Air Jordans in 2014

Love or hate what they've done to the sneaker game, you can't deny the mass appeal that retro Jordans have. And given what's been going around the net, the popularity of the Air Jordan line will only continue to grow in 2014.

Early next year marks the return of the Air Jordan 6. It's a favorite among many collectors as it was the shoe MJ won his first NBA championship in. And with 2014 being its 23rd anniversary, we can expect a good amount of classic and original colorways to release. I don't mess with every pair of Jays that come out, but #6 is one I've been eyeing for a while. Its design cues have directly influenced a good amount of modern sneakers (see Supra Skytop 2). And what's not to love about a shoe that both Kanye West and Hanamichi Sakuragi rocked, right?

Image from http://bit.ly/1fUZiL9

While retro Jordan colorways are always welcomed by sneakerheads, new ones are pretty hit and miss. There was certainly a lot of hype last year for shoes like the Green Glow 4s and Gamma Blue 11s, but so far, what's been shown online has been pretty underwhelming. Take the black cement colorway for the Air Jordan 3 shown above which shows hints of sport blue. The change-up is something I find totally unnecessary given how strong the original black cements are. There's also an all-red Air Jordan 6, which feels like a Nike copout given the state of Limbo the Red October Yeezy 2s are in.

The only new colorway I'd wear so far are these Air Jordan 9s with a colorway inspired by the Birmingham Barons, just because they're a clean look.

And while we're at it, we all know that Black Friday and the Christmas season is a time for serious Jordan heat to drop. This year saw the return of the Taxis 12s and Bred 1s in their OG form alongside strong new colorways like the Oreo 5s. While nothing's set for the 2014 holiday season, all I want to see released come Christmas season are the Columbia 11s! I'm sure I'm not the only one waiting on those to return.

And on that note, a Bred 12 in its original makeup would make both me and my girlfriend Dylan very very happy. Jordan Brand hear me out and make it a Black Friday release or something!

What Jays would you like to see drop in 2014? Are you looking to cop any of the 6s like I am? Let me know!

Big in 2014: Flyknit.

Now that the holidays shoe releases are over and done, it's time to regroup (assess finances) and look ahead to what 2014 holds when it comes to sneakers. 

One thing I've been particularly interested in is how Nike plans to use their Flyknit material, which I'm a big fan of. Honestly, they could keep pumping out colorways of their existing models and people would still cop them. But we all know it wouldn't be Nike's if they didn't at least try to come up with something new. 

Below are two examples of new models integrating Nike Flyknit technology that could be the tip of the iceberg of what I'm thinking is a big year not only for Nike, but for the sneaker game itself. Other shoe companies should consider this a warning. Time to step up, both literally and figuratively. 

Nike Air Max Flyknit 

Pair a lightweight, breathable upper with a comfy yet supportive sole, and you've got a winner in my book. I can't say much about either the Flyknit or the Air Max models in terms of running, but I can definitely picture myself wearing these on days where a lot of walking is a sure thing. Good looks for keeping the look close to the original Lunar Flyknit silhouette, too. My only concern would be the structural integrity of the full-length air unit. Given time, once that thing crumbles, it won't be pretty.   

Nike Kobe 9 Elite

If you trace the history of Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike, you'll find that certain shoes really shook the world of basketball sneakers up. When the Kobe 4 dropped, it suddenly became alright for basketball shoes to be low-cut and not lack in terms of ankle support. Now the Kobe 9 looks to change the game again by not only going back to a high cut, but also by being the first basketball shoe to feature Flyknit technology. What interests me the most is how the material affects the wearer's range of motion. It's supposed to fit like a sock and feel like playing in a low top. I'm no Kobe, but once I get a pair, I'll definitely test them out on the court and write up a review. The only thing that worries me is the crossover appeal. They look pretty tough to pull off casually. 

Heading into the new year, expect to see some more prediction posts! I hope you're all enjoying the holidays! 

Ranking The Kobe Prelude Pack.

To celebrate the impending release of Kobe Bryant's newest signature sneaker, Nike recently started releasing the Kobe Prelude Pack, all of Kobe's previous 8 shoes released under the swoosh banner done up in colorways commemorating important moments of the Black Mamba's career.

When it was announced about a week back, I was losing my shit figuring out how to scrape together the dough to pick up each pair. And since reseller prices haven't been very kind, barring any miracles, I might have to let the pack slide, as much as it hurts.

The concept of the whole pack is beautiful. With the vast mix of art styles, each shoe is as much at home either in a museum or on the hardwood. Though strong collectively, some shoes have to look better than others. And with that in mind, here's how I ranked the entire pack.

8th - Kobe 3 Prelude 

I'll be honest and say that I wasn't a fan of the Kobe 3 to begin with. Designed to reflect the fury of losing to the Celtics in the finals, the abstract fresco touch may be nice, but it doesn't take away from how aesthetically displeasing the shoe is in general.

7th - Kobe Prelude VIII

Representative of the time Kobe spent off the court during his injury-shortened season. I like the upper, but the multicolored outsole just doesn't work for me.

6th - Kobe Prelude VII 

Sporting a cubist look into what it's like to play for  Olympic Gold, I just wish the gold colorway took more precedence. He was part of winning teams after all.

5th - Kobe Prelude I

The surreal art style is a nod to Kobe's phenomenal 81 point scoring performance in a game against the Toronto Raptors. Really nice mix with the snakeskin upper, but if the art carried over to the inner lining and footbed, that would have taken the one a couple of spots higher on this list.

4th - Kobe Prelude II

Taking from both the renaissance and the period where Kobe started showing off a refined jumper, the marble print sets this shoe off pretty well. Really digging that gold swoosh too. Probably the safest design out of the whole pack, if you ask me.

