New Kicks On The Blog - Online Magazine for the Sneaker Culture

If you’re checking out this site right now, you’re probably already well versed on the Nike Air Jordan legacy. As hugely popular as Jordans are and have been since the 80’s, there are certain colorways of certain Nike Air Jordan models that transcend the sneaker game as something more than just a shoe. To some, it’s a work of art, and to others, it’s a nostalgic reminder of the good old days of our youth. To many of us, just the mere sight of this Nike Air Jordan VI conjures a series of flashbacks to not only that special time in sneakers, but also to the early days of a subculture that was just starting to emerge in response to the amazing creations that were coming out of Tinker Hatfield’s sketchbook.

The above Nike Air Jordan VI in its OG Infrared colorway is one of those special shoes that is more than just something you put on your feet. It’s a road post along the sneaker landscape that we can all look back on with great fondness. During the 1990-1991 NBA season, at the time of their release, Nike was pulling away from their competitors at a startling rate and so was Michael Jordan. These shoes were on his feet as he won his first NBA Championship and his second league MVP.

Was it the shoes? Only Mike and Spike know for sure, but for most of us, owning a pair of these kicks was as close as we were ever going to come. Whether you had them back then or were smart enough to pick up the Retro version that dropped in 2000, another chance is coming to get your hands on one of the centerpieces of the Air Jordan legacy. The original Black/Infrared Nike Air Jordan VI will be hitting stores again in January of next year, so you’ll have to be patient, but we promise that they’ll be worth the wait. In the meantime, you can check out some closeups of the shoe to whet your appetite even further and we’ll be sure to keep you posted on all the latest regarding this eagerly awaited Retro release.

Tech Info:
Nike Air Jordan Retro VI (6)
Style: 384664-061
Color: Black/Infrared

Info/Image: Gradient

Another Nike Air Jordan model slated for a Spring 2010 release has made it’s way to the internet. Here is a look at an actual pair of the upcoming Nike Air Jordan VI Retro that will be released in this simple White and Black colorway come Spring 2010. The actual release is scheduled for March of 2010. This Nike Air Jordan VI uses a clean full grain leather upper that is colored in both White and Black while the midsole is speckled.

Tech Info:
Nike Air Jordan Retro VI (6)
Style: 384664-101
Color: White/Black

Info/Image: OSneaker

Thanks to Eddie Cruz and his Twitter account we have a look at a sample of the Nike Air Jordan Spizike in Black, Varsity Red, and Cement. This colorway of the Spizike surprisingly has never been released while a White and Cement pair was when the Spizikes were originally introduced a couple years ago. This looks like one of the better models from the Jordan Brand for Spring 2010.

Tech Info:
Nike Air Jordan Spiz’ike
Style: 315371-062
Color: Black/Varsity Red-Cement

Info/Image: Eddie Cruz

Had he grabbed a pair of these, Big Boi never would have had to apologize. They’re not Atlanta Braves-inspired, but since the Hawks redesigned their logo and team colors a couple years back, this Joe Johnson PE of the Nike Air Jordan VIII (8) do the red, white and blue trick quite nicely. These also have a healthy helping of grey around the ankle and heel area to add balance. As with the other crazy Player Editions we have seen, you can grab these only on eBay.

You can find more detailed pictures here.

Info/Image: Innovative_Shopping_Concepts

We first gave you a sneak peek at the Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro High Do the Right Thing pack all the way back in February and it seems that there have been some minor changes from the sample images that first surfaced a few months ago. Both pairs still use the same White pebbled leather uppers with metallic accents, but the wildly colorful pattern that appeared on the linings has apparently been replaced with solid accent colors instead. While this takes a little away from the late 80’s vibe, both colorways still pack plenty of retro punch thanks to the classic simplicity and overall clean look. It’s not definite that the patterned linings won’t show up again on the final retail models, but all of the latest samples seem to have abandoned it. Look for both the White/Varsity Red and White/Sea Green versions of the Nike Air Jordan 1 “Do the Right Thing” to drop on July 4th just in time to get fresh for the Independence Day festivities.

Tech Info:
Nike Air Jordan 1 Hi Retro “Do the Right Thing”
Style: 332550-161
Color: White/Varsity Red

Nike Air Jordan 1 Hi Retro “Do the Right Thing”
Style: 332550-131
Color: White/Sea Green

You can find more detailed pictures here.

Info/Image: MaestroKnows

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Nike gave the whole sneaker game a lesson in the importance of marketing. As if it wasn’t enough that Michael Jordan was well on his way to becoming the greatest basketball player ever, his sneakers were becoming legendary in their own right. Besides Mike’s on-court success and the fact that the Air Jordan line of sneakers was on another level of style and design brilliance from anything else on the market, there was some marketing genius at work creating a mystique around Michael and his kicks in a way that had never been executed so brilliantly within the realm of athlete endorsements.

Joining Michael in many of these promotional endeavors was Spike Lee (a.k.a. Mars Blackmon), at the time an up and coming film director with a passion for Air Jordan sneakers. The two-man team of Spike and Mike partnered up for a series of commercials and print ads for the sneakers that were not only successful at the time, but have become infamous as some of the most effective and enduring ad campaigns of all time. After the jump, you can take a stroll down memory lane with a nice retrospective of the Michael Jordan/Mars Blackmon era and the marketing revolution that it helped to spark.

You can find more pictures here.

Info/Image: NikeTalk

Earlier this week, we saw one of the dopest Nike Air Jordan VII (7) samples ever crawl out of the woodwork. Here is an edition of the previous year’s edition that never saw the light of retail. When they released back in 2000, the Nike Air Jordan VI (6) Retro featured a mostly black design, with infrared touches framing the Air bubble, on the heel strap, tongue and lacelock. This sample edition adds the signature red hue to the forefoot midsole as well as the heel’s “Nike Air” logo. Check out the last picture by checking that link for a good comparison (the bottom is the “original” retro from 2000). These are already nearing a thousand on eBay, so act fast.

Tech Info:
Nike Air Jordan VI (6) “Black/Deep Infrared” Sample
Style: 136038-061
Color: Black/Deep Infrared

You can find more detailed pictures here.

Info/Image: SoleSupreme

The Nike Air Jordan Collezione packages, a.k.a Countdown Packs paired two shoes from the Nike Air Jordan legacy on opposite ends of the age spectrum. The numbers of the two sneakers combined to equal 23, but this latest Collezione item we see pictured above is only one pair. The Nike Air Jordan V (5) Collezione were made exclusively for the Jordan Motorsports team. 23 comes into play, albeit in a different way, because that’s how many pairs of these exist. None were released to the public, but you can cop a pair in US men’s size 10.5 on eBay if you act fast.

Tech Info:
Nike Air Jordan V (5) Motorsports “White/University Blue”
Style: 63966-LN4
Color: White/University Blue

You can find more detailed pictures here.

Info/Image: FearlessBimmer