With the Olympics right around the corner, shoe companies are releasing the shoes that will be featured in Beijing. These Nikes are the kicks that Kobe Bryant will wear for Team USA as he attempts to help the United States reclaim the gold in 2008. In 2004, Argentina won the gold medal in Mens Basketball.

These shoes look extremely slick and should be a hit once the Olympics begin and Kobe, arguably one of the biggest names in all of the Olympic sports, begins to dominate the competition. Number ten, Kobe’s Team USA number, is featured prominently on these shoes. There is also a Team USA logo on the inside of the shoe and a Kobe logo on the tongue of the shoe. Via Sneakers News and pics via Marqueesole.

Acne Jeans and casual sneaker outfit Tretorn have combined to create the Nylite Mid. These sneakers are available now in three colors including light brown, black and white. The light brown Nylite Mids shown above are the most stylish of the bunch with a light brown body and dark brown shade underneath the eyelets. These shoes are reminiscent of older styles of sneakers that gave birth to the “classics” now available through Adidas, Puma and other shoe companies.

I am not a big fan of the Nylite Mid for multiple reasons. I think the gum sole used on the black colorway would have looked great under the light brown colorway. These shoes are unimpressive in terms of the standout style desired by serious sneaker fans.

The greatest problem for the Nylite Mid is that it adds nothing to the sneaker market that isn’t provided by shoes like the Adidas Stan Smith. The light brown Nylite Mid may have a different color compared to the all-white Stan Smith but it lacks the comfort, affordability and understated style. The fact that the Nylite Mids retail for 135 pounds (about $270) in England means that a sneaker fan needs to decide between one pair of these shoes and two stylish shoes.

The Nike Comic Series Pack was released last week. It has a Vandal Hi and an Assault. Both editions use a strong mix of colors and graphics.

The first picture is about the Assault. It uses a black border around the shoe and has black accents in the shoe lace. The toe box has an explosive graphic. The background has tiny blue dots to denote the aftermath of the explosion. The sneaker wants to make an explosive impact on the scene. Below the toe box, the white midsole has a running line of yellow stitches. This detail creates the illusion that the midsole is separated into 2 layers. The main body of the shoe is in white. There are a few colored accents consisting of yellow, blue and red.

The second picture shows the Nike Vandal Hi. Since the Assault has its colorful graphic at the toe box, the Vandal reverses the trend and has its cartoon graphic right behind at the heel. The same graphic of an exploding blast is used but on a larger scale. The shoe has many red accents and that is the dominant color of accents. It has its traditional shoe strap that is held by a velco fastening. I prefer the Vandal Hi for its clean and conservative look.

The iconic Nike Spiridon helped define the Nike running scene as it was one of the first Nike Zoom Air based running shoes. Continuing its efforts to bring back blasts from the past, Nike is now releasing the Nike Air Force 1 Spiridon.

This sneaker features a variety of textures and colors that blend very well together. The shoe combines black leather, white mesh, red satin and white trim to create an eye-appealing colorway. The red satin Swoosh is a focal point as it’s outlined in black.

These sneakers are available right now at Mita and will be heading to local Nike retailers very soon.Via HypeBeast.

The latest edition of the Nike Zoom Kobe 3 pays tribute to Kobe’s high school – Lower Merion. Featuring the school colors of White, Burgundy and Silver, this Zoom Kobe 3 is sure to please. This sneaker is neither too loud nor too drab.

Making the jump from high school at Lower Merion to the NBA, Kobe went on to become one of the best players in the league. Despite the loss to the Rockets on Sunday, Kobe and his Lakers are still in prime position to make a run at the NBA title this season once his teammates Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum return from injuries.

Via Sneaker Files.

These plaid fitteds by Keith Hufnagel are pretty pimp. They’re now available at HUF stores. We particularly like the yellow plaid fitteds, but the other colors are just as fashionable. [HUF’s Honeyee]