Boston Beauty

There is no better stage to show off kicks on then where the shoe game really started, the league. I'm sure you all could have guessed through my love of basketball sneakers, that I am also a basketball fan.

I enjoy watching every level of the game, but the NBA is my favorite. Since I was in 4th grade, I have been a Boston Celtics fan. Yes, even through all of the lows, and we know for the Celtics there were some pretty low points for a few years. But now back in the top of the league, the Celtics have a little spare time before they have to rebuild again.

The Celtics are led by the Big Three, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett, and Kentucky sensation Rajon Rondo who continues to improve every year. Who rocks the best kicks in Beantown? Ray Ray. With a Jordan contract, I'd expect nothing less.

My favorite are the AJ XII that he wears in black and green and white and green. The white and green actually are even personalized with "Ray" on one side of the heel, and his number, 20, on the other.

Coming in a very close second, only because you dont get to see them very often, are the white and gold AJ XI. Undisputedly, one of the most popular shoes from the legacy series, the AJ XI is just, well, pretty. Laugh at me all you want, but this white and gold colorway he wears with the green and gold jerseys, is a match made in heaven.

Honorable mentions in Ray Allen's shoe game, are the white and green AJ XXIII, and the black and green AJ VIII. Of course Ray Ray is always stuntin' when he's making it rain from downtown Beantown.

Hear Me Out

Many of my followers, although enjoy my blog, really want to hear what I have to say when it comes to sneakers. So today, I'm going to give you a little insight into my sneakerworld.

Here are my top 5 Jordans I have in my collection, it was hard to narrow down, because I have love for all of them, but here it goes.

5. Air Jordan Flint XIII

I got this retro when I was a sophomore in highschool, so roughly 5 years ago. The design of the XIII, was created by the legend himself, Tinker Hatfield. Tinker designed the shoe after the interior of Michael Jordan's Farari. With the navy and grey color combination, this shoe stunts.

4. Air Jordan Concord XI

Again, created by the famous, Hatfield, just like all of my other favorites. The Concord XI are in almost every Jordan fanatics top list. I was able to cop a pair of these about 4 years ago, but unfortunately they are a few sizes too big. I make it work, because these shoes are a staple in any Jordan collection. It was the AJ XI that made patent leather a phenomenon. With an all white upper, and black patent leather around the midsole, the Concords are easy to spot from miles away.

3. Air Jordan Carmine VI

When I was out in California, for a basketball trip last year, I was fortunate enough to cop a few of the countdown packages. One of them was the VI, XVIII pack. These Carmine VIs have such an old school style to them, I can't help be love them out of respect of the shoe game in the 90s, where many brands seemed to have created their most infamous sneakers. The red suade outlined by the white leather is a great combination that grabs everyone's attention.

2. Air Jordan Space Jam XI

Quite possibly one of the most highly sought after shoes of the holiday season, releasing right in time for Christmas, on December 23rd of this last year. Selling out within minutes of releasing, this sneaker is legendary. Obviously I really love the design of the XI, having two separate colorways in my top 5. This colorway was featured in the famous Warner Brothers movie, Space Jam, where Michael Jordan helps Bugs Bunny and the gang defeat the terrible aliens in a game of basketball. One of my favorite movies of all time, and definitely a favorite sneaker of all time, too. This is the one pair of Jordans I have yet to wear. When the weather hits 80 and I know there is no chance of rain or anything, is the only time these will come out of the box. Call me an obsessed dork, but I look forward to the day I get to show them off.

1. Air Jordan Playoff VIII

Many people are surprised by my number one, because most any guy you ask will automatically reply that their favorite number is the XIs. I was able to get these about two and a half years ago, I believe. I absolutely love how old school this sneaker is. Tinker Hatfield is a pure genius, using design and color to create the old school vibe in this sneaker. With criss-crossing straps, making this sneaker unlike any other, it is probably the easiest number to distinguish of them all, with no other shoe looking anything like it. The Jumpman logo on the tounge is also very hot and unlike any other. The all suade black upper is the perfect material and color to really make all of the features of the shoe "pop." The fit is also perfectly snug around the foot, and ideal for hoopin' in. Also famous for being a part of the Space Jam movie, they VIII was even made in a Bugs Bunny Edition colorway (white, orange, and grey). With the straps done tight, or let loose, this shoe can't be worn wrong.

