Creating new styles based on retro models always seems to be hit or miss. There are the people that want to see all new designs and technologies, and then there are the people that feel like retro models should remain true to the original designs. This is the case especially with Nike shoes.
With the Nike Air Max Alpha 2011, the history of Nike can be seen ever-so-slightly in the silhouette, but the technologies and performance aspects are up to par with current standards. Combining the popular Hyperfuse technology, which keeps things lightweight and breathable, with a new 180 degree Air Max cushioning unit in the heel, the Air Max Alpha 2011 is ready to perform. As an ode to Nike’s Air Max shoes of the past, on the tongue resides the familiar logo which originated on the Nike Air Max 95. One of the first colorways of the Air Max Alpha to become available is this Blue Glow version that is sure to turn heads.
When news of the return of one of the most sought after colorways of the original Griffey Max would be retroed, naturally, we took a look back at the mid-nineties in one of our Eastbay Memory Lane posts. While there have been a handful of colorways of the Nike Air Griffey Max 1 over the years, in both new and original variations, the “Emeralds” as most know them, have always remained a cherished colorway for Ken Griffey Jr fans.
The day has finally arrived that those waiting patiently for the arrival of this colorway is here. In what seems to be almost an exact replication of the original colorway from The Kid’s days in Seattle, the Black, White and Freshwater colorway of the first signature Ken Griffey shoe is now available. The aqua-like color taking up the majority of the upper amidst the predominantly black shoe, is accented with just a touch of Varsity Red on the outsole and tongue loop. White helps the colorway pop by filling in the Swoosh and accenting the Air Max cushioning in both the heel and forefoot. We may not get to see The Kid on the field these days but we can relive some of those memorable plays while admiring the latest colorway of the Nike Air Griffey Max.
Each week we give a glimpse of the impressive sneaker photos from members of the Sole Collector Forums, in Sole Shots. This week we’re using Sole Shots to showcase a different type of creativity from the sneaker community, sneaker customizers.
As the sneaker community continues to grow, more and more people are looking for different ways to spice up their collections. Whether it be working with an experienced sneaker customizer like the ones whose work you see here, or by taking a more do it yourself approach with something like the jgoods sneaker customization kit, there are plenty of ways to get some totally unique kicks.
This week’s Sole Shots shows off a number of creative customs, from a mild color change to full on graphics, from a subtle logo change to full on reconstruction of materials. As you can see below, the inspirations for creative new designs is limitless, and can come from another famous sneaker colorway, an important memory, a favorite place, or anything else you can dream up.
When the original Hyperdunk released in 2008, the landscape of the basketball sneaker world looked much different than it does today. At 15.6 ounces, with a daring – and almost abstract – materials story, it was light years ahead of what the competition was offering. Adidas was in the midst of its short-lived TS concept, Reebok’s EasyTone hadn’t yet brought the company back enough get their hoops line in order, Under Armour hadn’t even stepped into the footwear arena, and Shaq was the only thing keeping Li-Ning from complete obscurity with U.S. hoops fans. What a difference four years make though. Today, adidas has the lightest hoops shoe on the market at under 10 ounces, Reebok is back in the business of making signature shoes, Under Armour has emerged as a major player, signing two of the draft’s top picks, and Li Ning, along with their country-mates Anta and Peak, have fully infiltrated the League.
What I’m getting at is that although the Hyperdunk was groundbreaking in its time, its time was four years ago. A shoe weighing 15.6 ounces won’t even get you noticed nowadays. And even back then, the Hyperdunk wasn’t without its faults. The often-criticized Lunar Foam in its forefoot was only good for a handful of wearings before breaking down, its breathability was so bad that you could actually see the Flywire fog up on white-based colorways, and its traction disappeared the second you stepped on a court with less than pristine maintenance.
The follow-up to the Hyperdunk, the Hyperize, took small steps towards righting some of those wrongs. Its traction improved, however its continued use of Lunar Foam still rendered the forefoot cushioning borderline disposable, it fit sloppy, and it was highly criticized for its lack of midfoot support. At first sight, it appeared the Hyperize’s successor, the Hyperdunk 2010, finally got everything right. Out was Lunar Foam, and in was a heel and forefoot Zoom cushioning setup. Traction improved even more, with herringbone now wrapping up on the midsole. The biggest problem was that although things appeared to be in order with the upper, the synthetic skinwire just didn’t flex and become one with the foot as well as it could have, causing some comfort issues.
