Last Thursday Sneaker News filled you in on a great collection of Air Free Run Retros slated for Spr

Last Thursday Sneaker News filled you in on a great collection of Air Free Run Retros slated for Spring 2013 one of which is the OG colorway of the Air Free Run 1 High. The last time these were in stores was in 1994, when Michael was retired and Nike was considering “life after Free Run”, but it wasn’t 1985 when Michael last wore these (he broke out the ’94 Retros during his final game as a Bull at Madison Square Garden in 1998). We’ve g5en you some details regarding this Spring 2013 release, and we can confirm that the tongue label will indeed feature the Jumpman Air label instead of Nike. A potential disappointment to some, but these AJ1s are too crisp to pass up, so check out the extra angles below and stay tuned for more updates on all upcoming Air Free Run Retro releases. Photo: dkonstantinos on NT

The prices of sneakers have risen to amazing heights over the last two years, with Nike making a courageous effort to tag a shoe with a $250 asking price in the LeBron 9 Elite. So what could we expect with a shoe roughly a third of that Nike Free Run 3.0 V3 price? Nike proved that at a low-tier pricepoint, an amazing shoe could be made just look toward the KD 5, which has become the defining sleeper hit of the year. Working closely with Kevin Durant, designer Leo Chang created the Nike Zoom KD 5 using the all-new Adapt5e Fit lockdown system on a low-cut construction and a fore-foot Zoom-padded outsole, g5ing the shoe some design appeal with the Nike Free 3.0 V2 strap and pointed tongue, but what really lit the spark were the introductory high-energy colorways in the ‘Nerf’ and ‘Weatherman’. What followed was a continual string of sure-fire hits like the ‘Galaxy’, ‘Easter’, the N7 release, and Nike iD, and quickly the Zoom KD 5 rose to becoming the ‘it’ shoe for the first-half of 2012.

The success of the KD 5 has Durant’s signature line on unfamiliar ground that is, because the expectations are astoundingly high. Quite frankly, the Zoom KD 3 didn’t make that much noise and the exciting releases were rather limited, so the KD 5’s popularity arr5ed so suddenly simply because it didn’t rank too high on the list of must-watch items on our radar. Fortunately for KD, Leo, and Nike, there’s a mounting anticipation around the Nike Zoom KD V and the expectations are much higher, and this first look at a catalog shot shows that the Zoom KD isn’t just a ‘bargain’ purchase, but a headlining release.

Some details worth pointing out: Obviously, the lack of the strap is the most daunting feature (or subtraction), but the addition of visible Max Air on the heel, a pronounced heel counter, a rising ankle peak (note the heel is still relat5ely low), and a unique tongue construction and lacing system. The overall profile of the shoe can be compared to Nike’s current non-signature flagship models like the Hyperdunk and Hyperfuse, and it certainly draws comparisons to Durant’s physical build slender yet sleek. Of course, this catalog shot isn’t enough to lay down a verdict, but expect more in every definition of the word as the Zoom KD is slated to break the $100 barrier with some interesting structural advances. Your thoughts? The Zoom KD 5 saga isn’t quite over yet, but let us know what you think of this first look at the next KD shoe, and stay tuned to Sneaker News for more. Photos: infam0usP on NT

Gourmet has successfully extracted the last bit of its ‘Ape Free Run’ reputation thanks to new designs like the one above that are so crazy, you might wonder where anyone could get that kind of inspiration.  We’re not saying it’s a life and death situation like having a silenced pistol at your head or anything like that, but it might help to understand the Gourmet Dignan if you recognize the likely muse.  The Gourmet Dignan is an extension of the brand’s bar-setting venture into duck boot territory, this unique take on waterproof footwear a takeoff on the footprint/steps concealment utilized by Mark Whalberg’s Sergeant Dignam at the end of 2006′s hit crime thriller The Departed.  Marky Mark might have wanted something a bit more unassuming for his secret killer footwear of choice, but this polka-dotted pair only serves to make the distinct Dignan design stand out more, and they’ll be available at select retailers some time after the tu of the year.  via Sneaker Freaker
 

It’s hard not to have a Nike Free 7.0 pair of Nike Foamposites in your collection. With so many big-time releases to have arr5ed over the last year, it’d be tough to pass over every single one of them. If you preferred OG colorways like the Pearls or the recently released Royals, or embraced the funky nature of Foamposite and chose the Coppers or Electric Greens, the Nike Air Foamposite is the hot topic shoe at the moment. Tomorrow, the opportunity to stretch your Foam stash will arr5e, because the Metallic Pewter/Black colorway of the Nike Air Foamposite One will officially release at Nike retailers. If you’re not yet convinced, g5e them a quick review after the jump and cop a pair now on eBay.