Sneaker Con Miami March 2012 – Event Recap

(sneakernews.com)

Ever been to a Sneaker Con event? If you haven’t, you’re missing out. An endless sea of the sickest kicks with thousands of fellow sneaker fanatics lined up and packed into one gigantic event space makes Sneaker Con one of the must-have tickets of the year, and with its most recent successful stop in Miami this past weekend, the growing reputation as the commanding sneaker event in the world will be hard to ignore. The Fieldhouse at the Bank United Center was the hot-spot in Miami, with adidas Originals serving as a major sponsor with a sick installation and showcase area that displayed some of adidas’ upcoming hot commodities. Of course, the majority of the heat was brought in by the thousands of patrons and hundreds of vendors, all of which is displayed below. Continue reading to check out the great event recap of Sneaker Con Miami and stay tuned for an up-close look at all the ‘Feet’ from this event!

Nike LeBron 9 Elite ‘Away’

By John K. (sneakernews.com)

Are you ready to pay $250 retail for a basketball sneaker? Nike hopes so....

While LeBron James will certainly have the Championship Trophy on his mind when he and Miami Heat begin their quest in the Playoffs, he won’t be playing every game in Miami, will he? Accompanying the Nike LeBron 9 Elite ‘Home’ that we just kicked off is the obvious ‘Away’ colorway, which features a sturdy black base paired with the luxurious gold detailing. The upper is strengthened with a carbon fiber panel that spans the lateral outrigger to the heel, giving LeBron’s 240 lb. frame enough protection when he cuts, darts, and explodes off the hardwood and slams in a monstrous two. The ‘wing’ is also replaced by the lightweight and breathable mesh for decreased weight, and the other details like the visible Flywire and the Pro Combat-padded tongue and interior complete the ‘Elite’ appeal, awarding the LeBron 9 Elite the designation as the sexiest LeBron shoe ever created. Of course, ‘Home’ and ‘Away’ aren’t the only Elite colorways we can expect, because we did tease you a ‘South Beach’-like colorway not long ago. Continue reading for a complete look at the Nike LeBron 9 Elite ‘Away’ and mark your calendars for April 28th as that is the release date currently set by Nike.

Nike LeBron 9 P.S. Elite
Black/Metallic Gold-Black
516956-008
04/28/12
$250

 

 

Penny Confirms White Foamposites Are On The Way

By John K. (sneakernews.com)

MTV isn’t particularly known to cover sneakers or the fast-growing culture, but when an MTV correspondent ran into Penny Hardaway at a recent event, he felt compelled to ask the Foamposite originator a few questions regarding the massive craze behind the sneaker and about Penny’s personal favorite colorway. During this short interview, Penny Hardaway states that his favorite is the all-white Foamposite (also a PE he rocked back in the day), alluding to the PE he wore in mid-October, and then noted that the shoe would in fact be arriving, bringing us full circle to his original statement made regarding an all-white Foamposite during a recent radio interview. It seems that Penny himself is a bit taken back by the Foam-nomenon, as he humbly admits that he “never could have thought, in a million years” that Foams would reach the level of popularity we see today. "I never could have thought, in a million years, when I got the foams a long time ago, that it would be this hot shoe," basketball star Penny Hardaway says of his sneaker line with Nike.  Thoughts on an all-white Foamposite?

Derrick Rose Signs Second Largest Sneaker Contract In History

By John K (Sneakernews.com)

All eyes and ears have been glued to the barrage of news surrounding this week’s All-Star sneaker releases put forth by Nike, but news of a jaw-dropping, monster sneaker contract drew attention to adidas, a brand that struggles to have a firm presence in the U.S. basketball market. Of course, the basketball market in the States is just one piece of the big athletic-outfitting puzzle, and while it’s no mystery that Nike absolutely dominates the U.S. basketball bracket (over 95%, as of mid-2010), adidas confidently competes with Nike on the worldwide scale, with some reports stating that the adidas Derrick Rose line outsells Nike LeBron and goes toe to toe with Nike Kobe out in China, a region that has a major influence in the overall picture. The figures of this lucrative endorsement contract, finalized over this weekend, reads roughly fourteen years and $250 million, which is likely the duration of Rose’s professional career; it also establishes Rose as the highest paid active basketball athlete endorsee. Who comes in first of all-time? Michael Jordan, of course, who cashes in quite a few sheckles every year thanks to the astonishing sales numbers of Air Jordan Retros (Air Jordans outsell Kobe, LeBron, KD, Chuck Taylor, and Rose combined).

