KSM: DJCK's 112 Pack

Welcome back to this week's installment of Kick Start Mondays. This week we decided to feature one of the greatest collabo packs Nike has released, DJCK's 112 pack.

If you don't already know who DJCK (aka DJ Clark Kent) is you've probably been living under a rock for quite some time. DJ Clark Kent is a pioneer in the hip hop game whose accomplished a ton of great things. There have been so many it's difficult to cite them all here (google this man and you'll see!).  Besides DJCK's accomplishments in hip hop, he's also known to many in the sneaker world as an OG. DJCK has been featured in a number of articles and documentaries documenting his affinity for sneakers (more specifically Nike AF1s). Not only is he known as a member of the infamous ATF sneaker crew, his personal collection of kicks is second to none.

In 2008, Nike commissioned DJCK to help design a limited quickstrike pack entitled the "112" pack. The retail "112" pack focused on a number of Nike's "One" models such as the Air Max 1, Air Trainer 1 and of course the Air Force 1. The pack featured a predominantly 3M and black nubuck upper with neon and elephant print accents. All three pairs also featured a neon outsole with matching laces.

Everyone already knew DJCK was crazy in the sneakergame but I don't think everyone knew how crazy his designs would be. Due to the crazy success of the pack, DJCK has continued to design a number of other Nike models under this makeup (i.e. AF25 lows, Lebron VII, Air Trainer SC 2010). Unfortunately many of these pairs have never seen the light of day in stores and are normally reserved to a select few within his inner circle.

I've been very fortunate to be able to get my hands on a pair of the Air Max 1 from this pack and I must say they do not disappoint. The 112's never released in Toronto so I had to grab my pair from the 'bay and paid a pretty penny.

Will we ever see another release from the 112 family in stores? Let's hope so!

Image via: TheShoeGame

KSM: Nike Air Barrage

This week we're featuring a pair of sneakers from Nike's vault that most of the younger sneakerheads probably don't remember.  We're featuring a Nike Turf classic, the Nike Air Barrage.

The Nike Air Barrage was the signature shoe for Marshall Faulk back in 1995 while playing for the Colts.  The Nike Air Barrage featured a predominately nubuck upper with a forefoot strap seen on many of Nike's turf shoes during that time.  The shoe itself did not boast many additional features but did stick in most peoples minds for the "Air" featured along the midsole and swoosh found directly on on the forefoot strap.

My mom got me a pair from the local Sports Authority store and these were my shoes for the good part of Grade 7 & 8.  I can remember my mom opted to purchase these shoes for me over other models cause they were on sale (a blessing in disguise).  Like many, I really liked Nike's runners that had their air units on full display.  At the time, I didn't appreciate these sneakers but I do now.  The Barrages were slightly heavier than your average runner due to their large midsole but I can remember that they had really good support around the ankle area and often felt like they molded to my foot.

Unfortunately, there are no future plans to have these bad boys retroed anytime soon.  For those who remember these bad boys, we can all dream and hope Nike will bring them back form the vault one day.

Image via: The Krusader

KSM: Air Jordan V

If you were to conduct a survey with a five Jordanheads on which Air Jordan silhouette is their favourite, I'm positive at least one would say the Air Jordan V. Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics stated in an issue of Sole Collector that the AJ V was his favourite pair of Jordans growing up. Many will argue that this sneaker is one of the best in the line and also has arguably one of the best colourways in the "Grapes".

Designed by the guru himself, Tinker Hatfield, the AJ V was inspired by the Tomahawk Fighter Jet. Visible in its subtle accents, one can see the inspiration via the shark tooth design found on the mid sole and 3M reflective tongue. The AJ V featured a slightly higher upper section made up of leather/suede. Taking cues from its predecessor, the AJ V also housed mesh like side panels and plastic accents along the lacing. The most notable items on this silhouette however were the molded ankle area, lace locking system and clear/translucent out sole accents. The AJ V was the first in the series to have the now commonly used clear/translucent sole and lace lock.

Coupled with the Mars campaign and MJ's dominance on the hardwood, its no surprise that this sneaker was a success.

KSM: Nike Air Zoom Turf Jet

It's been a while since our last KSM but for this week's feature we're going back to another classic Nike shoe. Today we're gonna be talking about the Nike Air Zoom Turf Jet which was first released back in 1996.

