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!

Air Jordan Retro II

The highly anticipated Air Jordan Retro II (white and silver) will finally hit stores tomorrow (Feb 27). The shoe, originally set to release in January has moved release dates once or twice, and collectors have been on the edge trying to get their hands on these.

The reflective 3M material, very popular from the AJ IX, adds a little more flavor to the simple white and silver colorway. They also chose to use a little bit of patent leather on the wings up to the eyelets. I love my patent leather as much as the next person, simply because of the AJ XI, however white patent leather only stays white for so long. After awhile, yellowing starts to occur. That's the only downfall to this colorway. I love it, but how long will it look good. There's not much you can do to prevent the yellowing, unless you stick the shoe in a zip-lock bag and dead stock them, some discoloration will occur.

All in all though, a very hot sneaker. The release is a little more exclusive than some of the more recent releases, so make sure your sneaker shop is getting them. The 3M material makes this classic, a collector's must-have.

Air Jordan Team 16.5

The Jordan 16.5 is a shoe I've been dying to discuss, not for style purposes, but specifically performance purposes. The 16.5, a collaboration of the Jordan XVI and XVII, was hyped up to be one of the most popular shoes of the season. But did it meet that hype? I don't think so.

At first glance when we got the shoe in, I was skeptical. I like how they made the shoe look, but they lapsed in technology on this one. The breathability of the sneaker is very minimal, and the way this shoe is built, most big guys down low would be wanting to wear this shoe. Big guys sweat even more, which means you need even more ventilation. Along with the factor of being a good shoe for your big man, the shoe does not tie very tight due to the large lace holes. Many big men have ankle issues, so good support out of a tightly laced up shoe is essential.

Despite these faults, the 16.5 was one of the best sellers out of our store for high school basketball players in the area, but many customers came back disappointed. A number of these shoes came back to us damaged. Within weeks, on several accounts, the shoe ripped out on the sides where the ventilation technology is placed. I know it is very common for a basketball shoe to rip out when put through a lot of play, but this defect occured in the exact same way on numerous 16.5s.

Air Jordan 2010

Brand new to the sneaker world, is the Air Jordan 2010. The new legacy series Jordan hit shoe shelves this weekend on Saturday, February 13. Speaking for the shoe store I work at only, this release went very well. But for all those sneaker heads out there who didn't get a pair this weekend, there's still hope. The shoe has not sold out, so you should have no problem finding a pair for your collection.

The 2010 was created by Nike design legends, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Smith. Hatfield was the genius mind behind creations such as AJ III, AJ VIII, AJ XI, and AJ XIII, just to list a few of my favorites.

With a unique fit around the ankle, I have to give the shoe a high rating on fit and comfort. They used a memory foam liner to add cushion to the natural ankle cut of the shoe. The natural ankle cut also allows for good support.

The most interesting element to the 2010 is the see through circle on the upper of the shoe. Not only does it add to the breathability of the sneaker, it actually holds meaning. It was actually put there to symbolize Michael Jordan's ability to "see through" his opponents.

Overall, the 2010 is a sneaker expected to perform on the court, while also making a fashion statement.