Truthfully, there is no better athlete that deserves such a generous deal than Derrick Rose, who has created a legend for himself in just three and a half seasons in the NBA. The timing of this contract also comes at a pivotal point of the signature sneaker line; typically the third or fourth installment of a signature line takes the entire estate to a new level – think Air Jordan III, Nike Zoom Kobe IV, Air Foamposite One, Zoom KD IV – and with the adiRose already making significant jumps from 1.0 to 2.0 (and the halfsies in between), some heady expectations have been set for the adiZero Rose 3.0. The sheer numbers of the contract also bring up some interesting thoughts; do sneaker companies have any sort of influence on where a superstar chooses to play? While Rose has already signed a contract extension with the Bulls, one has to think that the smaller market team may be at a disadvantage in luring free agent stars when considering the major dollars that sneaker companies are ready to throw around. Now that D-Rose being triple-striped for life is in the books, what are your thoughts on this gargantuan contract? Do you foresee a competitor like Nike or Jordan Brand breaking the $250 million mark? What other rising star deserves his own signature line? Let us know your thoughts on Rose’s contract and the potential aftermath in the comments section below.

Sneakers 101

Not in the loop on this whole sneaker phenom! Need some help and believe me I wasn't either until this past Friday.  Well, you've come to the right place.  My research says we should start at the beginning as with all things right? So class is in session: Welcome to Sneakers 101! 

Got a foot fetish? Not that kind, you perv. The kind that causes you to spend hours in the shoe store? We have help for you. It's called Sneakerheads, and it shows off the coolest apparel you can get for your feet.

What is a Sneakerhead?

A sneakerhead is anybody who actively enjoys collecting sneakers. They love sneakers as much as a Star Trek fan loves dressing up as a Klingon and trekking to conventions. Sneakerheads have been around for decades, but there have been changes in the behaviors of sneaker geeks of the late 80s and 90s, to those that have sprouted in just the past 3 years. Here's just a few observations from the bench:


1.Change of Laces
Today's sneakerhead wants to know where to find all the up-to-the-minute trendiest sneakers that everyone is talking about, while yesterday's sneakerhead wanted to personally find gems nobody knew about.

2. Change of Value
Yesterday's sneakerhead shopped around for deadstock and exclusive finds that were a steal, while today's sneakerhead will deal or steal any which way they can to drop $500 on a pair of kicks. Back in the day, a sneakerhead would seldomly spend more than $100 on sneakers, unless they were a Jordan fan. Other than that, anything under $20-$50 was considered a sneakerhead's rubber dream.

3. Change of Cool
Yesterday's sneakerhead bought sneakers because the colors were cool, the style was cool, and they fit cool. Today, the driving force behind the sneaker craze is HYPE, not true coolness.

4. Change of Love
Today's sneakerhead buys primarily Nike, while yesterday's sneakerhead bought hip-hop and skate classics like Puma, Vans, and Adidas (Clydes, Gazelles, Shelltoes, Campus, Sk8 His). The old school sneaker collector started with those mentioned sneakers, or Jordans. While today's sneaker collector typically starts with Dunks, Air Max, AF1s - all Nike. Many of them look at their sneaker collections as investments, while yesterday's collector bought them to be worn.

5. Change of Purpose
Yesterday's sneakerhead stored their collections under their beds or closets. Today's sneakerhead stores their kicks in cases and personalized shelves. The old school sneakerhead also used to consolidate the usage of their sneakers down to ONE versatile pair, wear it out, then grab something else. They preserved to conserve, while today's sneakerhead has a sneaker for every divine purpose.

6. Change of Direction
Today's sneakerhead looks to see whatever Kayne West is wearing, while the old school sneakerhead used to look east to scour web sites and stores in languages they didn't understand just to get Asian market releases that were not avail in the west.

7. Change of Location
Today's sneakerhead has access to upscale sneaker boutiques with fine wood, glass and metal motifs. Yesterday's sneakerhead had the local shop that used to be a Chinese takeout or the athletic store in the mall. Back then, sneakerheads also scoured athletic catalogs like Eastbay, soccer trades, and CCS for all the cool discounted kicks in colorways the jocks didn't care much about -- unless they were in their "team colors".

 So, are you a SNEAKERHEAD??????

Foamsanity Hits Orlando!

"SWAT team called, riots started, tazing, tear gassing, and pepper spraying over the hyped up galaxy foams. The released ended up being canceled! They need to start making more of these shoes! We don't need people getting stabbed, robbed, shot, and killed. Knowing that they are limited and hot on the market, they're inviting the wrong crowd out. (people looking for a quick profit/come up) This is not cool and this needs to be stopped. Make enough shoes like you used to do Nike! (same goes for Jordan)"

By Aaron Kr. (sneakernews.com)

 

Everyone knew that the jawdropping Galaxy edition of the Nike Air Foamposite One would cause release hysteria. After being pulled from the NikeStore release roster earlier this week, the only chance of getting a pair was to get out there and take your chances at one of the select few retailer spots that would be carrying them. In NYC, scores of determined sneakerheads camped outside of stores in sleeping bags and lawn chairs for over a week to improve their Galaxy prospects. It was clear that this would be a blockbuster of a release, with the limited nature of the shoe, the current unquenchable thirst for Foamposites and of course the wild galactic theme, but the scene down at the Florida Mall in Orlando tonight just raised lowered the bar for sneaker release mayhem. From early reports from DJ Clark Kent and others on the scene, over 3,000 people showed up with the crowd getting so out of control that even the small army of cops in riot gear couldn’t handle the charging crowd trying to inch their way closer to their pair of Galaxy Foams, and there have even been reports of shots being fired. Around 10:30pm, well before the intended midnight release, police shut down the mall and sent the unruly mob home with no sneakers.