The Nike Air Zoom Turf Jet features a predominately leather/suede upper with a clear outsole. The clear outsole features rubber nubs and can be seen throughout the outsole. The upper also features a velcro band that serves to stabilize the mid foot area. The most iconic aspect of this sneaker however is found on the mid sole of the shoe where a large piece of plastic is seen advertising the "Zoom Air" technology. Many of the OG sneakerheads will remember these as the signature shoe Brett Favre use to rock while on the Packers. Back in the mid to late 90's, Nike started releasing Turf shoes in the market due to the popularity of the NFL and their flagship stars like Deion "Primetime" Sanders. Although not originally designed for street wear, many sneakerheads opted to rock these on the regular.

I remember seeing these at Sports Authority when I was growing up and thinking they were pretty cool. I remember they were expensive and that my parents told me that they wouldn't be very comfortable since they weren't meant to be worn as everyday shoes.

Did you own a pair of these? Would you cop a pair if they were retroed again?

Image via: NikeTalk

KSM: Nike Zoom Flight '98

Welcome to this week's edition of KickStart Mondays!

Today we feature a classic that anyone who was playing ball back in the late 90's will remember. Today we'll be talking about the shoe that Gary Payton made famous, the Nike Zoom Flight'98 (aka "The Glove"). This shoe was first released back in 1998 under the "Flight" series but was renamed unofficially to "The Glove" by sneakerheads as a result of the player who rocked them on the court. Gary Payton who was also known as "The Glove" sported this sneaker during the height of his career and gained notiriety in this sneaker. Known to rock Jordan's on the court as well, GP came into his own on the Supersonics while rocking these kicks.

The sneaker which featured Zoom Air (most sneakers were rocking this technology in the late 90's) was housed under a very subtle upper to the naked eye. This marvel designed by Eric Avar sported a black neoprene upper with prominent swoosh placement on the toebox that really acted as a glove to the shoe. Under the zippered neoprene cover housed a "monkey paw" like design along the ankle area. The shoe which lay underneath was called the "exoskeleton" and was made primarily of mesh like material. The shoe itself was a hit and has never been retored since it's original release.

I have found memories of these sneakers since they came out while I was still in HS. I had a friend who owned a pair so i was able to see them up close and personal and really appreciated the unique design. What stood out most of this sneaker was the fact that Avar continued to leaverage the use of the human body in another sneaker (the first being the AM95).

I really love these sneakers and hope that Nike will bring them back out of the vault for those who didn't get a chance to own them during their original release.

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: a i r j o r d a n I V...

In this edition of KSM we feature one of the all time greatest sneakers to ever be created, the Air Jordan IV. Considered by many to be the BEST Air Jordan in the series, Tinker once again created another iconic shoe to be worn by the greatest of all time. The Air Jordan IV which was first released back in 1989 sported mesh like panels on the upper and unique eyelets which would allow ballers to lace them up in unique fashion. The sneaker featured a similar design to that of the AJ III but was intended to be used more than admired.

The true beauty of these sneakers are not the fact that they're a great sneaker to play basketball in but rather they are a shoe that truly transcends past the hardwood. These are probably one of the nicest looking casual shoes to ever be worn. Seen on many celebs from Mos Def to the Game, these sneakers look good no matter what you pair them up with. These shoes can also thank Spike for their popularity as they were featured in Spike's infamous movie, Do The Right Thing and a slew of Mars Ads. Most recently the most popular colourway of this model, the BREDs were re-released with the Air Jordan XIX in the Jordan Collezione pack.

To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of these sneakers initially. I'm more of an Air Jordan III fan but I cannot deny the beauty of these sneakers when you see them in person. I got my first pair of these a couple years back when I got a pair of the "Mars" edition AJ IV. I still rock them on the regular but if you remember my trip to Tokyo a month ago, I picked up a DS pair of the '99 retros which still feature the Nike Air on the back. If you don't have a pair of these bad boys you really need to step your game up. These are a staple in any sneakerhead's collection and if you got 330USD to spare, you can still get your pair @ PYS.

Trust me on this, DON'T sleep on these!

BONUS:

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: n i k e c o r t e z...

Welcome to this week's edition of KSM, this week we feature the Nike Cortez.

