Gourmet’s mature nod to the skateboarding fraternity was relatively well received last Fall in Black, White, and Blue colourways, so it is with little surpirse that the model gets a Spring/Summer 2011 release. The use of premium leather with a suede overlay has its pragmetic purposes in terms of increased durability, without detracting from the aesthetics of the shoe. Apart from this, however, there is little of the heavy padding and chunky, robust feel typically associated with a classic skate trainer. In contast, Gourmet have taken premium materials, a Jordan-esque silhouette, and subtle branding to produce a decidely more cultured skate model. Available in Charcoal and Red. via: dunk. 

A swoosh-less upper and Footscape inspired asymmetrical lacing takes a very classic style, the All Court, and gives it a modern, eclectic interpretation. A Tier Zero drop last fall introduced the concept of asymmetrical lacing on this model with an understated suede upper juxtaposing this new avent garde shape. This Spring’s offering goes one step further, combining the unorthodox shape with an equally unconventional perforated leather upper. Never likely to be a sneaker for the purist, but without doubt it does provide something fresh with summer around the corner. Available in white mono and a contrasting dark olive with white sole. via: dunk.     

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

1997 was a landmark year at Nike. It wasn’t just the Air Jordan XII (12) or Scottie Pippen’s first signature model (he’d worn the Air More Uptempo, which we featured as our Re-Fresh model last month). 1997 was marked by the execution of an idea that seemed impossible: attach a sole to a liquid that had been poured into mold and then hardened. The idea was to have the entire upper, mid, and outsole made from a single cast, and bringing the concept into fruition was one of the biggest challenges in the history of Nike. But, after a host of issues that blocked the progress, the Air Foamposite 1 was born, and the footwear game was changed forever.

Many may wear their athletic shoes to the movies, the mall, and maybe even the club. But the purpose of the design of a properly-conceptualized basketball sneaker is to withstand the rigors of a 6 footer who may weigh 200+ pounds sprinting, stopping, leaping, and shifting for extended periods of time over multiple games. In the history of shoe design, no one had ever made or seen anything like the Foamposite, which was designed to hold its shape that was supposed to be very close to the natural shape of the human foot and be incredibly lightweight as well.

The New Balance factories in Flimby, North England, continue to push out quality footwear for the purists. Always especially proud of their “Made in Englang” releases, the 577 is perhaps New Balance’s most iconic model as it combines functional comfort with a familiarly stunning silhouette. The Encap midsole ensures supportive cushioning but, as with a lot of the releases to come from Flimby, the quality of materials and construction shines through. Relatively muted green and red uppers sit on top of a grey underlay with only a splash of orange or navy, depending on your 577 of choice, for contrast. Made with leather, suede, and mesh, these understated releases seem ideal for spring around the corner. via: rakuten

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

In our third bi-monthly feature called Re-Fresh, we go back to the mid 90s to celebrate sneaker worn one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, Scottie Pippen. After delving into two models from many years ago—the 1972 Blazer and the 1984 Vandal Supreme—we fast forward to a time when Nike Basketball sneakers dominated both the hardwood and the streets. Whereas the Blazer and Vandal Supreme were worn by entire teams, (like the 1977 Portland Trailblazers who faithfully wore the Blazer as part of their uniform) the sneaker world began to drift towards player signature models. In 1996, Scottie didn’t have his own signature line yet, but the Air More Uptempo became the shoe synonymous with one of the game’s great defenders.

Pippen spent the majority of his career in the shadow of the man whose sneakers and on-court performances were second to none. And while Pippen didn’t rack up the stats that Jordan did, he is considered by many to be one of the game’s greatest defenders. Pippen has the record for career assists and career steals for a forward, and he also holds the season record for steals by a forward. The six-time World Champion made the playoffs 16 straight seasons, and he was an integral part of each of those teams. It’s no surprise to anyone that he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame last year, which cements his legacy of one of the greats. In 1996, the same year that he was honored as one of the game’s 50 greatest players, during the early part of the season, he wore our featured sneaker, the Air More Uptempo, and its bold styling turned heads across the league and found its way onto the feet of ballers and hustlers around the world.

Spring is on the way along with it is this Dunk offering from Nike Sportswear. Made up of a premium Grey denim and leather grey swoosh, its mono colourway ensures that it remains understated. A white sole and upper back panel provide some contrast whilst the only offering of real colour comes from the tongue label and heel tab. This subtlety works perfectly for the transition into Spring/Summer, you just need to pick your denim to accompany these Dunks wisely.  via Titolo

Update: These are part of the Nike Sportswear x French Football Federation Collection.Thanks Andrew.

