Nike KD VII "Good Apples"

Following his re-up with Nike, more and more colorways of Kevin Durant's seventh signature sneaker are making the internet rounds. The latest makeup seen in these official photos is the "Good Apples" colorway. Taking inspiration from the reigning MVP's philosophy on scoring buckets, the shoes sport a black based upper with accents of red and mint green rounding them out. It's a slick look, but those familiar with sneaker culture will surely have the feeling that they've seen them before.



The release date is set for October 4. No word yet on whether these Good Apples will be making their way to our shores, but check back with our local Nike Basketball retailers for any info.

Adidas Hires Three of Nike's Major Designers

In what's been a major coup for Adidas, the Three Stripes camp has pried away three of Nike's biggest names in footwear design. The trio of Denis Dekovic, Marc Dolce, and Mark Miner are set to join Adidas, as confirmed by Dekovic on his Twitter page. The trio will be heading a creative studio based in Brooklyn next year.

Denis Dekovic held the position of Design Director of Nike Football. He was responsible for the Nike Magista, a revolutionary football cleat that brought Flyknit to the pitch.

As the Design Director of Nike Sportswear, Marc Dolce has been influential in the revival and remixing of classic Nike sneakers. You can thank him for designs such as the Barkleyposite and the continuation of the Air Penny line.

Mark Miner might not get a lot of recognition from casual sneakerheads, but his contributions to the Nike Running shoe program cannot be overlooked. He's credited with the design of the Nike Free Run line, amongst other sneakers.

In a written statement by Paul Gaudio, Global Creative Director of Adidas, the design studio will be "a small but essential operation aimed at exploring design direction for the brand. This facility will be an open source creative center allowing us to connect and collaborate with consumers in a way we've never done before," 

Hiring these three designers is only the latest of a string of big moves from Adidas this year. In my opinion, each one further fortifies diverse areas of Adidas' footwear development. The design studio is an interesting idea. Since the trio is set to head it, I can make out a comparison to Nike's HTM collective, only more open and interactive with consumers. Will we be seeing Dekovic-helmed  cleats on the feet of Adidas' biggest footballing names? Will Mark Miner bring out the next great Adidas running innovation after Boost Technology? And will Marc Dolce churn out riffs on classic Adidas silhouettes, much like the well-received ZX Flux? Only time will tell. But one thing's for sure, we can all expect big things from The Three Stripes next year.

Nike's Hexagonal Zoom Air - Explained in Simple Terms.

Nobody can ever question Nike's push to create groundbreaking shoes and apparel to help people maximize performance across a multitude of sports. The latest innovation unveiled by the Swoosh is the Hexagonal Zoom Air cushioning system, which is prominently featured on forthcoming shoes such as the LeBron 12 and the Zoom Hypercross Trainer.

Now for the sake of those not as immersed in the tech side of sneakers, Zoom Air isn't new. In a nutshell, it's a lightweight, durable cushioning system made up of tightly stretched tensile fibers inside a pressurized Nike Air bag. When your foot strikes the ground in the act of running, the Zoom Air absorbs the impact by releasing the tension of the fibers, then quickly snaps back to its original shape to help prepare your foot for the next stride. Not only does the technology shave weight off Nike's athletic footwear, it can also be specifically tuned to meet the demands of different sports - from basketball, to running, even skateboarding!

Nike's Hexagonal Zoom looks to further develop on the precedent set by the Zoom Air technology. The hexagon shape isn't just for the sake of looks. It is arguably, nature's strongest shape, seen as a vital construction component in beehives. The use of hexagons shaves extra weight off shoes, allows better flexibility and brings feet even closer to the ground. While Zoom Air was usually placed only in the heel, Hexagonal Zoom provides maximum responsive cushioning for the area of the feet where most explosive movements such as pivots and sudden changes of direction start - the forefoot. Through data culled from research and testing, each hexagon has been tuned to the exact needs of modern athletic training, giving a tailored cushioning system ideal for all parts of your foot.

While Nike could have been content pumping out Zoom Air-laced here throughout, their drive to further improve their products comes as apt response to the state of the modern athlete. Regardless of sport, today's athlete plays at a higher gear, and whether they know it or not, needs a product that's equipped to keep that pace. Though the chances are high that we might not be on the same athletic caliber as LeBron James, the fact that this technology will be made available to gym rats and weekend warriors suggests that it could be possible to get there one day.

Source: Nike

Adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony Stan Smith "Zebra"

Adidas Originals links up once again with fashion retailer and brand Opening Ceremony to unveil a new design in what's already been a huge year for the Adidas Stan Smith. This time around, the classic tennis sneaker gets dressed up in zebra-inspired striping that offsets its white leather base. The collaborative effort is finished off with the Opening Ceremony logo taking the place of the traditional "Stan Smith" tongue branding, while the Adidas Trefoil keeps its spot on the heel tabs.

There's no exact date to when these shoes will be hitting local retailers, but according to The Sneakpeek, we can expect them dropping very soon.

Nike Launches the Elastico Superfly

Hot on the heels of the unveiling of Nike's Fall 2014 Football Boot Collection, the swoosh also launched an elite level boot for those who do battle on courts, streets, and artificial grass pitches.

Designed with input from Cristiano Ronaldo and borrowing heavily from the approach used on the Nike Mercurial Superfly, the Nike Elastico Superfly is optimized to benefit players of small-sided games. The upper sports a look identical to the Mercurial Superfly, with micro-textured Flyknit allowing for solid ball feel. The upper has also been coated with NikeSkin material to reinforce areas that are most prone to abrasion. The upper sits on a distinctly low-profile sole which gives the wearer as close to a barefoot playing feel as possible without sacrificing the ability to comfortably change pace at speed.

