Friday, January 25, 2013

(Valenti)nes Day


Things are not good for the Lakers right now.  The Lakers are 17-25 right now (not in the playoffs), Dwight Howard and Steve Nash can't stay healthy or find chemistry.  Mike D'Antoni is running the team into the ground.  Plus, cross-city rival Clippers are in third place (32-12) and one of the most exciting teams


But the one constant is Kobe Bryant. Second to only Kevin Durant in scoring, Mamba is still one of the league's deadliest scorers. 

One thing that has remained the same for me is my favorite Kobe signature shoe...the Zoom Kobe IV.


My only Kobe iD is this AZK IV, which emulates the "Valenti" iD  AZK IV he wore 5 years ago...


A cool pic now, since they Kobe and Metta World Peace are now teammates.

As you can see here, the ankle guard & ankle collar are different colors.  The "Valenti" and "24" embroidery are lacking, but the rest is the same.


In my opinion, the AZK VI is the best performing Kobe (though the VIII is growing on me fast)...but all around the IV is still my fav...


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Always On My Mind


Nike All Star Basketball pack or Raygun collecton?  Pass like gas.  "Black History Month" kicks?  Not interested.  Any "Year of the Snake" release? Yawn.  Air Jordan XX8 "Days of Flight" or AJ V this weekend? #couldcareless

I'm just trying to hold off buying these NB998s or NB1300s from Packers.  Sigh...

Reign On Me


The Reebok Kamikaze II "Sonics" colorway sold out in seconds this week (and ow flipping for Air Jordan Retro prices on eBay).  Now you will be able to grab either of these OG colorway of the Shawn Kemp shoe on Feb 1st. 

The red one has me stung!



Monday, January 21, 2013

#Snakebitten


The adidas Derrick Rose 3.5 "Year of the Snake", dropping this Thursday.  Not too sure I'm digging this colorway. Plus the $160 retail is steeeeeeeeeep.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Game Hova


So recently Jay-Z busted out a pair of the Nike KD 5 "DMV" on a night out with Beyonce...


I was planning on avoiding the KD V as last year's model didn't fit me at all. But this colorway was so hot & I was able to find for retail so I pulled the trigger.


Like the KD IV, these ran small, so I went a size up. The cushioning is amazing, but the overall fit was narrow.  I loved the wide fit of the KD III, so it was weird to see the width of the next two sigs get narrower.


Plus, these shoes were ridiculously hard to put on. I had to unlace the top three lace holes just to slip these on.


If these were tailored to Durant's feet, I guess I have much fatter & wider feet than him.  Weird, cuz Kobes & Brons fit me just fine.


The verdict: despite the awesome design of the past two KDs, I simply can't wear them...


#moneysaved

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Getting Worse?


Coming this month...the LunarEclipse 3.  I am sure thee are on-point performance-wise & comfort-wise, but aesthetically this model is getting harder to look at.

It's so hard to fade the original...




Thunderstruck


I haven't been a fan of Brand Jordan retro issues the past few years. But this was one release I had to get...


The original Thunder Air Jordan IV that released in 2006. It was bittersweet for me because I was able to get the Lightning version...


But the Thunder was much more elusive & rare. With resale values hitting $400-500, I refused to bite...



So the 2012 release was a welcome site.  As far as quality goes, I was impressed. The past few IV releases were fulled with goofy shapes, piss poor quality (plastic-looking leather) & terrible fit.


I felt they did this one right.  Even the toe box looks on point. I still recommend gutting the flimsy cheap sockliners with replacement insoles.


Thunderstruck!


Monday, January 14, 2013

Gold Mine


Michael Crabtree and the San Francisco 49ers will be traveling to Atlanta this coming weekend for the NFC Championship game. Check out the Air Jordan XX8 PE cleats Crabtree will be rocking...
 

 Wonder if he'll lend a pair to former Jumpman teammate Randy Moss...


I almost like these better than the XX8 hoops shoe! I am wishing these had gold on them like his Super.Fly cleats...


...or his Jordan IX cleats.

#VINTAGE


I wasn't a fan of this whole yellowed sole thing that sneaker companies have been cranking out lately. Its like paying top dollar for jeans with excessive holes in them.....why buy something that looks used or used up?


Then I came across these VTG Infrared 90s and my mind changed. The yellowed soles actually give them a really nice look.


The yellowing is just right.  Hopefully they don't crack like vintage midsoles LOL.


FYI, unlike most of the Nike Sportswear stuff dropping nowadays, these fit true to size. 





Thursday, January 10, 2013

Highway Robbery


200 bones.  Really?  The last release was $160.  $40 more for two words on the back?

The older cats like myself have been saying they are done with J's for years...but when you hear the younger generation cry foul, that speaks volumes.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

K-B-8


I have been pretty excited to finally get my hands on these - the Kobe 8 System in the "Sulfur" colorway.




I plan on breaking these out tonight for my volleyball opener. The initial feel is that they are stiffer than the recent Zoom Kobe V, VI and VII.


The upper is now made of Engineered Mesh instead of a Flywire structure.  It does feel much more breathable than the V/VI/VII...


...the cushioning took a drastic change as well, going from Zoom Air to a Lunarlon midsole. 



Being a devout fan of the LunarGlide, I actually welcome this change.


I still love the VI best performance-wise, with the V second best and the VII third best.  With a stiff upper, I can see breaking these in & playing in them a few times before making a true judgement.


Let's see how these perform tonight!

Late Pass


Tim Tebow creates a cult following in Denver, goes to New York, gets benched by the Jets, is on his way out....and then he gets his signature shoe?! 


I guess its the curse of being a New York Jet and getting your own sneaker (Darrelle Revis & his ACL ring a bell?). 

Luckily, these might be a GS only release (like the Paul Pierce line).

Monday, January 7, 2013

Thunder and....Lightning?


For some reason I have Wiz Khalifa stuck in my head...

The Nike Kobe System 8 "Sulfur" & Nike Air Jordan IV "Thunder" QS.

I will review the Kobe 8 tomorrow before I test drive it for my volleyball opener Tuesday night & review the Jordan 4 later this week.

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The life of FlintGrey...kicks, kicks....and, well...what else is there?

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