In case you missed the first recap you can view it right here.

The November 14th opening of the Chicago House Of Hoops was a big event for Chicago incorporating ball players, djs and musicians from the area. Common preformed his lead, title single off his upcoming, anticipated release “Universal Mind Control” while Drew Gooden signed autographs. Other Bulls players to show up were Larry Hughes, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. Even radio personality Leon Rogers of WGCI and BET’s 106 & Park co-host Rocsi made an appearance. For all the coverage of releases that took place at the Chicago House Of Hoops refer back to this post.

Thanks to Raymond Boyd for the pictures.

On Sunday, November 30th Nike and Ben G will present the Made For Skate event taking place in Damski which is in the Netherlands. The guys from Ben G will be running the special pop-up store for the event and helped in the design of the ultra limited Nike SB Blazer that will be releasing. The inspiration behind the shoes design comes from the very first shoe designed specifically for skateboarding. There will only be 24 pairs available for purchase at the pop-up store during the event.

source: High Snob

The sneak peeks and previews of this shoe have been rolling in over the last week or two and they promised not to disappoint. Well, detailed pics of the Michael Lau x Nike 1World Air “Crazy” Force 1 Low have been released and they are quite eccentric to say the least. This release qualifies as the half-way point for the 1World project, with only nine more pairs to go in the unprecedented collaboration series created by Nike.

Michael Lau clearly draws inspiration for the design from a psychiatric ward. The upper consists of padded leather engulfed in a quilted stitch pattern, laser etched details on the heel, inner collar and insole. The five by five-count scrawls on the heel celebrate the AF1s 25th anniversary. In addition to these details there are lace locks that read “Crazy” and “Smiles” after Michael’s vinyl toy company CrazySmiles. A special box has been constructed for the sneakers featuring the quilted stitch pattern on it and accompanied by a vinyl toy created specially for this event and sneaker release by Michael Lau and CrazySmiles.

These are due to release Saturday, November 29th at the gallery opening for Michael’s 1World Air “Crazy” Force 1 Exhibition being held at Michael’s Gallery located at Lok’s Industrial building, 204 Tsat Tsz Mui Road, Quarry Bay. A Following release will be held Wednesday, December 3rd at the Nike Sportswear Store located on 7 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay.

source: kix-files

DJ Clark Kent has partnered up with Nike and 21 Mercer Street once again this time to bring you a Clark Kent designed Air Force 1 Low, specially made for the kick off of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday. While the details of the textures on the actual shoe are slim, Clark Kent is quoted as saying…

“So I went to the fabric library, picked the prime suspects and went to work on the design. The end result…Something Black, Luxurious & Fly, and FRESH!!!! What better way to start the holiday shopping season?!?!”

From the pics I can make out the use of hair on the toe cap, and it’s probably pony hair. They’ve used a premium leather and what looks to be a contrast stitching on the Swoosh. These will be available at 21 Mercer Street starting at 4am the morning of Black Friday, November 28th. In a move similar to Jay Z, Clark Kent will make two more appearances up and down the East Coast for the release of this sneaker. After 21 Mercer Street he will travel to Concepts in Boston followed by Shoe Gallery in Miami later that day, presenting at the official release for all three stores.

Pics of this Gucci inspired Nike Air Force II High have just surfaced on the Internet. The shoe itself is quite ordinary. It is very simple in color but utilizes a few different textures on the upper, one looks to be that of stingray and I can only assume that the others are of higher quality to correlate with the Gucci name. The pop-off-piece of the sneaker is the heel tab that comes in the classic Gucci colors. There is no word on quantity and release info yet but we’ll be sure to keep you updated as the date approaches.

source: Colmilludo

images_RYAN UNRUH

This pair of Nike Air Force 1 Lows correspond with the Kevin Hunter AF1 Low as they were both made and created as special one-of-one sneakers for big-time Air Force 1 collectors. DJ Clark Kent presented both Kevin and Mayor with their sneakers on Saturday, November 15th. We covered the presentation previously here. Mayor’s AF1 Low features 1,000 laser etched ones on the upper and a glow-in-the-dark material on the swoosh and heel. It was quite hard to previously see the glow effect, but thanks to Ryan, we get to see these kicks in action! The 1,000 laser etched ones represent Mayor’s long time love of the shoe, as he can now celebrate his 1,000th pair of AF1s.

