Sunday 29 April 2012

The Top 10 Air Jordan Shoes

# 10

The Air Jordan XIII was released 1997 and were re-released in 2005. The design was made to look like a panther. On the bottom fo the shoe the sole is suppose to look like a panther's paw. And on the sides there are panthers cheeks from its whiskers and the hologram on the back of the shoe like a panthers eyes in the dark when light is shined at them. For the unique panther design by Tinker Hatfield, the shoe is ranked #10.



#9

The Air Jordan 2010 was the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Air Jordan Brand. The shoe was released February 13, 2010 and is currently selling for $170 with Miami Heat Superstar Dwyane Wade endorsing the product.











#8

The Air Jordan XI was also designed by Tinker Hatfield like XIII. The shoe was designed just in case Jordan would return to basketball. The shiny leather on the shoe gave it a "formal" look. Jordan wore a black/white/royal blue colorway of the Air Jordan XI in the movie "Space Jam". The design of the shoe gets the Air Jordan XI the #8 spot.



#7

Another designed by Tinker Hatfield, the Air Jordan IV was released in 1989. These were the first to be released on a golbal market. The cushoning sole made the shoe a bestseller. In 1999 the shoe was retroed in white/black colorway and a black/cement colorway.







#6

Tinker Hatfield also designed the Air Jordan VII and the shoe was released in 1991. The shoe was also called the "Hares" because the commercials of the shoe featured Bugs Bunny. A Olympic version was released in 1992 for Jordan playing on the Dream Team. The shoe had Jordan's olympic number 9 instead of 23. Retros were released in two-year intervals from 2002 to 2008.





#5

The Air Jordan VI is similiar to the Jordan VII. It was released in late 1990. Michael won his first championship in these. In 2000 a Olympic colorway was released and in 2008 a second Olympic colorway was released.







#4

Another designed by Tinker Hatfield, the Air Jordan IV was released in 1989. These were said to be Michael's favorite shoes. Jordan wore this shoe in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest and other events in his career. In 2009, Jordan released the shoes in True Blue colourway.







#3

The Air Jordan V was released in 1990 and designed by Hatfield. The shoe is similiar to the IV. The shoe was retroed in 2000, 2006, and 2007.









#2

The Air Jordan II was released in 1986/1987. The II's were designed by Bruce Kilgore. These shoes were the last to have the Jordan Wings insignia. They were retroed in 1994.











#1

The Air Jordan I has a brilliant design by Peter Moore and was released in 1985. The shoes broke the league's uniform rule and Jordan was fined $5,000 everytime he wore the shoes. The Air Jordan I was retroed many time with colorways up to 90+. The briliance of this shoe earsn the Air Jordan I the Number #1 shoe of the Air Jordan collection.





http://bleacherreport.com/articles/419409-the-top-10-air-jordan-shoes

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Top 10 Signature Shoes in NBA




The Jordan Brand is Nike's line of shoes that are "inspired by the image and essence of Michael Jordan."

While I will be the first to admit that the image and essence of Jordan is quite appealing, I don't find his shoes to be.

Carmelo Anthony (Melo M8), Dwane Wade (Fly Wade 2), andChris Paul (CP3.V) are the featured NBA stars that wear Jordan Brand shoes. They each have new versions out this year but they were only good enough to make my honorable mention.

Above is Chris Paul's shoe because I liked it the best. Honestly though, if I were an NBA athlete, I would not want another player's image on my own shoe. Even if it is the greatest player of all time.




Kevin Durant's latest edition of this Nike shoe was inspired by Nerf balls. 
I'm not sure why Nerf balls would serve as an inspiration for basketball shoes but I will trust in Nike's omnipotent judgment. 
Personally I would not be caught dead in these things.  The splattered paint and neon colors reminds me too much of late 80's early 90's fashion.


But Kevin Durant is currently one of the hottest NBA superstars so I bet these shoes would sell like hotcakes.
Unfortunately these shoes will never see the inside of an NBA arena. They've been locked out.




Apparently this shoe is quite a departure from the last model that Dwight Howard wore during the 2010-2011 NBA season.
I still like the classic 3 bar design that Adidas incorporates into all of their shoes. It never goes out of style.
I think Adidas may want to invest in a new color scheme though. If all indications are correct, Dwight Howard will not be with the Orlando Magic much longer.




This is John Wall's first "official" signature shoe. He sure picked the wrong time to unveil it, given that he might not have a chance to play an NBA game wearing it.
Reebok touts this shoe design as "personalized" to John Wall. The ad campaign reminds us, "any moment on the court can be your chance to break-out."
Legend has it that John Wall "went from no-name to instant fame" thanks to a Reebok camp he attended in high school. Here is the story from Slam Online.


Kobe Bryant's latest shoe is the most technologically advanced of the bunch.  Not only is it a low-top sneaker, which makes it stand out from the usual NBA shoe, but it has built in ankle supports.
Pretty cool.
I guess Kobe still wants the flexibility and lightness that a low top shoe gives him, but doesn't want to snap his ankle in half when he attempts a "killer crossover."
The colors look more like what the Sacramento Kings would wear, but I'm sure Nike would unveil a Laker color scheme if there were any hope of Kobe playing NBA basketball anytime soon.


