Technical running footwear is already proving to be big business so far this year with all the main players releasing product featuring the latest and greatest technology that they believe will assist and enhance the wearers performance the most. As tends to be the case when it comes to these kind of technological advances in footwear, Nike are the market leaders and that’s down to the hard work Mark Miner and his team in Beaverton, Oregon have put in to create new concepts like ‘adaptive fit’, successfully reshaping the running category industry-wide.

Following a series of high-budget marketing campaigns from Nike and the addition of Free product to their ID portfolio, allowing the customer to design their own bespoke pair of shoes, 2012 looks set to continue in the development of technical running products as more and more pick up on the benefits of technology like Free.

Young, resourceful and driven to pushing trainers to their full technical potential, Mark Miner’s work has successfully positioned Nike at the forefront of the latest sneaker boom so when we heard that our friends down-under at Sneaker Freaker had managed to bag an interview with the man behind the Free Run+ we had to take a look. In the interview Mark talks about the painstaking process of turning the simple idea of creating a shoe that moves when the wearer moves into reality as well as giving his thoughts on what’s to come…

Head over to Sneaker Freaker to see the interview in full and see our current Nike Free collection here.

Back by popular demand, June sees the re-release of an all time classic by Nike - the Air Safari. First launched in 1987, the Air Safari, designed by none other than Tinker Hatfield (of course), was a pretty bizarre creation at the time and seen by many as a good 20 years ahead of its time. Featuring an Air unit in the sole, it was intended as a track shoe but was referred to by some as a trails shoe due to the rugged looking ostrich leather used in the upper & its relatively odd colourway. For the design, Hatfield was said to have taken inspiration from a trip to a New York furniture store where a sofa made from deluxe ostrich leather caught his attention.

Despite little promotion from Nike, the Air Safari, became popular in the footwear fraternity and a lot of that success is down to hop-hop artist Biz Markie who favoured the shoe and can be seen wearing it on the back of his 1988 hit album; ‘Goin Off’. From that day on, Nike owe a lot to Biz and his unofficial association with the Air Safari…

Retro’d in its original colourway for the first time since 2003 and only the second time since its original launch 25 years ago, the Nike Air Safari QS is scheduled to be available on Friday 15th June (subject to change from Nike) alongside a Safari inspired Air Trainer 1 QS, both of which will be available in limited numbers from size? stores & online.

A branch of the famous Keds footwear family who have been creating ‘everyday shoes’ since 1916, PRO-Keds have built up their reputation of offering well made, on trend and easy to wear trainers for decades.

Established by Keds in 1949 as a footwear division intended for basketball and athletics, the PRO-Keds line was quickly recognised on the court, track and field due to the distinctive red and blue Powerstripe, now a trademark for distinguishing PRO-Keds. Some styles even utilised cushioning technology to keep up with the rapid advancements in footwear construction.

Dubbed as an American icon of sport, born of backyards and pick-up games, PRO-Keds were worn from kids in the playground to NBA stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald and Pete ‘Pistol’ Maravich amongst others. Gaining street credibility through the wide ranging coverage, New York Hip-Hop pioneers DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata and the Rock Steady Crew quickly picked up on the movement, transcending the brand from sports to street, with B-Boy crews then adopting certain models like the Royal Master as THE break dancing shoe.

As well as moving onto endorsing NCAA teams and the USA collegiate programme, one of the brands finest moves was the acquisition of boxing legend ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard as brands spokesperson and endorser in 1981, once again strengthening the brands sporting heritage.

As well as creating everyday trainers, sports classics and legendary silhouettes, the brand have also been involved with their fair share of collaborations with influencers such as Biz Markie, Bobbito Garcia (below) and brands like Norse Projects, J. Crew, Stussy and 10 Deep.

With a raft of history and heritage from ingrained in the brand, PRO-Keds continue to innovate and create, but without compromising the brand’s strictly simple looks and constructions. Still dedicated to offering the ‘everyday’ shoe, you can check out our PRO-Keds range here.

http://www.vimeo.com/40653225

From its’ release in 1968 as a basketball specific silhouette at a time when suede was seen as a revolutionary alternative to leather, the PUMA Suede has long been a favourite of many. After successfully transcending from the hardwood courts of the NBA in the late ’60’s the Suede was instantly picked up by the emerging hip-hop generation in the 1970’s & ’80’s and is now a staple piece in most people’s wardrobe thanks to a range of eye-catching colourways & simple, classic styling.

