The Association

The REAL Problem in the $85 Cost of Durant's Nike KD 2's

By Craig Kwasniewski

There was a VERY entertaining discussion on twitter between several respected NBA writers/bloggers this past weekend about the $85 pricetag on Kevin Durant's signature kicks the Nike KD 2. One side talked about how great it was for such a future superstar to be charging so little compared to the normal cost of nike signature kicks.  The other angle was that it wasn't low enough and "shame on our biz for celebrating and giving free adds for this robbery by sneaker companies and players."

Good points all around... I know, sounds like a generic cop-out but really I can totally see both sides.  HOWEVER... They missed the real problem with the $85 pricetag:

The marketability or lack thereof of one the The Association's truly good guys with amazing talent.

Nike and team Durant had to drop the price of his kicks to make them affordable for the "common man."  Nice spin, but TRUST ME if the shoes were flying off the shelves a company like Nike would be charging A LOT more.  This is the same group that was selling Air Jordan at $150-$175 this past year during a major economic crises. It's not like Nike suddenly got a conscious and felt bad about the 10% unemployment rate and wanted to give back.  It's marketing 101 and the reality: Durant isn't moving product.

Even worse, Durant (who's third in overall scoring at 29.1 ppg) sits a distant fifth in All-Star voting for forwards in the Western Conference behind Pau Gasol who missed 17 of 41 games and barely ahead of Trevor Ariza.  That's not a knock on Ariza who's good but no way close to Durant talent-wise.  Though like everyone in Houston I'm sure Ariza throws a hell of an outlet pass, score yet another for Daryl Morey and his first round elimination 2009-10 Houston Rockets.  Durant should be a close third.

While Durant can't sniff a vote for the All-Star game, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson are both #2 in their respective positions with A.I. looking like he'll get a starting spot.  T-Mac, a me-first guy who's being paid $23.2 million to NOT play with his team and A.I., who's clearly on the last legs of a once-illustrious career... both players leading the voting is a serious problem.

Kevin Durant is a good kid, very accessible (or at least gives the public the impression that he's very accessible, unlike many of the "stars of the early 00's like T-Mac and Vince Carter) with an incredible amount of talent and has that competitive chip on his shoulder that allows him to challenge himself and improve from year to year.  He really seems to get it.

I wrote this after attending All-Star Weekend in Phoenix: "The main story of the weekend was Shaq and Kobe, but the All-Star breakthrough story was Durant. The guy DOMINATED the Rookie game for 46 POINTS! Even if there was zero defense being played, 46 points in 40 minute game with a running clock is impressive!"

With all that, he's still comes off as the indie-rock baller of the NBA who toils in obscurity instead of being the household name like Melo, Wade, Kobe or LeBron... and THATS the problem with the $85 kicks.

Review: Converse Weapon Evo

by Brett Pollakoff

Most of you will remember the Converse Weapon, the iconic shoe worn by the likes of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s. (In case you don't, here's a refresher.)

Today, Converse has gone back to what once was, by officially releasing the Weapon Evo, a shoe the company calls "an all-new, court-ready, basketball shoe evolved from the original Weapon, which was worn by superstars during the game’s 'Golden Age.' "

The shoes certainly look virtually identical to their predecessor from an era gone by. But with a redesigned upper and cushioning system, these are actually court-ready kicks, even by today's more demanding standards.

I was given a pair to try out, and have been playing in them for the last few weeks. Read on for a complete review.

Converse Pro Leather 1976: Kickin' It Old School, Son

by Brett Edwards

Well what do we have here? Why, it's a pair of the recently reissued Converse Pro Leather 1976 shoes! These ones are clearly going to be a matter of taste; either you like the look or you don't. Me? I think they're pretty sweet. A couple more pics:

And here's a bit of the press release describing the reissue from the folks at Converse:

[These shoes are] a piece of Converse history. A stitch by stitch re-issue of the Pro Leather 1976.



This shoe debuted over thirty years ago at a time when basketball needed a vibe. Along came some guys wearing short shorts, tall socks, big hair, and the Pro Leather. They carried the game through one of its most crucial transitions with style, flair, and creativity. In '82, the sneaker earned the nickname "Buzzer Beaters" for its part in a last minute college championship win. Today, in Converse's 100th year, we wanted to provide you with the shoe that is among the most recognizable of its era and one that changed the game for generations to come.

At first glance, these immediately reminded me of the black and white Converse Weapons that Larry Bird used to rock back in the day -- a shoe which I proudly wore at the time as well. But the Pro Leathers aren't that sturdy. These ones are clearly more about style than substance, as there's no way someone with my ankle history should even think about trying to play hoops in these. But that's okay. These are about a look, and as such, Converse included some knee high socks and a t-shirt ...