No word yet on how a rescheduled release will play out down in Orlando, but we’re sure we’ll hear plenty more stories from the Galaxy releases around the country by morning. We know that it’s easier said than done, but just maybe, it might be time for these retailers to start looking into putting some better systems in place to avoid these kinds of unfortunate situations. Or maybe Nike can just stop putting out shoes that people want so badly. Lets hope it’s the former and not the latter, but let us know what you think should be done to remedy the issue and stay tuned for more on the Galaxy Foamposite release saga.

The Sneaker Phenom!

Air Jordan Retro 4

So Friday night a dear friend of mine asked me for a favor.  He wanted me to help him buy the new "Air Jordan Retro 4".  They go on sale at midnight he said.  Log on before and get ready! He mentioned it would not be easy and proceeded to give me some tips.  He recommended 3 sites I should log on to, as well as which one I should log on to first.  Good Luck he told me.  He told me he would try as well but was counting on me.  I was like no problem!  Really, how hard could it be to buy some Air Jordans.  I mean I managed to get Miley Cyrus concert tickets for my daughter and that was almost impossible so this would be a piece of cake right? WRONG! Can we say epic fail.  I can honestly say that I had never encountered anything like that before. 


I logged on at 11:55pm to nikestore.com (first and best choice mentioned by my friend) and waited for the sneakers to be released.  It was about 12:08 and finally the shoe appeared on the website.  I clicked the shoe, picked the size and since I had a log in proceeded to check out.  Awesome, all the information was there already.  I got this I laughed.  As I'm entering the credit card number the computer freezes - Noooo!!!!!

I check another site. I had opened footlocker.com and proceed to look for the shoe, there it was easy.  Pick the size and Sorry SOLD OUT!!!!!! Noooooo!

OK don't panic last site, finishline.com  yeah good luck there immediately a notice had come out saying "due to extreme traffic to this site and to give everyone a fair chance we will attempt to connect you after 30 seconds...."  I'm still waiting to connect to the site.

Back to the nikestore.com still attempting to connect....finally the screen changes, I'm thinking I got this yes! All of a sudden a message pops up:  Due to inactivity we will have to restart your session, your session has timed out.  Timed Out!  What do you mean timed out I didn't do anything.  I proceeded to refresh and log on again when a black screen came out informing me that this site is temporarily closed for scheduled maintenance try again later ( did I mention it said it in about 10 different languages). Wow!

I was speechless. I had really underestimated this sneaker phenomenon my friend had been trying to tell me all along.  I mean these sneakers weren't $50 they were $160.  When I realized I had no more options I logged on to Ebay to check and they were already selling the sneakers for $350 and more.

I had been texting my friend thru this whole ordeal who told me to forget it but I was determined.  My final attempt was somewhere at 1:45am when I gave up.  I had nothing. I was defeated!

On Saturday morning I had to take my oldest daughter to get some art supplies and low and behold I found myself standing in front of a Foot Locker...the shoe, I remembered, I said to my daughters hold on I have to check something.  Before I even opened the door there right in front of me a sign "RETRO 4 SOLD OUT"

Sign @Foot Locker

I am still speechless and for me that's pretty difficult.  I touched base with my friend on Saturday afternoon who laughed after seeing the picture (which I text him) and said "did you really think you were just going to walk in a store and find them" I guess not I told him.

On Sunday my friend called me again apparently there is another sneaker being released this Friday (2/24) at midnight and those sneakers "Galaxy edition of the Nike Air Foamposite One" people, do I dare say are going for $1,000 on Ebay already.  There are people camped out in NYC as we speak already in line to get their hands on these sneakers.  My friend was driving around Dadeland Mall on Wednesday and noticed there were people camping out there as well.  Apparently Nike said the only chance of getting a pair was to get out there and take your chances at one of the select few retailer spots that would be carrying them.  UNBELIEVABLE all for a sneaker....really?!  Tomorrow marks what will go down as one of the craziest sneaker releases of all-time as the Galaxy Foamposites officially go up for sale!

Nike Air Foamposite One - Galaxy Edition

So as you may know my friend has already informed me to get ready it's going to be a long night trying to snatch these up.  After what I experienced for the Air Jordan Retro 4 I don't think anyone is ready.  Good Luck to me because I'm sure going to need it come midnight tonite!!!!!!