Lend A Helping Hand...Or Foot

Many of us take buying a new pair of shoes for granted, especially those who consider themselves "sneaker heads." It is unfortunate that someone can complain about the quality of a pair of sneakers when thousands of people around the world go barefoot.

Soles 4 Souls is an organization based in Nashville TN , S4S accepts donations from anywhere in the world to be distributed to those in need of shoes. As someone who buys a pair of sneakers almost once a month, I try and donate a pair as often as I can. Please donate your lightly worn pair of sneakers to Soles 4 Souls or any organization providing footwear to those in need. for more information on how to donate visit Soles4Souls

Sports Illustrated for Sneaker Heads

Sole Collector Magazine is the worlds leading sneaker magazine. Started in 2003 Sole magazine provides information about new releases exclusive offers and international released sneakers. Sole provided high quality pictures of 100's of sneakers from every major brand.

Sole also features interviews athletes and entertainers who apart of the sneaker culture. The magazine can be found in any Foot locker around the country and also in many bookstores and sneaker boutiques. If you want to subscribe or learn more about Sole Collector check out their website SoleCollector.com

It's like running barefoot

I am not really sure if this can even be considered a sneaker but nonetheless The Vibram Five Finger shoe looks very innovative and quite comfortable, go here to get a pair of your own.

Retroactive

In the sneaker industry brands like Nike and Reebok will re-release a signature sneaker from previous years into production for a limited time. This is called Retro-ing. Retro-ing is very common among sneakers like Nike Air Jordans (pictured above) and Reebok signature such as Iversons (Allen Iverson's signature shoe) When the Retros are released, they are often released in limited quantities at select stores for limited times. The sneakers can range anywhere 80 dollars to 200 dollars.

As you can se in the above pictures, the sneakers are usually changed slightly from the original or "OG" model. Believe it or not this has caused controversy among avid sneaker collectors. Many collectors who were not fortunate to purchase an original pair feel that the Retro model should be exactly the same, while collectors who own original pairs feel that the colors or material should indeed be changed to maintain a uniqueness to their original pair. This might sound silly to some people, but many sneaker collectors have serious concerns over this.

Consumers are also in discontent by the quality of the retro sneakers. Many recent retro sneakers released by Brand Jordan have been made with cheap leather and poor quality materials. Many loyal customers feel that they are being betrayed by the companies for producing these poor quality retros. Nonetheless when a highly sought-after original sneaker is being retrod collectors gather in lines hundreds of people long to snag a pair of their own. Many retros such as the Jordan XI Space Jam mentioned in a previous post, can go for four to six hundred dollars on Ebay from re sellers the day after release.

put your sole into It

Ever see a pair of sneakers in the store that you want to buy but don't really like the color? maybe you didn't have a T-shirt to match? Well worry no longer, Nike is coming to save you from your footwear woes once again. Behold Nike ID

Nike ID is a feature of the nike website that allows you to customize and personalize your own nike sneaker. Pictured above is your design window. Once a certain nike model is chosen the user then chooses from various categories, such as midsole, tongue and Swoosh color. Within these categories the user can chooses from as many as 10 colors and various materials. Once all the desired colors and materials are chosen the customer can then add their name or word of choice (with obvious limitations). After your customization you have the option to purchase your designed pair of sneakers or save them in your locker.

Nike ID was launched in 1999 as an online only feature with minimal sneaker and color choices. Since then nike has made available a vast array of not only sneakers but other Nikewear to personalize online and now in one of their many Nike ID studios across the world in places like China, London and the US. So if your looking for a new pair of shoes and want to give it your own twist or just want to get in touch with your artistic side go ahead and check out Nike ID

Scam or Slam?

Athletic Propulsion Labs is a a fairly new company launced in 2009 in Los Angeles California. Founded by two former athletes at UCLA. They specialize in designing and producing advanced equipment that enhance athletic performance.

Their newest product is set to release this summer, a sneaker currently called "Concept One." The sneakers are advertised as being a revolutionary shoe that significantly increases your vertical leap using "Load and Launch" technology. The company proclaims that the sneaker has been tested at "a leading west coast university" and examined by two "PhDs". The company also claims that the sneaker is statistically proven to on average increase your vertical leap by 3.5 inches. It is hard to believe that a pair of sneakers can really improve your vertical leap but with a whopping 300 dollar price tag it is hard to imagine that they don't do anything at all. For more info visit Athletic Propulsion Labs

Phonies On Your Feet

Imagine surfing the net for some online shopping, hoping to maybe snag some internet-excluisve deals, maybe trying to find something they didn't have in the store. You come across that new pair of hundred dollar Jordans and to your amazement they're only 50 dollars! To good to be true? Well the answer is yes, in fact it is.

Fake and counterfeit sneakers has become a huge (illegal) industry, especially on online websites such as Ebay and Craigslist. Sellers are producing mass quantities of poor quality look alike sneakers, modeled to look almost identical to popular collectable sneakers such as Air Jordans and Nike Dunks. These sneakers look somewhat appealing in pictures but once purchased and worn, the sneakers will most likely fall apart after a few wears. This industry has become so big that Richard Stanwix, Head of Brand Security for Nike, said in a recent issue ofSneaker freaker Magazine, that 98% of (nike)sneakers at any given time on ebay are fake or counterfeit. This is clearly a large concern for Nike and it's brands.

Fake is a rather general term and one might wonder what actually constitutes a "fake" sneaker. Any Sneaker that is advertised and or made to look like a nike sneaker (or any sneaker company ) or bearing the logo that is not made authentically by the sneaker company is considered "fake."

Telling the difference between an authentic pair of sneakers and a counterfeit pair from pictures alone on ebay is difficult. Counterfeit sellers are also known to use stock pictures from reputable footwear websites as their own to advertise their fake sneakers. Buyers are very easily tricked into buying these knock offs. Go here for a quick lesson on how to spot fakes.

Remember if you com across a pair of sneakers on a website such as ebay or craigslist and the price is significantly lower than retail, BEWARE.