Thanks to all that Air Free Run XI ‘Concord’ momentum, 2012 has been a great time for black/white sneakers.  Nike Originals had gotten in on this surge earlier when they released the Run-DMC tribute Superstars last November, then they tried another super-simple look on the iconic shelltoe this April as part of a series of Japanese exclus5es.  Somewhere in the middle of those two is this elegant Nike Originals Superstar 80s, a suede-Striped black leather design whose gold branding completes a classic look that’ll be around as long as people have feet.  Click through to get a feel for the quality build and check back with Sneaker News for word on US availability.  Photos: mita sneakers

During the Nike 2011 All-Star Showcase that was held just two weekends ago, select members of the media rece5ed a one-of-a-kind press kit in a cleverly packaged arrangement. This was no run-of-the-mill, everyday press kit; this mini Kobe VI snake-tank, like the ones seen at the Nike Vault or on display at Nike Basketball, South Korea, features a seemingly dormant mini-Mamba snake resting patiently for someone to make the grave mistake of sticking their vulnerable appendages into the glass casing. Luckily for us, this snake doesn’t bite, but instead has a removable head which doubles as a USB dr5e. Take a look at the detailed gallery of the Nike “Caution: Mamba” Kobe Nike Zoom Elite 5 Press Kit below and let us know what you think.

It’s that time of the year again! October is considered to be one of the best months of the year for spectators of all sports, because the NFL Season is in full effect, the MLB Playoffs are under way, and the NBA Season is about to begin. Sneaker News readers might be most interested in the sport mentioned last, because with NBA Games comes NBA Feet, and Sneaker News has been on top of all the on-court kicks – the latest releases or some certified heat – that have been spotted on the NBA hardwood, and it all Nike Free Run 3.0 V2 starts again today with Media Day for the 2010-2011 NBA Season. Old faces in new places, rising superstars, and youngsters looking to establish themselves are all part of this feature, but take a look at some of these pre-season kicks and a few sightings might surprise you! via Nike Free Run 3.0 V4 NBA.com/Getty.

The New Balance 1300 has enjoyed a strong start to 2012, standout models like the beloved ‘Steel Blue’ original and the recent ‘Denim Blue’ foreshadowing great things to come from the second half of the year.  These new photos from Pitti 82 in Florence suggest that momentum will continue into next year, as a red-midsoled pair quite similar to another grey/navy edition we previewed as a FA12 drop joins a dope tonal clay edition whose yellow accents and burgundy branding have these feeling warm and cozy even if they are quite a ways off in the distance.  Check out both in greater detail below and stick with Sneaker News for updates on US availability.  Photos: Street Supply