The Nike Cortez was one of the company's first designs back in 1966 and eventually named the "Cortez" in 1968. To many people the Nike Cortez is commonly associated with Nike's "Casual" shoe line but this couldn't be further from its roots. The legend, Bill Bowerman first came up with the design of the "Cortez" back in 1966 as one of Nike's first runners. The shoe which featured a ripstop nylon upper and jagged edged sole was simple and efficient. The shoe itself may not appear to be very revolutionary today but back in 1968 where all shoes were relatively flat, this shoe was definitely groundbreaking and iconic.

In today's marketplace this shoe is no longer seen on the track but seen commonly on the streets as a staple in L.A.'s East Side. Very similar to one of it's main competitors, Converse's Chuck Taylors, both shoes no longer carry that allure as a performance shoe but rather as fashion shoe for casual wear.

Back in the mid 90's, the Cortez experienced a resurgence in the North American market. The shoe was reintroduced into the market and had some help from Hollywood when it was featured as the shoe of choice for the Academy Awarded film, Forrest Gump. I can still remember very vividly that these were the shoe to rock at the time. The shoe was also a fan favourite because of the price point that they were being offered at. When you can cop a shoe for just under 100 CAD with the style that it has, how can you really go wrong? For this, we salute you Mr. Bowerman!

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: a i r j o r d a n X I I I

Welcome back to this week's edition of KickStart Mondays! Its been a while since our last KSM post but we've returned this week with a feature on the Air Jordan XIII.

The Air Jordan XIII was first released back in '98 when the Bulls were still on top of the NBA during their second 3peat. The Air Jordan XIII which was inspired by the black panther, the nickname given to MJ by his friends in the NBA. The Air Jordan XIII which features a podular outsole is considered one of the more well built and comfortable sneakers in the line. The upper features paneling which is meant to resemble the paw of the panther. With all the various colourways, we've seen materials like cloth w/ 3M, pebbling as well as traditional leather used in these panels. Another key trait of this iconic shoe is the heal tab area which is predominately adorned by a suede like material. The AJ XIII is considered to many to be one of the best basketball sneakers in the line and also quite memorable. If there is one defining feature of this shoe it will have to be the hologram found on the ankle area of the shoe, designed to resemble the eye of the panther! Jordan brand has dropped some rumours that this model will experience a retro this year with two classic colourways. The AJ XIII was definitely a success and a great second shoe to be released under the Jordan Brand umbrella.

I personally have very fond memories of this AJ XIII as it was released during the same time as the Air Penny II. I still remember that my buddy in high school would rock these joints, switching between these and the Pennys. Same trend as always, I loved them but couldn't afford them back in the day but I was fortunate to score a pair a couple years back with the Flint (Team Reds). Many ppl don't like any J's past XI but these joints are definitely sick! I would consider them to be in my top 10 sneakers of all time and you should definitely cop these when and if they release again this year. Don't sleep on these bad boys, they really are a classic!

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: a i r m a x 9 7...

This week we take a look at another great sneaker from the Nike vault from their best decade, the 90's! This week we take a much needed look at the Air Max 97.

The Nike Air Max 97 first debuted in 1997 following the much appreciated Air Max 95. A great followup to the iconic AM95, the AM97 first debuted in the infamous Silver and Varisty-Red colourway. This sneaker which was made with running in mind as all early Air Maxes were, featured a visible air unit that encompassed the entire sole of the sneaker. Pushing the line even more, this sneaker contained one of the longest visible air unit to date and was furthered accented with 3M piping along the upper. The sneaker which was a low top fell just under ones' ankle and simply popped with the metallic mesh like upper. This sneaker much similar to its other AM brothers has been released in a plethora of colourways and also recently received a retro last year deemed the Air Max 97'X.

My fond memories of this sneaker once again falls to my boy Vic who also sported these joints during HS. Much similar to the AM65 Neons he owned these kicks popped and I knew I needed a pair. I was fortunate enough to cop a pair of these during last year's retro and rumour has it that they will be re releasing them again alongside the AM OG series rumoured to be dropping in 2010.

Will YOU be coppin them?

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: a i r m a x 1

In this weeks, episode if you will, of kick start Monday's, we bring you the very first Nike Air Max...the Air Max 1 (AM1). The Air Max line have quite a bit of history behind them, dating back to 1987 when the first pair of Nike Air Max dropped - running was changed forever. The Air Max series brings together both style and performance, as well as Nike's air cusioning technology. The shoe gets its name from Nike’s air technology, which is used in all models. The Air technology has been around since 1979, but the Nike Air Max was the first shoe to make this technology visible. The heel area, and for some models even the forefoot or entire sole, is made with see-through plastic, exposing the wonderful Air unit.

