Unlocked Blog

House of Hoops drops another NYC tribute with this Vandal Low NYC “Catch a Cab.” The last NYC tribute released in February was a Dunk Hi that had a glow-in-the-dark outsole for “the city that never sleeps.” The newest dedication, a vandal low hitting House Hoops on 6/19, references one of NYC’s more famous modes of transportation (besides the subway). The shoe is all about the yellow cab with its yellow patent swoosh, yellow lacing and outsole, and yellow dots and contrast stitching. The checkers on the cab also make their presence known on the strap and bordering between the upper panels.

Some other key NYC details are the statue of liberty with On/Off Duty details on the tongue, and the sockliner containing a fare guide. More shots below and in the gallery. (more…)

The last city tribute pack to drop at House of Hoops was the “For the Love of the City” pack back in February, and after a short break there are some more exclusives on their way, dropping 6/19. There is another Houston tribute (February’s version was a vandal high with dripping sizzrup) but this one reps the city’s important role in space exploration: it is the home of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The center trains astronauts and is most famously known for housing the Mission Control Center, which coordinates with astronauts during their outer-space missions. Remember Apollo 13? “Houston we have a problem.” The LBJ Center is the reason Houston is nicknamed “Space City.”
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One of Nike’s classic designs will return as a House of Hoops exclusive. The Nike Blazer High will drop in a Black/White colorway at all 3 House of House locations on June 4th. (more…)

To celebrate inauguration day, there was a House of Hoops release (all 3 locations) of the Air Jordan Pure Pressure. Two colorways, red and blue, were released with midsole designs bursting with USA-pride. There are stars, stripes, fireworks, a very patriotic tribute to Barack Obama’s inauguration. The shoes also double as PE’s for Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson. (more…)

The Asics Gel Lyte III is one of those trusty old models that somehow comes out looking like a million bucks in nearly every color.  This new Foot Locker exclusive does more than its share to contribute to the legacy; we want these AND the next pair.

They’re all black save two reflective dots on the outside of the toe. We see textured leather, nylon and mesh, and although they’re not colorful, the contrast of fabrics helps to bring these black beauties to life.  They’ll be available exclusively at select Foot Locker stores in December. - Sneaker News

More photos below…
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The Lebron VI is going to be available in a special NYC version, hitting only Foot Lockers in the next several weeks (it had a brief debut at HoH earlier in November). The wht/wht/midnight navy seen below is a tribute to Lebron’s stellar performance at the Garden when he dropped 50 points on the Knicks. The 3/5/2008 near the heel calls out the date of the achievement. Lebron definitely has some love for NYC, with an earlier tribute shoe being the New York Yankees edition of the V.  Could we see him in pin-stripes if he makes the MJ cross-over to baseball?  If the Nets never make it to Brooklyn would he think about the Knicks?  Anything is possible…  For more shots check the gallery.

On 1/17, the Kobe IVs will be exclusively available at Foot Locker stores nationwide. Kobe’s fourth signature shoe is quite different from previous launches. You’ll notice unique features such as the translucent sole and the black reptile print found on both the toe box and heel area. Purple and yellow accents are also found on the shoe in addition to the black and yellow zigzag laces. It also borrows from the successful hyperdunk’s flywire midfoot support. A white version is coming later in ‘09 so stay tuned. For a closer look, check out the gallery.

The Playstation Air Force 1 was probably one of the most well liked and sought after AF1s ever, it was unfortunately a promo only sneaker. A Nike Air Max 90/360 Hybrid Playstation was created as well and was definitely just as nice, again, promo only. For those who had trouble finding a pair of the Playstation AF1 or the Playstation Air Max 90/360 Hybrid, the above Playstation AF1 inspired Nike Shox Monster could serve as an alternative. The upper features a black metallic patent leather holding up a good part of the top and the bottom of the body. The nicest piece is the mesh on the midbody featuring a gradient from white to blue to purple, reminiscent of the Playstation colors. The rest of the sneaker based details are in black including the lining, sole and the Nike Shox units. The last detail calling out the game system are the purple laces, a nice touch to finish off. Very limited numbers of this Playstation Air Force 1 inspired Nike Shox Monster will be available exclusively at select flagship Foot Lockers in early November.
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These days there isn’t much for Yankees fans to cheer about (other than teams beating the Red Sox, goooo Rays!).  This is all about to change, when the Nike Sharkley Yankee colorway starts to hit Foot Lockers in the next two weeks.  This style is exclusive to Foot Locker, so make sure to check your local store to see when it hits your area.  Also, check out the gallery for more info and shots of this instant pin-stripe classic.

Another exclusive, the Jordan Jumpman Pro, hitting late September so stay tuned for the drop.