway.

Jul 9, 2019 No Comments

2019 NBA Free Agency: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker – Their Top Sneaker Moments With Their, Now, Former Teams

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by Brendon Schunck | Jul 4, 2019 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Nike KD X “2017 Finals P.E.”

In what was Kevin Durant’s first season with the Golden State Warriors, he would lead them to their second championship in three years and be crowned the series’ Most Valuable Player. Durant would debut his new Nike KD X’s during the playoffs that year and lace up this blue/gold colorway during his series against the Cavaliers.

Nike KD X “What The” P.E.

Kevin Durant must’ve really been in a groove with his tenth signature model because he was still rocking them strong a year after debuting them in the 2017 NBA Finals. Choosing against using the 2018 NBA Finals platform to introduce his 11th shoe, KD opted to stick with wearing the X’s in a special mock-up “What The” colorway. Durant would go on to win back-to-back NBA Championships and Finals MVP’s. He would begin wearing the KD 11’s later that summer in July during a USA Team mini-camp.

Nike Kyrie 3 “Luck” P.E.

Although during his time with the Celtics didn’t consist of any Finals appearances or Finals MVP’s, there was no shortage of eye catching player exclusive colorways on Kyrie’s signature shoes. Kyrie tends to debut his signature models in the middle of seasons so during his first few months playing in Boston he was on the tail end of his run with his third signature installment. Irving wore these Kyrie 3’s in a November 2017 game against the Warriors. The clover pattern along with the gold upper complimented the Celtics’ jerseys rightfully so and were limited to only a select few House of Hoops locations.

Nike Kyrie 4 “Yellow Lobster” P.E.

Come February 2018 it was time for Kyrie Irving to face his former teammate, and now rival, Lebron James. Irving did so in style, sporting his new fourth signature shoe in a “Yellow Lobster” color scheme. This iconic colorway stems from the SB Dunk Low “Yellow Lobster” that released in 2009. Concepts released these Dunk Lows and Nike most likely chose to put this colorway on a Kyrie model due to the Concepts store being located in Boston.

Nike Kyrie 5 “Neon Blend” P.E.

I don’t think anyone was pleased when they saw Kyrie wearing these Player Exclusives this past season, that reason being they were never available for the public to purchase. Of all the dozens and dozens special mock-ups made for Irving on his fifth signature shoe, this “Neon Blend” iteration was surely a hit. One positive thing about Irving now being a member of the Nets is that black and white goes with anything when it comes to sneakers.

Jordan XIX “Flint” OG

Kemba Walker made the move from Under Armour and joined the Jumpman in 2015. In his first media day as a member of Team Jordan he predictably rocked the Jordan 5 “Grape.” I mean why wouldn’t you? That shoe matches the Hornets’ jerseys perfectly and that colorway is classic. Then in 2016, Kemba turned back the clock and wore something surprising for media day – the original 2004 Jordan XIX in the flint grey colorway. It’s always refreshing to see an NBA hooper wear a Jordan retro outside the realm of I-XIV.

Jordan X Retro “Charlotte”

With how good the Charlotte Hornets’ uniforms looked, once these Charlotte themed Jordan X retros released it was only a matter of time before Kemba was rocking them on court. Kemba is no stranger to rocking retro Air Jordans on the hardwood, as this dates back to his college days at UCONN. The Air Jordan X’s were a staple in Walker’s rotation as far as on-court kicks go during his time with the Hornets.

Jul 4, 2019 No Comments

Giannis debuts the Air Freak 1 in Greece

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by admin | Jun 29, 2019 | Featured, Sneakers

Greek wunderkind Giannis Antetokounmpo is fresh off his first ever NBA MVP award after an astounding season. After his heartfelt, tearful speech in Los Angeles at the NBA Awards the Antetokounmpo family headed home to celebrate another huge accomplishment and new addition to Giannis’ ever-growing trophy room–the debut of his Nike signature shoe.

