New colorways for the AND1 Empire Mid (Japan Collection) out now

[Shoe News – 3.12.13] – New colorways for the AND1 Empire Mid (Japan Collection) out now

Inks and Images: FLASH aka g_sk1lls

Two new colorways of the AND1 Empire Mid have recently hit the shelves in local AKT!V outlets & department stores.  Previously slated to arrive mid- to late December last year, these New York Knicks/Miami Heat–inspired kicks round up the 2012 footwear line-up for the 3^rd and 4^th quarter.

Empire Mid Japan Collection plus the original White/White/Silver colorway.

Price point is at Php 4,995/pair:

• Empire Mid (Japan Collection)
• BLACK/BLACK/VARSITY RED
• ROYAL/NY ORANGE/WHITE

Please also do check out this previously uploaded AND1 Ph blog article about the latest 2012 Q3/Q4 footwear releases. 

• More shoe models for 2012 Q3/Q4 now locally available!

Big thanks to Relzbach Ventures/AKT!V partners as always (especially to the Gola Greenbelt crew) for the regular update on these new arrivals.  Stay tuned for new 2013 Q1 & Q2 footwear.  Follow us on Twitter (@and1ph) and please LIKE us on Facebook (facebook.com/and1ph).  Check out the new models for yourselves, And Juans!

New York or Miami?

The And1 Guardian Mids (performance)

[Sole Spotlight – 7.25.12] – The And1 Guardian Mids (performance)

Inks and Images: FLASH aka g_sk1lls

This month’s Sole Spotlight article shifts its focus on a yet-to-be-released shoe model that could make its way to local retail - the AND1 Guardian Mid.  Posted below some images for everybody’s reference.

Got two pairs of this model (this one is in metallic dark grey/black/red, while the other pair being in Energy Blue/black/orange) some two weeks ago courtesy of AND1 US (s/o to Rob Purvy, Becky Cheng, and AJ Vander Woude).

[Slightly off-topic] The last time I used an AND1 pair with ankle straps was back in 2009, with a championship run in the School U Mids.  I usually prefer low-cut to mid-cut models but during that time I just thought of using a high-top pair with an ankle strap and was never disappointed with its performance.

Since then, I never thought I would ever use another AND1 pair with an ankle strap feature (simply because there weren’t any models that incorporated that in its design) but this one sure proved me wrong.  The AND1 Guardian Mid takes a lot of different elements together from previously released models, meshes it (pardon the pun), and then takes it to a whole new level.

This model features a “stitch-less, no-sew construction for comfort” and the aforementioned ankle support strap that “…locks the foot in place.”   It also has “mesh panels (that) reduce weight and increase ventilation,” much like the previously released Empire Mids, including the full-length airbag that helps reduce impact. 

More pictures of the shoe below.  The Guardian Mid is a silhouette that you can use either indoors or outdoors, will give you maximum support for the ankle and heel, and on its own, is really eye-catching.  You can also click here to check out a Japanese blog that has images of the Guardian Mid in other colorways.

A closer look at the ankle strap.  

The "hidden" Player logo is a nice touch.

Since the pairs that I got were wear-test samples, it might vary a bit from the commercial version.  I’ve also included a picture of the Guardian Mid below in Team USA colors, made by AND1 for the 2012 London Olympics (this will be featured in the upcoming SLAM/Kicks magazine, likely September issue).

Sales Sample, Not for Re-sale.

Team USA colorway for the 2012 London Olympics

Check out more of Sole Spotlight in the succeeding months, only from And1 Ph.  ONE!

The "OKC" colorway, as I would like to put it.  Could be sold locally, more updates soon.

AND1 2013 Product Preview - Part 2

[Shoe Session – 7.16.12] – AND1 2013 Product Preview  - Part 2

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 

Images: Diane Skaer and Rob Purvy (via email)

Greetings, And Juans.   Continuing this two-part blog about upcoming AND1 products for 2013, I’ll be sharing with you a ton of images of new footwear.  But before anything else, feel free to check out Part One (published last July 9, 2012 – click HERE for the article) that featured AND1 apparel and accessories.

All of the images posted below were taken last May 2012, when the AND1 Sales Conference was held in Madrid, Spain.  Again, big thanks to AND1 USA (thru AND1 President Rob Purvy) and Diane Skaer for these pictures.

Here are some “sole” highlights, that I think are worthy of noting:

• A lot of performance and off-court pairs will feature mesh-style outer material similar to the locally released AND1 Elev8 Mid, and will be coupled with L2G airbags that is already available to the Empire Mids.

• Recurring themes – such as the Empire 2.0 Mids and Rocket 3.0 Mids are coming.

• Straps are making a return as well, with the upcoming Guardian Mid as a prime example.

• Most importantly, one of the most popular AND1 shoe models of all time, as well as one of its best-selling pairs, will be making a comeback.  Say “Welcome Back” to the postgame trailblazer, the Too Chillins (slated April 2013).

Truly exciting times are ahead as far as these sneak previews are concerned, and with an aggressive marketing campaign due out soon, AND1 is making its presence felt once more.  Given that 2013 is the brand’s 20^th anniversary, I’m not really surprised.  In fact, I was expecting this one, plus a few more surprises from the brand that was born in the streets of Philadelphia.

If you want more And1 news, updates, and, shoe sightings/sales on the fly, follow us in Twitter (@and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).  And that’s the 411, And Juan.