Jason Nako

• Baby JordanJordan XI

  $60.00

  Meet Garrett. Garrett's interests include hustlin', freestyle battle rappin' and of course, ballin'. Stop laughing. When Garrett came into this world to claim it as his own, I rolled to Undefeated to cop this kid some proper Jordans. I went with my favorite of course, the 11s. Black on Black patent leather, size is like .3 or something. Garrett is the son of my good friend Pitkin. I can't take credit for the thugged out 2Pac fit (though I wish I could), but that was all Bloom. Good work everyone.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• NikeAir Force 1 '07 Icy White

  $92.00

  These AF1's released in earlier 2009 featuring my favorite, the clear icy gum sole. I love the clear soles, but sometimes feel like it's a setup because after two wears, the clear is not so clear. I think that's why I haven't worn these yet, don't want to mess up a good thing. On the inside, the AF1 logo is written in elephant print. Maybe when summer comes around I will break these out.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• Jamie KimUntitled, 16"x45", Acrylic on Canvas, 2008

  $Nako Collection

  Jamie Kim is my all time favorite artist. I commissioned this painting of 11s, my favorite of the Air Jordan collection. In her words, "For this diptych, I was inspired by the Air Jordan XI (11): 1995-96 and attempted to highlight two of its strongest characteristics as a visual object. I used double panels to reiterate the shoes' symmetry and emphasized the shine in the patent leather trim by finishing the surface with high gloss varnish in the details of the painting."

  Purchased at jamiekim.org
  

• NikeAir Huarache Light Burst / Jordan Inspired

  $116.00

  Man, these Jordan 11s keep coming up. Nike traces back some of the Jordan glory days with a pack of Air Huarache Light Bursts in the all too familiar black/red colorway. Staying true to the originals, two pairs of XI-inspired kicks were developed including the Cool Greys and Breds. Both models feature the use of patent leather uppers, white midsoles, special pixelated insoles of "His Airness" and even XI oval extra laces. I'm loving these.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• AdidasZX500 Huf San Francisco

  $160.00

  Mai's little nephew, Sebbie, loves Thomas The Train as much as I love Sapphire. When I removed my shoes upon arriving at Sebbie's house, his eyes got as wide as saucers, flying saucers. He made a bee line for them and I was forced to intervene. These are not toys. San Franciso's HUF pay tribute to their city's railroad history with a canvas upper that homages the hickory striped uniform of the railway worker. The shoe is packaged with a matching striped drawstring bag embellished by six brass badges.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• NikeAir Zoom Toki Lux TZ

  $100.00

  This shoe defaults with black laces, but also comes with the alternate baby blue laces. Um, switch that please. Retaining distinct characteristics of the Lux series - a basic, wearable color palette built with premium materials - the Zoom Toki Lux was inspired by the Nike Zoom Sabaku and the Nike Blazer. The signature features of the Lux series are applied to the Nike Zoom Toki with a vividly accented Sail Blue midsole, the woven "Lux" label on the heel, and a single eyelet stamped with a Lux callout. Subtle sophistication.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• Nike / JordanAir Jordan 3 AF1 Fusion

  $165.00

  Just when I think I am done with any new Jordans, something like this catches my eye. Nike and Jordan teamed up to create the Jordan AF1 Fusion, a combination of the Jordan 3 and classic Air Force 1. The sole unit is where the Air Force 1 makes a more visible mark, with the AF1's midsole and outsole and the Air Jordan 3's Visible Air Unit.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• AdidasSamba 80

  $65.00

  The clear gum sole got me again. It always gets me. You know, the translucent outsole for stylish good looks. For more than five decades, the Samba has reigned as an iconic football style. The Samba features full grain leather upper for comfort and soft feel and textile lining for comfort bringing a fresh look to a perennial favorite.

  Purchased at Adidas
  

• NikeSB Zoom Tre A.D.

  $80.00

  We all make mistakes now and then. This shoe is borderline real damn ugly. Apparently it's a skate kick, I didn't realize that upon purchasing. I don't skate and if I did I would be terrible. It reminds me of an aqua sock that you could actually wear away from the fun and sun at the beach.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• AdidasReggie Microbounce + Matrix

  $80.00

  These are super comfortable, breathable, light weight kicks. Designed and developed directly with Reggie Bush's football cleat, the Adidas Reggie Microbounce + Matrix features a stylish, durable synthetic upper that can withstand even the most extreme training regimens. They feel a lil bit Spiderman to me.