Thanks again to photographer Ryan Unruh for the amazing pictures and detail!

images_RYAN UNRUH

Two days ago we heard about DJ Clark Kent teaming up with Nike’s Innovation Kitchen and Nike Sportswear Bespoke designers to bring Kevin Hunter his very own special one-of-one Air Force 1 Low. To view that post please look here. The design is based on Kevin Hunter’s Bentley, as it’s his prized possesion. The upper features laser etched Bentley logos and design cues from the grille, as well as patent leather and a Swoosh outline stitched in. The details on the shoe are amazing and these pics give us the closest look we will probably ever get at these.

Thanks again to photographer Ryan Unruh for the amazing pictures and detail!

The University of Memphis was home to this NBA season’s number one pick and possible top contender for Rookie of The Year honors Derrick Rose (I know it’s an early call, but I see your murmurs). Rose is the highest picked Tigers player ever, as the previous highest picked at number three was Anfernee Hardaway in 1993. In the last draft alone the Tigers had three players taken. What does this all have to do with the University of Memphis signing a deal with Nike? When you have a force in college basketball like the Tigers, with the caliber of players they have you would think that Nike or any other company would jump at the opportunity to sponsor the team. It took some time, but now Nike has and will sponsor all sports at the University of Memphis.

The Athletic Department at the University of Memphis has agreed to a five-year, $11.3 million, exclusive contract with Nike that would provide the university with shoes, apparel and equipment for all of their athletic teams. Not only will they receive all that, but the University will also receive product for special events and fundraisers.

So here’s the real question? What will the Memphis Tigers be wearing on the court? I love their colors and hope they get some really fresh kicks that aren’t too generic. The three likely candidates for sneakers will be the Hyperdunk, Powermax and the Blue Chip. I personally lean towards the Hyperdunk and think they can do something cool with that. There’s no telling if Nike can have something made up in time for this season so they might get some generic colorways before it’s out but I’m looking forward to next year to see what they do.

source: Sports One

The Nike Blue Chip has been getting a ton of play from NBA and College players wearing it on the court, and Nike has been releasing a plethora of color combinations. (Even I have gotten in on the action by presenting it often in Sneaker Watch.) Today’s spotlight is on Brandon Roy’s away version, one of the better Blue Chips if I may say so. These will release at House Of Hoops stores in the U.S. and will hit select Nike Basketball retailers around the rest of the world. Pics of the home version released a while back, and the away version separates itself with a mostly suede upper in a black and red colorway, probably the most appreciated colorway among all sneaker enthusiasts. I can’t say that I’m a big fan of the zig zag seven logo on the medial side though, while the seven works with the Blazer jersey lettering influence the stitching throws me off.

There has been recent rumors circulating that Brandon Roy isn’t quite pleased with the Blue Chip though as indicated by it busting on him a few times in games and practice, which lead to him having to put on another pair in the middle of the game and/or completely switch to his old BB2s.

source: Sneaker News

The Carpe Diem Nike Zoom Kobe IV is due to launch on January 17th, 2009 and is a Foot Locker exclusive. The first detailed pics have surfaced on the Internet thanks to Foot Locker Unlocked. Lower than previous Kobe releases they do take cues from the Hyperdunk which Kobe is wearing now, including Flywire and Lunar Foam technologies. Other sweet features included on the Kobe IV is the reptile skin located on the toe box and around the heel, a quilt pattern on the collar, Carpe Diem Crest on the tongue, Kobe’s signature, clear outsole and a premium seamless leather on the toe overlay. Purple and yellow/gold accents are located throughout the shoe but it’s dominated by black and purple and a slight use of grey on the tongue and midsole.

source: Foot Locker Unlocked

Saturday marked an epic day for Kevin Hunter and Mayor, two gentlemen known for their amazing collections and dedication to the Air Force 1. Sneaker aficionado DJ Clark Kent presented both guys with their very own “one of” Air Force 1 Low this past Saturday at 21 Mercer Street. Both Kevin and Mayor were unaware that they were being presented the sneakers and were quite surprised by the gift.

