Several trajectory updates and course corrections later is the Nike Zoom Kobe VII System for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. As with all other Nike Basketball offerings, including the Zoom KD IV and LeBron 9, Kobe Bryant‘s signature edition underwent a visual overhaul. Inspired by space exploration along with the legacy of having the “right stuff”, a galactic pattern of nebula, supernova, and distant stars adorned the upper. In the spirit of Kobe’s “black mamba” moniker, an appointment of a snake-like constellation slithered its way onto the sockliner, as well as “mamba mission patch” on the heel counter.  Finally, similar to all other Space Exploration Pack from Nike Basketball, the semi-translucent outsole eerily glows in the dark to light up the night time sky.

The Nike Basketball Space Exploration Pack for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game will be available on Saturday, February 25th, at select retail locations and NikeStore.com

Release Date: February 25th, 2012 (Saturday)

Nike‘s NBA All-Star Game offerings for 2012 are certainly taking things to infinity and beyond, both in the number of sneakers set to drop and in the inherent inspiration spread across the collection. The Nike LeBron 9 from the pack shown here manages the feat of being the brightest sneaker of the bunch, no easy task given the luminous looks the range is built on. Coming with the requisite glow in the dark soles on bottom, the upper is wrapped in a set of mango tones that will definitely light up the court come the All-Star game on February 26th. Luckily you’ll have the opportunity to lace up in them as well, as this pair is set to drop with the rest of the collection on Saturday, February 25th at select locations which include NikeStore online. Follow us after the jump for the high-res shots and be on the lookout for these on the feet of King James come All-Star time.

Release Date: February 25th, 2012 (Saturday)

The Nike Zoom KD IV has quite a bit of competition even within the isolated realm of Nike Basketball designs, vying for your attention alongside mainstay sneakers from the LeBron and Kobe lines. Nevertheless we’ve seen it make waves again and again, and we’d be pretty surprised if the 2012 NBA All-Star Game version shown here doesn’t do the same. The space age shoe dons a metallic silver on the upper, with a detailed milky way graphic spread across the sleek midsole and a NASA like KD patch on the tongue. Did we mention the glow in the dark soles? You know by now about the huge range of NBA All-Star game drops to choose from come February 23rd, so will you be blasting off with Kevin Durant‘s entry into the range? Follow us after the jump, as the full photos should help you make a decision.

Release Date: February 23rd, 2012 (Thursday)

Celebrating a lineage space exploration and the upcoming 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Nike unveiled its commemoration collection featuring  aforementioned Nike Flight One, Nike Dunk, as all as this galactic themed Nike Foamposite One.  Imprinted with the hypnotic graphic of galaxies, distant star systems, and Supernova, the Nike Foamposite One also pays homage to one of the most popular NBA player to date – Penny Hardaway, who started his career with the Orlando Magic.  On a polyurethane midsole and Zoom Air unit at the heel, Nike Foamposite One remains a head turner long after its introduction thanks to the unique upper, one which challenge conventional design at the time, a poignant similarity when the NASA Space Program first took shape at Cape Canaveral some 50 years ago.

The Nike Space Exploration Pack for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game will be available on Thursday, February 23rd, at select retail locations and NikeStore.com

Release Date: February 23rd, 2012 (Thursday)

Taking its name from the handball tournament where it made its debut back in the 1970′s, the adidas Originals Baltic Cup makes its comeback in two new colorways ahead of the upcoming launch of the Archive collection. Constructed with a premium suede upper in either a soft clay or blue contrasted with bright yellow or orange branding on the profile, heel, and lining, this take on the Baltic Cup represents a vibrate retake for the classic silhouette. Finishing off the look is a dark gum rubber sole and additional touches of color on the tongue and laces. Look for these to begin to ship from HANON in March 2012 or pre-orders your pair now.

If you’ve been staying tuned to Freshness, you know doubt know by now that about Nike’s galactic theme surrounding their massive set of 2012 NBA All-Star Game releases. With the game taking place in Florida, a well known NASA hub, the tie-in feels like a relevant place for Nike to start from. Again drawing from the various entities that have made Florida great, the pack is anchored by a set of Penny Hardaway signature models, with one of the most exciting being the Nike Air Flight One shown here. Coming back out of nowhere for a surprise retro treatment, both pairs from the Space Exploration pack will drop on Thursday, February 23rd at NikeStore online as well as a handful of premium retailers. Check the official images after the jump of the glow-in-the-dark version along with the Orlando looking colorway, and stick with Freshness for more info on the Space Exploration pack.

