Why a Zoom Soldier? The shoe was worn white converse during James's memorable 2007 performance against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of The gradual rollout of Nike's extensive "Art Of A Champion" pack has continued through the NBA Playoffs, and now it's LeBron James  s turn to join the ranks with his special-edition "25 Straight" Zoom Soldier. Why a Zoom Soldier? The shoe was worn during James's memorable 2007 performance against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the ECF where a young King James dominated, scoring 25 points in a row in a double OT-thriller to salt both the game and the series away, earning his first trip to the NBA Finals in the process.

Trailing 2-1 in the series and with Kurt Rambis barreling toward the basket for a breakaway slam, McHale hit the big man In game four of the 1984 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin McHale provided the C's with exactly cdg converse what they needed to propel themselves past their hated rivals. Trailing 2-1 in the series and with Kurt Rambis barreling toward the basket for a breakaway slam, McHale hit the big man with a hard foul that resulted in a benches clearing brawl. Los Angeles went on to lose the series due to black converse an obsession with getting even rather than playing to win the game.

Converse is pairing up with Italian streetwear label, Slam Jam, to bring a new series of structured staples implementing a utilitarian look that furthers the iconic brand's foray into streetwear fashion relevancy. The collection includes both apparel and footwear, with the centerpieces of the capsule coming by way of the Chuck '70 Hiker and the Converse Jump Boot with the former being infused with winterized Gore-Tex technology. Artist, Cali Thornnhill Dewitt, was the lead designer behind the project and aimed to create a line where functionality meets creativity to deliver a powerful message of freedom and converse one star expression.

The shoe's heavily paneled upper is dressed in a white pony hair, complete with a cheetah-print chevron, a gold Converse star, and a colorful "DONS" logo  a clever take on the classic Cons graphic. Don's high-end retro sportswear aesthetic is evident through the apparel in the collection as well, which features luxurious materials like terry cloth, thick cotton, and premium nylon, and is embellished with chenille patches, embroidered hits, bold prints, and gold zippers. Check out the full collection below, and head over to the Just Don webstore to shop the pieces now  the shoes retail for $150, while the rest of the collection ranges from $60-$250. You can also expect a full global release on November 20th.

Converse has plenty of premium treatments up their sleeves for Spring/Summer of 2013 thanks to the likes of the John Varvatos and Marimekko collaborations sticking around. The JV side of things will continue its vintage, zipper laden look via models like the Converse JV Weapon Mid and the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star . On the more cutesy end of the spectrum are the Marimekko pairs, which rely on rather bright shapes and patterns to set them apart. And on top of all that the inhouse team at Converse has a load of deluxe looks for the converse chuck taylor Converse Jack Purcell . Continue reading for a peek at what's on the way and check back with Sneaker News for the word when these styles go up for grabs at retail.

390862 Converse John Varvatos Weapon Mid  Faded Rose /2012/08/12/converse-john-varvatos-weapon-mid-faded-rose/ /2012/08/12/converse-john-varvatos-weapon-mid-faded-rose/#respond Sun, 12 Aug 2012 17:30:30 0000 /?p=345658 Yep, the term  faded' is a pretty good one to encapsulate John Varvatos' ongoing work with Converse. Mind you we don't mean that in a pejorative sense, it's just that every bit of the JV aura at this point seems centered on that distressed and weathered Americana look.