Puma has reintroduced one of its classic designs with a twist that makes me yearn for the short summers of Wisconsin. The California shown above is dubbed the “Woody” based on the faux-wood pattern found on the signature Puma symbol. This obvious touch pops off of the shoe because of the subtle use of gray and light blue colors in the background. Fake wood has never looked so good as it does on the Puma ”Woody” California.

There is more than meets the eye with the “Woody” especially on the bottom of the shoe. Flip these kicks upside down and take a look at the sunny scene depicted on the sole. A picture of a set of palm trees cast against the sunset sky will make you feel bad the first time you step outside and get dirt on your soles. 

These shoes are limited to 200 pairs and will hit the Santa Monica Puma store starting February 1st so head over to a travel website and plan your trip before the local boarders grab the last pairs. The cost of driving out to Santa Monica may seem crazy but these shoes will be a hot item on eBay if the lucky few decide to part ways with the “Woody.”

Adidas has dropped the new Gazelle 2, in three unique color combinations. The Gazelle 2’s with their ultra-light, ultra-low look are destined to be popular in 2008.

These shoes feature a suede upper with a leather heel cap and stripes, along with a white midsole.

The black colorway features a basic black-on-black look with a white sole. The only other color on the shoes is the gold writing of “Gazelle” on the side of the shoe. The ecru colorway is an opposite look. With two tones of white, the ecru color offers an especially clean look. The most lively of the three colorways is definitely the saddle shade pictured above. Using hues of dark orange and brown, the saddle variety is an eye catcher.

These shoes are perfect if you want an easy and lightweight shoe to add to your 2008 repertoire. You can find these at select local Adidas retailers.

While a version of the Nike Air Zoom BB II have already hit stores, check out this new rare colorway featuring bright orange and blue.This colorway, exclusively available for players on the St. Raymond High School basketball team, is extremely hot.While this shoe likely will never be available at stores, you may be able to find a pair on eBay or a similar website.

The bright orange and blue is blended nicely with an exaggerated white stitching along the midpoint of the shoes.There are two mirror Nike swooshes on the back of these shoes in glossy white, as are the laces.On the ankle of the shoe is the St. Raymond High School mascot (a Raven).

Former college standouts and NBA players Allen Ray and Julius Hodge attended St. Raymond High School.Via Sneaker News.

The Court Victory Pump contains the Earth element in the Reebok design. Reebok has said that it would design shoes according to the 4 elements. This shoe looks a bit rugged because it belongs to the Earth element. This is available at DrunkNButterfly.

Adidas has been effective in recent years in translating classic tennis shoe styles like the Stan Smith for today’s sneaker fan. The problem for Adidas is that their roster of shoes in the 1980s and 1990s did not feature great running or training shoes. I think that Adidas has remedied that problem by combining classic colors with a new look in the Adidas Oregon Ultra. The Oregon Ultra itself is not a new shoe but the makeover freshens up a simple training shoe.

The design department at Adidas employed a mixture of light blue, gray, black and red without making the shoe appear too busy. Red accents on the gray Adidas stripes are a nice touch. I love the cross-hatched pattern on the sole which gives this newer shoe a classic look. The unobstructed use of white at the bottom of the Oregon Ultra is an eye-pleasing way to rest after looking at the various colors used. This shoe is featured as part of the Consortium pack which will be available through Adidas in the near future.

We saw a lot of interesting Air Force 1 releases in 2007, and though that number is slowing down this year, here’s another unique edition.

The Nike Air Force 1 Supreme Daisuke Matsuzaka is a collaboration between Nike and the Boston Red Sox pitcher.

The shoe, which some are dubbing the Inside Out “Dragon” features a combination of interesting textures and colors. Most of the shoe is covered with a white pony hair. The back of the shoe and around the laces features a scaly orange leather that resembles sequins or fish scales.

The dragon imprint on the insole and heel forms the shape of “18″, which is Matsuzaka’s number.

According to Sneaker News this shoe is available at Limited Edition for $379 SKD.