By Craig Kwasniewski
The tekkie sites have them, so why can't a hoops site have one too. I got a pair of the Nike Air Force 25's the other day and though I'd do an unboxing post. Literally, it's a bunch of photos showing the first opening of the kicks. Anyway, the AF 25's are promoted in the new The Second Coming ad's, the kicks celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Air Force 1's. Check it out:
By Craig Kwasniewski
Since 2007 is the year of the Zero, I bring you the Las Vegas Edition of the Adidas Gil Zeros. I stumbled up these bouncing around Sole Collector Forums and I had to post them.
Two ways to look at this: 1) a cool concept of Adidas to release both All-Star and Las Vegas editions of the Gil Zeros or 2) Adidas is milking the Las Vegas/Gilbert Arenas combination for all it's worth. (While you're pondering, what are the odds of hearing "Hibachi" on in the Asian Gaming section of Mandalay Bay on All-Star Weekend?) Given that the Las Vegas editions are $105 more than the All-Star editions (yes, they're priced at a obscene $199.99), I'd say that Adidas is milking the limited release angle for all it's worth.
For that much cash, these kicks better come with Las Vegas Edition Groupies. Anyway, Agent Zero broke out the shoes in the first half of the Knicks game on January 17th. There's wasn't a lot of Gilbert highlights so I only found one photo of him wearing the shoes (Caron Butler dunked the game winner as the Knicks focused on shutting down Arenas). He's tangled up with Jared Jeffries on the floor, but you can still see the shoes.
Still, I haven't tried the Gil Zeros on the court (I'm not one for ballin' in lows especially after a brutal ankle injury a few years ago) so feel free to drop a comment to let me know how well they play.
Here's where you can find them:
Adidas Men's Gil Zero Low (White/Metallic Gold/Fairway) $199.99 at Eastbay.com
by Brett Edwards
We're approaching All-Star weekend, which means the All-Star gear is slowly starting to arrive. What we have here is the first piece of gear that I've purchased this year, the All-Star kicks shown above.
I like the subtlety, the logo on the side, and the AS-07 across the ankle strap. I'm hoping these are wide based like most Adidas shoes, and that they have more cushioning than the Nike Shox I've been playing in for the past few months. I'll post a review once I get to play in them, which may be as early as this week.
By Craig Kwasniewski
I know, I know... I've already done not one, not two, but three previous posts on the Starbury One shoe last summer. Consider this one of those paperback epilogues that authors put together to justify dropping an extra $14.95 on a second copy of their book.
Anyway, I was at the basketball shoe mecca, otherwise known at the Fox Hills Mall in Culver City, and I couldn't resist buying a few pairs of the Starbury One's. First off, I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Fox Hills Mall is kicks heaven. There are at least 10 different stores where you can get basketball shoes of all kinds. I try to limit my trips there simply because I'll go overboard and have to take out a second mortage to pay the bills.
So while I'm looking through the stacks of Starburys at the Steve and Barry's store, I overheard at least three different people giving props to Marbury for backing the concept. Five months after the shoes were introduced and there's still people talking up the idea... a genius marketing tool. Most of the size 12's were gone (I've heard the shoes are selling well) and it took me awhile to grab up two pairs for myself. (At $14.99 a pop why just stop at one pair.)
So I gave the Starburys a little test run on Sunday at the local playground. Needless to say this is why I'm writing this piece. I've spent the past two days in pain with back spasms after playing on Sunday. (worthy of bold print, my back is freakin' killing me!) Overall, the shoes held up pretty well on the asphalt, it's just that they lack suitable cushioning along bottom. After playing for one hour, I felt my back tighten up and I had to go back to the Crazy-8's for the rest of the day.
BTW - I don't have a chronically bad back. I'll experience some random spasms about once a year, but only if I take some time off from playing hoops. I've been playing 1-2 times a week for the past 4 months with no real aches or pains... until Monday morning. So it's not like I'm some weak-ass looking for a reason to crack on the Starburys. I actually like the idea of a high-profile athlete supporting affordable gear.
The above is what the shoes look like after Sunday's game. The only noticeable wear is in the peeling blue paint along the bottom. I'm sure insoles will help in the future, I'm just a little gun-shy about testing out the kicks on the court again. My friend Matt best summed up the Starburys, "they need a little more shoe."
By Craig Kwasniewski
I know that Christmas is far the rear view mirror, but here's something you may want to check out after returning that cologne your Auntie Jo bought you... the Wade 1.3 Christmas Day Shoe. These were the kicks that Dwyane Wade wore while dropping 40 points in the 101-85 win over the Lakers on Christmas Day.
That was also the last good game Wade played before he injured himself holding hands with Chicago's Kurt Hinrich. Given that Wade's made a meal flopping around the court after driving the lane, it's funny how such a minor injury sent him to the inactive list. How soon before we see a "shake hands seven times" or "pull my finger seven times" commercial along the lines of the "fall seven times" Converse ad from last season?
Anyway, here's what the Converse website says about the limited edition shoe:
Wade 1.3 in Red/White. Limited to 10,000 pair and launching on Christmas Day. The TPU triangle containing a candy cane for the Holiday Spirit. Synthetic patent leather upper. Sockliner with *Poron® inserts for enhanced cushioning and ride. Internal bootie runs entire length of the inside of the shoe. Enhanced fit and feel.
Obviously anything with Poron® is a MUST BUY!!!!!
I prefer to ball in the Crazy-8's, but I'm willing to find out how well the 1.3's perform on the court. Are they worth buying for $100? Are they light enough and wide enough for a lateral, slashing game? Are they the ugliest special edition kicks outside of the Spiz’ikes? Anyone who's played in them feel free to comment on the kicks.
Here's a few places that sell the Christmas Editions:
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