And that’s where the Hyperdunk 2011 comes in. With refinements, rather than drastic changes, needed with the tooling, the team focused on improving the upper, and started at the most logical place possible: by changing the last, and in turn, providing a more one-to-one fit. “That was the main goal going into this year’s upper,” explains Leo Chang, the shoe’s designer, and Design Director of Nike Basketball. “That actually started with the Hyperfuse and the Kobes. Both of those shoes are built on a specific last, and having literally a third of the NBA wearing the Hyperfuse at some point was pretty cool.” The QF-8 has been a long-time go-to last, even being repeatedly used on Jordan Game shoes. “What we were finding was that it works great with leathers and synthetic leathers, but once you start getting to this zone where you have a really thin composite package, it creates a lot more volume within the shoe,” says Chang, which lead their team to the BB-03 last. I found this new last to be an excellent fit for my foot. It’s definitely not as generally accommodating as the shape found in the past Hyperdunks, but not prohibitively narrow. My feet are even slightly on the wide side, and I had no issues. The last is only half of the story as to why the upper is such an outstanding fit though; the change in materials greatly adds to it.
“I had the factory take the Hyperdunk 2010 and try new upper packages,” begins Chang. “Then I began to draw what the upper silhouette and lines could look like. I knew we needed protection in the toe and in the heel, and then I went back after weartesting and looked at covering up even more areas, like the eyestay holes to make sure they didn’t tear. The Flywire pattern definitely evolved along the way.” While the Hyperdunk 2010’s Skinwire was certainly an improvement over the plasticky TPU-based upper of the original, it still didn’t have the flexibility to truly give that glove-like fit. This latest version however conforms to the foot and moves with it – not to mention offering better breathability. It’s light, comfortable and pliable, all while providing rock solid stability. It’s about as much as you could ask for in a basketball upper.
The shoe’s collar features a familiar silhouette that you’ve now come to expect in the line. “I definitely wanted to stay within the Hyperdunk language,” says Chang. “You still have the exaggerated collar and the high to low feel.” This not only gives the Hyperdunk its signature look, but is also functional. “It adds a level of flexibility and proprioceptive confidence,” explains Charles Williams, Nike Basketball Product Line Manager. While the cut is not overly restrictive – it’s quite good for a high-top – it’s definitely more restrictive than a low or even a mid. I tend to prefer a lower cut, and at times experienced some pinching in the rear of the collar, but overall found it to be effective and secure. Aiding in that security are two small molded nodes found inside the collar – similar to those found in the Zoom KD line – as well as an external heel counter. “We actually started out with an internal counter to get a bit lighter,” began Chang, “but then we added on an external counter to get a better 3D molded heel shape and lockdown. We felt like adding things that were a benefit would be better than getting it lighter at an expense.” My heel felt exceptionally secure between the nodes, the collar itself and the external counter. If you’re a die-hard fan of low-tops, then the heel notch alone will probably not offer enough range of motion for you. But everything else about the shoe is so good, it’s worth a try if you can be open minded about the cut.
The biggest issue I had with any aspect of the shoe was that when tightly laced, I felt more lace pressure than I would have liked. I tie my shoes very tight, and definitely felt the laces dig in across the top of my foot. The tongue of the Hyperdunk 2011 is thin, and made up of a large and open mesh. This is effective for breathability, but bad for protection. The original Hyperfuse featured thin, but targeted padding built into the tongue, which was highly effective at eliminating lace pressure. I’d like to see a system like that implemented here, even if it cost a fraction of an ounce when it comes to weight.
The outsole appears fairly similar to last year’s Hyperdunk, but there’re a few notable differences. The dynamic herringbone traction pattern is very similar – not to mention excellent – but now features clear windows in the heel and forefoot to give a glimpse into the shoe’s Zoom bags. The bigger, and much more important difference, is that the TPU shank found in the HD2010 has been replaced by a molded, glass-reinforced shank. “We went away from the shank that we had in the 2010 for a number of reasons,” explains Chang. “The shank gave pretty much everyone great support, but it was a bit flat and still bending when we didn’t want to. We wanted to make sure that doesn’t happen, and the shank really evolved both in size and geometry.” The new shank is so rigid that the shoe actually felt “slappy” when I first tried it on. I worried that the transition wouldn’t be as smooth as I like with all that support. But the second I stepped on the court and started to push the shoe, my fears quickly dissipated. On-court, while running, the transition is very smooth. Cushioning-wise, the Hyperdunk 2011 is outstanding. Its 14mm heel and 8mm forefoot Zoom bags encased in a Phylon midsole provide the low, responsive cushioning that only Zoom Air can.