  Purchased at Adidas
  

• AdidasTS Lightswitch Gil UnderCrown Ice Cold

  $128.00

  Adidas partnered with Philadelphia-based basketball lifestyle label UnderCrown (UNDRCRWN), in creating Ice Cold. I had to get these when I first saw them. They reminded me of the guy that paints himself silver from head to toe at the Promenade. You know, the robot guy. My two favorite features: clear gum sole and hologram on the shoe tongue that flips between the Adidas and UNDRCRWN logos. The edition is limited to 1000 pairs worldwide.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• AdidasMosswood

  $65.00

  Inspired by the famous court, the Mosswood is supposedly a basketball shoe. I don't know about that, seems like a good way to catch a bad one. Good thing I didn't buy them to hoop in. I bought them for the nice shades of blue; sky, light and of course baby. The blues makes a nice contrast with the dark canvas. Did I mention the injected EVA midsole for long-term, lightweight cushioning and adiPRENE under the heel for superior cushioning at impact?

  Purchased at Adidas
  

• AdidasPlush IV

  $70.00

  Look closely and check out the wire mesh screens that run along the center of the bottom of the shoe. That is what they call ClimaCool my friends. ClimaCool provides 360-degree cooling for the entire foot. That means more comfort, less stank funk. Nothing like a breathable kick.

  Purchased at Adidas
  

• AdidasCampus 80's

  $90.00

  The guy at Undefeated described these kicks as "grown man shoes". I wasn't sure what that meant (still don't), but nodded in agreement and motioned for a pair. Each shoe has a different style of stripes on each side. Carbon fiber stripes lace the inside and traditional white on outside. The metallic black material is slick. You catch these in the right light and the shoes look white. The best part: Only 300 pairs made in the US.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• AdidasTS Lightswitch Gil Channel Zero

  $100.00

  "Don't watch me, watch TV" is the catch phrase that runs along the side of this shoe. The Channel Zeros clearly sum up the crazy antics of Mr. Arenas. Man, I wish he never left the Warriors. Whenever someone sees these shoes their first question always is, "What kind of shoes are those?". I think that's what I like most about these ones, and the fact they look like bees.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• AdidasTS Lightswitch Gil

  $90.00

  Look familiar? These are exactly the same as the Channel Zeros, but with a different paint job. The only time these shoes see the light of day is when they are being ran up and down the hardwood. These are used strictly for ball only. I have always been a big fan of Adidas low tops for playing basketball in (especially the Gils). Nikes for playing ball in always seemed to hurt my feet. I can honestly say these are the most comfortable basketball shoes I have ever worn.

  Purchased at Adidas
  

• NikeAir Max 1 iD

  $150.00

  I can't say enough about how cool Nike iD is. If you have never customized your own shoes, do it. Do it now (link below). I have done it a couple of times and I am never disappointed. My sister got me a gift card for these ones, thanks Linds! It's hard to see due to my poor photo skills, but these shoes come fully loaded with alligator and crocodile embossed leather. The best part about Nike iD is dropping in your own text. First Class is clearly the way to go.

  Purchased at Nike iD
  

• JordanWomen's Air Jordan Retro 1 Low

  $120.00

  Yes, you read correctly. Laugh it up, but you know these might be the cleanest Jordans you have ever seen. Hands down, these are my favorite pair of shoes. Anyone who knows me knows that baby blue is my color of choice and paired with low top fade this is a wrap. Subtle grey imagery wallpapers the base of the shoe. I need to get another pair.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• NikeAir Force 1 Low Berlin

  $135.00

  The story behind these shoes is that the design was paying respect to Berlin and was inspired by World War II. They were released in Germany before they hit the US. I'm not sure how war and shoes come together, but they make nice footwear whenever the Golden State Warriors are playing. I'm a huge Warriors fan and you should always represent your team to the fullest.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• JordanRetro Lows

  $110.00

  I can't figure out the model number to these Retros. I bought them a long time ago and can't recall. I want to say Retros 1, but I don't think that's correct. If you know, please drop me a line. The inside of this shoe is completely yellow. I feel like these are a pair of shoes only for summer and can only be worn when it's above 80. I have no idea why.

  Purchased at Undefeated
  

• NikeAir Force 1 '07 (25th and Diamond) Philly

  $135.00

  These kicks pay tribute to Philadelphia basketball and the instrumental role of Philadelphia in the popularity of the Air Force 1. The stitching is remarkable throughout the shoe. The brown laces with the blue diamonds make a bold impression.

  Purchased at Niketown
  

• Jordan, Adidas, PumaGroup Shot

  $60.00-100.00

  Here is a group shot of some other shoes I have that I felt didn't deserve the individual spotlight, but are still pretty nice. You can see my eloborate photo set and what goes into each shot before it hits the shlog. I basically set each shoe on a table cloth and shoot it with my point and shoot and throw it into Photoshop. It's the complete opposite of professional. Oh well, comes out all right in the end I guess.

  Purchased at Undefeated