The designs come from DJ Clark Kent pairing with the Nike Innovation Kitchen and Nike Sportswear Bespoke designers, Izzy and Mau. Together they were able to tell two stories incorporating important aspects of both Kevins and Mayors lives. Mayor loves Air Force 1s and as he was approaching his 1,000th pair, Nike specially designed this premium AF1 Low in anticipation of that bench mark with gum bottoms, a glow-in-the-dark swoosh, heel tab and 1,000 laser etched “1s” on the upper. Kevin Hunter’s design originates from his love for his Bentley and incorporates laser etched Bentley logos, the matching color from his car, design cues from the grill, and even a box that matches the wood grain in his ride. Another cool feature on Kevin’s sneaker is that it’s Swooshless and there is just a stitch outline instead.

Again, these are a one of sneaker made for Kevin Hunter and Mayor so we can breath easy knowing that we’ll never get our hands on these. We can still dream though right?

source: 21 Mercer

ACG inspiration has really picked up over the last couple years, as Nike has released several models that followed similar past touches to several ACG classics. With all the Forces and Dunks they’ve done it was only right that the next shoe was another low top casual sneaker that has been getting doused in classic colors as of late. With the Tennis Classic found to the left below, the colorway is drafted off of the classic Mowabb color schemes and the materials and heel tab draw their inspiration from ACG. These are apart of Nike’s Spring 2009 Collection.

source: High Snob

It’s been quite a quick year, as sure enough, the Harlem-based Nike and Foot Locker House Of Hoops location is celebrating its one year anniversary this week. As part of the celebration, there’s a whole week’s worth of player exclusives and limited releases that will be hitting the store, which has to be breaking every release record known to (wo)man. Beginning tomorrow, the NYC HOH will kick off the flurry of releases for the week, so follow along and take a glance at all that’s dropping. Now who’s ready to test their scrolling skills!?

House Of Hoops
268 West 125th Street | Map
(btwn Adam Clyton Powell and Frederick Douglas Blvd.)
New York, NY 10027

Monday

Nike Hyperdunk Supreme - Texas Longhorns:

Nike Hyperdunk - Kobe Energy Pack:

‘Lower Merion High School’ Nike Hyperdunk

‘Ronaldinho’ Nike Hyperdunk

‘Italy’ Nike Hyperdunk

‘Making History’ Nike Hyperdunk

Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier II - OSU ‘Away’ [Pic courtesy andypark13]

Tuesday
Nike Powermax - David West ‘Away’

Nike Powermax - Pau Gasol ‘Away’

Nike Powermax - Greg Oden ‘Away’

[NOTE: The pair pictured below is a sample. The Powermax Greg has been wearing instead features a black midsole. We'll be updating you shortly on which version will be releasing.]

Nike Air Max Bizness - Zach Randolph ‘Away’

Nike Air Max Bizness - Richard Jefferson ‘Home’

Nike Shox Gamer - Vince Carter ‘Home’

Nike Shox Gamer - Andre Iguolada ‘Home’

Jordan Spizike White/Red [Picture Coming Soon]

Wednesday

NO RELEASES

Thursday
Nike Foamposite One - Black/Dark Army Green [Picture courtesy didithepest]

Friday
Nike Zoom LeBron VI - ‘United We Rise’ [Does not include 'Witness Gold', etc. tagging]

Saturday
Jordan 1 Retro Low Velcro - White/Varsity Red/Black

Jordan Melo M5 - Black/Metallic Silver

Jordan Retro 1 High Strap [Picture Coming Soon]

French rapper Booba has been selected as one of eighteen artists to participate in the Nike 1World project, and he recently unveiled his very own Air Force 1. The ‘Booba’ AF1 features a premium red leather upper to tie into his favorite color, as well as tattoo-inspired lasered graphics and ‘09′ along the tongue tag, the year his next album will be releasing. Along the outsole, the Frenchman went for an icy translucent rubber that showcases the flag of the other half of his heritage, Senegal, just under the forefoot. As of now, the shoes are scheduled to drop on December 6th at Booba’s store, Boulbes & Co. and only 176 pairs will be made available, though you should be on the lookout for these to hit stateside sometime next year.