3rd - Kobe Prelude VI

Inspired by the walls of Venice Beach as well as Kobe's All-Star MVP turn on his home court, this shoe is LOUD. The details that went into the upper are things I wanna see up close, but his one might just be a little too loud for me to really work into a constant rotation. Yes, I actually wear my sneakers.

2nd - Kobe Prelude IV

Kobe's 4th NBA championship ring was won in the Kobe IV, and this tribute to American expressionism proclaims the glory of that year in a rather loud way. Had the text not been there, this would have been number 1.

1st - Kobe Prelude V

I can't think of a better way to interpret just how sweet this Kobe moment was. Revenge over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the finals was a bold move that deserves an equally bold shoe. Great pop art cues without going over the top. Easily my favorite shoe out of the entire pack.

How would you rank them? Feel free to let me know in the comments section!

Nike Basketball 2013 Christmas Pack.

We're just a couple of days removed from the release of the Taxi 12 retros yet the holiday heat that's yet to be released just keeps on piling up. Featured today is the latest set of Christmas themed releases from all three signature athletes of Nike's Basketball line, namely Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant.

Nike Lebron 11 
I highly doubt Christmas in Miami is a snowy affair, but that snowflake print mixes really well with the chilly mint colorway and the bright red swoosh. Too bad Lebron won't be wearing these on court though.

KD VI

Predominantly Christmas red with accents of gold and mint green set off KD's latest signature sneaker in a festive way. The exterior may be eye-catching and all, but my favorite detail about it has got to be the subtle Christmas plaid inner lining.

Kobe 8 System

The bold design in itself is something that warrants a closer look. The spikes that aggressively jut out of the shoe don't remind me of snowflakes or shedding skin if that's what Nike wants to say. Instead, they look like icicles, representative of really cold winters and Kobe's on-court temperament. Not a bad way to make way for the coming of the Kobe 9.

As much as I'm biased to say Kobe's sneaker wins it by a mile, the entire pack doesn't have any weak shoes if you ask me! Pick up a pair or 3 when they drop in Titan, Nike, and Toby's shops in limited numbers on December 26!

Beep Beep.

The holiday season is always a cause for celebration for most people. But for sneakerheads, it's a vacuum of Christmas bonuses and time that should have been spent with their loved ones. I don't know who got the bright idea to get sneaker brands to release so much heat over the course of December, but it's been working, as seen by the hundreds of people who line up at sneaker stores over the world.

Image from http://bit.ly/1fbftUh

I for one do not intend to join the Christmas sneaker rush because primarily because I fear for my life, and Christmas shopping for gifts is a different kind of spectacle on its own. I will acknowledge though that out of everything that's dropping this month, all I want are the Air Jordan "Taxi" 12s.

Image from http://bit.ly/1fphcpA

Jordan heads will rejoice at the return of this classic colorway, last seen packaged with the Bred 11s in 2008. The 12 is one of my favorite Jordans because me and my dad had pairs a few years back. Magnificent color blocking, the mix of leathers, and the gold eyelets really make the "Taxis" a subtle head turner. I can only hope the quality of these is at least close to the originals! 

Look for these to be available at Titan and other Nike shops tomorrow for P8195. And for anyone looking to cop the other Jordans releasing this month, may the force be with you. 

The Ugliest Sneaker of 2013.

2013 isn't done yet, but it's been a year that saw tons of solid sneaker releases across a whole lot of brands. Many have been straight-up fire, while some rode on the hype wave to conceal how lackluster or downright hideous they really were. Out of all the kicks that I think fell in the latter category, it wasn't too difficult to pick out what I think is The Ugliest Sneaker of 2013 - The Nike "Thermal Map" Foamposites.

Image from http://bit.ly/1bw3f7O

I've never owned a pair of foams, but I've been a fan of its simpler renditions. If I had the means, I would have picked up a pair of the eggplant, royal, or copper ones. I don't know if designers think that putting crazy prints on foams would consistently make them sought after items, but every since the hype for them got out of control, that's all I've been seeing.

Image from http://bit.ly/1bw3PT5

Sure, I'll concede that there are a few printed foams that I wouldn't mind copping, but these are just hideous. No offense to foam heads, but I wouldn't want to wear a print on my feet that looks like stains from a girl's time of the month. They're not too far detached from the "Weatherman" foams that released as well, which aren't as ugly, but still pretty bad looking to me. If you ask me, that whole weatherman theme should have stayed with KD's line, and even his shoe kept it way simple!

Fingers crossed for a return to simpler designs in 2014!

Like Lightning.

Photo via Nice Kicks

Though Street Fighter the movie was pretty horrible, but somewhere amidst that clusterfuck of a story was a Raul Julia monologue so gloriously over the top I'll never forget it. He spoked of gods and coming down like lightning only to get the bejesus kicked out of him by Jean Claude Van Damme.

Speaking of gods, lightning, kicks, and ugly-beautiful things, on December 5, Titan finally brings the thunder down south! Now normally, I'd be losing my shit to this news, but there's a part of me that's worried of having a Titan store that's a short drive from my house.


And to sweeten the deal, they're making the Nike "What The Kobe 8" available via lottery. Much like what the Street Fighter movie did to its namesake franchise, the What The Kobe 8 takes familiar things and puts them all together into some ugly but strangely compelling creation.They're obnoxious as hell, and yet I still catch myself wanting a pair. Y U DO THIS, TITAN!? WHY!?

Get on Twitter to vie for a lottery slot, and if you're from the south, or just happen to be in the area on a Thursday, swing by the happening at the Molito Commercial Center this Thursday! Doors open at 3pm.