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As sneaker enthusiast, we all know the shoeworld is always evolving into new and innovative styles. One year high top sneakers may be the ‘in’ thing only to change to low-cut sneakers the next year. One constant theme that we have seen this year is the vulcanized sole.

Believe it or not, some of your favorite kicks have applied the vulcanized sole such as the Dunk, the Air Flight Lite High and various Jordan sneakers. With that said, our staff dug into the archives to see which sneakers are actually compatible with the ever-so-popular vulcanized sole. How do you feel about the vulcanized inflation?

Click here to view our Vulcanized Sole: Fashion Forward or Falling Flat?

DJ AM... Legend in the Sneaker World.

In the wake of DJ AM ’s untimely passing, his family and foundation have decided to auction his extensive sneaker collection for charity’s sake. As a part of the month-long auction, whichcan be found on eBay, UNDFTD’s Silverlake location is currently displaying a small portion of AM’s collection under glass for store visitors to check out.

Eddie Cruz and the team at UNDFTD have been instrumental in helping the DJ AM Foundation organize this auction, along with Deckstar and a number of friends of the world famous DJ. If you’re in the area, swing by the store and check out what’s on display, or head to the auctionand grab a new pair for a good cause.

Shiny Who got bape still...

A Bathing Ape’s Bapesta has seen numerous iterations over its lifetime as the most recent release features the following Foil pack. Five different colors each include a similar tonal upper with white laces. A release for BAPE New York and BAPE Los Angeles is slated for Saturday, November 21st

NO MORE FITTED HATS 4 ME. lol

WOOOOW!!! TO ALL YOU DUDES WHO LIKE TO WEAR YOUR FITTED CAP ALL DAY LONG . . . YOU'RE GONNA END UP LIKE THIS DUDE HERE!!!

2 WRONGS dont make a RIGHT.. SAD story..

FATHERLY JUSTICE!!! DAD KILLS HIS OWN SON . . . WHEN HE LEARNED THAT HE WAS MOLESTING HIS DAUGHTER!!! (WAS HE RIGHT???)

November 19, 2009. MediaTakeOut.com learned of a sad story today. A Detroit man named Jamar Pinkney is charged with CAPITAL murder for killing his own son.

Here's what happened. Jamar's 15 year old son (Jamar Jr) confessed to his mother that he was molesting his 3 year old half sister (his father's daughter with another woman). Jr's mother immediately called up Jamar Sr and told him what his teenage son was doing. And Jamar Sr flew into a rage.

Here's how the teenage boy's aunt recalls the incident:

“He beat my nephew real bad in the head, where he had knots like he had been in a boxing ring ... [When Cherry tried to intervene, the father pulled out a gun.]"

“I ran down the street to get police down here and I heard a gunshot,"

The elder Jamar apparently beat up his son. Then took him out into a field behind the house and shot him.

As sad as the story sounds, we don't think the dad should go to jail for murder. Maybe manslaughter or something ...

Damn this is Sad x Gross.

NUH UHHHHHHH!!! YOU SHOULD NEEE-VER . . . AND WE MEAN NEEEEVER INVITE CHILDREN TO A BACHELORETTE PARTY . . . CAUSE THEY MAY END UP TRAUMATIZED LIKE THIS LITTLE ONE!!!

BLK LBJ23

Three weeks ago, Foot Locker stated that Nike will unleash an all-black Nike Air Max LeBron VII dubbed the “Phantom” in December. However, we now know that there is no such LeBron VII dubbed the “Phantom” and that this particular sneaker, shown to the right, is the final product.

This black on black “Phantom” Air Max LeBron VII will officially release on December 17th, 2009. Therefore, you have a some big decisions to make this December (see Air Jordan 12 White/Red, Space Jam). Besides the all-black upper, this shoe also possesses metalliic gold accents in the form of the top laceholders and the LeBron logo on the heel panel. As stated earlier, look for this LeBron VII to hit retailers on December 17th, 2009. Click here to view detailed photos.