Japans retail and design big hitters atmos and nano universe have collaborated to produce an entirely premium Insta Pump Fury. Introduced in 1993, it was the first of its kind to do away with laces and fully utilize Reeboks Pump technology of inflating the tongue and front panel to hold the foot in place and it has been a staple for the Japanese sneaker market since its introduction.  It therefore makes sense to marry a Japanese favourite with one of Japans largest retailers in the shape of nano universe with Tokyo’s premier sneaker store; atmos. The results are interesting. A mono Black upper is preferred to bold colours, with only a hint of White on the sole unit. A simple Black/White colourway is contrasted by a unique combination of materials, with horsehair sitting alongside patent leather. The sole unit also maintains interest with a speckled and pebbled finish. In all, a complex mix of the subdued and the refined. via: atmos

The Nike Air Max 90 pickings have been relatively slim since the Infrared dropped last summer. A Pecan colourway, however, is always going to divide opinions. There will those that appreciate the earthy, natural tones and are glad it finally gets an outing on something as iconic as the Air Max 90. On the other hand there will be a lot of people that argue, with a great degree of conviction, that Pecan is too overpowering to be confidently matched with any other colours. The Royal blue  and black leathers on the upper attempts to provide a degree of contrast but it is lost in a sea of brown. Accents of White on the sole unit and lining help to a degree but it is likely this offering will be for an acquired taste.  via: Titolo

Style: 325018-200
Color: Pecan/Varsity Royal-Black-White

Nike have taken one of their longest running styles still active, and have produced a forward thinking hybrid of the Dunk and Hyperfuse. Whilst the understated Black upper on Sail sole compliments the classic Dunk silhouette in a reassuringly familiar fashion, the real devil is in the detail. With a fused upper and perforations on the mid panel, toe and tongue, the Dunk is given an entirely unfamiliar, futuristic aesthetic. The performance features from the Hyperfuse mean that this offering is lightweight and breathable, but notably, not at the expense of the Dunk’s heritage. via: KicksCrew

Color: Black/Black-Sail
Style: 431978-001

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

For our second installment of RE-Fresh, a bi-weekly segment that aims to give well-deserved attention to sneakers of yesteryear, we look at a special edition of the Nike Vandal. Many other famous Nike sneakers that were born within a few years of the Vandal’s release, the Dunk (1986) and the Air Force 1(1983) for instance, have enjoyed what must be hundreds of colorways and re-interpretations since they were released. The Vandal, however, hasn’t received the same number of retros, but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t enjoyed some special editions. In 2003, Geoff Mcfetridge, who had a stint as the art director of the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal magazine, crafted what became one of the most famous interpretations of the Nike Vandal which offered the user some unique customizing options which were inherent in the design.

Before looking the McFetridge model, however, let’s take a look at the historical context of the first sneaker to feature a nylon upper. After the seminal release of the Blazer in 1972, Nike began to make waves in the Basketball sneaker market. And while the 70s drew to a close, Nike slowly started to introduce new models, including the Bruin, the All Court, and the Franchise, each of which featured the new branding phenomenon–the Swoosh. As the 80s rolled in, the Dynasty the Legend were born, both of which were high-top models that began to appear on the feet of prominent N.B.A. and college ballers. The Georgetown Hoyas rocked the Legend, and even had grey undershirts with the sneaker printed on the sleeve–which gave the league notice of on-court marketing. The 80s were a time of expression on the hardwood, and the subsequent Nike models that released, including the Vandal, were a part of a trend towards self-expression that extended to the stoops and corners of cities everywhere.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

RE-Fresh, a new bi-weekly segment here at Freshness, and it is a bit different than our curated dose of daily news. Just as we pride ourselves on bringing you the newest and latest, we also strive to understand our roots. Just as a James Brown or Roy Ayers sample is flipped and beefed up for a hip-hop track, the multi-billion dollar sneaker industry has original inspirations as well. So while we here at Freshness are committed to the forward-thinking customer, we’d be remiss to not give you a look into the past at some sneakers that have permanently changed the game.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Emily Chang

As one of the most influential soft powers in the world, Japan is an archipelago of cultural wealth and products (and perhaps, has the coolest superhero–the Ninja) that are not only big in Japan. The Shinkansen, Manga, Sony, BAPE, and of course, Sushi, are just a few exports that have earned their places in the world and some, in the English dictionary and Cartoon Network. And these, are quite the soft diplomatic solutions that have put Japan in the world’s good graces, and acted as a chamomile lubricant where tension might have existed (China might not cease their fight for the disputed islands, but Chinese teenagers have no qualms embracing the latest BAPESTA into their world). And it is in this country where “Made In Japan” equates not to production origin, but to an assuring quality and devotion to craft, that its capital, Tokyo, acts as the command center that bridges Japan to the rest of the world.

Tokyo is one not only home to the Koshitsu (Imperial Family), it is also notorious for being the most expensive city in the world, but for good reason. Tokyo is perhaps one of the most vibrant spots in the world with arguably the best culinary spread, a city of trendsetting residents, and an interesting juxtaposition of technology, art as well as history and culture.

For the fourth installment of Fresh Destination, and also the first for 2011, Freshness and Marvin Chow of Google will be taking everyone through the coveted, the known and the lesser known wonderful places for retail therapy, gastronomy and more. As a resident of Tokyo as well as a globetrotter, the places Chow has lived is quite as extensive and artistic as his resume. Prior to his current gig as the Asia Pacific Marketing Director for Google, the self-dubbed “ nomad, gun for hire, passionate dreamer…” was a veteran of household names such as Nike, Reebok, Nickelodeon. Having worked through Nike as Marketing Director of Nike Korea, Nike Japan and Nike Greater China, Chow was an indispensable major player in leading some of the most memorable campaigns such as the Tokyo launch of Nike Sportswear, the 2008 Mt. Fuji Human Race, and multiple, multi-city summer campaigns and tours featuring Kobe, LeBron and Chris Paul.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the city of Tokyo with a fork in one hand, a credit card in another, and a great pair of kicks.