Converse Selling Beastie Boys Sneakers

From: http://www.prefixmag.com/

We have some interesting news from the Beastie Boys camp for the second week in a row. After reporting last week that they were nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we're learning today that the trio now has their own pair of Converse shoes. The $200 kicks are super-limited and feature previously unreleased photographs taken by Sunny Bak during the Licensed to Ill tour in 1986.

And should you opt to throw down a pair of benjamins on the shoes, you can feel good about your decision because 10 percent of the sale goes to Prop 8 Films. According to their website, Prop 8 Films is "dedicated to creating socially conscious documentary films for a wide audience throughout the world."
You can buy the shows now on eBay.

A Complete Guide To The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Sneakers

complex.com

Now this is a story all about how/this kid got flipped-turned upside down/and take a few minutes just sit right there/as we take you through the sneaker guide of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

When it comes to sneakers, most people are checking to see what’s hot in the streets right now. Sometimes it’s nice to get a little nostalgic (Yeah the Seinfeld piece was major) and no show was more on point with style in the early '90s then The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When the project kicked off in 1990, Will Smith was already established as a music artist thanks to everyone’s favorite summer anthem, and proved his personality and wit as well. Naturally acting was the next move, and with backing from Quincy Jones he was ready to cross over to iconic status which he had cemented by the time the show last aired on May 20, 1996 and he moved on to blockbuster films. After sifting through 56 hours of footage, we have a complete guide of what our man Will rocked throughout the series — definitely worth peeping or you can hit us with this.

Click on the gallery to see A Complete Guide To The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Sneakers.

Click Here to Start the Story »

Silver Michael Jordan Shoe Selling for $100,000 on eBay

By: The Hoop Doctors
From: http://thehoopdoctors.com/

How much would you be willing to spend on a rare pair of Jordan’s? When considering this hypothetical question, how about if I upped the ante and said the shoes were modeled after a pair game worn by Jordan himself. Then let’s get a bit crazy and say the shoes are dipped in silver and are one of only 10 pairs ever made. Jordan himself owns a pair of them. How much is that worth to a rabid Michael Jordan fan, and/or shoe collector?

Well one ebay’er thinks that value is starting at $100,000 and could possibly garner more. Here is what he has to say about the kicks:

IT WAS GIVEN TO MICHAEL FROM HIS WIFE FOR HIS 32nd BIRTHDAY. HIS WIFE TOOK HIS GAME WORN ROOKIE SHOE AND 10, STERLING SHOES WERE MADE. I HAVE THE ONLY ONE THAT WILL EVER BE SOLD AGAIN TO THE PUBLIC. THE CEO FOR GATORADE OWNS ONE, MICHAEL HAS 2 OF THEM, THE JEWELER WHO HAD THE SHOE MADE OWNS ” I THINK 5 OF THEM” AND 2 OTHER UNKNOWN COLLECTORS OWN THE OTHER 2.

A Complete Guide to Seinfeld's Sneakers

• By Gary Warnett
• from http://www.complex.com/sneakers/2011/04/seinfeld-nikes/

Jerry Seinfeld: sneakerhead. Yup. Not in the traditional sense, but over the course of the Seinfeld television show, Jerry wore his fair share of Nike bangers and obscure white on white trainers. We thought documentation of this 1990s phenomena was warranted, so Complex tapped its go-to footwear historian Gary Warnett (who put together our 50 Greatest Nike Trail Shoes and our 50 Greatest Air Max 90s lists) to painstakingly sort through Jerry's greatest hits.

We've provied images when we had them, here they are in their entirety: click on the gallery to see A Complete Guide to Jerry Seinfeld's Sneakers.

Click Here to Start the Story »

NY Times: Inside the Chinese Knockoff-Tennis-Shoe Factory

Andrew Bettles for The New York Times (Shoes provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

By NICHOLAS SCHMIDLE

In southern China, making fake shoes has become a very big business. Chinese authorities are slow to enforce the law, and it's becoming harder and harder to tell which shoes are genuine.
Click here for http://www.nytimes.com/

You Want These Tron Legacy Sneakers

Comic-Con 2010 || by Kyle Buchanan
From: http://www.movieline.com/

Last night at Comic-Con, Dixon and I attended a party for Tron Legacy that was intended to evoke a futuristic club (and would have succeeded, if not for all the Myspace signage). The best part wasn’t the Daft Punk music or the face-painted models. The best part was the shoes.

Behind glass, Disney showed off much of the Tron merch that will be hitting stores this holiday season, and that wonderment we felt upon seeing the first trailer (we’re not going to touch on the puzzlement we may have felt while watching Young Jeff Bridges plumb the uncanny valley in the second trailer) was nothing compared to the lust these light-up shoes evoked in us. Give some out as free swag, Disney! At least then the San Diego pedi-cabs wouldn’t try to run us over at night.