Released in limited numbers a while back, the Nike Elastico Superfly is primed for release on October 9. Aside from an IC (Indoor Competition) version, a Turf version will be available as well.

Nike Football Fall 2014 Boot Collection

Adding to the plight of Asian football fans, the group stages of the UEFA Champions League kicked off earlier this morning. With this in mind, Nike saw fit to deck some of their athletes in some new boots ready for the bright lights of club football's biggest stage.

According to Denis Dekovic, Design Director of Nike Football, the plan was to use "vibrant colors to create a striking new look on-pitch". Mission accomplished, I must say. All four of Nike Football's flagship boots get a vibrant makeover that ensures high visibility in a vast set of pitch conditions. So if you're a club player looking for a new pair of boots for next season, or a weekend or after-work warrior who wants to show off, check out the boot breakdown after the jump to find out what shoe suits your style best.

Awesome Local Sneaker Groups to Join on Facebook

To say that the internet played a hand in shaping sneaker culture as we know it today is a grave understatement. Information spreads like wildfire. It gives people a platform to voice out their opinions on pretty much anything. When you think about it, it's crazy how it allows like-minded people a borderless venue to congregate and dish on the things they love.

Sneakerheads thrive on the internet. As I mentioned in an older post, sneaker groups on Facebook take up a good part of my daily internet crawl. Though in recent times I've shied away from the buying and selling, I always keep an eye out for good bits of news and interesting discussions among fellow sneakerheads and collectors which happen daily. So once again, here goes another installment of awesome local sneaker groups to join on Facebook.

Shoephoric

Run by a group of people with a passion for all things shoes, their shared interested inspired them to create an online community that welcomes lovers of heels, formal shoes, and of course, sneakers. Even without a buying/selling component, members share what's on their feet and engage in discussions in a very welcoming online environment.

Join HERE
Check out their website HERE.

Roshe Run PH

The Nike Roshe Run remains to be a force in terms of lifestyle sneakers. In the span of time since its debut its cult status has crossed over into a wider scale of mass appeal. It was only a matter of time until local heads caught on and created an online community devoted to the silhouette. Buy, sell, trade, and share your love of the Nike Roshe Run HERE.

Philippine Nike Flyknit

Nike has always prided itself with the push for innovation. And few products on the market elicit awestruck reactions from a vast range of sneakerheads like shoes designed with Nike's Flyknit material. Whether its Racers, Trainers, or Flyknit shoes designed for specific sports, you'll find lots of them HERE.

Nike Flyknit Racer New Colorways

Since its debut in 2012, the Nike Flyknit Racer has steadily earned a spot in the rotations of hardcore runners and casual sneaker fans alike. It's been two years, and it looks like the demand won't be slowing down anytime soon. Shown here is the silhouette literally spun in four vibrant new colorways for the fall season. No word on local availability just yet, but if you can't wait, you can pick them up right now at size?

Check out the other looks after the jump.

Nike LeBron 12 Launch Event

With LeBron James set to open a new chapter in his basketball career by going back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nike Basketball is gearing up to unveil the latest evolution of King James' signature shoe line with a special launch event.

Leaked photos of the LeBron 12 have already made the rounds on the internet, so what the shoes will actually look like won't come as any surprise to a good number of web-savvy sneakerheads. But of course, it wouldn't be official without a proper launch. LeBron fans better check out what Nike has in store for you guys come September 16th. In the meantime, check out the teaser video below featuring official images of the forthcoming Nike LeBron 12.

Air Jordan Future Low

Since its debut earlier this year, the Jordan Future rode a pretty palpable wave of hype because it took the signature elements of the Air Jordan 11 and repurposed them into a lifestyle shoe. But with the sheer volume of colorways that have pumped out since (and how many are still left on shelves), the argument can be made for that wave to have crashed.

Possibly devised as a move to  keep sneakerheads interested, Jordan Brand has unveiled a low cut edition of the Jordan Future. Aside from the low cut, the main difference looks to be the choice of upper, as the low cuts employ a mesh construction as opposed to the woven makeup that many of the high-cuts sported. However, fans of the woven look are in luck as the style looks to have carried over to the low cuts as well.

Only time will tell whether the move to go low brings back a strong demand, as the Future lows are looking to release next year. Check out more looks after the jump.

Photos: Sole Collector

New Balance MRT580 Revlite Japan Pack

New Balance decks out the 580 silhouette in a number of fresh colorways just in time for the fall season. Taking inspiration from Japanese art, the MRT580 "Japan Pack" adds vibrant punches of color across a mix of suedes, mesh, and reflective materials. Each release sports the updated Revlite sole, which lightens the shoe's weight and adds a plush ride that works for all day wear.

Anyone interested in picking up a pair can score them at New Balance stores such as Alabang, Glorietta, and TriNoma. Colorways may be subject to availability.

Check out more looks after the jump.

Nike Basketball - #PlayPinoy

With the FIBA World Cup underway in Spain, Nike Basketball unveils a beautiful ad that shows just how deep the Filipino love for the sport runs. When you think about it, basketball could be a religion in these parts. Fervent devotion, congregation, a bit of a performance element, the signs are all there. And just like the church and state, our love for the sport is inseparable - no matter how hard we try. 

Press play and see if you can't get caught up in a wave of national pride. Don't forget to to tune in to local channels to show your support for Team Gilas Pilipinas as they push on with their FIBA World Cup Campaign.