[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.
