There are few institutions in the world of comedy as recognizable as Mad Magazine. This magazine was the favorite past time of teenagers for decades during the Cold War. One of the features in Mad Magazine was a spoof of international intrigue and war called “Spy v. Spy.” The spies wore black and white outfits, snuck up on each other to thwart efforts at sabotage and showed the futility of war in a hilarious way. Puma and Boston shoe fixture Bodega immortalize “Spy v. Spy” with the Spy II Hi.

This special edition of Puma Sky II His have been given the Mad Magazine treatment. The tongues feature pictures of the iconic spies in action. A black strip accompanies the Black spy on the right shoe with the White spy represented with a white strip on the left shoe. Tags that look like dynamite are chained to the top eyelet of each shoe to give the Spy IIs a sense of danger. There are other surprises in the Puma Spy II Hi but if I told you, I would have to kill you.

This upcoming release will set you back some serious money but it is worth it if you want a unique shoe. There is a limited number of the Puma Spy II Hi available and the Bodega name brings the price up. I love these shoes based on the theme as well as the clever touches added to the interior and exterior of the shoe.

As part of their continuing 100th anniversary project with (PRODUCT) RED, Converse has turned to artist Scott Patt for the next special make-up Chuck Taylor.

This shoe, dubbed the “100 Ripples Of Hope,” features rings of color rippling outward from the Converse logo. Patt based his design with the mindset that energy transcends through the masses to create change. The different colors represent the diversity of people.

Whatever the meaning, these colorful kicks are sure to please some. To me, I would rather buy a pair of simple classic Chuck Taylors over the latest colorful and textured versions that have been released lately.

However, if you like these sneakers, you can get them soon at your Converse retailer for just $55. Via Complex.

If you have been on the lookout for the Nike Pushead Dunk Low Pro SB, you are in luck. Kixclusive has a couple pairs available right now. These shoes have been sold out since 2004.Back then, Nike had distributed these to a limited number of skate shops in very limited quantities.

These sneakers were first relased in Japan at the World Character Convention. They were designed by the street artist known as Pushead, aka Brian Schroeder. His work has appeared on the apparel, posters and record sleeves for numerous artists like Metallica and The Misfits.

This Dunk has the signature Pushead colors with the logo on the heel. Shoes come in a customized Pushead Nike box and come with an extra pair of laces. They are priced at $325 at kixclusive.com.

The Nike Dunk 2008 Collection has been released in small drops in stores. The first is the Dunk Lo “Thoughts Edition”.  It is available at Overkill. The cost is around USD$110.

These Nike Vandal Highs have recently hit stores.They come with a patent leather alongwith a glitter effect, granite grey and white and a orange sole. via theshoegame

We all have a pair of great shoes from our past that we wish could be brought back to life. The custom sneakers I have written about in past entries were overhauls of great shoes based on a specific theme. The Air Jordan IIIs shown above are a series of shoes posted on NikeTalk by a novice customizer whose mission is using a little artistic liberty in bringing classic shoes back from the dead.

The original shoes had chipped paint on the midsole and yellowing paint on the heel as it came into the workshop. The designer added a richer color of blue around the heel to each side of the toe box to give the Jordan IIIs his own personal touch. It looks like the top eyelets may have been replaced to match the new color on the midsole.

Custom designers can get too fancy and mess up a great shoe with a grand design. This designer used basic cleaning, repair and design techniques to make these Air Jordan IIIs new again. The sign of a hard working designer is that the final product looks effortless. This is certainly the case with these Jordan IIIs.