Russell Westbrook is another young NBA superstar and teammate of Kevin Durant. 
Now he has his own shoe. 
This color scheme is meant for Oklahoma City Thunder home games.  But it also comes in an "away" color scheme.
I'm sure as a young player Westbrook couldn't wait to wear his namesake on his feet during games. 
I'm sure he will have another chance at it. But probably not this season.
For some reason this shoe reminds me of the futuristic Nike shoe that Marty McFly wears in Back to the Future II.  Minus the orange laces of course.
I'm guessing these shoes won't lace themselves up and give Westbrook the ability to ride a hovercraft skateboard though. 


LeBron may not be everyone's favorite, but his shoes certainly could be. 
These shoes are not fancy. No neon colors, no velcro straps, and no speckled paint. Just a classic, clean look and a nice colorway (that is sneakerhead speak for the color scheme).
I even like the Spiderman-like webbing on the side. I'm sure it serves a purpose. 
Plus a quote from LeBron's favorite movie Gladiator is featured on each shoe. "What we do in Life..." is on the left and "Echoes in eternity" is on the right.
Okay, that fits, but I think this quote from Gladiator would fit better.
"He enters Rome like a conquering hero—but what has he conquered?"
The image above depicts the shoe Lebron would hypothetically wear for Miami Heat home games. But, like most shoes, the Lebron 9 has several different colorways. 
One is called the "Cannon" and was inspired by Eglin Airforce Base.
Another is called "Miami Nights" and was inspired by, you guessed it, nights in Miami.
These shoes have a suggested retail price of $170, so run right out and grab a couple!


The only thing I know about AND1 is that their t-shirts used to feature a faceless muscle bound guy. 
I have no idea if they make good shoes. Frankly I did not know they made shoes. 
I do know this though.
Monta Ellis is an electrifying and underrated young player. So if AND1 can convince him to wear their shoe, they are doing pretty well.
I've always been a big Golden State Warriors fan so that is why this shoe, with its Warriors colors, appeals to me.
I can just see Chris Mullin draining a three-pointer wearing these shoes.  Actually no I can't. But I still like them.
Unfortunately, with the lockout in full swing and more regular season games lost, this is the closest fans will come to see Monta Ellis wearing these shoes.


If you want to make a shoe inspired by something, learn from this model. Derrick Rose's newest shoe was inspired by the city he plays for; Chicago.

The shoe incorporates messages such as "all flights canceled" and "the L," which references Chicago's famous airport, O'Hare, and it's public transportation system. The shoe insert also has a portion of the public transit map on it.

I'm not really sure where the blue laces fit in. But it works.

I suppose the shoe's moniker "Windy City" could also reference the breeze defenders experience when Derrick Rose blows by them.

With all the work Adidas put into making this great shoe, it is a shame that Rose isn't wearing it during game time action right now.



These shoes are just so wacky that you have to love them. Is it just me or do they remind anyone else of a zebra in a dark light?

I have to admit that when I was researching this article I did a double take when I learned that they were made especially for Serge Ibaka. Usually shoes are made for the most notable NBA superstars. Ibaka is a good young player; especially gifted at shot-blocking.

But I did not think he had risen to signature shoe status.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are stacked with young exciting talent and are one of the more popular teams in the NBA, so I suppose Adidas wanted to capitalize on that. With Durant and Westbrook already taken by Nike, Ibaka was the natural choice.

The shoe itself features the Thunders colors mixed with an African pattern. It is an homage to an old Dikembe Mutombo shoe of the past.

Ibaka and Mutombo have a lot in common. They are both from the Congo and Ibaka idolized him growing up.

They both block a lot of shots too. I hope Ibaka doesn't bring back the finger wag though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stjzC8pG15A&feature=related

These shoes were supposed to be featured on Ibaka's feet during last year's NBA Finals. Oops, the Thunder lost to the Mavericks.

Now there is no regular season to show them off either. Will these beauties ever see the light of day?

Correction: For the sake of accuracy, these are not actually signature shoes, but "exclusives" for Ibaka. They were made just for him, not for the public. But, the idea is still the same. We won't see them in stores or the court any time soon.




This shoe is so bad it is good. Not just good, it is excellent. Everything about it. 
A hilarious shoe review was featured on deadspin.com that you have to check out.
In short, Kevin Love had signed with a China-based athletic company called PEAK. They made a shoe for him called "Relentless". That contract ended and Love signed with another China based firm, 361 Degrees.
Wasn't that a boy band back in the day?.
The company says that it represents athletes with "one extra degree of passion". I guess Nike and Adidas must be looking for those athletes with two extra degrees then?
I will certainly miss seeing these behemoths in NBA action. I am curious to see how Chinese-made basketball shoes would hold up. No disrespect to China or 361 Degrees but they are not known for making athletic gear.
If they were, wouldn't Yao Ming have been sporting them?
Would the soles fall after Love's first jump stop? Would the shoe simply disintegrate with the force of Love landing after a dunk or rebound?
We'll never know.
What I do know is that these shoes are big, white, and ugly; and Kevin Love is the perfect NBA star to wear them.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Most Expensive Shoes



1. Air Jordan Silver Shoe
    Price: $60,000
Next in our list of most expensive shoes for men is Air Jordan Silver Shoes. Obviously a gold shoe is good to see, but you cannot wear that all the time. But this silver shoe is wearable. For diehard fans of Michael Jordan who is also a brand ambassador for Nike’s Jordon range, his pair of shoes with his autograph is up on eBay for auction. The seller claims the pair was once a birthday gift to him few years back. The shoe-pair is worth $60,000 for a MJ fan.





