It’s been a while since I’ve been to MJ46 Center to check out kicks and other gear. The last time I was there, it was still a Nike outlet store. Since then, they also carry Asics, New Balance, Gourmet, Onitsuka Tiger, DC, Boxfresh, and a couple others. It’s nice to see OT drop their sample pairs here (size 9s, cop them as some of them never made it to production or were never sold locally).

Here are a couple of kicks which I think shouldn’t have made it to the outlets. The Air Max Light Quickstrikes, the Lunar Flow, MP Trainer 1.3 Breathes, and the Air Ralston.There are Kobes, LeBrons (9s as well as the AF1 and ACQ Conquer QS are in stock), Jordans (Black Flips), and a couple of Nike Basketball pairs worth picking up at a fraction of the price in store. Do drop by or regularly check out their facebook page for updates.

Congratulations to Jojo Hizon for getting engaged! Cheers bro!

Here’s the last of the pairs I picked up during my trip to the US last February. Ok, so I did pick up a number of pairs during that last trip. These Black/Sail AM1s are a beaut! The tonal upper made this an auto cop and I would rank this as one of the better AM1 releases for late 2011/early 2012 (ranks definitely close to the Honeycomb AM1s). Who cares if they are GRs. Paging Nike Philippines, why didn’t these drop here? I’m really beginning to question on what’s been dropping lately.

We’ve seen it before- retro pairs given the tech update by changing the material, outsole, midsole to better give the shoe its much needed upgrade in order for people to wear it today. For the most part, updates make the retro lighter and perform better as they were initially intended to. I don’t know if you guys remember the Air Kukini, and web-like, no-laces runner that launched in 2000. This was back in the day when the Presto, Presto Cage, and the Presto Chanjo made its mark in Nike’s performance line.

12 years to the future, Nike brought back the triathlete-friendly runner but not enhanced with a Free 5.0 outsole. Does it make it better? I’d like to think so. The Nike Kukini Free is now available at Nike doors and stockists such as Sole Academy. The Kukini Free retails for 4,495 php and comes in four colorways- 3 mens and 1 womens, with the black-anthracite-white cw part of the USATF pack.

With the Olympics just a couple of months away, Nike’s been releasing a lot of the pairs that made the Summer Games memorable. Although the 2K4′s didn’t really bring home the Gold for Team USA, The Zoom Huarache 2K4‘s been part of Nike’s rich basketball heritage. Taking inspiration from various silhouettes (Air Huarache, Air Force 1, AJ XI, just to name a few), the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 is and will always be a shoe for the ages.

Aside from the Black/Varsity Maize colorway, you can also pick up a White/Metallic Silver-Pro Purple colorway from Nike doors and stockists such as Sole Academy. The Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 retails for 5,995 php.

If you missed out on our promo earlier today, don’t fret. Titan’s got a couple more pairs up for grabs this Friday, February 24. This is the 2nd of the NSW All-Star Pack or the Space Exploration Collection (the Orlando Flight One, this one, and the Galaxy Foams). These also go for 6,495 php, but you’ll have to win them via lottery. Stay tuned to Titan for more details.

I won’t need to wow you with storeis. The images should do the shoe some justice. Oh. but they are damn light too.

These look too good…

…with the velcro logo…

..or without…

…or in the dark…

…or from the back…

…or with flashing lights…

Friday. Easy? Pray to the sneaker gods that you either win our promo or you win this Friday’s lottery.

Nike continues to keep NSW in check with another Cortez, this time for the ladies. The Lady Cortez Leather is slimmer silhouette compared to the original Cortez. This way, ladies don’t need to look like they’re straight hood when they rock the Nike original. The Lady Cortez Leather retails for 2,995 php and is now available at Sole Academy.

The third installment of the NSW Dress Pack, the Toki gets the Supreme treatment with high grade leather throughout. It’s all leather- leather laces, leather upper, and leather-bound midsoles. Oh, and like the other two, these have the beloved gum soles on them. Among the three, I’m betting these will go first.

The Nike Toki Supreme QS retails for 4,995 php, now available at Sole Academy.

Here’s the 2nd pair from the Dress Pack, the Aina Chukka Supreme QS. The Aina Chukka’s back, as it was on heavy rotation around 2 years ago. Gum soles, woven mid panels, and the leather-wrapped midsole (which is the common denominator among the three pairs). Though the Woven Chukkas aren’t making its way here, these are definitely a good alternative, especially if you’re looking for a pair that’s dressier than most.

The Nike Aina Chukka Supreme QS is now available at Sole Academy for 4,995 php. Limited sizes and quantities.

If you thought the Huaraches were a surprise, guess again. Sole Academy and Nike released a trio of NSW Quickstrikes dubbed as the “Dress Pack“. The three pairs- Aina Chukka QS, Toki Supreme QS, and the Hachi Supreme QS (above)- are now available in store. The Hachi takes on a more elegant look with a premium leathers for the upper as well as leather wrapped midsole (this is a sign of things to come, as they initially offered this on the new age Bespoke AF1s). The gum bottoms are a great addition to the leather laces, now making the Hachi a classier looking little brother of the Blazer.

The Nike Hachi Supreme QS is now available at Sole Academy for 4,995 php. Sizes and quantities are limited.

After the success of the Huarache (that was initially nixed by top Nike execs), Tinker was also working on applying the Huarache bootie + lightweight/less material upper to a basketball shoe. A few months later they were on the feet of the infamous Fab 5 led by my all-time favorite player Chris Webber and the rest of the Michigan Wolverines. This season, Nike brings back the original colorway but worked the Free sole into Huarache upper. Lighter than its predecessor, these are great on the court and off it (I actually saw someone play in these last weekend).

This Quickstrike release of the Huarache Free BBall 2012 retails for 5,995 php and is now available in limited quantities (read it, LIMITED) at Sole Academy. If I were you, drop on by and get your pair before they’re all gone.