Release Date: February 23rd, 2012 (Thursday)

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

Our next segment for the RE-Fresh project looks at what may be Nike’s most iconic running silhouette—the Cortez. The Cortez, in short, launched the Nike brand. Some sources have the origin of the Cortez reaching back as far as 1968 when an elite track coach named Bill Bowerman decided his athletes needed an edge. For a bit of background for those unfamiliar with the co-founder of Nike, Bowerman has had one of the great coaching legacies in all of collegiate sports. He coached 4 National title teams and 31 Olympic athletes. He’s also credited for bringing the concept of jogging to America after an eye-opening trip to New Zealand in 1962. Four years later, Bowerman published a book called, simply, Jogging, which sold over one million copies and ignited the interest in what is now one of the world’s most popular forms of exercise.

Reebok is continuing the partnership with Jean-Michel Basquiat, unveiling the Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Just as the previous seasons, the majority of the current season is made up of Reebok‘s iconic sneakers, yet some new apparel pieces are introduced to broaden the collection. Footwear range consists of Omni Pump Lite, Freestyle and Top Down, while the apparel line includes outerwear, cardigans and t-shirts. As one would expect, each piece is decorated by the famous drawings and handwriting by Basquiat. Precise dates of the release is yet to be confirmed but select Reebok accounts should be receiving these items sometime this month. via: PROVIDER

A short while back, an Air Jordan passport showed up at the Freshness office asking us to save the date and get ”ready to takeoff” for the official launch of the Air Jordan 2012. Early yesterday morning, Jordan Brand sent a SMS message that a driver will be picking us up for a ride to a secret location. After a 45-minute ride, we along with a grouping of select media finally arrived at a very appropriate location for this launch, a hangar in New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport. Once inside, we were “checked in” and soon after, seated in airport like seats. After showing an Air Jordan inspirational reel, designer Tom Luedecke along with his ”co-designer” (and Vice President, Special Projects and Creative Design at Nike) Tinker Hatfield were brought out to officially introduce and present the 27th shoe in the Air Jordan franchise.

While Tom Luedecke once again took the helm of designing the Air Jordan 2012, it was Tinker who drove the creative direction of the shoe. Mr Hatfield actually took inspiration from a project he worked on called Jumptown, which is an area of Portland, Oregon that was a major hub for Jazz in the 1920′s. From there he looked at the style of dress of the era, including the zoot suits with their big shoulder pads and matching bold wingtip dress shoes. On a rare but unfortunate note Tinker now sketches almost exclusively on his iPad but still he is able to translate his ideas into artwork used to drive the design of the shoes. A number of his early sketches mostly dated back to 2010 and inspired by the 1920′s Jazz style were shown during the presentation.

After the walk through of the shoes, attendants took us to the next  area in the hangar where we picked up our “luggage”, an Air Jordan x Cole Haan Weekender bag. In the bag was a pair of the Air Jordan 2012 Deluxe and gear for the wear testing part of the event. After selecting the right “flight” and a quick change, the next area was a full-length basketball court to full try out the new shoes. A pro trainer was on hand to take all the guests through a number of basketball drills favored by some of the top ballers in the NBA. Finally after the drills and a light lunch, we had one last challenge of testing out the Air Jordan 2012 on NIKEiD. And with that the official launch of the 27th franchise model ended and Jordan Brand once again impresses with a unique event to embrace Air Jordan 2012.

There is no doubt about the popularity of Paul Rodriguez and Nike SB have capitalized on this by producing a promotional campaign. Although the Paul Rodriguez V Lunarlon sneakers are not exactly new, the new video campaign is designed to reiterate the functionality of the technical skateboarding shoes. Thanks to the Lunarlon soles in the heel, these sneakers are lightweight, yet provides cushioning to absorb the shock of landing a huge trick. The proof is in the pudding, as Rodriguez shows us how these shoes perform in the promotional video after the jump.

The contribution from the good people at atmos for Reebok‘s 25th Anniversary Workout series is a fairly high-concept one: they gave the shoe a stark white colorway, meant to resemble an eggshell, as the Workout is undergoing a second birth as a lifestyle fashion sneaker. They also finished the shoe’s exterior with glow in the dark properties, inspired by the “mystical feelings” that coincide with the witnessing of a new life. It’s a nice thought, especially when there’s mention of the Workout “glowing on a new stage,” but we’re also pretty sure the guys at atmos just really like making sneakers glow in the dark. Check out additional looks of the very clean design following the click. via: HS

The onslaught of new Vans releases at the Vans DQM General shows no sign of letting up. The latest entrant into the Spring 2012 lineup is this fantastic Vans Sk8-Hi Boat CA from the brand’s California imprint. The shoe is essentially an amalgam of the Vans core classic Sk8-Hi with a traditional boat shoe, which in this case means the addition of a moc-toe detail, leather laces and canvas quarter construction with suede at the vamp and eyestays. A brown leather pull tab and textile polka dot lining round out the features. Available in navy or white colorways, the Sk8-Hi Boat CA is in stock now at the Vans DQM General, both in-store and online.

The VANS DQM General – New York
93 Grand Street | Map
New York, NY 10013
TEL #: 212-226-7776