Tag Archives: KICKS

HHW Gaming: Basketball & Video Games Collide With ANTA x HyperX’s Gordon Hayward Limited-Edition Bundle

ANTA x HyperX Team Up For Gordon Hayward Limited-Edition Sneaker

Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

Athletic wear and gaming have gone hand in hand as of late, so this latest collaboration between ANTA and HyperX makes all the sense in the world.

The two companies have one thing in common, they both work with Boston Celtic forward Gordon Hayward, so the decision to work together on this limited-edition box was a no-brainer. It brings together the two things that Hayward love’s to do, and that is playing basketball and gaming.

Anta x HyperX Gordon Hayward

Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

Inside the box is a limited-edition pair of Hayward’s signature basketball sneakers from ANTA, the GH2 “HyperX” and HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset. The sneakers feature some unique gaming-inspired details that help them easily stand out from other shoe silhouettes. The GH2 are draped in HyperX’s black and red colorways and have a unique printing process that showcases black-red gradient effects. 

Anta x HyperX Gordon Hayward

Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

The inspiration behind the design is pulled straight from the circuit board that you can find inside HyperX’s products like headsets, keyboards, mice, and the HyperX logo, which can be found on the shoe’s heel pictured above.

Anta x HyperX Gordon Hayward

Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

Wearers can see the word “GAMER” on the lacing system, and it showcases the partnership between HyperX x ANTA.

Anta x HyperX Gordon Hayward

Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

Speaking about the limited-edition collaboration Dustin Illingworth, head of influencers and esports at HyperX, added:

“We are thrilled to be working with ANTA on this limited-edition HyperX x ANTA Gordon Hayward box. HyperX joins forces with ANTA to showcase Hayward’s passion for basketball and esports with a collection that reflects his love for the game, on and off the court, and captures the HyperX core belief – WE’RE ALL GAMERS.”

Anta x HyperX Gordon Hayward

Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

As far as getting your hands on the bundle, you might be out of luck in that department. Only a few were made and given away in a contest. If you come across one, you might have to pay a grip, BUT you can purchase the sneakers directly from China through ANTA’s website for only $160.

Anta x HyperX Gordon Hayward

Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

We look forward to more collaborations between the companies and hope they continue to look this good.

Photo: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Sneaker Resellers Flaunt Dozens of Pairs of Trophy Room Air Jordan 1 “Freeze Out”

Air Jordan 1 Freeze Out x Benjamin Kickz

Source: @benjaminkickz / Instagram

This past Wednesday (February 10) was a particularly painful day for sneakerheads as most of us took home some fat L’s when both the Neutral Air Jordan 1 85’s and Marcus Jordan‘s extra limited Trophy Room Air Jordan 1 a.k.a. The “Freeze Out” released on the same day.

With word that the 85’s were limited to 30,000 pairs and the Trophy Rooms at a mere 12,000, we already knew those L’s were imminent. But heads got really hot when well-connected sneaker resellers began to flaunt their walls of unreleased Trophy Room 1’s after word spread that Marcus Jordan’s Trophy Room establishment backdoored more than a thousand pairs off the rip.

Retailing for $190, the Trophy Room 1’s are already selling for $2,500+ and heads like Benjamin Kickz look like he’s already secured enough pairs to secure the future of himself and his children.

Come on, b!

But BK wasn’t the only head on social media flaunting his Air Jordan 1 haul as others wanted to showoff their plugged in ways because, well, that’s what fools do on social media.

Well ain’t that a mutha.

While most loyal customers tend to get one or two pairs on reserve via “backdoor,” what the hell is up with Trophy Room (and by extension, Nike) basically moving merch by the hundreds to heads who are only going to resell them for more than 10 times it’s original retail price? We’d lowkey understand if this was a general release where 500K to a million pairs would hit the streets, but when it’s only 12,000 pairs for millions of sneakerheads across the world, this isn’t acceptable.