Source: La MJC

These are wild! Sorry folks, but I had to start it out like that, as I didn’t think I would see these so long after the throwback game faded out. Could you imagine your friend (you) wearing these with that M&N Kiki Vandeweghe throwback? Anyway, the story on the Air Force III goes that they released in limited quantities at House Of Hoops locations, and while they may be sold out, they’re now available on Ebay and lowtex.

White/Rainbow

source: Sneaker News

The House Of Hoops in both LA and Chicago plan to drop four pairs of the Nike Hyperdunk tomorrow, November 15th, as part of the Kobe Energy Pack that includes themes relevant to Kobe Bryant’s life. Kobe pays tribute to his Philadelphia-area high school, the Lower Merion Aces, as well as his favorite soccer player, Ronaldinho, and the country where he spent seven years growing up in, Italy. And sorry Raptor fans, but there will also be a special Hyperdunk to commemorate Bryant’s 81 point game against Toronto, nicknamed the ‘Making History’ Hyperdunk. (Psst…Don’t tell anyone Wilt hit for 100…) Each shoe includes added textures and treatments like speckled or clear outsoles, as well as added touches on the tongue like the Lower Merion Aces logo.

‘Lower Merion High School’ Nike Hyperdunk

‘Ronaldinho’ Nike Hyperdunk

‘Italy’ Nike Hyperdunk

‘Making History’ Nike Hyperdunk

Outsole is so sick!

For some reason people tend to forget about the female sneaker fiends out there, and while they might not get the same volume of releases as the men at times, below we have a new crop of Energy Account releases geared for the ladies. The Aerofit High comes equipped with two fashion-friendly straps along the collar, and is available now in brown/pink/yellow, olive/orange/white colorways and navy/berry/carolina blue. Feel free to also get your zodiac on with the “Sagittarius” themed Air Force 2 High and Recognition models found in a pearlescent white upper with soft maroon accents.

Nike Aerofit High - $68

Nike Aerofit High - $68

Nike Aerofit High - $68

Nike Dunk Low - $58

Nike Recognition High “Sagittarius” - $68

Nike Air Force 2 High “Sagittarius” - $80

Source: RockPaperScissors

Quai 54 is the biggest streetball tournament held in Europe, and it takes place in Paris, France and was sponsored by none other than Jordan Brand last year. JB also released the Wine and Grind pack last summer to commemorate the event. Now images of a new Quai 54 shoe, a White/Black Air Jordan I Retro have surfaced courtesy of MarqueeSole. The pics show a shoe very similar to what released in the 1/22 Countdown Pack a couple months ago with just a couple big differences. One major difference is the height of the shoe, as we can clearly see that the collar is much shorter than it’s predecessor. The second major difference is the midsole/outsole colors have been flipped. Lastly, you will find an embroidered logo on the side of the heel overlay.

Whether these will release or not is still questionable, and no release date or info has been officially known. If you want these, you can cop now at MarqueeSole.

source: Marqueesole

Here is another ‘United We Rise’ Olympic basketball shoe from Nike. It seems like, at least once or twice a month since last summer a new Nike or Jordan Brand shoe related to the Olympics pops up. We’ve seen the Melo M5’s, the Lebron VI’s and others, and now we get detailed pics of the Zoom LeBron Ambassador ‘United We Rise’ edition. Four colors are slated to release, the only downfall of the shoe is it’s a China exclusive, so if you’re stateside getting your hands on these won’t be that easy.