... along with some 70s style big-frame sunglasses.

The glasses feel a little flimsy in the frames, but the lenses are high quality and actually are polarized. Definitely worth wearing, again, if you like the look. Now, what might this look like when worn all at once? You can check me out modeling it all -- complete with a Josh Childress-style hairdo -- after the jump.

Titanium Blue Air Jordan XX3

By Craig Kwasniewski

The Titanium Blue Air Jordan XX3's are coming out today in *very* limited numbers (we're talking 23 pairs at the top 23 Jordan Brand Accounts) for a cool $230. It's the first version of the new XX3, which will have many more colorways coming out all year. I really like how they look, but for $230 just 6 days after Jordan 10/13 Countdown Pack (retail $310) hit the stores???

But then it dawned on me... 23 pairs each at the top 23 Jordan Brand Accounts equals limited release. Or more importantly it means people camping out in January for a shot a these kicks. Here's a pic from kixandthecity.com at Niketown in Chicago yesterday:

Ummmm, I think I'll pass...

It's too bad, because they really like how they look, but I hate camping and I hate waiting in line even more! Anyway, I'm sure we'll see them go for serious $$ on ebay along with a ton of fakes so stay posted. But until then, here's a few more pics from solecollector.com:

Starbury Crossover

By Craig Kwasniewski

Time to send some love to my favorite kicks in the Starbury Movement... the Starbury Crossover.

Basically they're the Starbury's very decent version of the Air Force 1's (even right down them running a 1/2 size bigger than their other shoes, like the AF1's). They run a little stiff and when coming out of the box they look a little cheap (what do you expect for $14.99?). But trust me, lace em up with a pair of jeans and they look pretty clean. And with Nike flooding the market with AF1's, there's something very indie-rock about wearing the Crossovers.

Plus, everyone needs a pair of white sneaks that they can thrash up without worry. I wore a pair last Friday, took them to happy hour, a Dodger game and to Deja Vu's to cap off the evening. Sure they got beer, peanuts and cigarette ash on them, but I wasn't worried at all. What's the worst thing that could happen, my $14.99 shoes are ruined? EXACTLY!

Much like the other Starbury's, these are not the most comfortable shoes. And don't ever consider doing anything athletic in them! The biggest drawback is that they easily get dirty. Just buy some of that shoe cleaning spray at footlocker and wipe them off with a towel and they recover nicely. But just in case, I bought another pair (hell, they're only $14.99!). Anyway, here's a few more pics of them (BTW - they just came out with an all black edition that unfortunately sold out.):

UNDRCRWN Gil Zero

By Craig Kwasniewski

Remember those special edition Gil Zeros that Agent Zero was rockin' back in April? He broke them out at the Clippers-Wiz game in LA. Back then I wrote:

It appears as though Arenas has a closer for his shoes. For the first three quarters, he was rocking the multi-colored Gil Zeros that he wore against Seattle. But in the fourth quarter he put on a pair of the light grey Gil Zeros to close out the game. Do they play "Enter Sandman" at Wizard home games when the light grey Gil Zeros come on?

Anyway, those multi-colored ones are the UNDRCRWN Gil Zeros. It's a special edition collaboration between the Adidas Remix Collection and Undrcrwn involving all five of the Adidas signature kicks. According to their website:

Adidas Remix Collection has partnered with basketball lifestyle brand UNDRCRWN on a limited series of 90’s retrospective-inspired shoes derived from the ‘06/’07 campaign coined adidas x UNDRCRWN It Takes 5IVE. All five sport silhouettes, initially created for on-court play by NBA stars Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Chauncey Billups and Gilbert Arenas, have received serious redesigns giving new flavor to court style.

You can pick up a pair of these limited edition Zeros at Undrcrwn's website for $150. Good luck at copping 'em... they're limited to 750 pairs worldwide (the 12's sold out in seconds... damn! Brett got a pair, so expect a unboxing post along with me buying that hoops card off him.). Anyway, here's a few pics of the shoes:

Converse WADE 2.0: Pictures and Performance

by Brett Edwards

I've had the Converse WADE 2.0 Limited Playoff Edition for a little over a week now, and after playing some full court hoops in them a few times I'm ready to give my complete review. Before we get to how they handle on the court, let's talk about the overall design.

As far as looks go, these things are extremely sharp. The all black shoe with the few subtle patches of patent leather, along with the gold stitching make these very sleek looking. Converse includes a pair of yellow laces if the all black isn't Flash-y enough for you, but you can't go wrong with either look really. The red Converse star logo on the outer ankle portion add just enough color to make these kicks extremely eye catching.

