Ripp’s top customer Day asked the designer to create a pair of custom sneakers with a basketball theme. Rather than produce a tired pair of AF1s in basketball orange and black, Ripp looked at the entire basketball court as his inspiration. The result is the B-Ball Court Air Force Ones as pictured after this post.

Ripp started by creating a hardwood floor effect on the toe box and the Nike swoosh. He painted white net lines set against the brown background to simulate the ball going through the hoop. In a nod to the rock, Ripp drew a black-lined basketball on the heel as if it were laying on the basketball court waiting for the next game.

The B-Ball Court Air Force Ones took about three weeks complete only because Ripp was busy balancing his other projects. I like the fact that the designer was willing to celebrate the basketball environment instead of a single team or part of the game. You can get in touch with Ripp at [email protected] if you want to celebrate View More Photos/Info

Designer Illego is the brains behind the design which includes the use of some cool looking straps made out of snakeskin and carbon fiber. The idea is inspired by the limited edition Etnies RockSteady Hi which came out mid year in 2006. The stripes on the toe box have a very nice contrast between the matte and glossy finish. Illego used a high gloss finish on that and mixed pearlescent powder with the black to give it a very subtle blueish shimmer when viewed up close in bright lighting. The straps which were used on these sneakers are carbon fiber on the outside with purple and black snakeskin on the inside of them. The high ankle strap which connects to the entire heel piece was from a black patched fabric material. Lastly purple quilted fabric was stitched to the back of the tongue.

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Asics has teamed up with Japanese clothing brand Optimystik to design a special Pro Court high top modle. As seen in past collaborations, Optimystik sticks to their bright and flashy style with this Pro Court which features cracked and quilted leather with a speckeled outer sole. Aside from different materials, colors like turquoise, yellow, silver and pink can be found throughout the sneaker.

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Normally 3M has been the reflective material used in sneakers, but DDCLAB and New Balance have teamed up on the 420 model and they are using a special Schoeller-Reflex material made up of microscopic pieces of glass beads.

The result is a very highly reflective material that is visible up to 100 meters (328 feet) away and also offers strong protection against scuffs, water and the elements. Props to DDCLAB and its founders Savania Davies-Keiller and Robert Crivello who have maintained a penchant for finding new technological advanced fabrics. These shoes will be available in the next week or so exclusively at DDCLAB and Barney’s.Via Nice Kicks.

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here.

This Nike Blazer Hi Premium was inspired by Major Taylor, a cyclist. This model is sold at Proper.

The shoe upper is all black but the leathers used are different in differing segments. The toe box has smooth, black leather. The tongue is in black meshed material. The tag at the tip is a striking orange color, with “Nike” in yellow font. The midsection of the shoe is in a different quality of leather as the “lines” of the leather can be seen. The shoe lace holes are done in a long line of white colored leather border that stretched up to the ankle collar of the shoe. The dark green shoe lace looks nice against the white lacing frame and black shoe upper. There is a Nike swoosh in white leather that complements the white border of the shoe lace frame.

The midsole looks to be made of black colored gum. The outsole is dark green, with a pattern of View More Photos/Info

I covered the PanDuh Air Force Ones by Kidkustom yesterday but I was saving my favorite AF1s from the designer for today. He customized a second pair of Nike Air Force Ones using a yellow/black/white colorway. While Kidkustom didn’t have a name for these sneakers, I have taken to calling them Yellow Madness.

The absurd setting portrayed in the Yellow Madness AF1s was not created on a whim. The black/white cartoon character on the heel stands amidst the white clouds, black arrows and yellow backdrop to add a bit of order to the chaos. Each arrow contains different black shapes punctuating white to create an interesting visual effect. While the Yellow Madness AF1s seem to take place in an alternate universe, we can appreciate the other worldly design elements used by Kidkustom.

The Yellow Madness AF1s are available in a men’s 9.5 for $150. The price is worthwhile considering the higher rates for custom sneakers elsewhere as well as the designer’s View More Photos/Info