Honorable Mention: Air Jordan Raptor VII, Air Jordan OG III, and Air Jordan Mars IV

Cop 'Em and Rock 'Em, they are my favorites and are sure to make a loud statement.

25th Anniversary Air Jordan Release Frenzy

Tomorrow, the Jordan Brand will release three of the 25th Anniversary Collection sneakers, The Air Jordan III, IV, and IX. The shoes are expected to release by region to make it harder for collectors to cop all three pairs. The East Coast will be seeing the AJ IX, the Midwest will get the AJ III, and the West Coast will have the AJ IV.

All of the sneakers are mainly all white, with a little bit of silver, just as all of the other 25th Anniversary collection will be. Already released of the collection, are the AJ I, which was released in a breifcase, just like the AJ XVII was back in the day. And the AJ II, which I reviewed a few weeks ago, was a huge hit because of its 3M reflective material. My opinion, so far on which has been the best? I'm gonna have to go with the AJ II.

Don't get me wrong, I love the three that release this weekend, but five or six years ago, the AJ III and the AJ VI were released in all white colorways, almost identicle to the two versions to release tomorrow. Of course, I have these both already, so I don't think I will be getting any of them this weekend. If I could get the IVs I probably would, because mine have yellowed so badly over the years, but these three are a hot commodity, and I am unsure I can snatch up a pair.

But to all you sneaker heads out there who can get their hands on these, if you are buying them to deadstock, make sure you ziplock bag these. If you dont, they are going to yellow very bad, and your Anniversary Collection will be worth close to nothing. Cop these, but don't rock these folks, stock these. The entire collection is sure to be worth a lot of money in the future.

Top 10 Coolest Sneaker Boutiques

Traveling around the country, or even the world, and need a sneaker shop to visit? Here's a top 10 list of the most iconic sneaker boutiques around.

10. Atmos
With its main store located in Tokyo, Japan, Atmos has opened a second store in Harlem, New York. Atmos specializes in the top of the line sneaker releases. They have teamed up with popular brands such as Nike, Puma, Levis, and North Face, and created exclusive footwear and clothing collections.

9. Flight Club
Located both in LA and New York City, this sneaker boutique has a very unique set up. With walls filled from the floor to the ceiling of every highly sought after and collectible sneakers. With a main focus on consignment, you are sure to find your favorite pair of original classic Air Jordans from the 1990s.

8. Size?
Over in the UK, Size? is a chain with various locations to serve our UK sneaker heads.Not only do these stores carry the latest sneaker releases, they also carry the latest sneaker-related merchandise including books, magazines, collectibles, and of course clothing.

7. Dave's Quality Meat
Not only does this NYC spot have the hottest sneakers on the market, but it also boasts one of the most creative designs. The boutique is actually resembles a real butcher shop with a market counter and market hooks. They have the finest sneakers, along with street wear and skateboard products. DQM is most famous for teaming up with brands such as Nike and Adidas to come up with the most ridiculous, and most sought after limited edition sneaks.

6. Bodega
Home to my squad the Boston Celtics, is the hardest sneaker shop to find, I'm not kidding. Located downtown, the boutique's hard to find because it's exterior is disguised as an actual bodega grocery store. The shoe boutique is hidden inside, with the finest sneakers on the market. It's the hunt for this store, that adds to the excitement of the hunt for your sneakers.

5. Solebox
Solebox is Berlin's staple in the sneaker world. With a nice clean set up, and friendly atmosphere, one could spend hours in this store looking at the freshest kicks on the market. Solebox is known for its installment of Solemart, a show that brings sneaker insiders together. Its purpose is for manufactures, sellers and buyers to interact, sell, and trade sneakers.

