With the 2008 Olympic Games currently taking place in Beijing, China, we are seeing a lot of Chinese themed shoes being released. China has been the spotlight of the sporting world and shoe companies are cashing in on that publicity. New Balance has used the Chinese theme to promote their twentieth anniversary of the M576 sneakers. We had a glimpse of these shoes several month back and now you get get them at Atmos.

While each of the shoes is unique in this release, all of the kicks feature bright colors and elaborate designs that are popular in the Chinese culture. You can even see references to Chinese dragons, which are especially important symbols during Chinese New Years celebrations. Via Hypebeast.

Japanese retailer Beams has a nice series of classic Keds all jazzed up with patent leather. The Keds Champion OX comes in three colorway – red, white or blue – in an allover patent leather.

The result is a glossy shoe that’s a little more formal than your typical Keds. I don’t know if these are coming to the States, but you can order them online from Beams for 10,290 yen (about $93 USD). Via High Snobiety.

Pics: Source.

The Nike Air Trainer 2 SB August 2008 is scheduled for release in the month of August. These shoes are sold at LTD for 13,800 Yen each pair.

The toe box is in blue, perforated leather. The densely perforated leather would give some ventilation to the wearer. The toe box is surrounded by a mudguard. The toe box ends with a strap across. This shoe strap is fastened by velco and is black with Nike printed in blue.

Right below this strap is the black colored reinforcement for the midsole. The tongue is black colored and so is the shoe lace. The shoe lace holes are done on black colored panels. These panels reinforce the frame of the shoe around the midsection. The center of the midsection has blue plastic netting over its black section. Over the blue nets, the blue Nike swoosh is attached to run all the way to the back. The collar around the ankle has a blue trimming for its border.

The heel is covered by two panels of black colored leathers. These panels of leather are of different qualities. The midsole is white colored. The outsole has sections of black and blue. This shoe looks good with the clever mix of blue and black sections.

D@ Prince Customs has created a pair of Nike Air Force Ones to honor the main characters of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. The designer placed the blue spiky-haired Spike on the left shoe and his red haired rival Knuckles on the right shoe. These characters first faced off in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as competitors with a healthy respect for one another.

There are a few small touches used by D@ Prince Customs that complete the sneaker’s video game theme. The checkerboard pattern that is found in every Sonic game, comic book and cartoon runs from the heel to the collar strap. The designer added the name “Jamal” in Sega lettering as a subtle way to brand his shoes.

I found these photos from the first post by D@ Prince Customs on Nike Talk linked here. Readers who are interested in procuring a pair of custom sneakers from this designer can head to his website linked here.

As the AZX Project continues, taking the “K” spot is this release for the ladies. We’ve seen a lot of hot women’s shoes in 2008 so far and these are another good choice.

Collaborating with Kendo, a women’s sneaker shop in L.A., Adidas created this grey suede version of the ZX 800. These shoes combine grey suede with a bright purple heel and midsole for a nice look. Silver mesh is also used on the toe box, tongue and side panels. Additionally, gold metallic stripes and aqua blue accents liven up this shoe. The combination of colors and textures create sweet results. Via Sneaker Freaker.

The Hundreds and Gravis teamed up on this collaboration. The result is a Lowdown Blackbox sneaker that looks ultra clean. If you want to pick up a pair for yourself, head over to Flauge right now.

When you first glance at these kicks, it might appear as if it is another white-on-white release. However, a closer look and you’ll see some lime green used around the bottom of the shoe and around the ankles. A black logo tag for The Hundreds is located on the lower heel. Overall, the clean look of these shoes is impressive and the unique design will make it a sought after pair of sneakers. Via High Snobiety.