FREH KICKS: NIKE & ADIDAS

Using the UNDEFEATED x Nike Air Max 97 as a base, Beijing-based Zhijun Wang created a custom mask for HBX. In a new interview, the sneaker designer explains, among other things, that he creates the unique masks to reflect China’s unreliable air quality.
Wang reveals that as a child, his interest in sneakers was piqued when he began painting pictures of shoes he saw in magazines. As an adult he still paints, taking his handiwork to the shoes themselves. Wang’s handmade UNDEFEATED mask features the shoe’s recognizable branded strip of red leather across the front, with the Swoosh and Air Max branding also intact. The UNDEFEATED-branded pull tab is arranged under the eye, while the shoe’s laces have become ties for attaching the mask to the face.
Check out the interview at HBX. In other Nike news, a new pair of Stash x Nike sneakers has been revealed.

To celebrate the Cologne Carnival, adidas Originals is bringing back a classic silhouette. The Koln, first produced in 1979, is returning after an absence of over thirty years.
Returning on the inaugural day of the festival, the retro is intended to commemorate the German city’s camaraderie, bolstered by the yearly event. adidas Originals designed the sneaker to be as faithful as possible to the original model — this “Core Blue” colorway features blue suede on the upper with tonal laces, white leather Three Stripe branding and a gum outsole. The shoe’s sleek silhouette recalls other football-inspired adidas models like the Gazelle and Campus.
Stockists like END. will offer the sneaker on November 11. In other retro news, the NYPD was called out to shut down campers awaiting the black Staple “Pigeon” Dunk.


Over the weekend, Nike made big waves in the sneaker community bringing back the iconic STASH x Nike Air Force 1 High “Nozzle Cap.” Already set to release an Air Zoom Spiridon ‘16 collab with the legendary graffiti artist later this month, the latest rework of the collab sneaker was released via an exclusive drop through Nike SNKRS Stash.
Although the third iteration of the STASH x Nike Air Force 1 High “Nozzle Cap” comes 14 years after the original 2003 limited release and 10 years after the Air Force 1 25th Anniversary celebration re-edition in 2007, much of the base design elements remain the same. This time around, the latest rework features an all-white color scheme, which accents the legendary “Nozzle Cap” print emblazoned on the toe box and heel panels. A matching ankle strap and a translucent sole unit distorting a blue-hued STASH tag rounds up the design of the shoe.
Take a look at the STASH x Nike Air Force 1 High “Nozzle Cap” 2017 rework above and stay tuned for news of a wider release in the coming future. And for more Nike news, sneaker designer Ben Kirschner recently showed off an unreleased Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 2.0.


Californian sneaker customizer The Shoe Surgeon teams up with NYC streetwear imprint APT.4B on a remixed NikeAir Force 1 model inspired by a New York staple: Chinese takeout — specifically, the broccoli and beef dish.
Dubbed the “Uptown Beef N Broc,” this special sneaker boasts a mid-top field boot-inspired silhouette, premium brown and dark green suede panels inspired by the popular vegetable and protein dish, a glossy black leather padded ankle, D-ring metal eyelets and a crisp white Swoosh and sole unit. Other details include dual-branded tongue tabs and embossed logos on the lateral heel areas.
Each pair is made-to-order for a whopping $1,100 USD price tag, available now at APT.4B’s website. Let us know if you’re a fan of this gourmet sneaker in the comments below, and for more food-inspired kicks, check out Nike’s “Sprite”-inspired VaporMax.

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