2. Diamond studded sneakers 
Price: $50,000

For those who like their things to be extra ordinary, these diamond studded sneakers are just the apt thing. Real fashion accessory, these shoes are worth $50,000 named as Air Force 1 by Nike. These shoes are studded with many 11 carat diamonds adorned around the Nike logo and are casted in gold metal. The diamonds are casted in the finest gold stitching to hold the diamond firmly.














3. Men’s dress shoes from the house of  Testoni



Price - $38,000
Tistoni, an expensive house of shoes that was founded in Bologna in 1929 by Amedeo Testoni, is known for the technique of Norvegese (aka Norwegian construction that uses world’s finest alligator skin to make durable shoes. The same house made Men’s dress shoes like custom-made linen twine, lined with glove-soft goatskin and festooned with a gold and diamond buckle. The shoes are superior water resistant and were sold for whooping $38,000.







                                         4. Nike Air Zoom Kobe 1 
Price: $30,000
A unique collection of 4 pairs of shoes is by Nike named as Nike Air Zoom Kobe 1. Each pair has a different city drawn on the shoes top and comes in a beautiful wooden box that is autographed by Kobe Bryant. The four locations namely, Los Angeles, Chicago,Texas and New York have been engraved on the boxes and 10% of the sale goes to charity by the company. Only 25 pairs were made and were sold at cost of $29,999.99.





5. Gold running shoes
    Price: $34,000
Although it’s named as gold running shoes but definitely no one is going to wear a gold shoe for running. These shoes were on sale in 2007 at the pre-match press briefing of the 2007 Shanghai Golden Grand Prixat, Shanghai. The shoes are made of 620 grams of pure gold and measure 26 centimeters in length with a price tag of $24,000.






6. Louis Vuitton men shoe 

Price: $10,000
To break the thinking that Louis Vuitton is just a woman brand, the fashion house has launched a stunning pair of Louis Vuitton shoes for men. The luxury brand commenced its collection of lace-ups for men in the Spring/Summer 2010. The shoe is waxed alligator leather and looks absolutely masculine. The shoe is a combination of traditional craftsmanship with a bit of vintage touch and is an authentic handmade pair. The shoe has a glove-soft leather lining and is made of Blake construction.



7. Nike high dunk shoes 
    Price: $5,405
Golden dunks by Nike! Even though not many people will opt to wear them, there are few who may just keep it to their collection. Nike golden shoes, dipped in gold, are completely golden in color including the shoe laces. Obviously you will have to be filthy rich to buy them as the pair costs : $5,405.








8. Diamond studded shoes by Aubercy
Price: $4,510
Who said diamonds are just for girls? In this era of fashion, even men are all set to accessorize their belongings in bling-bling manner. So, Aubercy for men are studded with real diamonds. These classy shoes are black in color with diamonds encrusted on the tip and are named as “Phil”. The shoes cost ($3010) and ($4,510) depending upon the size of the stone you want.




9. Stefano Bemer shoes
    Price: $2,000
The renowned shoemaker was once was in collaboration with Gucci and is one of the finest cobblers is a master in hand-made shoes. Although his shoes take around 3 months to manufacture but each piece is a treat to for your feet. His shoes, obviously meant for rich and classy people, are made of materials such as toad and camel. Each pair costs somewhere around $2,000.






10. Swarovski studded FILA shoes 
Price : NA
We have hardly seen extra glittering diamond studded sports shoes, but these shoes were specially made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of world renowned Italian sports brand FILA. The brand collaborated with Austrian Swarovski co- creator for creating limited edition sports shoes called FILA FX2. Only 100 pairs are made and are available in basic two colors: black and white with feature of anti-fur designs





11. Berluti's handmade shoes 
      Price: $1,830
People with luxurious taste always prefers a hand-crafted stuff, and they choose to go with expensive handmade shoes crafted by world renowned brands, one like Berluti. Known for creating shoes with unrivaled comfort and elegance, Berluti, one of the world’s most prestigious Parisian boot-maker since 1895, now owned by Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, offers its discerning clients the hand-crafted bold new Andy Loafer’s. Berluti’s Olga Berluti originally designed these classic shape loafers for the renowned pop artist Andy Warhol, and since then, it has become one of the brand’s most popular styles, available in wide selection of fabrics and leather. Finished in a rainbow of hand-patinated hues, the loafer’s latest incarnation has been loosely inspired by its patron. For its discerning clients, Berluti offers quite expensive hand-crafted shoes at a price range of $1,830 per pair.

http://www.bornrich.com/entry/most-expensive-shoes-for-men/