Nike’s got a couple of basketball kicks that dropped this week- the Zoom LBJ Ambassador III (Summit Lake Hornets cw), the Rare Air (new colorway), and the LeBron 8 (gs). All these are available at Nike stores and other stores carrying Nike Basketball products. The Ambassadors in this colorway look much better than the initial cw that came out. The grey on white definitely makes the shoe a clean one. The Rare Air (above), well… they are MJs trademark colors. Do I like ‘em? ehhh. But I know some heads would still gravitate towards these regardless. The LBJ 8s are done in Team USA colors, but only available in GS sizes.

On the NSW end, we see another Air Max 90 and Air Max Light to add to a loaded Air Max line that we’ve seen over the past couple of months. The Light brings in a Laser Blue-esque colorway to the table. Quality’s much better than the Laser Blue if you ask me. The AM90 comes in deep red/burgundy colorway and a mesh/leather upper. There’s also some patent leather to give the shoe an added dimension. The NSW line is also available at Nike Parks and Stadiums this week.

August is a crazy month for us. Between the PBA Finals, NBA Fit, PBA Draft, Youth Olympics, FIBA Worlds, and NBA Asia Challenge, this has got to be the craziest it’s ever been. This month makes Opening Week, the Finals or other major events seem like chicken scratch. But amidst all this, we all need to take time out and appreciate the finer things in life.

Yes, the wait is finally over. 2 years of looking at one pair that eluded me the last time they dropped is finally with me. I finally got my Infrareds. I keep telling friends and readers- you can have your Dunks, AF1s, Jordans and SBs. Just give me my runners and I’m set. And the Infrareds are among my most coveted pairs.

Yes, they are GRs. But it took me a good two years to get my hands on them without spending a fortune. I could’ve gone the route of crazy kicks collector and pick the first pair I see on eBay. But no, I knew it was coming out again. I knew it was gonna happen. And this time around, it was worth the wait.

Thanks to P and KB for makin’ this happen. Coordinating, ordering, sending numerous emails back and forth, and even having a courier pick ‘em up made the story behind these kicks much sweeter. I am forever grateful. And yes, I can now check this off my list. For more pics of the 2010 AM90 Infrareds, check out the Facebook Fan Page. If you’re not yet a fan, please be one!

thanks to regine david photography for photos.

So when this specially made Air Attack box was sitting on my desk that day, it definitely got me workin’ the right way that week. As you can see, these are the Air Max 90 with the metallic/reflectorized upper with the red outsoles. The AM90 is one of the more comfy AMs out there (though I’ve yet to try the 2009/2010s, I heard those are instant classics). I’m sure you’ve all seen the secret behind Nike Air video.

The Air Attack Pack’s been out the past month and is available at most Nike outlets- Nike Park BHS, Trinoma, Stadium GB5, and Urban Athletics among others. I’ve featured them a few weeks back, too. The Air Max 90- celebrating it’s 20th year this year comes in 4 other colorways, all rockable and coppable. The only downside to this model is that the 3M/reflectors crease with ease. But hey, you gotta wear every pair, so live with it.

I’d like to thank my sister for taking the photos for this Closer Look feature. Check her other photos, she’s really good. I also want to thank the awesome people who sent me the shoe. You know who you are. Enjoy the rest of the photos below.

Now, these AM90s I’m on the fence on. They do carry the white/team orange colorway. Any takers? I’ll pass on them. Something looks wrong with it. Maybe not enought grey/orange? It’s like they were undecided and had to pass their papers on this one.

You guys love it or hate it?

I was at Rockwell Tuesday and decided to check out the kicks at Nike Rockwell. This was really the calm before the storm. Ofcourse we all know the Kobe V dropped Friday and the AJVI Black/Reds dropped today, but here are the kicks worth copping ASIDE from the aforementioned pairs.

The AM90 you see on top is for the ladies. Nice colorway, and that’s all you need to know and take from this post regarding it. AM 90s are classic and this is no exception.

