Now that the Boston Celtics had proved to be a team above the Cleveland Cavaliers and captured the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the big question of the week now goes to, where will King James land? Perhaps the New York Knicks? Perhaps with the Chicago Bulls? The question is well speculated but still remains obscure and uncertain. While NBA fans ponder and continue to stay glued to ESPN, the rest of the world is getting heated up for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off in June. With only so many more days to go, some of the biggest happenings of the week does surround the soccer ball. Nike gears up with the “Write The Future” Campaign and continues to push its Nike Six (6) Collaborations. Of course, Umbro and adidas have stepped up in the soccer game as well. Stay updated and in the loop to get a feel for everything (both sports and non-sports related) going on as well, and keep reading to score your talking points and crucial information for the week!

When Nike says Air Attack, they do mean a full on assault that is aimed to awe…and inspire some retail action. Not too long ago, Niketown New York put up its very own impressive Air Attack Display, showcasing the battalions of Air Attack sneakers hooked up to their source of power– the canisters! Mind you, if you have seen the Nike Air commercial narrated by David Koechner and starring your favorite Nike athletes such as Maria Sharapova and Paul Rodriguez Jr. you would know that these are not your run of the mill gas canisters. They are magical ones filled up with air from the powerful athletes designed to increase the performance of your shoes by magical leaps and bounds. (Fine, perhaps, there is little truth to this, nonetheless it is a well made commercial with the right dose of captivating humor in it.)

In promoting Nike Air and the Air Attack Pack, the Air Attack display has hit Taipei and the display mimics the display in New York’s Niketown. With a lit wall filled with ranks of Air Attack shoes (the lit display forms the keyword “Air” in the background) and canisters of perhaps-mythical air, framed by a neon-bright front, the Taipei Nike Air Attack Display is quite bewitching as well. Enjoy!

Aside from everything that happened this week– be it Iron Man II movie premiere in Los Angeles on Monday or Tiger Woods missing the cut at Quail Hollow Woods Championship, nothing has involved as many people and companies across industries, oceans, mountains and equator as the Shanghai Expo set to open this Saturday. As luxury labels, companies and more finish the push for the highly anticipated World Expo, often with special commemorative products and display booths fancier than their neighbors, and before we launch into a weekend fanfare of watching your RSS feed like a hawk for interesting news from the expo, let’s take a quick moment to relive all the fun stuff which happened around the world.

Sure, booths will open at Shanghai this year and possibly a record influx of tourist will rush the gates with gusto comparable to the Huang Pu River, a lot of things happened around the world that are still worth taking note of! Let’s just say, if you haven’t seen the behind-the-scenes of how to make your Nike kicks sing, and you are not caught up with how that gorgeous Louis Vuitton leather case journeyed its way into your wardrobe, it is quite essential that you keep on clicking to keep up with all that’s hot and notable this week!

To highlight the importance of “air”, Nike conceived an intriguing retail display at it Niketown location in New York.  In part to merchandising the limited Air Attack Pack, another to exhibit the unparalleled quality of air, the display pervaded from the expansive store window facing 57^th Street, where each models from the collection rested on an authentic air tank for SCUBA diving.   Onward to a specific sale floor devoted to Air Attack Collection, with a lighted glass display wall acts as the centerpiece.  At a slight curve, the backlight of the case, each again with model from the Air Attack Pack, spelled out the word “air”, in bold form. To see the display for yourself or to purchase an item from the Air Attack Pack, simply visit Niketown in New York.

After a whirlwind of introduction in the lifestyle and running segments, Nike and the ongoing Limited Edition Air Collection, also known as Air Attack Pack is gearing up for the a second round of releases this summer with the debut of several new creations. This include the Air Max Hyperize, a line of 5 models with basketball focus. The collection joins the 6 silhouettes already available – Nike Air Max 1, Nike Air Maxim 1, Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Max 24/7, Nike Air Max 2009, and Nike Air Tailwind 2010,  As a whole, the Air Attack concept is to feature the evolution from a simple bubble unit to an all-out 360, double volume midsole. Its also pays homage to Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, whose leap of faith led to “uncovered” the Nike Air Unit in his original Air Max design. The Nike Air Max Hyperize for Air Attack Pack will be available on June 1st at select Nike retailers worldwide.

Simply not letting up! After the success of the initial round, Nike’s Limited Edition Air Collection, also known as Air Attack Pack is gearing up for the a second round of releases. In addition to 6 silhouettes currently available – Nike Air Max 1, Nike Air Maxim 1, Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Max 24/7, Nike Air Max 2009, and Nike Air Tailwind 2010, Nike’s newest model, Air Max+ 2010, will be joining the limited collection as a debut. As a showcase of its evolution from a simple bubble unit to an all-out 360, double volume midsole, the Air Max+ is a perfect unison updated technologies and a classic idea. Its also pays homage to Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, whose leap of faith led to “uncovered” the Nike Air Unit in his original Air Max design. The Nike Air Max+ 2010 for Air Attack Pack will be available in the coming months at select Nike retailers worldwide.

