Sorry to burst your air bag hypebeasts, but the Jordan hybrid trend ain’t nothin’ new. Canadian-based artist Brian Jungen has been ahead of the curve, blending silouhettes of the VI, XIII, and the XIV since way before the Dub Zero dropped.

Jungen’s signature work was a series he started in 1998 (through 2005) called Protoype for New Understanding. The collection featured 23 different masks, all made up of manually pieced together Jordan parts. According to Jungen’s wiki, they represent the relationship between a consumerist artifact and an ‘authentic’ native artifact. Doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, but we can’t knock his hustle. Besides the kicks, he’s re-interpreted furniture, a whale-bone sculpture and football jerseys throughout his career. We bet you can guess our favorite remake. See more of his Jordan work in a gallery below…

[Witte De With]

After hearing his new collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and Ciara, it’s probably safe to say that Nelly’s 2005 deal with Reebok didn’t pan out. He already provided the soundtrack to Nike’s other basketball staple in 2002 with “Air Force 1s,” and now the St. Lunatic is back with “Stepped On My J’z,” an anthem for anyone who has ever spazzed when their beloved 23s get scuffed. It’s worth noting that Nelly co-owns the Charlotte Bobcats with the Jump Man himself, so perhaps they’re working out some new campaign to push the song, which is supposed to appear on Nelly’s new album Brass Knuckles. Listen to the track after the jump.

Nelly f/ Jermaine Dupri & Ciara “Stepped On My J’z” (2008)

It’s true what they say, “You’ve gotta break a few eggs to make an omlette.” In the case of Visvim'Japan’s revered independent shoe and mature streetwear company'cracking the standard $300 price mark was well worth it, considering the quality goodness. Creative Director Hiroki Nakamura’s careful craftsmanship has the whole world in mind with this spring’s “Folk” series of moccasin-like shoes. They’re all chemical-free, which is why we tapped the environmentally conscious Nakamura for Complex’s first Green Issue. Check out a gallery and a bonus Q&A with the candid designer after the jump.

Interview: Sky Gellatly

Why did you start your independent brand in a market dominated by the big dogs?

Visvim began as a reaction to a market of mass produced footwear, but more simply than that we just wanted to make the kinds of shoes that we wanted to wear. There were very few smaller footwear companies at the time of our launch, and when we first started we were simply filling a niche in the footwear market. There will always be niches that larger companies have some difficulty reaching, so I saw such an opportunity for the kind of products that I wanted to wear and make and launched the brand. Sneaker are just sneakers; they don’t have meaning. People mostly wear sneakers because, although designed for sports, they are comfortable in daily use. But we wanted something that was very comfortable, but didn’t look sporty and with a bit more meaning, and with a definite higher quality.

Why do you think independent sneaker brands are proliferating these days? Could you speak on this for the Japanese and the US markets?

I think when it comes to being a small company, the key point is this: being independent isn’t the key, making good quality product for the people who wear it is. Companies making good product will succeed. It doesn’t matter if a company is large or small, corporate or independent, it just matters if they are doing something well. People will always notice.

Do you think that there is a reaction among trend savvy consumers today against brands like Nike, Adidas, etc?

Again, honestly, I have no idea. The thing with trends and people who follow them is that change will remain constant. Maybe one day collecting footwear is trendy to do, but it might not be the same another day. Trends are fickle in nature. But I feel that people who understand quality in materials, design, and development will be attracted to brands who focus on those same things.

As a company, we very much respect large footwear brands because in many ways they’re capable of doing things that we cannot do. We see incredible product being produced daily, product that we might never be able to produce. But at the same time, there might be something that we do that would be difficult for them. It’s up to the customer to decide which is more appealing. I do think, though, that customers are seeking something new and different and something that feels unique to them. The designer’s role is to design good product, that’s all. I just want to make our product better.

Do you use your footwear as a fashion item that gets men interested in your entire line?

That’s a very interesting question. We approach or clothing line with the same focus and development goals as our footwear, so maybe some of our customers have noticed this and started buying other product. As a shoe company, footwear always comes first, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see our footwear as a “gateway” product. It was a natural progression for us to expand from footwear into clothing and backpacks because, like the start of the company, we wanted to design what we wanted to wear. We like making really comfy shoes, and we think our tees or sweats or jeans are really comfy, too. I think people will always like designs that are basic or classic, so there will always be a market…Good product will last for a long time

Even the most die-heard sneaker heads can appreciate a little art outside the pictures on their shoeboxes. In appreciation of Nike’s 22nd anniversary of the Dunk, 22 influential photographers will tip their hats to the shoe’s iconic moments in sports and lifestyle for the “Be True” exhibit tomorrow night. The collection is a mixture of old and new work by the impressive list, from Terry Richardson and Jamel Shabazz to Ed Templeton. See the flyer after the jump.

The East coast has flea markets, the West coast has swap meets. They’re essentially the same (’hood Wal Marts) just named differently. One thing that’s sure to stay the same is the unique style of the shoppers'scruffy dudes with moustaches squeezed into ladies jeans, or cut-off khakis, french braids and house shoes'word to Kurupt. This week’s street detail subject finds a comfortable middle-ground between New York’s downtown scene and LA’s graphic T-shirt culture. Get hip to second-hand shopping and see the full outfit after the jump.

Name: Maxwell Krivitzky

Location: Albuquerque, NM

Occupation: Artist/Student

T-Shirt: Los Angeles Sprays Itself (Limited to 15-20 for art gallery opening)

Cardigan: American Apparel

Necklace: Alex + Chloe

Denim: Levi’s Vintage Collection 1967

Sneakers: German military sneakers (vintage). “Hedi Slimane designed a pair for Dior Homme but I wanted the real thing'$40.”

Best Find at a Thrift Store: Helmut Lang jeans (but traded them for a pair of Supreme sneakers)

Hip-hop and sneaker nostlagia go hand in hand. We guess that’s why this video from indie-rap group BullyMouth just doesn’t get old. But with all the help they’re getting from Company Flow’s Mr. Len (who directed the video), they could learn to face the camera rather than letting the mannequins, and moving sneakers hog the spotlight. See for yourself after the jump…

BullyMouth
“For Kicks”
The 30 In 30 Campaign (2007)