Debuting in 1987, the Air Max 1 featured a Visible Air unit with synthetic suede and nylon mesh uppers. It was the visible air unit that propelled this shoe to iconic status. In 1988, Nike updated the AM1s with a leather edition. In 1992, they took some styling cues from their younger cousin, and updated the design of the shoe using the midsole and outsole from the Air Max 90. From 1992 and 1995, all the AM1 releases were in leather, but in 1995, Nike brought back the nylon editions. The last styling change game in 1996, when the swoosh was made smaller.

Like most Nike shoes, the Air Max 1s have been offered in many a colourway and collaborations, including HUF, CLOT, Supreme and my personal favs, DJ Clark Kent and Atmos. I don't have the two latter pairs, so if you have them in a size 11 and looking to get rid of them, holla. Of the over 20+ versions of the Air Max, the Air Max 1s will forever be the originator; often imitated, never duplicated. Nike recently released the OG colourways (see above pic) and while they did sell well, I doubt they are sold out. So hit up your local sneaker shop to cop a pair.

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: a i r j o r d a n X I I ...

Welcome to this week's installment of Kickstart Mondays, this week we'll be reviewing one of the many iconic sneakers MJ wore while winning his 6 NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. This week, we'll be focusing on the Air Jordan XII. It is only appropriate for us to discuss the sneaker that started it all, you may be asking yourself what does he mean started it all? The Air Jordan XII was first worn during the 1996-1997 season during the Bulls second NBA title in their second set of three titles.

For those who have a deeper understanding of the brand will know that the Air Jordan XII was the first Air Jordan to be released under Jordan Brand, a sub division of Nike. During 1997, Nike had decided to branch out and market the Jordan line as a separate subsidiary of the company and was the first Air Jordan to not contain the Nike Air/Swoosh anywhere on the shoe. Tinker's original dream to minimize the presence of Nike and the Swoosh was finally realized in this release. The Air Jordan XII was inspired by two different things; the rising sun from Japan and a female's high heel shoe. Both inspirations are evident in the design and subtle accents that can be seen throughout the shoe. What made this shoe memorable was not the design or look of the shoe but rather what MJ did with them on during the playoffs. Titled the "Flu Game", MJ wore the black and varisty red colourway during the playoffs where he put up 36 points to help win the game while suffering the flu. MJ's dedication to the game and his team was so inspirational that he had to be helped off the court by Scottie Pippen because he was so weak. MJ you're the man!

The Air Jordan XII is considered a fan favourite on and off the court. The XII is one of the most comfortable sneakers in the Jordan line and provides incredible ankle support. With the recent retro craze and releases JB has put out for Q4 of 2009 we have been fortunate to see several retros as well as new colourways of this sneaker. This year JB released a special version of the Black/Varsity-Red called the Flu Games. This pair which features the same colour schematic as the original contains a few subtle differences from the original and retros. Say what you will about the recent retros, none can deny the beauty and comfort of this shoe.

If you slept on any of the releases such as the Nubucks, Rising Suns, Flu Games or White/Varsity-Red versions head over to Finishline to cop your pair now. Trust me, you do not want to sleep on these!

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: Hello it’s the Martian...

It is December 14th and we are almost a mere week away from the re-release of one of this year’s most anticipated shoe drops. If the excerpt above from Drake’s “Forever” (featuring Yeezy, Weezy and Marshall) didn’t already make it obvious, please know that we are talking about the Air Jordan XI Space Jams.

Designed by Tinker Hatfield the original XI’s offered a Nylon upper meant to be reminiscent of a hiker’s backpack. A carbon fiber plate running through the sole was incorporated to provide rigidity and support. Performance innovations aside, the patent leather mid and toe box seemed included just to make the shoes pop. The patent however, offered a light weight alternative to genuine and tended not to stretch even in the face of quick changes in direction needed to blow past defenders.

Jordan wore the XI’s during the 1995-96 season – a record year where the Bulls posted the best regular season in NBA history (72-10) before defeating the Sonics in the finals. Jordan himself won a record fourth Finals MVP award and was also named regular season and all-star game MVP.