Cool Iron Man Sneakers will make you feel like a super hero

From: http://gamingbolt.com

So you want to be a super hero? Or more precisely you are a big fan of Iron Man. Then you have come to the right place. customsnkr.com a site which deals with custom made sneakers have made an amazing looking Iron Man sneakers. These will be available in limited quantities, both Nike SB Dunk Highs, pretty soon. Both shoes are layered with armored paneling to make sure you feet are well protected against any villain. And yes they even have working versions of the staple of Ironman and War Machine; the glowing cores that give power to the suites. No, it’s not a photoshop trick, press down on the tongues to turn on and off the the glowing power.

The price and the launch date have not been announced yet.

Please click here for the Full Gallery: http://gamingbolt.com/

Thanks, customsnkr & Kotaku.

$550 Kobe Bryant Aston Martin Sneakers Are Gross

From: http://jalopnik.com/

This is the Nike Hyperdunk Kobe Bryant Aston Martin Edition sneaker. It features fancy leathers, the Aston Martin logo on the tongue and Kobe's signature embossed inside. Collectors are already lining up at $550. For a pair of shoes.

Our faith in humanity is wearing devilishly thin these days. Were they Aston Martin driving shoes, they would make a bit more sense, but this is just brand snobbery and celebrity worship taken to a freshly obnoxious level. [OSneaker]

Adidas' Star Wars line gets its own commercial

by: Paul Tassi 

A long time ago in uh, well, this galaxy, I brought you the news that Adidas was coming out with a STAR WARS line of shoes that ranged from ridiculous to crazy awesome. But not content with just making this a niche campaign, Adidas has debuted a full length commercial for the line which you can see below.
I’m not quite sure what David Beckham and Snoop Dogg are doing here, but the more the merrier I suppose, and I also didn’t realize that underground street racing…on foot…was a big pastime of kids these days.
But in any case, the commercial is pretty sweet, and there’s a bumping remix of the Imperial March I think you’ll enjoy. Check it out:

Source: JoBlo

The 2010 Star Wars Edition Adidas Shoes Are Kinda Genius

BY Cliff Kuang
From: http://www.fastcompany.com/

The full line is actually pretty subtle. Stylish, even.

A month ago, we wrote about the new Star Wars--themed shoe line Adidas was creating for 2010. At the time, only teaser shots were available. But the full deets are out, and the results, against all expectations, are kind of awesome.

What's particularly clever is how very subtle the Star Wars references are. Spotting these on the street, you'd never know they were themed cross-branding. But if someone told you what the visual inspiration was, you'd say "Ah-ha!"

Yoda's shoes have that rugged, handmade look that's oh so popular in the forbidding swamps of Dagobah:

The X-wing shoes look exactly like what you'd be wearing to pilot one: Comfy, light, and a little bit weathered from running around the cargo hold screaming about the Empire:

The AT-AT shoes pick up lots of clever details from their inspiration--like the upraised, rounded joints and the ribbed tongue, that looks like the articulated neck joint of the AT-AT:

My personal favorite, the Luke high tops. Remember that Rebel flight suit he wore? These match up perfectly, down to the white detailing at the ankle that echoes the white breathing apparatus, and the signature shade of burnt orange:

[See a couple more kicks at Fubiz]

Your Health: 'Rocker' shoe is put to the test

Enlarge By Alejandro Gonzalez, USA TODAY IF YOU'RE SOLD ON THEM Some rocker-soled choices (prices from company websites and Zappos.com): • Skechers Shape-Ups: • Reebok EasyTone: sneakers ($110) and flip-flops ($60) for women. • MBT: full line of men's and women's shoes and boots ($130 to $390). sneakers and casual shoes for men and women ($100-$115).

By Kim Painter, USA TODAY

Not since Dorothy's ruby slippers has a pair of shoes come with so many promises. Promotional materials for Skechers Shape-Ups say these funny-looking, balance-challenging, curved-sole sneakers and casual shoes can:

• Promote weight loss.

• Improve posture.

• Strengthen the back.

• Tighten abdominal muscles.

• Firm buttocks, calves and thighs.

• Reduce cellulite.

• Improve blood circulation.

They'll help you "get in shape without going to the gym," according to the Shape-Ups ad campaign launched last spring. That's quite a claim. And the Skechers company isn't the only one making it: A company called MBT has sold heavier, pricier versions of these rocker-soled shoes for several years with similar claims. Reebok has a version, too.

The idea: The heavily cushioned rocker sole forces wearers to work harder to maintain balance and stand erect, engaging muscles that are otherwise less active. More active muscles burn more calories. The shoes also enforce a rolling heel-to-toe gait that makers say simulates walking barefoot in the sand.

"Rocker-bottom shoes are not new," says Marlene Reid, a podiatrist in Naperville, Ill., and spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association. But in the past they were sold as therapeutic footwear for people with medical problems, including arthritis in their feet, she says.

Reid says the shoes might help people who stand for long hours or need to improve posture. But she worries: "The shoes limit normal motion in the foot. So you may be under-using some muscles and overusing others."

She also notes that shoes requiring good balance might make some people fall.

Studies cited on the MBT website tell a mixed story: In some cases the rocker shoes performed better than other shoes or exercise programs; in others they did not. Skechers has not published its small studies, but a larger study has begun, says Skechers vice president Jennifer Weiderman.