New Spizike Color Way

If you recall, we got a glimpse of this Jordan SpizikeBlack/Cement Grey via Eddie Cruz’s Twitter account. Upon seeing this shoe the majority of you stated that it was somewhere at the top of your must-have list. It has been stated that this shoe will release in February 2010; meanwhile, check out detailed photos of this Spizike.

This Jordan Spizike is obviously inspired by the Air Jordan IV Black/Cement Grey. It features a predominately black upper with minimal red accents on the laceholders and sections on the outsole. The cement grey details appear on the straps and side wall. In addition, the inner lining ties back to the classic Mars Blackmon commercials. Could this be the best colorway seen on the Jordan Spizike yet?Click here to voice your opinion.

Undefeated x Roobok

Yesterday we previewed the Undefeated x Reebok Pump “Rain Check,” and let you know about the planned release party. Not only do we have release information for you, but additional preview pics have surfaced, giving us some more sneak peeks of this anticipated sneaker.

One detail that may have gone overlooked and unheard is that these will be available the 20th at 8PM, not the 21st like other Pumpcollaborations. As for the shoe itself, we can confirm that it is navy blue with golden yellow accents, including the Pump bubble and liner. two-color laces are also used, mixing the aforementioned colors. ALso, based on the name and the make-up of what appears to be a nylon-like material, there’s a good chance these are water-proof, similar to the Stolen Riches x Reeboks we saw not too long ago.

DQM x Nike Air Max 90

At the beginning of October, we notified you of this DQM x Nike Air Max 90 Current Huarache releasing at various retailers overseas. However, we are now spotting it at U.S. retailers, namely Proper.

This particular Air Max 90 Current Huarache is very similar to the first one that collaborated on (seen here). It possesses a mostly dark brown base with multiple sections of beige (inner lining, collar area, toe area). It also contains various red and pink accents throughout the base. Is this Air Max 90 Current Huarache better than the first pair that released?

LBJ23

Nike’s innovative yet simplistic Flywire technology has seen itself at the center of numerous high-performance sneakers from Nike since its inception. However a trend that has seen itself over a few different performance basketball sneakers has included the NFW treatment, designated as No Flywire. The original LeBron VII is for the most part a Flywire sneaker as this special release does away with the lightweight, supportive material in favor of a woven pattern. The colorway is reminsicent of some of the “Clearwater” drops seen earlier this year from the lifestyle department of Nike with the use of blue-green with white and black colors. Available now at Kix-Files.

Ubiq. these shoes can get it.

Japanese brand MACKDADDY and UBIQ hook-up on UBIQ’s flagship model the EL. The slip-on double ring-inspired sneaker comes in two colorways which are exclusive to the ZOZOTOWN retailers of FLAUGEand EPROZE. Set for a release next year, the shoes include a brown/stripe version for FLAUGE and a gray/stripe version for EPROZE. Available for pre-order now through ZOZOTOWN.

One of the best color ways.

Hitting retailers in March 2010 may be the most eye catching Jordan Spiz’ike to hit the market so far, and get this, it will be released exclusively for the girls. The Spiz’ike sports a color combo on the base of the upper in neutral grey and cool grey. Brighten up the sneakers and popping right out are accents of teal on the laces, inner lining and outsole with vivid pink of the plastic lace holder and Jumpman logo across the lace cover. If they were to release these in guys sizes i would defiantly be all over them, just take off the lace cover with the pink Jumpman logo and id be ready to roll.

According to SoleCollector the Jordan Spiz’ike – Neutral Grey/Vivid Pink/Cool Grey will be releasing sometime in March 2010. As the date nears we will be sure to keep you posted on its exact release.


Thanks for Nothing.

Huf x Reebok pumps.

It has defiantly become clear that the shops who have yet to give us a look at their Reebok Pumps part of the Pump 20 campaign are in full swing as they gear up for the release in just a few days. Today has so far brought us a preview of the UNDFTD x Reebok Pump and a shot of the Patta x Reebok Pump which we literally just took a look at. Keeping things moving with the Pumps we now have a look at the ones designed by Keith Hufnagel from HUF.