The February 10th release for the “Freeze Out” Trophy Room 1’s was held by an online raffle in which everyone would have to fill out a form and submit it for consideration. The rollout was a disaster as the webpage opened up at 10am with no instructions or methods of entering the raffle. After a few minutes it reloaded with instructions on emailing in your entry only for millions of heads to get an “Inbox Full” message minutes later. Trophy Room then sent out word that they’d do the raffle again a few hours later because of the difficulties the first time around.

Everyone took L’s, b. Everyone.

SNKRS on the other hand sent out exclusive access to the grails at noon to a mere 230 accounts. Unfortunately many of those lucky SNKRS chosen ones complained that as soon as the clock struck 12 the kicks read “Sold Out” instead of giving them the option to purchase.

Highsnobiety reached out to Nike for comment and all we basically got was a “Word? Aight bet.”

“We remain committed to serving our consumers with authentic Jordan products through Nike.com, and our strong distribution network and channels in both online and at brick-and-mortar retail.”

Gee, thanks Nike. SMFH…

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Coronavirus Pandemic Slows Down The Sneaker Game

Nike Cross Trainer 3

Source: Nike / NIke

While Nike has been somewhat able to withstand the effect that the Coronavirus has had on the world, sneaker sales as a whole have felt the pain that the pandemic has wrought on the globe.

According to Nice Kicks, sales of sports footwear has dropped dramatically in recent weeks as stores have closed up shop and people have been hunkering down at home. Though some of the more popular brands like Nike, adidas, and New Balance saw their sales decline in the month of March at the tune of 75%, others brands have been hit harder in the same time frame. Under Armour, Jordan Brand, and Converse dipped even further into the 80% territory of the decline.

Brands such as Nike, adidas and a few others were holding sales ranging from 10%-40% off within the last two weeks. Nonetheless, a lot of the decline in sales can be attributed to local boutiques and renown retailers having to temporarily close their doors and go strictly online as a result of the self-isolation/quarantine measures being taken across the country.  Not to mention, the unemployment rate is exponentially increasing as companies and job markets across the country are being hit hard due to the economic fallout of COVID-19.

Though we expect sales to jump a bit when those stimulus checks begin hitting hypebeasts bank accounts, we don’t expect a huge change as people are more worried about copping hand sanitizer, groceries, and toilet paper. Yes, their is now a toilet paper shortage in America. Sh*t has officially hit the fan.

Still, Nike is doing what it can to move merchandise as they’ve had surprise restocks on their SNKRS app in the past few weeks and have some heat releasing in the coming weeks including the Air Jordan VI “DMP”‘s, Air Jordan XIII “Flint”‘s, and other highly coveted kicks.

And with estimates having this Coronavirus lockdown going anywhere from a year to 18 months, you can expect sneaker sales to continue to struggle for the foreseeable future. Still though, expect to take many L’s whenever any exclusive Off-White, Travis Scott, or Yeezy’s drop.

As if times weren’t hard enough.

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Nike x ‘NBA 2K20’s’ MyPlayer Nation Exclusive Kicks Program Will Push On, Despite No NBA Games

Nike x NBA 2K20's GE Program Continues With 4 More Sneaker Drops

Source: 2K / NBA2k20

The 2019-20 NBA season is on ice indefinitely, but NBA 2K20 is making sure we are still getting our action on the hardwood and our exclusive kicks.

Nike Basketball shared on its official Instagram account that gamers can still look forward to four pairs of gamer exclusive kicks when the MyPlayer Nation Playoffs kickoff. The program, which launched back in October subsequently after the game’s release, allows players to secure limited unique pairs of kicks by completing in-game challenges like reaching a certain rank or scoring a desired amount of points.