So, there you have it. Four years in, the Hyperdunk has finally gotten pretty much everything right. It’s one of the best playing experiences a shoe has offered me in a long time. It’s fast yet strong, light yet supportive, and comfortable yet secure. Could it be lighter? Of course. There is a very notable lighter shoe out there already. But rather than focus primarily on weight, the Hyperdunk 2011’s focus was one making each and every aspect of the shoe the best it could be. And it’s still impressively light considering how much protection and security it offers.
For now, the Hyperdunk 2011 stands at the top of the hoops shoe mountain, much like the original did four years ago. The difference is that this time, the competition is much closer – there’s not nearly as much breathing room as in the recent past. The biggest question is “What’s next?” The 2008 Olympics served as a launching point for the original Hyperdunk, and a new direction for Nike Basketball. Will the 2012 Games act as a catalyst for another dramatic shift? Or will the line continue to evolve rather than being reinvented? Or will the Hyperdunk become a basketball shoe of the past, with something brand new taking its place? Only time will tell, but based on the progress made with the Hyperdunk 2011, I will be anxiously waiting to play in whatever comes next.
best for: Most players other than large centers, and than those who favor a low-top
colorway tested: Black/Dark Grey/Black
key tech: heel and forefoot Zoom Air, Flywire, 3D midfoot shank
cons: few and far between – if you are used to playing in a low-top, the collar may feel a bit restrictive in comparison; too much lace pressure
improvements: thicker targeted padding, like the Hyperfuse, to cut down on lace pressure
buying advice: If you’ve been a fan of any of the previous versions of the Hyperdunk, you’ll find even more to like here. The Hyperdunk 2011 improves on almost every aspect of its predecessors. At $125, it’s not cheap, and it may suffer slightly from the law of diminishing returns, but there’s just not another shoe out there currently that gets this much right all at once.
I have been receiving information about different obstacle course races in my inbox for a while now, and I finally took the plunge and registered for my first one – The Warrior Dash. I even convinced my husband to do it with me, which was pretty brave of him as this was his first race . . . ever. It quickly became clear that to make it through this race, the right kind of shoes would be an absolute asset. Running through water and mud only weigh down shoes, so I knew I needed something that was both breathable and would dry quickly. I was more than a little excited when I was introduced to the Vivobarefoot line as I’ve been enjoying running in minimalist shoes for a while now.
What got me so excited was the fact that the Vivobarefoot Ultra shoe offers possibilities. You can insert the plug-in mesh tongue and go for a really open experience, which would be good for road or light trail running. Or, you can insert a sock for a more snug fit and insurance that you will keep things out of your shoe, or at least keep things from rubbing against your foot. I tried running in the shoe with both the sock and tongue, and both were extremely comfortable with no hot spots.
The Ultra is a fully molded running shoe made out of non-toxic, dual-density, high-abrasion EVA, which means it is extremely light, weighing in at a mere 4.2 ounces. In fact, there really isn’t anything to this shoe since the upper has a honeycomb-like structure with areas cut out. You can squish it or bend it in any direction, so your foot has the ultimate flexibility as well as the ultimate breathability. The shoe stays in place thanks to an elastic cord and lace-locking system that offers a very secure fit. What you have control over is whether or not you want more.
Training in this shoe was easy. This shoe was easy to get on, easy to get off. The inserts were super simple to pop into place, and they stayed in place well. I had no trouble at all during any of my training runs, regardless of surface. I preferred running with the sockliner in if I knew there would be any type of debris on my path, just for the added protection. While I did run over rocks and didn’t suffer any punctures in the shoes, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that since these are minimalist shoes, you will still feel the rocks on the bottom of your feet. While the sharpness is dulled, it does hurt if it hits in the right spot. Since these shoes only come in whole sizes, and I typically wear a 9.5, I decided to go down a half size to a size 9, and that turned out to be the perfect choice. The shoes fit perfectly around my foot. I have wider feet and need more in width than length, but these shoes were very accommodating. Even in the sockliner, I felt like I had lots of room to move around in.