The HUF x Reebok Pump 20 features a colorway consist of navy blue and a dark teal green on an upper made from leather and patent leather. Wrapping around the ankle is what appears to be some sort of fleece material in black/grey with various patterns printed on it. Slighting highlighting the upper is a hit of neon yellow on the laces, contrast stitching along the frontal and as a single pinstripe within the fleece material. Adding a little bit more of an accent color is a white midsole which a black outsole including the use of a well spaced speckle pattern.

As you should of come to expect by now the HUF x Reebok Pump 20 will be limited to a total of 31 pairs with every pair being sold exclusively through HUF. Follow the jump or click here to check out some more detailed photos of the shoes.



Thanks for Nothing.

LOL moms need bank too. new talk show droppin soon.

The mothers of rappers T-Pain, Lil Wayne and R&B singer Ne-Yo have teamed to create a new talk show,Dinner Table Discussions.

Aliyah “Mama Pain” Najm (T-Pain‘s mother), Jacida Carter (Lil Wayne’s mother) and H. Loraine Smith (Ne-Yo’s mother) will serve as hosts of Dinner Table Discussions, which aims to present a quality and informative program.

According to the women, their aim is to create a show that will enhance their viewers “educationally, economically, socially and culturally,” by discussing current events, important topics, interviews and feature segments.

"Our vision is to be a premier talk show that delivers a creative and informative format that assists viewers in educating and solving challenging issues," Najm told AllHipHop.com in a statement.

"There are situations in our communities, cities, states and even nationwide that people have made us aware of and they want to resolve the issues, but they just don’t know where to get help or how to properly handle certain issues,” Najm said.

In addition to discussing relevant topics, Dinner Table Discussions will also provide solutions for young people as well.

Dinner Table Discussions is scheduled to launch in 2010.

Pac caught on tape thats weird....

“Back in the day, it was live ass XXX Treach and Tupac forreal.”

So maybe it wasn't enough to continue to keep the legacy of rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur alive with post-death albums. Now there are rumors circulating that the late rapper has a sex tape floating around the Internet.
During his growing success as a rapper, Shakur was quite the ladies man and even professed his overbearing love for the opposite sex.

Although his sexual endeavors may not have been chronicled extensively by the mainstream, a song by the name of “I Get Around” was an indicator that Shakur enjoyed what happened whether the lights were on or off.

Naughty By Nature's own Treach was able to give an account of a particular example of the good old days with him and Tupac.

“I remember this one time we was in a hotel right, we was staying in the same room. He had this little honey in the room and I had the camcorder and I went up to the room. I was taping him tearing her ass up. Then the door creaked and the n*gga got up like, ‘N**ga, what the f*ck you doing, you got it? Treach you got it on tape? Don't you ever be doing no sh*t like that'. We watched the tape the next day.”

Two questions come up directly. Why is a man videotaping his homeboy getting it in and why are they watching it together the next day?

No homo may not have existed back then, but there's definitely a flag on the play for that one.

Although no album happens to be on the way like tomorrow, Shakurspeare is the upcoming release slated for June 16, which happens to be his 39th birthday. The project will contain some of his first songs that were recorded back in the late 80's.

There is also still word on another documentary in the works. Titled Tupac Assassination II: Reckoning, the original took a deep glimpse into the unsolved murder of the rapper, is rumored to drop in 2009 while the filmLive 2 Tell, which he was written by Pac back in 1995, is still under debate with no news of a release date. Watch HERE.

Holy Grail whats yours....?

In sneakerhead parlance, the term "Holy Grail" refers to a collector's ultimate wish list -- NiceKicks.com's founder and editor in chief Matt Halfhill likens it to a "bucket list" of sorts: the things you want to experience before you die.

"Every sneakerhead has one," he says. "Sometimes, when they post in [online] sneaker forums, you'll see the list at the bottom with check marks next to the ones they've already gotten."

