Joakim Noah inked with French sporting brand, Le Coq Sportif, in 2007 and now, after three years, he’s earned his own signature sneaker. Aesthetically, the sneaker looks like a throwback but it possesses a technical componentry that is equivalent to that of contemporary sneakers. Some of these technical features include: a full-length compression molded EVA midsole, external TPU heel counter, inner booty sleeve, and lateral outriggers.

For the moment, there are photos of both a home and away colorway for Noah’s team, the Bulls. Both the home and away color-ups sport the Le Coq Sportif rooster on the mid panel and Noah’s 13 on the heel.

For next year, many inspirations out of Japan has already seem to incorporate various studded motifs. The now iconic ato Cowhide Boot made ultra-popular by the likes of Kanye West is seen here in an upcoming version as it combines Louboutin-esque studs over a solid black leather upper.

Studs include both round versions on the front vamp as well as on the tongue while the two chunky Velcro straps are seen in more traditional square styles. The shoe will be available via Rowgage.

Jose’s Calderon’s appearances in Kicks On Court have been a welcome change for our “bored with Hyperizes” readers. Donning a signature Li-Ning, Calderon is off to a decent start, averaging just under 13 points per game in this young NBA season. Not too long ago we took a close look at another Li-Ning sneaker designed for Baron Davis, the BD-1, and now we get a close-up on Calderon’s signature silhouette.

We saw this sneaker in action in today’s Kicks on Court actually, following last night’s Raptors game. These sneakers feature a black and red patent leather accents throughout the upper, while it also gets a healthy dose of plastic ribbing, adding a “rib cage” around Jose’s foot. his number 8 appears on the ankle insides, and the otngue logo features Calderon posing with 3 fingers up, which he does on-court when he just hit a shot from outside.

Although a bit early, Pierre Hardy offer an exclusive drop of its Colorama sneaker for colette. The shoes, produced in a run of 500 pairs, feature a leather high top design with a fairly toned down multi-color palette amongst a mostly White/Grey base. Available now through the colette online store.

DC has deep roots in the skate and alternative sports community, thanks to their history of creating very skateable products. Having daredevils like Travis Pastrana pull stunts in your name doesn’t hurt either. With the Life label, DC’s appeal has spread to the masses, thanks in part to the Sector 7 and Admiral Hi silhouettes.

This most recent release of each design takes inspiration from the street (literally) by using a cement colorway. The low-top Sector 7 maintains a wingtip look with perforation and small accents. The Admiral Hi uses matching grey mesh near the ankle to break up the material monotony. Both pairs are grey suede, with accents from DC’s “Pill” pattern. Both are available now online.

Jeffstaple had many heads scratching their heads when his partnership with Payless Shoes owned Airwalk was announced late last year.  Though there has been a recent trend of highly respected designers working on lower cost lines, it had yet to be done in the sneaker world.

With limited collaborations, the entry price of obtaining a Staple Design product or “pigeon” product has been far out of reach of many, but with the recent price reduction of several STPL x Airwalk shoes, most should be able to obtain a pair.  Full size runs are currently available for $10 a pair at Payless.

Conceived in 2002 by adidas’ Japan design team, the adiZero Mana Pro franchise was a hallmark in The Three Stripes’ running offerings for its minimalistic and lightweight approach. Continuing with this trend, the adiZero philosophy continues with two new Japanese versions of the lightweight performance footwear styles.

From an aesthetics point of view, clean white mesh uppers incorporate Japanese flair with Japanese characters on the heel. The Mana comes in as a training model while the Pro is a racing model. adidas’ confidence in the adiZero line-up has led them to offer a 28-day money back guarantee to users of the adiZero Mana and Pro models.

When we showed you the Lanvin Footwear Spring 2009 Collection earlier this year, the majority of you did not show too much of an interest in these high-fashioned sneakers. However, Lanvin is set to release four subtle colorways of the High Trainer for the fall/winter season.

This four-sneaker grouping features materials ranging from jersey felt to calfskin to suede. In addition, all of the sneakers are finished with rubber soles and own metal laceholders. The colorways, which possess a predominance of grey, are ideal for the upcoming season. No word on when these High Trainers will release; meanwhile.

DC Shoes has used the Xander model in a number of collaborations with associates such as Mike Shinoda, Lemar and Dauley and Kendo Double Label. However, DC has chosen to let the Xander stand alone this time by introducing this Xander TX.

This sneaker definitely goes in the opposite direction of the subtle, gloomy shoe colorways we see during these seasons. The majority of the base is done up in neon yellow; yet, it contains minimal grey accents on the side panels and tongue. To coincide with the latter details, this Xander is finished with a grey sole. You can pick your pair up now at DC’s online store for $120.

Singaporean locals SBTG and DJ Inquisitive have teamed up to pay tribute to the King of Pop by producing a “Thriller” themed Converse All-Star Hi custom. Inspired by one of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits and most memorable music video, “Thriller,” the customs fit the motif of MJ’s attire in the video. Additionally, SBTG adds his latest design techniques of claw-rip detailing and a zippered tongue. Here’s what each of the collaborators had to personally say about the custom piece:

““MJ was the reason I got interested in music in the first place” – DJ Inquisitive

“When Leon first approached me to collaborate on a custom design, I searched for a theme to represent his passion in music. Then when the news suddenly broke about MJ’s tragic departure, I knew we would pay tribute to him since both of us grew up listening to him” – SBTG

It’s interesting to see Chuck Taylors being used for this work, as it is not necessarily a popular shoe to customize (especially for SBTG), but also there isn’t much known relevancy to MJ. Nonetheless, still dope! The customs will actually be unveiled this weekend on a Thriller Night at Singapore’s Butter Factory.

For those who want their hands on these, they will also be available to order at Leftfoot. More details of the launch party and custom orders via StreetThing.