After months of speculation, Giannis and Nike finally revealed the Air Zoom Freak 1. Inspired by Giannis’ love of the Kobe line, the Freak 1 aims to enhance and fine tune the things that made Giannis fall in love with the Mamba’s line. The focus on containing Giannis movements is achieved with a series of forefoot bands and a unique traction pattern on the sole. The multidirectional traction pattern of the outsole is one of the most dynamic features of the Air Zoom Freak 1.

The sole and the forefoot bands were developed to support Giannis quick and powerful bursts as well as his long strides on the court. The new traction system will allow Giannis to destroy defenders with a scorching eurostep on one side of the court and lockdown the toughest scorers on the other. Along with the new traction system, the Air Zoom Freak 1 boasts double-stacked Zoom Air unit under the heel for both cushioning and response.

The Freak 1 is a love letter to Giannis’ unique personality, family, and heritage. The primary logo found on the tongue of the Freak 1 is an interlocked G and A with the enlarged A representing Giannis putting the family before himself. The clipped corner of the G represents Giannis uncanny athletic ability. The heel of the Freak 1 bears a logo that combines Giannis #34 with the Greek flag.

The roses found on the outsole represent the Greek custom of placing roses around the house after the death of a loved one. The quote “I Am My Father’s Legacy,” something he wrote on every pair of Kobe’s he wore since his father’s passing, has been permanently etched into the sole of the shoe. The aforementioned forefoot bands that ensure lockdown also represent family, each of the four bands represents an Antetokounmpo brother.

The Freak 1 debuted in a myriad of flavors. First the “All Bros” colorway will release 6/29 featuring a bright orange upper and a gradient midsole with speckled with paint. A more muted colorway with a black upper and white midsole will release in July. A special all-white colorway dedicated to his father will be available in September. The “Roses” colorway features hints of red on the outsole and a gleaming golden swoosh on the midsole. These are just the colorways we know of, Giannis showed off more in his rebuke of the haters including a purple colorway with splash of pink, turquoise colorway with beige hints, and a reversal of the All Bros colorway with a blue upper instead of orange.

Alongside the shoes, Giannis revealed the accompanying Greek Freak branded Gear including shorts and socks with Ancient Greece- themed branding. Giannis is poised to be the one the biggest stars in the NBA. Small market who?

Jun 29, 2019 No Comments

Wrapping Up June: The Sneaker Drops You Need to Know About

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by Brendon Schunck | Jun 25, 2019 | Featured, Sneaker Releases, Sneakers

Nike has a history of successfully collaborating with top-notch television series. Whether it be Entourage, Friends, Martin, or Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the Swoosh knows how to market both a popular show and a sneaker at the same time. Netflix’s highly successful series, Stranger Things, is no different. To coincide with the series’ third season premier, Nike will be releasing three pairs of sneakers inspired by the decade in which the show takes place (1980’s) and the high school in which the characters attend (Hawkins High). Slated to release are the classic silhouettes of the Nike Blazer, Tailwind 79, and Cortez – each done up in some combination of white, green, and orange. Each pair will retail for $120 and be releasing on the 27th of June.

The newly crowned 2019 NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, gets his long-awaited first signature shoe with Nike. The Nike Zoom Freak 1 “Total Orange” is slated for a June 29th debut with a reasonable retail price of $120. Overall simple in design, the shoe’s most dominant design feature comes in the form of the reverse Nike swoosh making up the lateral midsole on each foot. “Reverse” Nike swooshes on sneakers are hit or miss with buyers, but you have to look back at the success of the Nike Lebron X and Nike PG 2/2.5 to know that it can be done, if done right. Look for Giannis to be sporting his new signature sneaker next season, however you’ll be able to rock them yourself in just a few days.

You know the annoying Sprint commercial on TV right now that starts with a sarcastic, “Great, another wireless add…..”? Well if Jordan Brand had their own version of that commercial it would go like, “Great, another white/black/red Air Jordan 1.” This is exactly the case with their next release of yet another Jordan 1 in what seems like an endless amount of white, black, and red color blocking options. I mean we can all agree that the Air Jordan 1 is a timeless shoe and this colorway is a classic. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…..I guess? None-the-less these Air Jordan 1 Retro High “Gym Red” will be releasing on the 29th with a price $160.