The coveted sneaks aren't just the elusive ones you haven't found yet, explains Liz Sanchez, manager of the Holy Grail, the aptly named sneaker consignment boutique on Pico in downtown Los Angeles. "They're the shoe you've got that you want to be buried with."

We asked some of the city's sneaker cognoscenti -- collectors, store owners and employees -- to share the most covet-worthy kicks on their lists. And if you notice the list is nothing but Nike, there's a reason why, says Richard Torres, owner of the Holy Grail: "When Nike started including a tag in each shoe with the date of manufacture, it gave a real edge to the collectors. It made it easier to keep track of releases and reissues. Now it's like the company's just printing its own money."

Nike Air Force 1 Black Album. This pair is Sanchez's prized possession. She explained that the all-black version was made solely for rapper Jay-Z and his personal friends to celebrate the release of his "Black Album."

"I got them in New York and keep them framed with a copy of the Black Album and tickets from the show," she says.

Nike Air Jordan 1, OG. (Among sneaker collectors, "OG" refers to an "original" issue as opposed to a "retro" or "reissue" of the same style at a later date.) For many, there isn't anything more holy than the shoe that started it all in 1985. This is the choice of Blends owner Tak Kato. "Never worn and in the original box. I got them when I was a kid in Japan for about $15, and I think they were selling for about $3,000 then," he says.

Eddie Cruz, co-owner of sneakerhead paradise Undefeated on La Brea, pines for the same shoe.He describes the early black, white and red kicks (the very first pair Jordan wore were predominantly red and black, but later a white toebox was added) that were an important turning point in athletic shoes.

"For the first time," he said, "there was a basketball shoe that didn't look so technical; it was a low-profile shoe that didn't have a thick midsole, so you could wear them out with dark denim. And skaters took that shoe and went wild with it. If I had the money, I'd buy a dozen pair and then wear them every day for the rest of my life."

Air Jordan 1 "Black Toe," OG. This is the choice of sneaker-collecting legend Ben "Baller" Yang (who claims an EBay auction record for selling a single pair of customized shoes for $33,100 -- proceeds went to benefit the charity of a murdered friend). "If I was to be buried with one shoe, that's what it would be. But I'm not even going to search for it since they're damn near impossible to find."

Yang explains that what makes this 1985 shoe different from the more common black-white-red color scheme is that the red leather that horseshoes around the toebox was briefly changed to black -- hence the nickname "Black Toe."

"They thought it was so weird they altered it" back, Yang said. "So these are rare, rare, rare."

Nike Dunk Low Pro SB SBTG. These were "at the top of my Holy Grail list for the longest time," says Flight Club Los Angeles employee Bobby Araujo, who recently bought a pair of the sable green/metallic gold low-profile ("low pro") skateboard sneakers ("SBs").These marked the first time corporate Nike had collaborated with an underground sneaker customizer -- in this case, Singapore-based Mark Ong, aka SBTG (pronounced "Sabotage") -- essentially giving him carte blanche to customize Nike Dunks with his artwork.

The 2004 Kobe Bryant Air Force 1 PE.And what's at the top of the Holy Grail owner's Grail list? Torres says it's this pair he scored a few years back -- fitting, as Torres' shop at 604 W. Pico Blvd. sits practically in the shadow of Staples Center.

Torres says just 24 pairs were made in 2004 to commemorate Bryant's signing as a Nike athlete. Nike's swoosh logo and the heel are rendered in Los Angeles Lakers purple. "What makes it so cool is that it's got this yellow embroidered logo on the heel, which was Kobe's own logo at the time," Torres says.

Despite the prevalence of classics on this list, not everyone is quick to carry a torch for a vintage pair. "I'm not so much looking at the past as I am looking into the future," says NiceKicks.com's Halfhill. "I'm into the new technology and looking into the future, so I'll have to say my favorite pair hasn't been created yet."

