crooked tongues magazine News Features

Late again, but a necessary inclusion, we're not going to lie, we're too toy to get round to even go near a skateboard in a pair of these, but while we ummed and aahed at the obscenely early shots of these that moped around the messageboards, the final thing is prettttty good. Having shrugged off the original jpeg as a popular cut-down bestseller put through a time machine, the final release of Omar Salazar's Nike pro-model is far more than that. We can understand why sneaky snapshots can send designers into fits of rage. The only thing we preferred was the visibility of the Jordan/Barbier style lettering on the tongue. That's no deal breaker on the critical side - where the Janoski is the easygoing, across-the-board pro piece that shifted serious numbers, this one's a more polarizing one. Any shoe with tie-in 3D gets a nod from us. Seeing a serious skate shoe getting the Flywire treatment is an interesting step - remember when skate shoes made the most of Nike's visible Air patent passing? Could Lunar Foam and Flywire be heavily homaged a decade down the line? Here it's added to lock the ankle in place, but it has some visual oomph and fits in with the spaceage, gravity free marketing of the model - as seen on the outsole - which carries a vulc-apeing edge, just to break the current regressive habits of manufacturers, and an interesting tread pattern.

The "folded over" collar paneling is unorthodox, and having a zip in the tongue to remove the foam padding is a neat touch too - you can keep your cash or stash in there. Not that we would keep a stash of anything on our person. From the external mix of older looks and innovation, to the ribbed lining for your pleasure, and Zoom Air in the midsole, rather than secreted beneath a sockliner, this is more proof that Nike SB isn't getting complacent by regressing to the Nike brand's past life. Not to all tastes, but as certified Half-Cab fiends, we're welcoming this shape to the fold. Hopefully it'll hang around for several seasons to come, but black and purple is our current pick. Sorry - in all the talk of aesthetics and technologies, we forgot to mention that this opinion-splitter is comfy as hell - if you're interested, head to Slam City or your local independent skate emporium. Oh, and RIP Exit - you were one of the good ones - pay your respects folks.