Some colors have started showing up in China with rumors circulating the UWR edition will pop up this month. While the Zoom LeBron Ambassador is a China exclusive sneaker, a small amount will release at the House Of Hoops locations, so keep your eyes peeled. I hope I’m able to get a pair to ball in, as you can’t pass up on a good looking ball shoe that has Zoom Air and an incredible price tag of $85.

images: Fatboy Shoes

While they might be manning the bench together while injured as of now, both Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes came to the Chicago Bulls as part of last spring’s Ben Wallace package trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Friday, November 14th, Chicago’s House Of Hoops location will be welcoming two of the newest team members to the city by dropping player exclusive sneakers for both guys in their home White/Varsity Red/Black colorways. The Larry Hughes Hyperdunk PE incorporates a stark white upper, clear Flywire with Red strands of Vectran, a black outlined Swoosh and his ‘Homegrown’ moniker along the tongue tag. Drew Gooden’s Powermax PE takes on a bit more color with its white leather upper, red nubuck mid-panel, and full-length Max Air cushioning unit. Along the middle of the tongue, you’ll find The Big Drizzle’s “90 FT” tagging. (By the way — I’m still waiting for someone to mention to him that a regulation court is 94 feet long.)

For the latest House Of Hoops release news and information, be sure to check out SoleCollector.com and FootLockerUnlocked.com and as always, be safe out there and good luck getting the pair you’re after!

Nike Hyperdunk Player Exclusive - Larry Hughes - $125

Nike Powermax Player Exclusive - Drew Gooden - $130

And a surprise for those of you who scrolled all the way to the bottom! The ever-elusive “Snake Pool” Hyperdunk Supreme will be releasing tomorrow at Chicago’s House Of Hoops as well!

Saturday, November 15th will mark the return of LUX product from Nike. This time around the Nike Court Force High gets the LUX doctoring in what appears to be an ultra-premium suede and premium ostrich  upper. Two colors will be releasing, one in a black/sail color and the other a light grey/sail colorway, and they will be available at Tier 0 accounts this Saturday.

The Court Force is one of those retros that usually finds its way to the outlets or sale racks but as of late Nike has really pulled it together and released some very nice colorways, most of them featuring a completely one color upper.

source: Sneaker News

In just one short day, Nike will release the Doernbecher Freestyle 5 Series. This marks the fifth year that Nike has teamed up with the Doernbecher Foundation to help out kids in need. This year we will see six shoes ranging from Air Maxes to Air Forces and much more.

First up we have the Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘07 LE which was designed by Colin Couch. This shoe features an all white leather upper with a unique laser print detailing that wraps around the toe box, laces, and heel. The designs in the laser print all showcase different things about Colin. They also feature a nice volt yellow colorway found on the sockiner as well as stitching on the midsole. Finishing it off is a nice icy blue clear gum sole that when turned over depicts Colin’s paint pallet that he often uses while at home .

The second shoe in this series has been discussed by our own Nick DePaula here. It is an Air Jordan 1 Retro High and was designed by “Mr. Boober” Tony Taylor Jr. The upper of the shoe is black-based and features a gradient fading patent leather. The shoes fade from black to blue which Tony says is to signify his triumph over kidney disease. The maize colored sole and contrast stitching along with accents are inspired by one of his favorite athletes in Carmelo Anthony.

Next we have the Nike Women’s Air Zoom Vomero+ III which was designed by Staci Wright. This unique looking running shoe features Nike Plus technology. There is a nice metallic silver colored upper that also features mesh. The mesh includes unique deisgns detailing icons that represent Staci. The midsole which is mostly blue fades into white in the center of it on both sides.

The Nike Women’s Free Mary Jane SI was designed by Emily Giersch. A hybrid of sorts, this slip-on shoe features a nice Nike Free sole with design patterns found all over the upper symbolic to Emily. A nice blue color is found on the toe cap which fades to brown as it reaches the back of the shoe. The strap in the center aims to keep your foot from slipping in and out and is blue with the lining of the shoe in red.