As for the overall performance of the shoes, I have mostly positives to report. Initially, I was worried that there might not be enough ankle support, as I'm used to playing in shoes with the extra velcro strap across the top to really secure the ankle in the shoe. Once I laced them up, this wasn't an issue. The construction of the shoes is very sturdy, so much so that I recommend walking around in them for a day or so just to break them in a little before actually playing in them.

The shoes do an excellent job of molding to your feet once they're laced all the way up, making them feel like they're a part of your foot. This is extremely important in a basketball shoe, since every move you make is based on your feet feeling the court, and these shoes allow you to do just that. Just make sure you don't lace 'em up too tight. The tongue design is "pointy," and the one time I was extra-tight on the lacing, I got a blister on the upper part of my foot. I chalk that up to "user error" rather than a design flaw in the shoe itself, but it's something to be aware of.

The soles of the shoes are cool on the design side, and are fairly typical in terms of what you'd expect from a quality basketball shoe. The cushioning is thick and a little bouncy all along the bottom of the shoe, making the shoes very comfortable when running up and down the court. A little more bounce on the front end of the shoe wouldn't hurt, but overall there's more than an acceptable amount.



Overall, the WADE 2.0s are what I would characterize as above average basketball shoes. They're very well made and very comfortable to play in. While basketball shoes in general come down to a player's personal preference in terms of ankle support, cushioning in the heel, and how wide the base is, I think you'll find that this incarnation of the WADEs will probably exceed your expectations of performance on the court. Grade: B+

Converse WADE 2.0: Limited Playoff Edition

by Brett Edwards

What would the playoffs be without some fresh limited edition gear to go along with them? Well, still probably pretty cool, but the new gear does add a little something. Today we bring you news of our favorite baller D.Wade's new playoff kicks: the "limited playoff edition" WADE 2.0 by Converse. Converse is re-launching their "ALL IN" campaign, and here's what they're saying about these particular shoes:

The WADE 2.0 signature shoe reflects the duality of Wade’s game with a “Rose and Thorn” design inspiration – his fierceness on the court meets the beauty of his game. Design elements relating to Wade include a perforated pattern on the medial side of the shoe that has an embossed “Z” for his son, Zaire. The upper and outsole both have a repeating “W” pattern inspired by Wade and the Thorn. Finally, there is a leather patch behind the tongue featuring Dwyane Wade’s signature.

Sounds good to me. These look decidedly better than the candy cane edition that they rolled out for Christmas, but then again I'm not a big fan of the color red, so what do I know. These won't be available in stores until April 25, which by then might have the Heat halfway to the second round. At least that's what Shaq thinks.

Unboxing the Starbury II

By Craig Kwasniewski

Channeling the likes of gadget porn, here's an unboxing of the Starbury 2's that were released on April 1st. I got to the Steve and Barry's at the Fox Hills Mall by 5:00 PM only to find 3 pairs left in my size (12). (The salesperson told me that they've been flying off the shelves all day and they already cleared out the back room.) I was able to get a few pairs, so expect a review in the next few weeks. My initial reaction? They seem like a better shoe than the One's, more cushioning and more durable... we'll see in a few weeks.

BTW - I was there literally five minutes and I overheard several people giving props to Stephon Marbury for endorsing affordable sneaks. Here's the pics of the Black/Orange/White colorway:

Starbury Two Sneak Peek

By Craig Kwasniewski

Set to release on April 1st at a Neil and Bob's Steve and Barry's near you, the Starbury 2's. Just like the Starbury One's, they will retail for a stunning $14.98. I've done my share of Starbury One jokes, but the concept of a top NBA player endorsing low-cost shoes is brilliant. Stephon Marbury not only maintains his street cred, but also helps improve his mainstream image. And the kicks continue to fly off the shelves:

Steve & Barry's President Andy Todd told ABC News that the chain sold out two month's inventory in just three days when the sneakers debuted last August. Seven months after the sneakers' debut, Todd said, they continue to sell well.

The 2's look nice, they kinda remind me of the Wade 1.0's (minus the flopping). For $14.98, I'll buy a few pairs, but this time I'll make sure to use insoles. One last thing, couldn't the Starbury people release the shoes on March 31st instead of April 1st just to avoid the expected rash of April Fools jokes from sportstalk radio? Come on!

Anyway, here's a few pics of one of the colorways (check out starbury.com for other versions):

Editor's note: Click here to view the unboxing of the Stabury Two's I bought on April 1st.