Air Jordan XI’s in the black, white and royal blue colourway first showed up on the big screen in the 1996 Warner Bros. movie, “Space Jam”. Michael wore the shoes to help Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tune characters win their freedom in an intergalactic basketball game against the alien Monstars. The shoes were eventually released in December 2000 under the “Space Jam” name to commemorate the film. Nine years later Jordan Brand is re-releasing the shoe with a small set of deviations from the original (see "Don't Sleep" from November 27th, 2009) along with a few extras in the box to sweeten the deal. If you put down the almost $250.00 (total – CAD) you should be thoroughly impressed with the entire package even though rumours warn that the actual shoe construction quality is somewhat below that of its predecessor.

I put my preorder in a few months ago and fear if you haven’t already done the same you may be S.O.L. The drop date has been reset many times from the original November 27th date but it looks like the fat cats at JB have finally settled on December 23rd. Thanks to Jordan Brand we have one more reason to call the last half of December the most wonderful time of the year…

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: n i k e a i r p e n n y I I ...

During this week's session of Kickstart Mondays, we feature another iconic shoe from Nike's Golden Era of the 90's. This week, we'll be showcasing the beloved Nike Air Penny II which was originally released back in 1996 and sported by one of the greatest guards to play the game (* before his injuries of course), "Penny" Hardaway.

The Nike Air Penny II is probably one of the most iconic/memorable shoe's Penny wore while he played for the Magic during the 90's. This sneaker which featured a foam like midsole and Zoom Air technology in the heal was one the best basketball sneakers (style wise) to be released by Nike. The Nike Air Penny II was released during the height of Penny's career and was further elevated into sneaker history when Nike decided to adopt a similar marketing campaign as one of their other popular basketball lines. Most people may not remember the days that Penny donned the Magic jersey but anyone who has an affinity for sneakers will remember the memorable commercials Nike released for this product line. At the time the sneakers were marketed with the voice of an up and coming comedian by the name of Chris Rock serving as Penny's counterpart named Lil'Penny. Very similar to the Mike and Spike campaigns, the Penny and Rock duo put out some memorable commercials which added to the success of the sneakers. Not to sell the sneakers short but the ad campaigns were the things that made the Nike Air Penny II the sneaker to have on the court.

To the joy of many sneakerheads who couldn't get a pair when they first released, Nike blessed us with a plethora of retros during 2008 and 2009 of the Nike Air Penny II. True to the OG's released back in 1996, Nike released all three OG colourways (the Atlantics were a Ltd. Quickstrike) and four additional colourways (Heats, Coppers, Triple Blacks and Black/Silver). As a common trend to many of these posts, I wasn't able to cop a pair when they first released but I was fortunate to grab a pair for a steal when the retros dropped.

Can anyone remember the Lil'Penny and Tyra commercials? I do!

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: l a g e a r r e g u l a t o r s...

Welcome to this week's installment of Kickstart Mondays. This week we feature a sneaker that compliments last week's entry where we discussed the iconic Reebok Pump. With the introduction of the Pump, many wanted to leverage the phenomenon Reebok created with the air bladder technology. One company stood above the rest in leveraging this technology, L.A. Gear who released the L.A. Gear Regulators in the '90s. The L.A. Gear Regulators contained very subtle differences between themselves and the Pumps. The first was the over sized pumping mechanism. The Pump sported a small circular pumping mechanism in the shape of a basketball or tennis ball (depending on the model) while The Regulators had a much larger half circle pumping mechanism in the shape of gauge. The release mechanism also differed; The Pump had a release button often located beside the pumping mechanism or on the back while The Regulators had a release switch located above the pumping mechanism that had to be pushed to the right to release the compressed air. The Regulators which were owned by a company focusing on the youthfulness of LA also sported flashier colourways than Reebok who remained relatively traditional with its colourways. Even with the aesthical differences between the two shoes, many would still consider them to be knockoffs or cheap imitations of The Pumps.

The beauty of The Regulators was not that it was the most "original" shoe but rather it appealed and touched a broader market. The Reebok Pumps were very expensive when they were first released and many people such as myself could not afford them. L.A. Gear focused on this point and released these alternatives at a lower cost allowing more individuals to own a pair of these shoes. Reebok simply could not compete with this simple economic feature and allowed L.A. Gear to flourish as a brand. The success of The Regulators indirectly gave way to L.A. Gear's most notable success, the L.A. Gear Lights.