The IG post announces that 2K players can look forward to GE editions of LeBron James, Paul George, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The first sneaker will be revealed Thursday (Apr.9)

Since the launch of the program, we have already seen a pair of LeBron 17 ‘Bron 2K’, Kobe V Protro ‘Chaos’ GE, the PG 4 x Gatorade GE, and the Adapt BB 2.0 ‘Chicago’ GE. 2K players can look forward to the new challenges beginning April 11 with the playoffs kicking off on April 19. You can check out all of the previous sneakers that dropped below.

Photo: 2K / NBA2k20

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Nike Links Up With Playstation For Exclusive ‘MLB The Show 20’ Air Max 90s

Nike x PlayStation MLB The Show 20 Air Max 90

Source: Nike / PlayStation

Earning exclusive kicks by playing video games is becoming a new wave. NBA 2K20 has the Nike Gamer Exclusive Program, and now PlayStation’s baseball simulation, MLB The Show 20, is giving players the opportunity to win a pair of limited Air Max 90s.

With the coronavirus shutting down all of the professional sports leagues in the country, sports-based video games will have to fill in the vast void that is missing. While doing so, you can also be rewarded for your play with a fresh pair of kicks. To celebrate the launch of MLB The Show 20, which has Chicago Cubs shortstop, Javy Baez, on the cover, Sony team up with Nike to drop a pair of special edition Air Max 90s.

The sneakers are instant head-turners coming in two alternate colors, red and blue, taking its cues from the MLB logo and Chicago Cubs team colors. Some unique touches include a Playstation lace dubrae and baseball symbols located on the heel of the shoe.

Nike x PlayStation MLB The Show 20 Air Max 90

Source: Nike / PlayStation

No, they won’t be available for retail purchase. Instead, those who purchased MLB The Show 20 will have to complete a Nike Javy Baez moment in the game in order to enter the sweepstakes. Once entered, you will have a chance to score one of 50 pairs.

Nike x PlayStation MLB The Show 20 Air Max 90

Source: Nike / PlayStation

The contest is live now and runs through March 31st at 8pm EST. For more information, you can head here. MLB The Show 20 is now available on PlayStation 4 and will be coming to Xbox One X and Nintendo Switch in the future.

Photo: Nike / PlayStation

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Nike Adapt BB 2.0 ‘Chicago’ PE Dropping Via ‘NBA 2K20’ x Nike Gamer Exclusive Program

Nike Adapt BB 2.0 “Chicago” GE

Source: Nike / NBA 2K20

Memphis Grizzlies rookie phenom, Ja Morant, rocked these Nike Adapt BB 2.0 ‘Chicago’ PEs during NBA All-Star weekend back in February. Now NBA 2K20 is giving you an opportunity to add these bad boys to your kicks collection.

The Nike Adapt BB 2.0 ‘Chicago’ PEs are the latest sneakers that will be available via NBA 2K’s Nike Game Exclusive program. In order to secure a pair of the Swoosh’s latest smart sneakers featured in a colorway inspired by Chi-Town’s basketball heritage, you will have to pick up the sticks to get them.

The sneakers sport a sleek red upper complimented by black detailing paired with Nike’s latest innovative sneaker technology, FitAdapt self-lacing system, and Air Zoom Turbo cushioning system.

Nike Adapt BB 2.0 “Chicago” GE

Source: Nike / NBA 2K20

To secure a pair when they launch on March 14, NBA 2K20 players will have to take a trip to the games virtual Neighborhood and find the virtual Adapt BB 2.0 ‘Chicago’ Billboard for your chance to unlock a pair of the limited sneakers. They won’t be cheap, though, and will cost $400.

The Nike Adapt BB 2.0 ‘Chicago’ PEs follow other Nike Game Exclusive kicks, the LeBron 17 Bron 2K, and Nike Kobe V Protro ‘Chaos’ NBA 2K20.

Remember, you gotta act fast because you won’t be the only one trying to get a pair. To see more photos of the Nike Adapt BB 2.0 ‘Chicago’ PEs, you can hit the gallery below.

Good luck!

