Converse is pulling out all of the stops to honor its 100th anniversary. The newest classic style to hit the market is the Skidgrip which shows the simple approach to design used by the brand throughout its history. The patriotic Skidgrips shown above are joined by the green/blue/orange shoes pictured after this post.

I think that the Skidgrips could have stayed in the past without anyone shedding a tear. The low-top profile of the Skidgrip is similar to dozens of other styles offered by Converse in the last 20 years. The colorways are comical and too over-the-top for most consumers. The red/white/blue Skidgrip is similar to a Christmas tree sweater because it could only be worn for a limited time each year. The old-school colorway shown below would fit in well at a bowling alley in the 1970s.

The Converse Skidgrips are available in limited release at this point. I hope that Converse uses a better editing eye when thinking of other additions to the growing catalog of 100th anniversary products.

Laced recently posted a new pair of New Balance trainers with a unique look. These shoes use the A09 style as a backdrop for some interesting design elements.  

The familiar New Balance logo on the side of the shoe is replaced with a white N that looks like it was added on by a graffiti artist. Take a look at the heels in the picture after this post to see the mountain peak painted in white against the all-black background. It never seemed possible that black and white would look as good as they do on these special editions.

A few splashes of red break up the occasional monotony of the black/white colorway. Red beads and elaborate stamps on the heels give sneaker fans enough color to satiate their flashy ways. I love these shoes and look forward to a wider release in the near future.

If you are into partying St. Patrick’s Day, love Irish traditions, or just a fan of green shoes, Reebok has what you are looking for this season.

For the ladies, the Reebok St. Patrick’s Day Freestyle Hi (pictured above)is a soft pastel green that’s simple, feminine and fun. For about $70, you can’t beat the price.

For the guys, check out the Reebok St. Patrick’s Day ERS 5000. this retro running shoe features a dark green, white and gold colorway that is sure to please. On the green leather, many Irish symbols are embossed in gold, including the lucky horseshoe and pair of brass knuckles. These shoes are $85 at Reebok retailers.

The Air Jordan Team Elite has official hit Nike iD. The $125 price tag is actually a very fair price considering that customs will run you more and that a quality Jordan isn’t going to cost much less. You can customize the Team Elite Low and Mid models.

The tags you select will be on the tongue of the shoe and on the heel of the shoe.The colors are also very customizable. In these pictures, you see a white, black and red colorway on the Mid and a white, blue and gray colorway on the Low. Mix, match and experiment on the site til you find the right combination for you. Check out NIKEiD for more details.

The Nike Tech Pack was first released a fortnight ago. This post is about another new release. There are two sneakers in this pack. These are available at Nort Berlin. One pair costs around $140 Euros.

GOTTKGO has designed another set of custom Nikes with bold elements and bright brush strokes. This designer has applied a tiger-striped pattern in orange and black as the background for these customs. Light and dark gray paints are used to create a concrete pattern running from the heel to the top eyelets. GOTTKGO has run neon green laces on these shoes to complete this colorful mess.

I respect GOTTKGO for coming out with a gutsy design but I don’t like the final product. I just cannot look at these shoes from heel to toe without stopping at some point and thinking about colors that would have worked better. The orange/black pattern does not work with the gray gravel pattern at any level but these individual parts would work well with complementary colors.

Imagine these shoes with the same orange/black stripes and black straps in place of the gravel pattern. This imaginary pair of custom Nikes would be much better than the product shown here.  Check out GOTTKGO’s website here and compare these Nikes with past offerings that show off the designer’s true skills.