4. HUF
HUF is the boutique in San Francisco that is sure to have the most exclusive of the exclusives. With two locations in San Francisco, and one in LA, it is the hotspot for all premiums and collectibles. They also carry the hottest street wear and skateboard gear. HUF has created their own original clothing line and has also collaborated with brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Vans to create special edition kicks that are amongst the most limited.

3. Livestock
As Canada's top sneaker boutique, Livestock has been feeding the needs of Vancover and Toronto's sneaker freaks. With a pure all white look, and premium sneakers covering every inch of every wall, this is one shop sure to make your mouth drop. Collaborating with brands such as Adidas, Stussy, eS, DVS, Reigning Champ, and The Hundreds, Livestock is a very original boutique. They are most known for their Livestock Block Party, where sneakerheads come to enjoy music, festivities, and of course sneakers.

2. ALIFE Rivington Club

The prestine prestige of ALIFE is sure to put you in awe with a luxurious shopping experience you will never forget. This boutique's original location, located in in the fashion capital of the US, New York City, serves as the official spot for top brands to test new concepts. On the other end of the spectrum, the shop was also key to the revival of the vintage sneaker, helping establish retro sneakers as a regular category within major companies' seasonal collections. If the shopping experience isn't enough, attend one of their most famous backyard release parties. The parties have had musical performances by artists such as John Mayer, Clipse, and Biz Markie. ALIFE has also created their own clothing line, which is among the most popular street wear brands around. They have also collaborated with top brands such as Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Puma, and Saucony. They have branched out with flagship stores in NYC, LA, and Vancover, but the real experience is at the original boutique.

1. Undefeated

With locations in LA, Santa Montica, Las Vegas, and Tokyo, Undefeated is at the top of the list when it comes to original and most highly respected sneaker boutiques. The boutique has every shoe you could ever want, a sneakerhead heaven. They are the masterminds behind the infamous Undefeated Billboard project that overlooks La Brea St in LA. The billboard is frequently updated with masterworks of art done by both fine artists and street artists. Undefeated has also turned itself into one of the most noted street wear clothing lines as well that is sold in retail stores across the globe. They have also teamed up with Nike, Reebok, Puma, Converse, and New Balance to create fresh sneakers that everyone cannot stop talking about. My favorite, and probably many other's too, is the collaboration Undefeated did with Nike and the hit tv series, Entourage. The Turtle Air Force 1 is one to stund.

For every sneaker fiend out there, theres are 10 shops that will never disappoint. You should make it a point to hit all of the ones you can for a sneaker experience that will stick with you for a life time.

Sneaker Collector Q & A

Meet Javier Riveria, a 27 year old sneaker fanatic. I have known Javier for around five and a half years now, meeting through the love of the sneaker game, of course. I sell shoes to Javier, and like every other sneaker head out there, he's got love and commitment to the sneaker world.

Q: When did you first start collecting shoes?

Riveria:"When I was a sophomore in high school when I got my first pair. They were the Air Jordan III in white, cement, and fire red. I can even tell you that I bought them from Foot Locker and it was roughly 95 degrees out that day. That’s how much my first pair means to me.”

Q: What makes the first pair so special to you?

Riveria: "You're a sneakerhead, so I know you get it. But it's like the baby's first step. It was my first step in the shoe game, where it all started for my collection."

Q: Why did you start collecting shoes?

Riveria: "I think it started with my love for your Airness himself, Michael Jordan. If you grew up in the late 80s, early 90s, and played basketball, you wanted nothing more than to have the newest Mikes. Some of us just took it to an extreme."

Q: Are Air Jordans your favorite shoes to collect?

Riveria: "My favorite are the Air Jordan Legacy Series. I also have a lot of Air Force Ones, too."

Q: What's your favorite shoe of all time?

Riveria: " The Air Jordan Concord XI, and I am lucky enough to have two of them. My son even has a pair to match his Papa."

Q: Is your son a sneaker head too?