Photo: Nike / NBA 2K20

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Modell’s Sporting Goods Files For Bankruptcy, Closing All Stores

Undercover Boss

Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty

It’s the end of an era. On Wednesday (March 11), athletic apparel retailer Modell’s Sporting Goods filed for bankruptcy and announced it will close all 153 of its stores.

Modell’s was founded in 1889 and proudly boasts it was “The oldest family owned sporting goods store since 1889” along with the tag line “Gotta go to Mo’s.” Nevertheless, Modell’s has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.

“Over the past year, we evaluated several options to restructure our business to allow us to maintain our current operations. While we achieved some success, in partnership with our landlords and vendors, it was not enough to avoid a bankruptcy filing amid an extremely challenging environment for retailers,” said Modell’s CEO Mitchell Modell via a press statement.

After thanking banks and customers for working with the brand as it tried to stay afloat, the cold reality is that it must shutter its doors.

Mitch Modell added, “This is certainly not the outcome I wanted, and it is one of the most difficult days of my life. But I believe liquidation provides the greatest recovery for our creditors.”

Modell’s 153 retails stores spanned cities including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia and more, and will begin closing up shop on Friday, March 13.

At least in NYC, this writer remembers Modell’s as the spot to get sports equipment, athletic gear and sneakers before brands started opening their own stores or Foot Locker’s became more ubiquitous. Also, this is before online sales made copping goods just a click away.

Now there’s one less place to go cop a fresh pair of kicks or a hoodie on the low while everyone is running to some of the aforementioned retailers.

RIP Modell’s.

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Here We Go Again: Big Baller Brand Minus Lonzo Ball Is Back, Launches New Website

LaVar Ball Announces Big Baller Brand Is Back, Minus His Son, Lonzo Ball

Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty

LaVar Ball hit the reset button on the family athletic apparel company Big Baller Brand and is trying again to make it a thing. The head of the Ball clan announced via his Instagram account the company has been resurrected from the dead.

Big Baller Brand’s first attempt at shaking the sportswear world was an epic fail. Let’s recap shall we, they got a big fat F-rating from the real BBB (Better Business Bureau). Plus lost the face of its brand, Lonzo Ball, amid accusations that co-founder, Alan Foster stole approximately $2.5 million from his personal and business accounts. That subsequently led to the original site being shut down, and now when you go to the BigBallerBrand.com website, you are redirected to Alan Foster’s website, where he promises to teach you how to be a baller…financially.

Now we are here, the brand has a new name, BigBallerBrandInc and LaVar announced in his typical fashion in an IG video that the brand is back and the new website is live. When you hit the site, you are immediately greeted by a photo of him Ball and his son, LiAngelo Ball, as well as different colorways of Gelo’s sneaker, the G3 Lux. If you care, you can still purchase pairs of Lonzo’s signature kick the ZO2.19 also.

View this post on Instagram

WE ARE BACK! @bigballerbrand Link in bio.

A post shared by Lavar Ball (@lavar) on

In separate statements from both LaVar and  BBB Inc., the brands relaunch and focus on providing excellent customer service is touched on as well as the company’s current standing with Alan Foster.

“The Big Baller Brand is BACK and better than ever!” Ball claims. “Over the past year, my team and I have been working diligently to expand Big Baller Brand and improve the overall customer experience,” LaVar further added.

“LaVar Ball has put a great team of seasoned professionals in place to move the brand forward with exciting new products, along with signature shoes, and sportswear.”

“Unfortunately, Alan Foster continues to try and leverage the Ball Family name for his own personal gain. Alan Foster is a convicted felon who served 7 years in jail for defrauding people out of their money. He is a thief and con man and cannot be believed or trusted.”

We shall see, Big Baller Brand has a lot of work to do when it comes to repairing its reputation. Plus, with no face behind the brand that is in the NBA, it’s gonna be tough to push what Ball describes “the best merch in the game.” Are you guys excited to have the BBB back? Let us know in the comment section below.