In the early '90s, I remember when I was growing up that these inflatable shoes were the biggest thing in athletic footwear. I was in Primary School when these came out and growing up as kid from Scarborough, I didn't have much means to obtain the highly coveted Reebok Pumps due to the extremely high price point. I remember I really wanted a pair and my family simply could not afford to spend 200+ (keep in mind most sneakers at this time costed no more than 130-150) at the time for sneakers for a kid who was still growing. I really wanted to have a pair of these shoes and since my Mom really wanted to give me the most that she could, she opted for the more cost effective alternative which were the L.A. Gear Regulators. I owned a pair of White/Royal-Blue Regulators and Fatz owned a pair of the White/Vivid-Pink. As a kid I didn't really know the differences between the two and I didn't really care at that time cause as long as they pumped up and could air out, I was happy. Many people like myself owned a pair of The Regulators for this exact reason. To this day I don't know one person who hasn't wanted or have tried to pump up an inflatable shoe and then tried the release valve.

Although The Regulators will not be as fondly remembered as an iconic shoe to many, it still holds a special spot in my heart. If you got a DS pair of The Regulators in Men's 9.5 and want to let them go, give me a shout!

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: Reebok x STLN RCHS Pump 20

The Pump by Reebok was a unique innovation in sportswear when it first came out. The pump has found its way into a number of sports through equipment like baseball gloves and hockey and inline skates but here we’re only concerned with the most prolific integration – the Pump shoe. The idea behind the technology was that athletes could get better performance by filling the area around the foot with air to provide a truly custom fit. The original pump basketball shoe was a collaboration between Paul Litchfield at Reebok and an industrial design firm called Design Continuum. Dominique Wilkins became one of the first NBA stars to play in the shoe when he laced them up in his 1989 season with the Atlanta Hawks. During the ’89 season his scoring average dropped from his career high (30.7 ppg) the year before to 26.2 but you could hardly blame the shoes. Reebok enjoyed a great endorsement when Dee Brown won the 1991 NBA all star weekend slam dunk competition while wearing a pair of pumps.

Last week Reebok and The Pump celebrated its 20^th anniversary. To mark the occasion Reebok released a reissue of the original colourways (the “Bringback” pack) and teamed up with 20 shoe boutiques around the world to create some new, attractive releases. From Hawaii to Hong Kong, each location had the chance to design an exclusive colourway of the original silhouette. Toronto’s Stolen Riches was selected to be the only Canadian collaborator and, like their contemporaries from Stockholm, decided to offer a design fit for the “harsh” Toronto winters. The shoe has been treated with Teflon to resist snow and water and, with a grey pinstripe pattern covering most areas, is reminiscent of a snowboard boot. I, for one, think the design and the choice of colours is top shelf but understand this shoe may have the look only someone from this part of the globe can appreciate. You can find a nice kicks article with all the anniversary collaboration colourways by clicking here. Which is your favorite look?

Only 31 pairs of each shoe were available to pick up at midnight release parties at the design locations. Some locations offered the shoes via a lottery while most went the traditional “first come, first serve” route. If you were one of those sneakerheads who absolutely had to have them you were probably on Queen Street, west of Bathurst lining up with Maxcak and me. Originally, braving the rain and paying the near $300.00 price tag was beyond us. When Maxcak told me the lineup two hours before the drop was pretty light, I jumped out of my PJs into a rain coat and raced from Oakville to join the action. The crew at Stolen Riches obviously appreciated people coming out for the event, offering drinks and food to all. A DJ was also on hand spinning a good mix of old and new tracks. After waiting in line for around an hour and a half I was happy to get a pair of what could be an iconic shoe. Included in the package was also a Reebok Pump Toronto tee to complete the look. I am looking forward to the return of the warm weather and breaking necks when I rock them downtown. If you’re in the majority group of people and weren’t there on Thursday night, you can scour the ‘Bay to pick up a pair using the high cash, low effort method. If that is out of the question you’ll have to make sure you're first in line when the 40^th anniversary collabs drop in 2029.

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: a i r m a x 9 5...

Welcome to this week's installment of Kickstart Mondays where we feature a sneaker/sneaker line. This week we'll be discussing another installment of the ever popular Nike Air Max line, the Nike Air Max '95. The AM'95 was first released in 1995 after Nike designer Eric Avar came up with the idea to base a shoe on the human anatomy (i.e. the human ribcage) which is evident throughout the upper of the shoe. The AM'95 is considered to be one of the most iconic Air Maxes in the line, most notably the infamous OG Neon colourway which it was first released under. A huge success worldwide, the Nike AM'95 took new heights in the Asian market where it literally blew up overnight. The AM'95 also contained a number of other iconic features such as; the first Air Max to have air units compressed at different pressures, 3M material throughout the heal tab and also the gradient colour design found on the upper.