The Jordan 2  Retro is part of the 25th or Silver Anniversary of the Jordan line. All 25 pairs will carry the white/metallic silver/natural grey and this ofcourse is no exception. I always felt the 2s were too chunky. Jordanheads will harp on these regardless. Detail is great here as you can see the close ups of the heel and the tongue.

The last shoe I got from this visit were these AM1s. They’ve been out for quite some time but this is the only time I’ve seen ‘em in person. Most of the S/S 201o AM1s will have this color blocking- a grey quarter with a swoosh, tip, overlay and mudguard in one color. The shoe’s colorway (white/black/Scuba-blue) is just neat, perfect and safe for whatever occasion. All these kicks SHOULD be available around town. They’re clean, safe and perfect for everyday use.

With so many drops this weekend, I had to separate the NSW drops to the performance pairs. With the popularity of the Dunk the past two years, most of the nice drops this weekend were, well, Dunks. Here’s three more added to the COAST wars if you will. The North reps us with 2 colorways surely to wow some heads. The orange/black colorway looks quite similar to High that came out a couple of years ago. The purple/black one is definitely clean and would work with anything. What’s great with these two releases is that it’s now veering away from the speckled look we’ve had the past couple of months. The stripes on the toe box definitely gives a nice, detailed touch to a somewhat simple looking shoe.

For those fiending for the speckled look, another East speckled Dunk is added to the mix. The grey/blue/white/volt pattern works well. I personally like the way the blue pops against the grey/white colorway. Lastly, there’s an AM90 for the ladies. You can’t see it clearly here but the eyelets and the heel area’s a faint pink and not white. But you know what? You’ll only appreciate these pairs in person. My camera skills can only take these sneakers so far. Check out the Nike Stadium over at Greenbelt 5 near Chili’s.

After all the sweet kicks I copped last week, I tried my best to hide from the stores and see ninja releases our wallets had no plans for. A friend SMS’d me about the Bacon. Yes, the DQM Bacon. Ofcourse, these aren’t the OG AM90 Bacons. But like other releases of the Swoosh the past year, this is a hybrid of the classic collab.

This is the DQM x Nike Air Max 90 Current Huarache Bacons , or the DQMNAM90CHB. Ok, no one really calls it that. The original collab got everyone excited and prices for that went up so fast, so fast that Roadrunner’s got nothing on these bad boys. These, however, are ok. I personally don’t like it that much (though I did try them on and liked them) as it’s a far cry from the OG Bacons. The brown and red clash and are shades darker than the originals. But where can you find your size in this day and age, right?

So drop on by Hideout for a pair. There’s just a  1 size per run for these hybrids so I suggest you scoot on down and cop a pair.

I’ve been to MJ46 Center a couple of times before and every single time after, there’s always something to feature. The photos posted on the site are the ones I really had my eye on, but there are a lot of pairs to choose from. Yes, the store is a Nike Factory Outlet. And though it is a factory outlet, you can also find a couple of pairs that you’ll see in regular stores.

This time around, I was surprised to see some Tier Zero Dunks (sorry folks, these TZs are for the ladies), Premium Quickstrikes (AM1 Microstripes, Huarache Light Burst), and other special pairs that you wouldn’t expect to see at a factory store. The outlet is unique as it’s the only factory store that carries big sizes (note: size 13-15). Big dudes are hard to shop for and you’d be surprised to see a couple of AMs, Prestos, and Jordans here. At least for the bigs out there, you don’t have to wear slippers or your ball shoes when you go out. Thank God I have ample-sized feet. Yes, my shoe size is a bit common for heads, but at least there are options. I feel bad for guys with big feet… and when I mean I feel bad, I only feed bad that they can’t find shoes that fit.

But the most important thing here is that the items here are marked down! Prices are tagged much lower than regular stores. Where can you find Huarache Bursts for only 3,360 Php? I do recommend that you physically visit the store to check out the whole range. There might be some gems there that aren’t worth anything to me, but might be of interest for you.

For store inquiries, log on to http://www.mj46center.com