There is a bit of nostalgia these days for the heady days of grunge rock and attire in the 1990s. It seemed loathsome and cliched by the beginning of the 21st century to wear plaid, listen to Seattle-based rock and live the grunge lifestyle. Time is kind to fashion and plaid has made a comeback in a different medium. Vans with the help of Pendleton Wool Mills will put out the Syndicate pack in wool beginning in February 2008.

As a refresher, the Vans Syndicate pack features Sk8-Hi, the Half Cab and the Old Skools. The pattern on the outside of the shoe features a simple plaid pattern in gray, blue and red to provide a subtle statement for sneaker fans. I like the trend toward plaid on shoes because it is far less abrasive than the army of plaid-wearing rock fans I used to see in the 1990s. While plaid shirts defined an identity for fans of Nirvana, plaid shoes are functional and stylish without an overtly political or social message.

The price of this three pack of Vans skate sneakers will be relatively high due to the use of high quality wool but it will be well worth it if you are looking to keep up with the trends.

Nike Blazer SB “Trucks & Wheels” features a metallic silver leather upper to represent the trucks of the skateboard. The orange Swoosh and tip of the sole are supposed to rep the bushings, while the white sole is for the wheels.

Whether you are a skater or not, the metallic upper of these shoes is appealing. These shoes are scheduled to drop in January 2008 but they are available right now at Premium Laces NY for $150 a pair.

A couple more colorways of the Nike Trainer Dunk Low were released on Saturday. The shoe pictured above is a black leather sneaker contrasted with a bright orange liner and trim.

On the side panels is a camo pattern which provides a little edge to the shoe. The camouflage pattern can also be seen on the upper sole. There are several nice touches on these shoes, including the thick black hiking laces and the contrasting white mid sole.

The other version of these shoes are much lighter, featuring an brown and navy print. I don’t like this colorway at all. They are very drab.

Both colorways are available right now at Atmos and other Nike retailers.

Adidas held its End-to-End Forum. It has created a shoe using the classic court silhouette.  The graphic panels have artwork that is taken from a huge picture. The composite artwork of many artists was on this large picture.  This latest shoe is the last in the series of the Foot Locker / adidas collection.

I like the artwork in the original poster of the “End-to-End.” It was not easy to gather so many artists to produce a piece that had continuity. That was truly remarkable work. The artists used creative imagination.

The inclusion of the art in this sneaker looks great. Certain portions were carefully selected to be used for the shoe. It brings out the black accents. The large black cross that runs along the side of the shoe upper looks good against its background of colored artwork. I also like the idea of having the “End-to-End” logo at the center of this cross. The letters are slanted to flow with the shoe.

This sneaker has the best selection of premium leathers. There is one main pattern of perforated leather, the suede and another pattern of perforated leather at the traditional Adidas stripes running down the shoe lace area. This is a great shoe.

UBIQ and UNDFTD have collaborated on some tees that released yesterday. They come in 4 different colors and designs. They are available at UBIQ and UNDFTD shop only.

Nike has gone completely old school with these Vintage Dunks. They come in 6 different colorways and take you back way back. The Nike Vintage pack should be releasing in 2008 sometime. via sneakerfreaker