My memories of these kicks started back in '95 when they were first released. A hommie of mine used to rock all the Nike Air Maxes and this one was no different. I remembered the first day he came to class after his family trip to Asia and started sporting the OG Neons. They just popped and I fell in love with the shoe. Like most ppl, I couldn't afford them at the time cause they were real expensive but I've since been able to cop a pair or two...

To date, the Nike AM'95 has dropped over 100 different colourways not including the ones being created on nikeID. Do you have love for the AM'95s? Rumour is that Nike will be dropping the OG Neons again in 2010 accompanied by a full apparel line with the launch. Will you cop a pair this time through?

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s : a i r j o r d a n III...

What more can be said about this iconic shoe? the first Jordan to be designed by the legend himself, Tinker Hatfield (if you didn't know already, Fatz and I are big Tinker fans). this shoe had a lot of firsts for the series and for the sneaker game in general. the first shoe to debut the now infamous and 'massacred' trend of the elephant print, the first Jordan to debut the Jumpman logo we've all come to associate the brand with (sorry wings logo, you just can't deny the silhouette of the G.O.A.T.) and the first Jordan to visibly display the air sole unit.

I've always had love for the Air Jordan III, in particular the "white/fire red - cement grey" colourway (shouts to "instapump" for the hookup on my pair!). I would highly consider this in my top 3 of all time if not my favourite sneaker of all time. i'm still fairly new to the sneakergame and wasn't fully introduced to the onslaught of colourways until 2006 when i started really noticing sneakers. something about these sneakers just appealed to me and I've been a fan ever since. I got my first pair of Jordan III's (my second Air Jordan from the numbered line) back in '06 when they first retroed the Fire Red colourway. These were a general release and I was able to snap up a pair at a local foot locker here in the T.O. Unlike my lucky American counterparts, not all colourways reach the great white north so i was happy to know that these were available.

This sneaker saved the landscape of the shoe game without even knowing it at the time. who would have thought that if the stars weren't aligned properly (here I go trying to be all spiritually lol), his Airness would have left the brand we know as the shoe giant Nike in favour for Adidas. Can you imagine that? the air Jordan line ending with only two shoes and the rest to be generated by Adidas under a different name? what would he have rocked during the dunk competition? can you imagine a world with the AJ IV, V, VI, XI and XIII? I can't!

For this we salute you Tinker! you've spawned generations of sneakerheads and will forever be remembered as the best designer in the game (I'm a Jordanhead so I'm biased!).

is it the shoes? it's gotta be the shoes, money! - mars blackmon

k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s : a m 9 0 i n f r a r e d s...

Some people have their Js, some their AF1s...me, I have my Air Max 90s, specifically, the Infrareds. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the 90s were released in, well, 1990, but back then Nike called them the Air Max III. It wasn't until after the success of the shoe, that Nike decided to change the name. Nike celebrated the history of the Air Max shoes by releasing a campaign titled “History of Air Max” (HOA). Without question, the Air Max 90 Infrareds were part of the package; also part of that package was the Air Max 1. It was during the HOA re-release that I fell in love with these shoe. The details are blurry, but I think I was in either Foot Action or Finish Line in the States when I first set eyes on the Infrareds. I wasn't a sneakerhead back then, but I liked what I saw and I had to have 'em. Needless to say, my parents wouldn't spend the money on them and I was left heartbroken. It wasn't until 2008, when Nike decided to re-release them again via a Quikestrike, was I able to get a pair (actually got two). During this same re-release, Nike produced a "premium" version which included a Ostrich skin mud guard, gray leather, transparent plastic heel bag and perforated leather lining. I personally prefer the OG Infrareds, but the Premiums definitely add a bit of flavour to an already delicious colourway. There are some other popular colourways that are synonymous with Nike, like the Neon's or Safari's, but to me, nothing pops more than the Infrareds. Recently, the Infrared colourway has been used on the AF1, Hyperize (Supreme Decades Pack), Skyline and the Hoop Structure, but of course they don't come close to matching the allure and appeal of the AM90s. Rumour has it Nike may be dropping another release of the AM90 Infrareds in 2010, but do yourself a favour a cop a pair, or two, or three while you can.