Riveria: "He's only five, but he knows his Jordans. He can tell you the names of practically any popular shoe. I guess you can say I've taught him well."

Q: How many shoes make up your entire collection?

Riveria: "I lose count, but last time I checked I want to say the counts at 320."

Q: I can do the math, but for all those non-sneaker heads out there, hit 'em with the dollar amount on that great collection.

Riveria: "First off, sneakers are priceless, let us all remember that. But to put a price tag on it, for retail prices it's around $48,000. I could resell them and make profit on top of that, but like I said, my collection is priceless to me. There's no tag."

Q:Where do you get your shoes?

Riveria: "From you, and all over. Boutiques in cities, Niketowns, Foot Lockers. Where ever I am that given Saturday, I find a place that has them for me."

Q: Do you think you will ever stop collecting?

Riveria: "I think I can honestly say that I'll probably be that old man in the nursing home still rockin' my Jordans. Especially if my son stays up on his shoe game, I can't have him out doin' me like that!"

Q: Any advice for the readers on kicks?

Riveria:"When ordering online, you have to be really careful not to buy fakes. Counterfeit Jordans seem to be everywhere, it's a disgrace to the shoe game. If the Jordans are less than retail(especially if they are $60), you're not getting a good deal, you're almost always getting fakes."

Nike Hyperize "Think Pink"

Originally released as just a sample, the Nike Hyperize "Think Pink" edition sneaker has finally been released at the retail price of $125, just like all of the men's releases of the Hyperize. The almost all pink colorway was designed for basketball's fight against breast cancer. Every team, at almost every level has now caught on to this tradition of having a breast cancer awareness game, which has helped donate money toward the fight against breast cancer.

The tongue of the sneaker also displays the Pink Ribbon graphic on the outside, and the word "dream" on the inside. This was a very nice finishing touch to the shoe, tying everything together on this season's most popular basketball shoe.

The Nike Hyperize uses the new Nike Flywire material, making it one of the lightest basketball sneakers I have ever worn. The ankle support on this shoe is misleading as well. Most people think that the shoe has very flimsy ankle support when they look at it, but that's far from accurate. The Flywire material is actually very sturdy, and you get great ankle support.


Overall, The Nike Hyperize is probably my top pick for most comfortable, and durable hoopin' shoes this year. We have not have had any problems with them not holding up, which is hard to find in a basketball shoe that you are trying to wear for a complete season. So "Think Pink" and catch every spectator's attention with these kicks while you are on the court supporting a good cause.

"Oreo" Air Jordan Retro VI

Finally it's here. Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for since I missed out on the release of the Motorsport VIs, the release of the Oreo VIs. This is one sweet treat you sneaker freaks cannot skip out on.

The release is not nearly as limited as the Motorsports, so you should have better luck with finding a pair. If you didn't get the motorsports, I would say these are an absolute must-have, for your Jordan collection.

Jordan brand has taken one of America's favorite night-time snacks to inspire the look of these kicks. The upper, composed of white leather and black suade sets the idea of the Oreo look, but it's the black with white speckled midsole that really tops off the sneaker. Yet again, another creative, innovative, and very "sweet" remake of the old-school AJ VI.

Cop 'em and Rock 'em.

Air Jordan II Premio

Jordan Brand has really set the bar high with this lifestyle Air Jordan II. Made from luxurious Italian Chocolate leather, a picture cannot even capture the true beauty of this sneaker.

To go along with the Italian Chocolate leather, they used crocodile leather to add more appeal. They used these two combinations of leather to give a dressier feel to the Jordans, as to "wear with a fine suit."

To add on to the suit idea, these kicks also come with shoe trees and dust bag. Jordan Brand was aiming for a top-notch luxury, business look, and they nailed it. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on these, you better cop 'em and rock 'em.

Air Jordan 6 Rings "Motorsports"

These premier Jordans were released on March 6, and unlike the other "Motorsports", (AJ VI's) that were released a few weekends back, the release was not be extremely exclusive. You should be able to find these Motorsport 6 Rings a little bit easier.

