words_Nick Engvall

New York City based Supreme began as a group of skaters and artists over 15 years ago. In those fifteen years, they’ve created some of the most memorable collaborations and garnered a following that is nothing short superstar status. Supreme’s collaborative efforts are by no means limited to footwear, just take a look at some of their skate decks and clothing. When they decide to do something, they do it right, or they don’t do it at all, an approach that seems to keep them at the top of the culture.

One of their collaborative partners that has resulted in a number successful footwear collections is Vans. The two have teamed up to create collections that sell out time and time again. With the latest works between Supreme and Vans, the Vans 106 was chosen as the creative platform. The simple style of the 106 makes a great blank canvas, yet at the same time, doesn’t need much more than a simple color to make it look good. Supreme chose to do four versions of the 106. Two of which have been treated with a camouflage colorway, while the other two take a simpler single color approach. The collection will land at Supreme November 27th, both online as well as in-store.

via Highsnobiety

Q: What Was A.I.’s First Shoe from Reebok?
A: The Reebok Question Mid

by Professor K, posted May 8, 2001

After years of being the sole bright spot on an underwhelming Philadelphia 76ers team, Allen Iverson is finally on a winning squad and in the national spotlight as the leading candidate for Most Valuable Player honors. He’s unquestionably Reebok’s most important athlete endorser, so much so that he now has his own clothing line and sub-brand, the I3 line. To our knowledge, the only other hoops player with a dedicated sub-brand prior to Iverson was Michael Jordan. But before all of the accolades, before the chants of MVP, before the brand extensions, there was the Reebok The Question Mid.

Originally released in 1996, Iverson’s first year in the NBA, the The Question was A.I.’s first signature shoe. Reebok subsequently released four signature shoes for Iverson, the Answer I through IV, but none has enjoyed the popularity or staying power of the original The Question Mid.

figure 1. Visible here is the large midsole and the translucent outsole, which has a slight blue tint. The honeycomb structures on the sides of the midsole are purely for show, but the actual Hexalite unit is partially visible at the bottom of the shoe in the heel area.

Being an older shoe, the Reebok The Question is the only shoe in the Iverson line not to make use of DMX for cushioning. The Question instead employs Reebok’s older Hexalite cushioning technology in which a honeycomb-like structure is used to absorb impact. To be honest, I’m not quite convinced that Hexalite really does much at all. Based on my experience with the shoe I think that the thick EVA midsole is what does the work of cushioning. While the shoe does provide excellent cushioning, my one real criticism of it is its overly thick and clunky midsole. While the outsole provides excellent traction and the wide base provides a stable platform for take-offs and landings, the large, blocky midsole makes lateral movement a bit cumbersome.

Other than that, the Reebok The Question is a very good all-around hoops shoe. Much like the Nike Air Force Powermatic, the The Question is an older shoe that gets the job done without a lot of flash or techno-wizardry. As mentioned above, the midsole is largely EVA-based, the upper is leather, and the inner is a simple fabric-lined job. Pretty old-school, but it all works together well. And, as noted above, the shoe is quite wide inside and out, making it a good choice for people with wide feet.

figure 2. The number 3 at the back of the midsole is for Allen Iverson, who wears the number 3. Note again the thickness of the midsole.

I did have a couple of issues with the upper, but they were both small and only lasted through my first two wearings of the shoe. Before the leather was broken-in, it was difficult to lace the shoe tightly enough to get a good, locked down fit. The stiffness of the leather combined with the external lacing system is the culprit here. But once the leather breaks-in the fit improves (although it is never at the level of some of the more modern hoops shoes). The other issue is that the portion of the upper covering the toe can rub and chafe against the top of the toes, causing some discomfort. Again, I think that the cause is the stiffness of the leather upper, which is even stiffer over the toes because of the leather toe-cap. But like the lacing problem, this went away after my first two wearings.

figure 3. As visible here and in all of the photos, the upper of the Reebok The Question Mid is constructed almost entirely of leather. This should make the shoe durable enough for use both indoors and out.

So, to sum up, the Reebok The Question Mid is a very good all-around hoops shoe with a fairly simple design, which probably has a lot to do with its longevity on the sales front. The leather upper and thick midsole should prove to be just as long-lived, making the The Question a good choice for use indoors and out. The thickness of the midsole can, however, hamper quick lateral movement and so this is a not a shoe that I would recommend to quick footed cutters and slashers (although, ironically, that is precisely the type of game that Allen Iverson plays). The Question also does not provide the locked down type of fit that some of the more modern hoops shoes provide, but at a current retail price of $69.99 for all but the White/Black/Flash Red colorway, which A.I. wore in the 2001 All-Star Game, the Reebok The Question is a steal.