As a new generation of footwear fans discover the versatility of the ‘Formstripe’ brands most iconic silhouette, PUMA release this short video detailing the shoe’s rich history.

Check the video above and view our current selection of PUMA Suede’s here.

Staff Style is back with Editon #3! Check it out below…

Name: Garth Merritt

Position: Merchandiser (The numbers man!)

Time at size?: It’s coming up to our Fruit & Flowers Anniversary, 4 years!

Favourite ever shoe: Tough call. Like asking for your favourite film or song! Campus 80s maybe, particularly the full snakeskin and suede toe edition from 2009.

Seasonal style prediction: All over prints and patterns return. Look out for camo, polka dot, Hawaiian and even Paisley! Chino will also give way to denim once again.

What are you wearing?: New Balance 577 - Made in England, a big contender for my shoe of the year (available here), dark rinse tapered denim, similar to our Edwin ED55, a clean white Oxford shirt, we so a good selection from Stussy, Lyle and Carhartt,  a Pointer x Anderson woven belt and finally a Barbour x Tokito jacket which was an Xmas present to myself. Great design, great features, a classic you’ll never tire of.

Known for his eye-catching designs, US fashion designer Jeremy Scott has been collaborating with adidas Originals for a number of seasons now. From footwear & apparel to accessories, each time JS pushes the boundaries of his work to create a themed collection more outrageous than the last.

With today’s rise in popularity in streetwear and sneaker culture it was only a matter of time before Scott’s work was picked up by the mainstream and there isn’t much more mainstream than worldwide news corporation CNN who recently interviewed the man himself. In the interview Scott talks mainly about his collaboration series with adidas Originals as well as going into depth about his design concepts.

Check the interview above and our SS12 adidas Originals x Jeremy Scott ObyO collection here.

Source: slamxhype

The Waffle Racer, a successor to the Oregon Waffle, was first introduced in 1976 and is a classic example of early Nike design & development from an era when the brand was relatively new & upcoming.

Intended as a lightweight running specific silhouette, the shoes standout feature was its’ ‘waffle’ outsole, which curved up at the toe and through a series of rubber spikes/pimples was designed to give an athlete maximum grip on both the track and road.

As well as the curved waffle outsole, another noticeable advance in technology for the Waffle Racer was the addition of a larger midsole, which increased stability & comfort, but since it was manufactured out of EVA, the finished product was lighter in weight than similar previous Nike models released at the time.

Available in distinctive 1970’s Nike colourways (varsity maize/varsity royal & court green/uni gold), limited to just 500 units in each & complete with ‘vintage’ treatment, the size? exclusive Nike Waffle Racer Vintage is scheduled for a May release (exact date TBC) at stores and online.

The Nike Roshe Run is coming. A trainer that has amassed immense support due to a clean aesthetic, easy to wear style and technical premise, this is a model that could become the ‘must-have’ footwear item of the year. Designed by Dylan Raasch, the name draws from the word ‘Roshi’, the title bestowed upon a Zen master, whilst the shoe draws inspiration from a Zen garden. With the outsole looking like carefully placed stepping stones and the insole looking like a raked rock garden, the key points on this shoe don’t finish there. The model uses a single foam sole unit, thus reducing manufacturing costs and stripping back the carbon footprint. Already being prepped in a handful of dual-tone colourways, the Roshe Run by Nike will be landing at size? soon.

A silhouette that’s generated a strong following over the last couple of years or so, the Toki is back once again, this time as a size? exclusive as part of our on going collaboration series with Nike Sportswear.

First released in 2008 and essentially a ‘hybrid’ creation of two other Nike models; the ever-popular Blazer and lesser-known Air Sabuku, the Toki is a pretty versatile silhouette that has been seen in a number of different colour & material options in its’ relatively short lifetime. For our spring 2012 release we’ve gone for a clean & simple combination of tonal brushed suede in the uppers with contrasting Nike branding on the tongue, on top of a bright white vulcanized sole unit.

Available in ice blue and mint green, both colourways are limited to just 500 pairs each and will be available from size? stores and online this Friday (20^th April).