I decided to conduct my own, unscientific test by taking five consecutive 30- to 40-minute daily walks in the purported wonder shoes. I even threw fashion to the winds and wore them out for an afternoon of errands.

As predicted in the training DVD that comes with the shoes, they were awkward at first. They slowed my pace — something I resented, since I depend on my heart-thumping, arm-swinging, iPod-fueled walks for both mental and physical health. Going down hills was particularly tricky. By Day 5, though, I was almost up to speed and navigating those hills with skillfully rolling steps.

Also: I do seem to stand straighter in these shoes. And they are very comfortable. My feet do not hurt. But: My calves, thighs and buttocks don't hurt either, an indication that this new way of walking isn't new enough to be a major muscle-toner, at least not for already-devoted walkers like me.

Any added effect on weight or muscle tone may be "negligible," says Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. "If you are walking, you are walking."

But, he says, "if you are spending $100 or more on a pair of walking shoes, maybe you're going to go out and walk more. Anything that gets anybody up and moving is a good thing."

Reebok Pump Omni Lite 'Gremlins' Pack

The Reebok Pump Omni Lite has suffered a great many injustices since Dee Brown won the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in the basic black-and-whites way back in 1991. But this Gremlins pack, inspired by the 1984 movie, may just have to jump straight to the top (or bottom) of the list. Based on main characters Gizmo (good, furry) and Stripe (evil, reptilian), each pair has the characteristics of its respective, um, character. You can pick them up at Atmos in Japan, if you are so inclined. Meanwhile, we think Dee Brown had the right idea. More pics after the jump. [Via Kix-Files]

Kobe Bryant Will Be Rocking Chicago-Designed Shoes Saturday Night

By Ryan Corazza

The Bulls will be playing the Los Angeles Kobe Bryants tomorrow night, and they’ll probably win because the Bulls usually beat the class of the NBA and lose to the less-talented ilk. Or maybe they will lose. You’ll have to tune in and find out!

Also, while you tune in, make sure to check out Kobe Bryant’s shoes. They will be special shoes. Shoes that were designed by Chicago students. Do you want the details? Yes, you want the details.

From the Sun-Times:

He’ll be wearing a vision of Chicago students — special Nikes with snakeskin at the tip and heel in honor of Bryant’s nickname, “The Black Mamba.”

The students from Claremont Academy Elementary School and Parkside Elementary Community Academy designed the special Nike Zoom Kobe IV shoes in a project involving Nike and a program called After-School All-Stars. They used Nike’s interactive Web site, which lets you choose shoe material, design and other features.

When I was a kid in elementary school, the coolest thing we did was play Oregon Trail. It was cool, but significantly less cooler than this. That reminds me, I can get a much better version of that game on my iPhone now. To the app store!

Kanye-designed Sneaker looks like Homer-designed car

Kanye’s LV Sneakers

Would you be caught dead in these?

Is anyone else reminded of the episode of The Simpsons where Homer gets to design his own car?

Obama Gets Autographed Shaquille O'Neal Sneaker

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AP

PHOENIX — What's the ideal gift for a basketball-obsessed president? Try a size 23 sneaker personally autographed by Shaquille O'Neal.

The Phoenix Suns center couldn't be around himself when President Barack Obama arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport Tuesday afternoon. So when the president stepped off of Air Force One, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's son Jake made the presentation at the foot of the stairs.

The orange-and-white sneaker made a big impression.

Obama set it on the ground next to his own, much smaller shoe, and grinned as photographers captured the moment. Then Obama scooped it up and took it with him as he stepped into the presidential limo.

In Sunday's NBA All-Star game, O'Neal shared MVP honors with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.

PHOTOS

Batman and Superman Are Diamonds on the Soles of Your Shoes

Express your superhero preferences with what you're wearing on your feet. Nike's new shoes from its skateboarding line are inspired by Batman, Superman and Venom, and they're a lot more subtle than last month's DC Comics line of superhero kicks. Who wins the war on the ground?
While the D.C. Comics shoes from Limited Soles announced last month that you rep a particular superhero, the new Nike SBs simply suggest the presence of greatness is in the area. You don't need Bruce Wayne on the back of your heels...your tailored suit, sneakers, and butler tells the ladies everything you need to know.
The Nike SB shoes come out in November, and you can preorder them here.

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Scifi Clothing You Can Wear Without Fear of Reprisal [io9]

Concept Sneakers Detect Wi-Fi Hotspots On The Go(w/Pictures)

Many will argue that radio, information, and life will be increasingly accessible to all of us via Wi-Fi, but we’ll always need a signal. Montreal-based designer Stefan Dukaczewski helps us envision the day when our clothing helps lead the way. His Wi-Fi sneakers light up to indicate signal strength whenever you walk near a zone.

Each week, JoshSpear.com explores the latest projects by top creative professionals in the Behance Network and highlights a few that are pushing the edge of creative industry. Josh Spear also serves as an Advisor and Guest Curator for the Behance Network.