The crew at Beatnic, located in the heart of downtown Fullerton in Southern California, took a unique approach in tackling the Workout 25th Anniversary project. Their design took inspiration from another iconic Reebok style, the OG colorway of the Insta Pump Fury, and in fusing the two models they created a shoe that blended a traditional silhouette with one that broke new ground, while applying vivid hues to a sneaker typically finished with subdued, tonal colors. When the guys’ proposal to add a Pump function to the shoe ultimately fell through, they added weld dots along the toe and heel to give the impression of added air. Check out more looks of the Beatnic version of the Reebok Workout following the click. via: HS

A quick raid into the vast archive vault of adidas Originals, its designers came away with several classic models to serve as the label’s central theme for 2012. As such, the adidas Originals Rod Laver Vin Lux is the first among the 2012 collection to be available. Created in conjunction with tennis great Rod Laver, the adidas Originals Rod Laver debuted in 1970 and quickly became a fan favorite. While its Running White/Fairway Green iteration was by far the most popular one, it wasn’t the original design. Instead, that honor falls on this design of Black/Black/Running White colorway, exclusively available now at UK’s size? retail chain.

Considering Michael himself was a perennial 2012 NBA All-Star who had his share of memorable highlights over countless All-Star weekends during his playing career, it’s no wonder that Jordan Brand is again preparing a special All-Star pack for the latest installment of the Air Jordan franchise. The special edition Air Jordan 2012 will come in two different colorways — red for the Western Conference, navy representing the East.  Both feature a premium nubuck upper with white interior and outsole. Stay tuned for word on a release date, and in the meantime check out detailed looks for both colorways following the click.

With torrents of people heading for New York City’s downtown district to attend the NY Giants Super Bowl Champion ticker tape parade, a small legion of media and press made a detour to the unveiling of Air Jordan 2012. Aside from the much talked about design concepts and technical aspects that went into the Air Jordan 2012, the media event also debuted some of the early NIKEiD design samples of the shoe. In addition to the usual tumbled leather and patent leather options, the Air Jordan 2012 also includes suede, pebble leather, not to mention the wide range of color schemes and materials. Best of all, you need not to wait long to express your inner Picasso as NIKEiD Air Jordan 2012 iD goes online on Valentine’s Day, February 14th.

Release Date:
Air Jordan 2012 – February 25th, 2012 (Saturday)
Air Jordan 2012 iD – February 14th, 2012 (Tuesday)

Imagine a performance footwear that caters to your style of play. What was once a figment of sci-fi novels is now a reality. Introducing the Air Jordan 2012 from Jordan Brand, a case study on the progression of athletic footwear designs. A joint effort by designers Tinker Hatfield and Tom Luedecke, the Air Jordan 2012, the 27th edition to bear Air Jordan marquee, fuses the past and the future with the present. Notably retro in appearance, Hatfield and Luedecke took the influence of the 1930s, from big bands, jazz clubs, and zoot suits. Dentails like the brogue finishes, double-stitch rows, and M-shape perforations are all references to a pair of wingtip shoes. Tiny x-marks along the midsole act reminders of Michael Jordan’s “black cat” nickname. A shank-plate made of Flight Carbon, a material stronger than steel, provides stability. And thanks to the unique tread design, a cohesive pattern through out the forefoot and rear, the wearer’s weight and subsequent pressure are all evenly distributed.

But the true innovation is within the footwear itself. With two inner sleeves, one low and one high, wearer can customize the fit to how they wear their Jordans. In addition, there are three midsole options, each on the premise of “Fly Around”, “Fly Over”, and “Fly Through”. For the “Fly Around”, the most responsive option, the forefoot foam and Zoom Air heel unit let you feel the court while dashing away from your opponents. The Zoom Air forefoot and Air Sole heel on the “Fly Over” midsole allows to be like “Mike”. Finally, exert all your aggression by overpowering the other team with “Fly Through” and its full-length encapsulate air sole.

Look for the new Air Jordan 2012 at a Jordan Brand retailer near you starting on Saturday, February 25th. You can also customize your own pair via NIKEiD, where the design option will be available this coming Valentine’s Day, February 14th.

Release Date:
Air Jordan 2012 – February 25th, 2012 (Saturday)
Air Jordan 2012 iD – February 14th, 2012 (Tuesday)

atmos have dug up a gem from the Reebok archives, reviving the much sought-after Insta Pump Fury Eastbays. They were originally launched in 1996, yet the production of these sneakers was surrounded by problems, providing plenty of headaches for the online retailer, Eastbay. However, this piece of footwear eventually made it into their inventory, gaining popularity amongst the sneakerheads. If you missed the opportunity to pick up the original pair, here is your chance to snatch up these retro sneakers. These shoes will be dropping around early March and pre-orders can be made at atmos online shop right now.

