Super Bowl Madness

You cannot help but sit up and take notice of the Super Bowl. Regardless if you're a sports fan or not, an American or not, the opportunity to partake in one of the biggest showtime events in the world and so celebrate with a self congratulatory America is simply a must do. 

Beneath all the pomp and circumstance, it is slim pickings from a footwear standpoint. But just when all might have seemed to be lost, two big men have stepped up to the line and delivered. Defensive Linesmen Dave Tollefson and Linval Joseph will be sporting the standout Air Jordan III Cement/Black cleat respectively. Call me shallow but with these Air Jordan cleats being at the top of the pile (proving the biggest of underdogs can succeed) the same must be said for the G men's chances of ending at the top of the pile this Sunday. 

Footwear Odes | Part 2

Mashing up a whole bunch of cultural signifiers, this '90s TV advertisement was based around hip-hop's self proclaimed Teacher, the rabble rousing KRS-One. In the true spirit of hip-hop's sampling culture, Gill Scott Heron's 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' gets updated by flipping the song's sentiment into an ode to basketball's (then) new wave of talent. Much in keeping with the tone of the advert, all of the chosen few are symbolically stamped with the Nike swoosh logo that gets its fair share of air time with some slowed down, zoomed in sneaker shots. I always felt that during the NBA lockout there should have been a re-run of this advert with an updated cast, as its message is as relevant now as ever. But then again, Nike has tied up all the big name players with their own signature shoes forcing a conflict between the unifying message of the original and the selfish individualism of both the sport and shoe games alike. Then again these differences should be put aside as after all we are treated to reminisce about the golden years of Nike sneakers and hip-hop.

Digressions aside, somewhat unexpectedly the self-righteous KRS caught an unexpected wave of criticism when it first aired. People must have simply failed to appreciate his sentiments reflecting his unwavering attitude towards the idea making a point rather than the cogency behind that point. Most importantly of all, was the result was far more palatable than starring basketball player Kidd's own attempt at rapping in 'What The Kid Did' that same year. 

Sneakers | In Space

Thankfully, the end of the space shuttle program doesn't mean the end of the road for NASA or even NASA sending humans into space. NASA's gift of the gab has let us believe that there is a robust program of exploration, technology development and scientific research that will last for years to come. If it's to be believed, man walking in space wearing sneakers is increasingly a reality of the not so dim and distant future. The moon boot was surely not conceived as a long term solution for deep space exploration? Conspiracists among you might have already been suspecting a secretive relationship between the 'Innovation Kitchen' at Nike with NASA. After all where on earth did foamposit technology appear from? Was the Nike 'Lunar Flow' really meant for athletes running on earth? These are wild postulations I admit but to speculate of such novelties is somewhat of a strangely rewarding experience. It nevertheless offers a creative platform like no other. At this early stage, these designs prove anything can be explored. 

(More images after the break)

Year Of The Dragon | Customs

Having set the tone last year with their imaginative Year of the Rabbit AF1's, Nike have unsurprisingly treated us to 4 sneakers exposed to a similar customisation project centered around the dragon. Where they have developed and deployed a minimalist yet sophisticated aesthetic for the AF1, the KD IV, Kobe 7 and AJ 12 have set to correct the balance of fun with some progressively outward designs and coulourways. But this is all relatively old news. With 2012 being hyped as the year where customs will make their comeback onto the sneaker scene, it is worth checking out how others have taken inspiration from this years dragon theme. Images after break!

The Drawing Board

It's rare that the occasion ever arrises that we are treated to a glimpse of the design process for a signature sneaker release from Nike. We can, therefore, count ourselves double as lucky to be treated to these preliminary sketches full of such detail, clarity and imagination. The Jordan CP3.V has never been the stand out model of a signature sneaker. The spotlight tends to fall upon the Lebron 9's, KD 4's and even on both the Melo M8's and adiZero Rose 2.5's before the CP3.V's. On a personal note this is about to change. With more information available about the design of the shoe than I could have ever deduced for myself, I can't help but to warm and appreciate the shoe. It is only a shame that this sort of information is not released by Nike for all of their models. Undoubtedly there are some secrets Nike aren't willing to share but it seems a little telling that they are more than comfortable to reveal the inner workings of the CP3.V. Does this mean Nike's best technology is not being reserved for the shoe's of Chris Paul or does this play witness to Nike's favouritism of their sponsored athletes? We may just never know. (More Images after the break!)