Who’s Worn It
Allen Iverson (G- Philadelphia 76ers)

words_Nick DePaula
images_Zac Dubasik

The “Red Carpet” colorway of the Max LeBron VII has been one of the most well received versions of the latest King James sig to date, and yet they came and went in an instant with a quickstrike House of Hoops drop just weeks ago. Whether a result of collectors’ collective outcry, or a secondary drop that’s been in the cards all along, it turns out Foot Locker will re-release the shoe at both House of Hoops and Foot Locker locations on December 3rd, giving everyone that missed out the first time around another shot at picking them up.

While images of the shoes have been around for several weeks now, we’re glad to showcase the colorway’s original Z-Corp 3D resin model, a computerized sample of the shoe built to speed up the development process and also offer a glimpse of the color-block. The colorway simply came from Lebron wanting a fresh version of the VII to wear at the debut of More Than A Game, the film chronicling the journey of his St. Vincent St. Mary’s team.  “It was built for the red carpet for his movie, and that’s why we did that colorway, to give him something that was fly that he could wear,” reveals Jason Petrie, designer of the VII.

Did you miss out on the “Red Carpet” VII the first time around? Hyped for news of an upcoming re-release? Be sure to check with your nearest Foot Locker to see if they’ll be getting pairs come December 3rd.

Wallpaper!! [Click to enlarge]

Zoom Kobe IV Sample

Reebok Answer XIII in Black/ Red

Black/ Red Reebok Answer I

words_Steve Jaconetta

If you’re in New York City or planning to go there soon, I suggest you stop by the Niketown store. Now on display there is an exhibit showcasing the History of Air Jordan.

This collection features every Air Jordan model I-2009 in an unreleased white/red based colorway. Each shoe features an all white upper with a red sole and sockliner combined with black shoe laces. Enjoy the pictures below courtesy of DreamWiz. Also not to burst anyone’s bubbles or anything but, none of these will be released and were made specifically for display purposes only. But you all can dream!

words_Nick Engvall

Throughout the winter months, most of us tend to turn towards darker colorways when it comes to footwear choices. For some it’s an effort in avoiding the fashion faux pas, others just don’t want to put their footwear through the often wet and muddy winter months. Whatever the reasoning, it seems the winter months have always been a chance for sneakerheads to look ahead at spring collections, hoping for a brighter future.

Spring 2010 might be the highlight of your future sneaker purchases. These vintage edition Vandal Hi’s are luminescent to say the least. Aside from the bright colorways, these time-honored sneakers have a slightly aged feel due to an off white sole. The uppers for these future models are comprised of nylon material, and feature the exaggerated piping that has become a favorite for Vandal fans. Another Vandal tradition returns as well, in the form of the removable ankle strap. Look for these at select Nike retailers next spring, just in time to break out the bright kicks.

via Highsnobiety

words_Nick Engvall

The friendly, or at least mostly friendly, fued between Trekkies and Star Wars fans over which of the classic entertainment entities is better has lived on for decades. The debate is probably familiar to anyone born within the last century. We’re all partial to one or the other, and even if we haven’t seen either, we tend to lean towards the side of a friend when the discussion arises. Although last week we mentioned the Airwalk x Star Trek release that coincides with the DVD becoming available, the Star Wars films haven’t seen a release since the animated Clone Wars release in 2008. Inevitably, the timeless debate will be back in the spotlight again, albeit in footwear form, thanks to this upcoming release from adidas Originals.

The first of the sneakers released in this collection was inspired by the Jedi Master himself, Yoda. The ZX700 Boat Shoe was chosen to represent the wise character that’s regarded as one of the most powerful Jedi Masters in the film series. Colors were chosen based off the character’s wardrobe. Stepping up the creativity, adidas Originals decided on materials that well represent the character of Yoda, even down to the texture of the tongue which mimics the characters forehead.

The second sneaker in the release is inspired by the X-Wing piloting Luke Skywalker. Skywalker’s image from the final scenes of the film has been placed on the tongue. While colors choices were influenced by the color of his uniform in those triumphant moments. The Top Ten was chosen as the canvas, and once again textures play a key role in what could have been Luke’s sneaker of choice for his battles with the dark side.

With as many fans as there are of the Star Wars films, and the success of the previous adidas Originals and Star Wars partnership, these shoes should be popular with both Star Wars fans and sneakerheads alike when they arrive at retailers in the Spring of 2010. Of course with the sneakers, adidas has also created a line of clothing as part of the collection that will also be available next year. All in all it looks like a successful collaboration, at least in continuing the debate of Star Trek versus Star Wars. Which side are you on?

via Highsnobiety

Yi Jianlian Nike Zoom Skyposite PE