Its appearance at first is perplexing. Soon the question follows, “why are Nike Shox’s part of the Air Attack Pack?”. A closer glimpse reveals this isn’t your ordinary Shox. Introducing the Nike Shox NZ 2.0, where the spring-like cushion effortlessly blend with the tried and true Nike Air unit, making the NZ 2.0 formidable footwear for all surfaces. Debut next month as part of the Air Attack Pack at a Nike retailer near you.

Homage to those who thinks outside of the box.  Some 34 years ago, Nike designer Tinker Hatfield took a leap of faith and decided to “uncovered” the Nike Air Unit in his design. The outcome of this experimentation – the storied Nike Air and whole new generation of footwear.  As a showcase of its evolution from a bubble unit to an all-out 360, double volume midsole, Nike created the Limited Edition Air Collection, also known as Air Attack Pack, for 2010. A perfect unison of classic models and updated technologies, the collection focus on 6 silhouettes – Nike Air Max 1, Nike Air Maxim 1, Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Max 24/7, Nike Air Max 2009, Nike Air Tailwind 2010.  Each with near similarities to the 3 Decades of Cushioning (or 3 Decades of Air), launched in 2006, still one of the most talked about Nike Air project to date.

In addition to the 6 silhouettes that are available for purchase, Nike will be introducing the Nike Air Max 90 model to the Air Attack Pack.  Starting May 1st, 5 variants of the Air Max 90 – Limited Edition Air Attack Pack, including a pair of washed black denim, perforated leather, suede, along with an undisclosed will be available for sale at select Nike retailers.  If you can’t wait that long, Eastbay is currently taking pre-order.

Nike has launched a new Air Attack website to give more information behind the newest pack of sneakers from the footwear giant that highlights a number of different “Air” models that Nike has released over the years. To date Nike has released a number of models from both it’s Nike Sportswear and Nike Running silo’s including the Nike Air Max 1, Nike Air Maxim 1, Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Max 24/7, Nike Air Max 2009, Nike Air Tailwind 2010. The new Air Attack website provides insights into the design elements of a number of the Nike Sportswear shoes, additionally you have easy access to purchasing all of the different pairs of shoes from this Air Attack pack. Visit the Nike Air Attack – Nike Sportswear website, here; and the Nike Air Attack – Nike Running website, here.

As the story goes, Nike designer Tinker Hatfield took a leap of faith and decided to “uncovered” the Nike Air Unit in his design. Though the creation was aesthetically intriguing, it was met however, with skepticism of its function and criticism as a mere marketing gimmick. Fortunately, Hatfield and Nike never relented. Now, 34 years later, the storied Nike Air is swear by not only runners, the intended market demographic, but folks from all walks (no pun intended) of life.

Another new shoe that joins Nike’s new Air Attack Pack is this Nike Air Max Tailwind 2010, a new Nike Running shoe that provides a smooth comfortable ride. The Air Max Tailwind 2010 features Nike’s Air-Sole technology that is designed to provide exceptional impact protection by compressing easily on contact and offering a smoother ride. The Air-Sole unit that is in the heel also helps provide for more support while running. And last but not least the Nike Air Max Tailwind 2010 comes equipped with Nike + so that you can run with it while listening to some of your favorite songs on your Apple iPod. There are five colorways of the Nike Air Max Tailwind 2010 that are a part of the Nike Air Attack Pack and you can pick them up now at Niketowns, Nike Stores, NikeStore.com, and Eastbay.

A bit of a newcomer to the Air Max world, the Nike Air Max Turbulence 16 is the latest to get the Air Attack treatment. Following the Air Max 95, Air Max 1, Air Max 24/7, Air Max 2009, and Air Maxim, this model is designed in the spirit of a tried and true runner from Nike’s early days in the business. The design of  Turbulence 16 is meant to meet the needs of an everyday runner with a lightly-pressured bag in the forefoot and stable Max Air in the heel. The upper, as is featured in each Air Attack model is breathable nylon, while the comfort of the sock lining molds the sneaker to the runner’s foot. Color-wise, the models are staying true to the pack’s scheme–mostly blacks with green, purple, blue, and silver. One silver tonal model also rounds out the pack. The brighter color appears on the soles, liner, and logo on the tongue. These models will be available soon, so keep checking with Freshness for updates on this shoe and the others in the pack. via: Eastbay