The AJ 6 Rings gets its design from the six Air Jordans that Michael Jordan won on the road to his 6 NBA National Championships. The shoes AJ VI, VII, VIII, X, XI, XII,XIII, were all worn on the way to getting his "6 rings".

Overall the shoe has a great fit, and would be good for not only looks, but for the court also. With a fit very similar to the AJ XIII, the 6 Rings offers great ankle support, has air units in the sole for cushioning, and also is more lightweight than it looks.

So if you slept on the Motorsport 6s, the Motorsport 6 rings isn't too bad of a substitution for the sneaker collection. Cop 'em and rock 'em.

Air Jordan Spiz'ike

Two weekends ago, we talked about the Air Jordan Spiz'ike, which was released in the black, grey, red, and blue colorway. This weekend, Jordan Brand has decided to grace us women with the ultimate colorway.

This colorway, known as the Miami Vice Edition, is a neutral grey, vivid pink, cool grey, and turqouis blue. The cool grey suade upper looks really good in person. It will be very hard to maintain, but if you are able to maintain it, this shoe will be catching everyone's eye.

I am in love with the turquois blue on this shoe also. It's always nice to see a girl Jordan come out that isn't just pink or purple. This sneaker is definitely a must-have for all those lady Jordan collectors out there.

Online, many places have already pre-sold out of their stock to be shipped out Saturday. So make sure you can get to your local sneaker shop early Saturday morning to ensure you get a pair of these hot kicks!

Reebok EasyTone

The Reebok Easytone, undoubtedly the hottest shoe of the year and the most sought after Christmas gift also. But do they work?

The Reebok Easytone is a sneaker designed to work out your legs and butt. Reebok says,

"EasyTone helps tone key leg muscles with every step. While wearing EasyTone shoes, a person will experience increased muscle activation* in her glutes (28%) and in key muscles in her hamstrings (11%) and calves (11%). (*Increased muscle activation up to 28% Gluteus Maximus, 11% Hamstrings, 11% calves. Based on tests comparing EasyTone Go Outside to a typical foam based walking shoe)"

The EasyTone incorporates "core" ball technology. The technology is the shifting of air to create instability. The muscles work more trying to correct the instability. Sounds kind of awkward, but really the shoe is quite comfortable. I actually just bought a pair today. We got them in at work today, and I immediately had to try them on to see how they fit. The run true to size and are extremely cushioning.

So do they work? I wore them for a six hour shift today at work, and my legs do feel sore. I actually got shin pains from wearing them for so long. So it must mean they are working some if I am sore. Do I think they will make a huge difference? No. If you really want to shape up your legs and butt ladies, just hit the gym. There is no fast easy way to a perfect body. The EasyTones may help, but they will not work miracles.

Black History Month Air Force One

As you all may know, this past month was Black History Month. Nike is always coming at us with the shoes to go along with every holiday, celebration, and event. With this one, they hit us with something very new and innovative, and it will actually hit retail stores this year, unlike last years Black History Month Edition Air Force One.

The black premium leather sneaker, has a patent leather Nike swoosh, and also patent leather laser print throughout the shoe to go along with the classic Black History Month colorway of black, red, and green. The laser print throughout the upper of the sneaker is the saying, "the definition of a renaissance individual: one who possesses a multitude of skills, talent and a broad base of knowledge."

This Premium Air Force One released on February 18, retails at $150, and suprisingly there are still some left out there. As always, the proceeds from sales will be donated to Cheyney University, the oldest Black institution in the United States. The sneaker comes in a special bag. The bag reads:

"100 years came and another 100 past little did they know, nothing would forever last the land they knew stood for “liberty and justice for all” however, “we the people” didn’t include them at all words on paper held no weight it was time for judicial battle at the mahogany gate they moved left and then shifted right they fought for freedom keeping equality in sight laws were challenged and changes were made giving us the right to make the grade thanks to those who fought the fight moving the darkness and bringing light."