Last but certainly not least, we have another Air Force 1. This Nike Women’s Air Force 1 Low ‘07 LE was designed by Brandi Berger. It features a white-based leather upper with a black Swoosh on the sides. University blue is the color that is found on the toe box, side panels and sockliner. The laser print design on the heel represents Brandi, and the clear blue gum sole when flipped over showcases this icon as well.

Now even though the Freestyle 5 collection features five strong-hearted kids, Nike designer Mark Smith also contributed to this years series by designing a shoe of his own to pay homage to this great cause. A Nike Air Max ‘90, it features a nice all white upper made up of pebbled leather and mesh. The multicolored graffiti-like jungle pattern on the sole is a nice touch, and includes colors from every past Doernbecher shoe.

To find out more information on this cause or to help out visit these links (here and here). The Nike Doernbecher Freestyle 5 Series will be released nationwide exclusively at all Niketown locations as well as Niketown.com on Friday, November 14th.

Check out the detailed pictures for each model below, and click on the pics for all the tech info on each release. As always stay tuned to SoleCollector.com and our forums for all the latest news and updates on the Doernbecher Freestyle 5 Series as well as all future Nike releases.

Colin’s Air Force 1 Low ‘07 LE:

Tony’s Air Jordan 1 Retro High:

Staci’s Nike Women’s Air Zoom Vomero+ III:

Emily’s Nike Women’s Free Mary Jane SI:

Brandi’s Nike Women’s Air Force 1 Low ‘07 LE:

Mark Smith’s Nike Air Max ‘90:

Keys: Nike shoes, Jordan shoes, Doernbecher Freestyle 5 Collection, Doernbecher Charity shoes

Over a week ago in Denver, Kobe Bryant debuted a hybrid that we’ll just go ahead and coin the ‘HyperKobe’ for now, and he once again broke out the Hyperdunk upper/ Kobe IV tooling sneaker last night in Dallas. While at first glance the shoes from Denver and last night’s pair might appear to be identical, the pair he donned last night featured a burst of white rubber along the forefoot outsole, while the Denver pair incorporated a black inset of rubber. As we said last week, these for now are just for Kobe’s use and won’t see a public launch, but at least it’s a sign that we’re getting that much closer to the release of the Kobe IV, one of this year’s strongest performers.

While Kobe continually gets his MJ swagger-jack on, Danny Crawford is going strong on a third season in a row in the all black Air Jordan Retro 10. Looks like somebody stocked up! Who’s hoping for a Sneaker Watch: Ref Edition?

And just for laughs…

I’m gonna make this short and sweet: This is a preview of the upcoming Nike Dunk Low releases coming out in 2009. We know these will not be it for Dunk Lows as I’m positive SB and Urban Indie will release some along the way, not to mention collaborations that might pop up, but there’s quite a few below to look through. There seem to be a number of releases putting a new twist on an old colorway, and 09’s releases promise not to disappoint in the color department. You might also notice that there seems to be a lack of prints used on the low tops.

source: Chajin Young

The design for these Forces stem from the same series that the recently released Stash Air Force 1 High comes from, as they both trace back to the Zoom Force 1 series (snowboard boots) created this season for the first time by Nike. The undeniable, loved patterns they used on the snowboard boots were destined to make their way to a street version, like last week’s Stash Highs that dropped with out much warning and it’s very possible these could follow the same path. There is no absolute release date yet for these but keep checking back as we will update you as more information is leaked.

source: KicksLab

words_Keith Kunis

images_YahooSports!

This weekend didn’t bring nearly as much excitement to the court like last week did, but there are a few surprises, including Iverson taking it back a few years and some how Ron Artest displaying the ability to stretch his shoe out like the arms of Mr. Fantastic. How he doesn’t rip through the sidewall, I’ll never know. Speaking of Ron Ron, lets take a look right now at his uncanny talents as he joins the movement and is wearing Protege.

Tayshaun Prince always delivers the defense even when he’s stuck wearing the Shox Gamer.

Russell Westbrook protects the rock in the Nike Powermax TB.

Rasheed Wallace makes some crazy side fade move in his trusty Air Force 1 High.

OJ Mayo focuses on his target in some really hot Hyperdunks.