Since the shoe is so minimal, I kept thinking I would wear through them or end up with a hole, but nothing of the sort happened. They held up well during my road runs and treadmill runs. Overall, these were extremely comfortable shoes that fit perfectly and stayed in place, making for a fantastic experience.
I had done enough training in these shoes to feel confident that race day would be all about the obstacles and not worrying about the shoes, and I turned out to be right. On race day, as my husband and I anxiously awaited the start of our wave, I stared down at the shoes of the other runners and noticed mainly traditional running shoes on their feet with a few minimalist shoes speckled in there. When the gun sounded announcing the beginning of the race, it started out on a path similar to traditional races – dry. But, that wouldn’t last for long. Up first was running over beat-up cars and through tires, and then we had to make our way through water, climbing over logs along the way. I heard a racer next to me comment something to the effect of, “Well, that’s an additional 3 pounds,” referring to the water his shoes and clothes were soaking up. This was the first, but not the last, time I would be thankful to have my Vivobarefoot shoes. After an obstacle where you hurdle over walls and bend under barbed wire, we had to scale a wall and crawl over a horizontal tangle of nets. Then we ran on about 8-inch wide planks and crawled through a creepy tent of plastic, which left us back on a plain trail for a while. At this point my husband was over his nerves and had committed to running the whole thing, which impressed me immensely since he had never run a 5k, let alone one so intense. After a short distance we camp upon a net of elastic rope, dangerous because of how springy it is. I was able to crawl through it, but got smacked quite a few times after the racer in front of me lifted up a foot. Right afterwards we came to the mud pit. My husband took the less muddy side, but due to an injury that left it hard for me to lift up my legs too high, I took a more middle path, and ended up falling into mud up to my chest. Stinking, gross, squishy mud that was so thick, I could barely pick up my legs. I heard yells of, “I lost a shoe” as I continued through and made it out with both of my shoes intact. After running up muddie hills, we were nearing the final stretch. As the music got louder, we scaled a net wall and jumped over fire. At that point I thought we were done, but I was wrong. We still had to crawl through muddy water under barbed wire. We crossed the finish line yelling like warriors and holding hands. It was a great end to the race. While my shoes were still a little muddy, and have since taken days to clean, they were intact and still comfortable to wear. I look forward to wearing my Vivobarefoot shoes for many runs to come. Even if you don’t come prepared with such awesome sneakers, you can choose to donate your shoes to be recycled, which is an honorable choice in itself.
If you are a barefoot runner, or interested in trying it out, I would definitely suggest the Vivobarefoot Ultra. In fact, I would suggest this shoe for anyone who is involved in water sports as well, as this shoe was comfortable when wet and still maintained decent traction. if you are not familiar with barefoot running, but would like to start, check out more information in the Athletic Resource Center.
The PUMA Faas Collection is one of the most popular recent collections to walk the fine line between performance and casual running shoes. Beginning with the 250, 300 and 500 silhouettes earlier this year, these runners launched with our in-depth look at the PUMA Faas Collection and its inspiration. The collection is now expanding to new models, with the recently available PUMA Faas 550.
The Faas 550 is designed for those looking for a minimalist running shoe with more style than the average shoe. It features a lightweight design made up of synthetic mesh and synthetic nubuck that give it a casual appeal. The Faas line uses a handful of PUMA’s technologies, including, Id-CELL cushioning, BioRide construction and a KMS-Lite midsole for a smooth ride, and added durability thanks to PUMA’s EverTrack abrasion resistant rubber outsole. Like its siblings, the PUMA Faas 550 comes in a handful of colorways for any taste from simple Black or White to bold Team Yellow.
The direction for adidas performance, and more specifically, the adiZero line, is lighter and faster. They’ve been able to cut down the weight from every genre, from running shoes to basketball shoes, creating some of the lightest shoes ever made over the past year or two. The adidas running shoe category is the latest to benefit from adiZero technology, with the newly available adidas adiZero Feather.
As you might guess, the adiZero Feather weighs in at an almost unbelievable 6.2 ounces. One of the keys to reducing weight in this lightweight performance running shoe is the Coolever technology. It uses an ultra breathable mesh upper combined with a lightweight and supportive exoskeleton. Below the Coolever upper resides Sprint frame technology and forefoot adiPRENE cushioning, that a responsive ride. Strategically placed rubber reinforces the outsole in high-wear areas to increase durability. Black and Sharp Blue colorways are accented with Metallic and Electricity colored accents on the two available colorways.
