I like the baby blue Forces (even though they are probably women’s).

Orange and black Forces could be a nice summer shoe.

These Air Max 90/Free Hybrids are money.

Thanks to Redrum_SB @ Niketalk for the heads up.

Nike “Future” Air Force 1 – 1 of 1 for R. Fallon

Air Force 1 Baby Goods “Dolphins” Edition

Hybrid shoes? With a few exceptions, not so good. You only need to look a few posts below this one where my colleague JGoods tears into the Frankenstein monsters that are the Jordan Fusions. And what he said about those goes equally for the Spiz’ikes, 6Rings, and whatever other pieced together “fusions” the Jordan Brand has shat out lately.

However, there are always going to be exceptions to the rule. I must admit that Nike’s recent trend of turning older shoes into Air Force One versions of themselves is…pretty damn cool, so far. From the Safaris, to the Spiridons, to the Max 95s, to the below…I think they have a very interesting concept on their hands. Pictures of the release version of the Air Max 97 x Air Force 1 are starting to show up everywhere and I think they turned out very nice:

Anyone who saw the sample pics from a few months back will notice the lack of the full length vis-air unit…which I actually think is a good thing. With that air unit in there, these probably would have retailed for some ungodly amount (although I am sure they still will). I also think the translucent red sole was a great touch.

These shoes should be out already at any place that got the previous incarnations.

[Pics courtesy of Kix and the City]

With that fact in mind, I know that Jordan Brand was sitting around one day and said to eachother, “Hey, why don’t we combine the two together to make one shoe? That way, we won’t have to think of anything original and the common person will think they are getting an old school Jordan or an Air Force 1.”

And this is what came out of that discussion:

This looks like a Greedy Genius sneaker, but worse (maybe not). Seriously though, where is the originality? I understand that retro shoes are where it’s at right now (see thejgcustoms.com) but combining two retro shoes does not make a new classic.