WHO: Gourmet
DEAL: Offering 50% off their entire online stock. Use the code GRMT50 at the checkout.
WHEN: Monday, June 29 – no end date
WHERE: Gourmet In Your Face
[mashKULTURE]

WHO: Current/Elliot and Cheap Monday
DEAL: Up to 80% off.
WHEN: Monday, June 29 – Tuesday, June 30. Monday – Wednesday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Sucre – 357 Bleecker St near Charles St, 212.488.2124
[nymag.com]

WHO: Yigal Azrouel, Double Identity, Surface to Air and Diesel
DEAL: Up to 50% off.
WHEN: Friday, June 26 – Friday, July 10
WHERE: Oak NYC
[Oak NYC]

WHO: Century 21
DEAL: Up to 75% off.
WHEN: Friday, June 26. Monday – Wednesday: 7:45 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Thursday – Friday: 7:45 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Saturday: 10:00 a.m.; Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
WHERE: Century 21 – 22 Cortland St between Church and Broadway, 212.227.9092
[The Choosy Beggar]

WHO: Bergdorf Goodman
DEAL: Up to 70% off.
WHEN: Friday, June 26. Monday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Bergdorf Goodman – 754 5th Avenue at 58th St, 212.753.7300
[The Choosy Beggar]

This whole process got us to thinking. Usually it’s Nike’s law team that is on the “taking sneakers off the shelf” tip. Whether it’s proactive to avoid a suit, or going after little guys trying to get a nut, their team is top notch, so it rarely comes to actual legal blows. Read on for some recent examples of the Swoosh cock-blocking the sneaker game because of a stupid little thing called “copyright laws”…

2005: NIKE SB DUNK HIGH PRO “GUCCI”
• The Gucci Dunks were originally supposed to be part of a Team Manager series, and were designed by the team at Girl Skateboards. Two problems with this one. Nike lawyers said, “No fucking way.” And Girl’s sister company, Lakai, was like, “Come on dudes, you can’t play us like that.” The sneaker has never come out, although a take down is due from regular Nike in a few months.

2003: NIKE SB DUNK LOW PRO “Heineken”
• Even when sneakers actually make it to the shelves, Nike lawyers are still the puppet masters. When the king of Dutch Beers got wind of the skate-kids calling the dunks pictured above the “Heineken” dunks, the liquor company allegedly issued a cease and desist to the Swoosh. Nike lawyers strong armed shops to pull the Dunks and the sister SB sneaker, the Air Angus “Pabst Blue Ribbon” off the shelves, to avoid any conflict. The limited quantity has since turned the Heineken Dunk into one of the most coveted (and counterfeited) sneakers on the marketplace, and it’s funny ’cause today, both Heineken and PBR would probably put up a pretty check to get their own SB. Ah well.

2006: ARI MENTHOL 10
• The Newport cigarette box has an upside-down Swoosh on it. Sneakers are addictive. Ari Foreman thought, “Hey, one plus one equals awesome!” Nike’s lawyers responded with, “One plus one equals get these sneakers the fuck out of ALIFE and Clientele before we kill your family.” And that was the end of that. Check Cinqua.com, the official site documenting the project.

2008: MIKE23 CHUCK
• Um, yeah. The MIKE brand was inspired by the great one, taking the elephant print from the Jordan III and putting it on all kinds of things like umbrellas, couches, sunglasses, and sneakers ‘inspired’ by the Chuck Taylor. Nike laywers, “Um, yeah. “Inspired” isn’t going to cut it. Give us those.” Robert Walker from the New York Times followed this closely.

2008: GOURMET
• Gourmet hasn’t officially spoken about the removal of the Jordan-esque silhouettes from its Spring 2009 line, a grouping of sneakers that defined the early years of the brand. It could be that they are one and done with the idea and are maturing to new design theories. Doubtful. We’re going to go out on a limb and say that the conversation went down behind closed doors a little like this: “Hey, Gourmet. It’s Jordan, and we’re sending you this piece of paper telling you to stop, but wanted to give you a call too. We know what you guys are doing, but we don’t want to go after you too hard since these are really sick, and since UNDFTD is such a key account we don’t want to mess anything up. Can you guys just stop? Pleeeease?” The new line is better without them anyway.

A new addition to the avatar options for Xbox lets you put Jordan IVs on your guy. Fingers crossed for Crocs in thenext update. [Major Nelson]

Antihero x boob skate decks. Works every time. [Mash Kulture]

This, iFriends, is how you make a streetwear/sneaker profile video. Big ups to the Gourmet camp. [Maestro Knows via Vimeo]

From the “Who’s about to catch a beating over at Nike?” department comes the leak of this Fall’s Nike Sportswear x Parra coach jacket. Almost as awesome as the Casette Playa one (ssssh). [Sneakers.FR]

Reebok just added the Instapump Fury to it’s iD closet. [Reebok]

The Rap is coming back to etnies lineup for Spring, slimmed up, and looking solid. Don Brown and Pierre Andre Senizergues take us through the sneaker’s history in this new video. Yo PAS, make the O.G. solid-tone colors again!

Gourmet’s online shop is up and running. Get ‘em while you can. [Gourmet]

Yup, we’ve always wanted to be able to control a robot’s tongue with our brains. Oh Japan, you’re the best. [Crunch Gear]

Dress up your Dr. Romanelli doll in all of the new Spring/Summer F.C.R.B. clothing!!!! (oye) [Hypebeast]

Incase teams up with Schoeller for its EO collection. These bags are really really dope. [Incase]

Stussy x Dr. Marten’s. [Vagant]

This season, the brand stepped it up a notch on their sneakers by doing a limited collection using Epi leather, a special type of material that's produced in French mills for top luggage companies around the globe. Look for this Il Due to start shipping to select stores in the next few weeks. Bangers, Italy stand up.
$275, gourmetinyourface.com

I can has that? Unfortunately, the answer is probably, “Ha. No. Too Expensive, and you can’t read those letters.” If you’re referring to this awesome Colette x Visvim backpack on sale now at Headporter. (sigh) [High Snobiety]

Puma’s all gold 24K Mid with UNDFTD is on display and looking…shiny! [Hypebeast]

hahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa. You got to see this. New Phenomenon lookbook. Wow. Imagine if an NY streetwear brand tried to pull something like this? I guess it’s a different market, but nevertheless amazing. [Mash Kulture]

Leak! Check the Gourmet Fall ‘09 samples from Bread and Butter. [High Snobiety]

If you want Curtis to talk greasy, lead him up to a roof, and put the camera on him. [Nah Right]

You're familiar with the kicks, now check out Gourmet's threads for summer. [SlamxHype]

This Iraqi kid is a G. [Double Viking]

Get Michael Jordan's notorious last shot as a wallpaper for free. [Nice Kicks]