Sky Top 2 Gold EDT

As if you expected anything else, the Supra Skytop II has proven to be a polarizing silhouette. Like the first go at the super high Skytop, this Supra has gained instant lovers and instant haters. The first look we got a few weeks ago was multiple shades of grey with hints of red, and this next pair jumped ahead with the outspoken colorways, using metallicgold for its upper.

These showed up on eBay recently, and unless you’re very tiny-footed, you’re out of luck on grabbing a wearable pair as they’re a size 6. The uppers are all metallic gold with hits of black on the midfoot and laces. Chad Muska’s name and “002″ appear on the Air Jordan 6-styled tongue, denoting that this is his second Skytop signature. Head to eBay if you’re looking to grab these.

Click here for more pics.

LBJ23 VII

The Nike Air Max LeBron VII continues to garner an abundance of attention to say the least. Photos of a New York Yankees inspired LeBron VII surfaced and the “Red Carpet” LeBron VIIreleased at select House of Hoops across the nation. However, we have spotted a new LeBron VII colorway fresh off of the heels of the “Red Carpet” release.

After seeing the woven side panels featured on the “Red Carpet” LeBron VII’s, Nike goes back to the flywire design for this particular pair. As for the color scheme, this shoe owns a predominately black-colored base combined with gold accents in the form of the swoosh border, the top laceholders and the various LeBron logos throughout the base. In addition, the bottom half of the shoe is done up in white leahter. No word on when this shoe will release; meanwhile, click here to view additional photos. What are your thoughts on this new LeBron VII colorway?

Nike Air Max Team patta

Initially spotted during yesterday’s Team Patta interview through Complex, there seems to be a good amount of buzz surrounding a newly found colorway in Patta’s Air Max 1 series. We’ve all seen the white/green and purple joints, but these are something completely new and quite honestly really refreshing. So far no concrete information is available but all signs point to them being a Hyperstrike release, only made for Team Patta. Stay tuned as further news makes itself available.

Reebok Pumps 20th

Hypebeast blogger and instrumental Patta member Masta Lee gives up a preview of Patta’s upcoming effort within Reebok’s PUMP 20 campaign. Quite possibly one of the cleanest designs leaked from the project, the kicks pair a full grain leather upper with nubuck, mesh, lava orange highlights and white/gum outsoles. A release is slated for November 20th, the same as other worldwide retailer drops. Stay tuned for a closer look.

The Clipse

The Clipse continue to serve the streets as they eventually drop the Rik Cordero-directed visual to their (new) new single “Popeyes” featuring Harlemite Cam’Ron. That makes four singles coupled with four videos plus a remix or two before the release of their highly anticipated new album “Til The Casket Drops” on December 8. It’s obvious Malice and Pusha T keep on Grindin’. Watch HERE.

As part of our re-emerging Hypebeast TV series, we took the opportunity to feature the well-known musical and fashion duo, The Clipse. With their “Til the Casket Drops” album just weeks away, we speak with Pusha-T and Malice over a series of topics ranging from the creation of this latest album, the group’s involvement with KAWS on their album art and their direction behind Play Cloths. Watch HERE.

My Nigga Big Sean...

Chicago’s RSVP Gallery gives us a look into a video of Big Sean picking up his new iced out POW! necklaces, created by Verbal’s popular jewelry line Ambush. Three pieces are spotted, all more than likely valued over most of our yearly salaries. Check it out! Check out the Video HERE.

One of the best Fusion... what Do you Think???

A preview into an upcoming Air Jordan Force features a re-appropriation of the strapped-up VIII model. The shoe features the most iconic elements taken from the VIII such as the cross-over straps, ribbed collar, and 3D tongue logo. The Air Force 1 element provides a translucent midsole with white contrast stitching.

All Black Everything.

With a new flagship store under their belt, Black Scale offer us a glimpse into their “Shades of Black” sunglasses. The collection features a classic shape with engravings on the inner arms, including the Black Scale logo and model name. Look for these at their flagship store in San Francisco when it opens on November 15th, 2009.