Photo: Allen Berezovsky / Getty

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Kyle Kuzma Re-Ups On Exclusive Partnership Deal With Online Sneaker Marketplace GOAT

GOAT & Los Angeles Lakers Star Kyle Kuzma Renew Partnership Deal

Source: Matteo Marchi / Getty

Back in October 2018, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma inked an exclusive partnership deal with online sneaker marketplace, GOAT. Almost 2 years later, he is re-upping on that partnership.

View this post on Instagram

We back. @goat boyz 🐐

A post shared by Kyle Kuzma (@kuz) on

Kyle Kuza already has a 5-year endorsement deal with Puma, reportedly worth over $20 million, to rock their footwear on the court, but that won’t stop him from showcasing exclusive drip walking the NBA’s version of the runway, the arena tunnel. As part of his renewed deal with GOAT, he not only will rock rare kicks provided by the online sneaker retailer but also apparel and accessories from emerging, contemporary, and luxury brands that are sold on the site as well.

GOAT’s partnership with Kuzma isn’t the company’s only NBA related agreement. Back in November, last year, the company announced it secured a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. As part of the exclusive partnership with the NBA franchise, GOAT provided signage, content, and much more for both the home and visiting teams. Of course, the company will still focus on the player’s drip (good or bad) as they hit the arrival tunnel.

Speaking on the inspiration behind the  deal with the Nets, GOAT’s Chief Business Officer, Sen Sugano explained:

“We recently expanded beyond sneakers to offer apparel and accessories from the world’s leading contemporary and luxury brands. Moving beyond sneakers, we’re now the global platform for style, and our ultimate goal is to help individuals discover products that embrace who they are. We’re excited about the opportunity to partner with the Nets to showcase each player’s unique style.”

We fully expect more deals between GOAT and other athletes and NBA teams in the future.

Photo: Matteo Marchi / Getty

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Call of Duty League Links Up With Kickstradomis For Custom Air Force 1’s

Call of Duty League Gear

Source: Call of Duty / Call of Duty League

When you think of professional gamers, we wouldn’t be shocked if most of y’all immediately picture a bunch of “nerds” competitively playing video games. Bet you didn’t know they did it in style.

When the Call of Duty League launches in Minneapolis (Jan. 24-26), you can expect to see its athletes rocking some exclusive footwear. With the help of world-renown custom sneaker designer Kickstradomis, the league will unveil a pair of Air Force 1’s customized explicitly for league’s opening day. League Commissioner Johanna Faries will also have her very own pair to mark the occasion.

The league also announced the street style-inspired gear its athletes will be sporting during home and away matches during the leagues inaugural season. The home team will have the option of either rocker a white hoodie or shirt and the away team will be able to the same but in black. The player gear kits will also have a bomber jacket that will be worn by the COD League players to-and-from events.

These kicks aren’t the first sneakers attached to Call of Duty. Pusha T teamed up with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for an exclusive pair of his adidas Ozweego kicks called the “kingslayer” named after a medal achieved in the game. Players who reached the new officer rank (level 56) within the first week of registering were rewarded with a pair. The three stripes also collaborated with COD for a collection of sneakers inspired by Veteran’s Day.

Call of Duty League Gear

Source: Call of Duty / Call of Duty League

Fashion and Esports are nothing new, we witnessed it first hand while attending the Overwatch League 2019 championship. The kicks that were gracing that stage were on point, and we expect nothing less from COD League participants. Like other professional leagues before them, we expect jerseys from and merchandise from these Esports leagues to be up there as far as popularity. With brands like Nike, adidas Puma jumping on the Esports wave, it’s a pretty safe bet to expect that.

If you are interested in purchasing some of the COD League gear, you can head here. Hit the gallery below for a detailed look at the Call of Duty League gear below.

Photo: Call of Duty / Call of Duty League

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