This year’s Valentine’s-themed “Heartbreaker” from Supra takes the form of the towering Society silhouette. Built with an upper crafted from red suede and Express TUF canvas, the shoe sits on a black vulcanized sole with white foxing adorned with red stripes. Additional details include complementary white pinstripes at the back of the collar, plus a red broken-heart graphic on each pitch-black footbed. A custom broken-heart hang tag finishes the look. The production run on the Society Heartbreaker II is limited to just 413, with each pair individually numbered. Look for them to land on February 11th exclusively at Factory 413, Supra NYC and online.

Release Date: February 11th, 2012 (Saturday)

Supra presents a video profile of team rider Spencer Hamilton. Spencer explains his still developing career trajectory, from first hearing about Supra in 2006 and subsequently meeting the team — as he describes them, “all the biggest heads” — when they stopped in during a Canadian tour for a signing at the skate shop where he worked. Cut to present day, in which Spencer finds himself in London to sit for the team photo, surrounded by guys he once looked up to and now counts as peers. The otherworldly talent on display is enough to have Spencer believing in aliens. Check out the video after click.

Courtesty of Geoff Hollister & The Oregonian

Often called “Nike’s Employee #3″, Geoff Hollister passed away yesterday, just three days after his 66th birthday, after a long battle with cancer. The Oregon native was born on February 3rd, 1946 and was an Oregonian in every sense of the term. After graduating from South Eugene High School in 1964, Hollister went on to University of Oregon, where he ran under the tutelage of track & field coach Bill Bowerman. To optimize his runner’s performance, Bowerman often asked Hollister to run in his prototype footwear. Not long afterwards, Phil Knight offered Hollister a job at his start-up with Bowerman, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), then a distributor for Japan’s Tiger sneakers. After opening BRS West, the company’s first retail store, Hollister became ever more involved when BRS spun off a sub-label from Tiger in 1972. That new entity was Nike.

Thanks to Hollister’s intuitions as a runner and business acumen, Nike thrived in the then largely ignored running community. Seeing a need to develop next generation of track & field stars after a dismal showing in the 1976 Summer Olympics at Montreal, Hollister organized Athletics West, a sponsored program for athletes and coaches alike. His ability to think outside of the box helped to create innovative product like the Nike Aqua Socks. And when cumbersome track jackets weigh down Nike athletes, Hollister introduced the lightweight Nike Windrunner Jacket and its iconic 26-degree chevron design. During his later years at Nike, Hollister helped to secure the brand with a Swoosh a place in youth track & field programs across the U.S. When Bill Bowerman passed away in 1999, Hollister developed the Bowerman Project in honor of his former coach and mentor.

Geoff Hollister is survived his wife Wendy, who still works at Nike, 2 children from a previous marriage, his son Tracy, daughter Kaili, several grand children, as well as two younger sisters. Not to mention, the thousands who benefited from his programs and products

The Vans DQM General has just taken delivery of a fresh new batch of releases from Vans California‘s Spring 2012 collection. First up is the debut of a new style, the Chukka TC CA, that takes the traditional chukka boot silhouette and adds a white leather toe cap to the 10 oz canvas upper. It’s available in black, khaki, and burgundy colorways. The Spring Era 48 CA takes the classic Vans model and dresses it in a premium suede upper, with tan leather heel tab and lining, as well as leather laces and blue siped sole. It comes in ebony, chocolate and taupe styles. Next up is another low-profile shoe, the Summer Buck 106 CA, with nubuck upper in black, grey and olive colorways. Rounding out the spate of new releases is the Native American CA, a classic skate shoe from the Vans archive done up in nubuck leather with waxed laces and tonal leather toe cap. It’s available in dark shadow and canteen. The entire collection is in stock now at the Vans DQM General.

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

They are of different genders, races, religions, sports, interests, ages, even nations. Yet, they are connected by one reason – cancer. While grim, their shared afflictions, struggles, and grievances also gave them a collected strength and resolve to see the end of the disease. In bring hopes to the other 28 million cancer survivors and their love ones, Nike announced Team LIVESTRONG. Along with seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, a group of world class athletes, each affected by the disease directly or indirectly, will join the fight in education, prevention, and research for a cure. You too can be a part of the movement, simply show your support or share your story via Twitter at @NIKELIVESTRONG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nikelivestrong. With the current advancement in treatments, a diagnosis is no longer the end but the beginning.

An embodiment of Prefontaine, the updated Track & Field Collection from Nike Sportswear is derived from the same “can do” ethos as the late distance runner, along with the likes of Carl Lewis, Flo-Jo, Joan Benoit, and others. If you were to look into the collection’s true origin, you would find Nike Co-Founder Bill Bowerman at the helm. And just as he expected perfection from his athletes, he did the same with their tools of the trade. Hence, the mix of glory, heritage, and technology in each of the collection’s designs. You will find the collection at selected Nike retail locations around the world, such as the Nike Sportswear 21 Mercer flagship store.

Nike Sportswear – 21 Mercer
21 Mercer Street | Map
New York, NY 10013
TEL #: 212-226-5433