Former Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez joins his new teammates in Cleveland.
words // Brandon Richard
With such a grueling schedule and so few teams that qualify for the postseason, Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is typically a time where the league’s best teams benefit from lower tier teams who have waived the proverbial white flag. Two of the last three World Series Champions, the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, led the way at this year’s deadline.
Looking to separate themselves from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants plucked away All-Star Carlos Beltran from the Mets and former Gold Glover Orlando Cabrera from the Cleveland Indians. Speaking of the Indians, they made a splash of their own by acquiring former Colorado Rockies starting picture Ubaldo Jimenez. After missing out on the Beltran Sweepstakes, the Phillies still managed to get better by adding All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence.
Other significant deadline deals included pitched Edwin Jackson being shipped to St. Louis, Atlanta grabbing center-fielder Michael Bourn and the Pittsburgh Pirates acquiring right-fielder Ryan Ludwick and veteran first baseball Derrek Lee.
Most of these potential season-changing players have already joined their new teams. Check out some of the baseball cleats and baseball equipment they’re wearing below, photos courtesy of Yahoo.
More than two decades after its launch, the Air Max 90 is still one of the most popular Nike running shoes on the market. Nike’s Max 90 was a true game-changer has been made available in an endless run color options over the years, but continues to be embraced by new generations thanks to a versatile, ahead-of-its-time design by the legendary Tinker Hatfield. The hits keep coming, evident by this new Max 90 colorway available at Eastbay this month.
Black and yellow has arguably been the year’s most popular color combination. Throw in some grey accenting and you have one of the most appealing Air Max 90 colorways to date. Black leather and mesh work majority of the shoe’s upper, while grey takes care of the tongue branding, lower lace tab and mudguard. Varsity Maize fills in the upper lace and heel tabs, Air Max branding tab on the heel and Max Air window surround. Finishing off the look below is a grey and maize waffle traction rubber outsole.
This colorway and several other Air Max 90 styles are available at Eastbay today.
If you ever drive through my hometown of Iola, WI, you’ll notice a few things: there aren’t any stoplights, there are no fast food restaurants, and it only takes about 3 minutes get through the whole town. So how does a kid who had only 250-something students in his whole high school make it to the NFL?
Ever since I scored my first touchdown in third grade, I loved the game of football. I knew I wanted to play it as long as possible, but I didn’t have an end goal in mind. During my high school years, I had a dream of getting a full ride and playing football at the collegiate level. Although I had a very productive high school career, the Division I colleges weren’t giving me any respect because I supposedly didn’t “play against good competition.” This gave me a chip on my shoulder to prove people wrong — a chip that I still have to this day. It seemed like my dream was lost until a week before signing period, when Murray State University offered me a full scholarship. With that being my only full ride offer, I took it without hesitation and ironically being the only school that wanted me to play defensive end. My first two years were mediocre at best. I started every game except for one, but my numbers were far from expectations. It was my sophomore exit interview with the defensive line coach that set the path to where I am today. My coach told me that he was disappointed in me and that he saw something in me that I had to believe in. I took those words to heart. It was having the burden of letting my coach down that gave me a new found fire that helped take my training to the next level. It paid dividends during my next two seasons.
Going into my senior year, I was receiving ten different calls a night from agents and financial advisors. This started to become overwhelming until I took a piece of my mom’s advice that proved to be one of the most important decisions I have ever made. I turned my phone off. She told me, “You deserve to enjoy your senior year, just have fun with your team while you can.” I didn’t pay any attention to all the draft experts or what people were saying. Instead, I just focused on my teammates and doing everything possible to try to win a championship. I knew if I took care of business on the field, then the rest of the NFL distraction would be there when my season was done. After a late Senior Bowl invite and a good Combine showing, I became the highest drafted player in Murray State history. I was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the 158th pick in the fifth round.
As I write this bio, I am currently going into my second NFL season. The purpose of me writing this wasn’t to brag of my high school or college stats, hence why I didn’t share them. My stats didn’t get me to where I am today. My work ethic, passion, the great people in my life, and having a little faith got me to where I am. There is no trick or scheme, I am simply a product of my environment. It doesn’t matter where you come from, so much as where you’re going, but once you get to where you want to go I promise you will have a new appreciation for where you came from.
Nike Air Penny III “Destructicon” by 
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