Nike is always looking for new ways to innovate, and what’s the point of having subordinate companies if you can’t draw from their technology and product line? At the recent World Basketball Festival, Nike debuted the first ever collaboration between Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse, an Air Max basketball shoe with some similarities to the Air Hypermax. Check out the video for the whole story.

The thing with Converse, as it pertains to new basketball shoes, is that, being owned by Nike, they must have access to all the technology in the Innovation Kitchen, but they don’t always take advantage of it. Perhaps they’re starting to go a different direction however, because the upcoming Converse Star Player appears to mix the classic good looks of vintage Cons with the tech of a new hoops shoe, including a lightweight, Torch-like upper over a sparse base. Check out a couple more looks after the jump.

Converse Star Player

Converse Star Player

Converse Star Player

This topic was briefly touched upon a couple of weeks ago, but now it seems that a release date is imminent for the HUF x Nike Blazer Mid Canvas SB, the hybrid of the classic Blazer and the iconic Chuck Taylor with a dash of that HUF flair. The Nike SB Blazer “Chuck Taylor” will come in two colors, a black and a white, and matching jackets, t-shirts and trucker hats have been designed as well. The HUF x Nike Blazer Mid Canvas SB release date is set for November 7th at the HUF stores in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

I suppose this seemed inevitable when Nike bought Converse a few years back, but we’re finally going to see a crossover between one of the Nike’s iconic silhouettes and THE sneaker icon. The Nike Blazer SB Chuck Taylor All-Star sports an all canvas upper—as you’d expect from a Chuck-inspired shoe—a vulcanized rubber midsole that is slightly more similar to the Blazer than the All-Star, the standard Chuck Taylor metal eylets, an outsole that is a happy medium between the two shoes and finally a very subtle stitched, same-color Swoosh on the upper. While this is at the moment just a sample, it’s rumored that these could quickstrike as early as Holiday 2009. These things are really nice and I have to imagine if they do hit in December, they’ll fly off the shelves. I’ll keep you posted. Via MentalKicks.com, who happens to have a couple of pairs of size 9’s.

Lupe Fiasco Converse All-Stars

… you know, Chuck Taylors. As part of the (PRODUCT) RED campaign to eliminate AIDS in Africa, Lupe Fiasco and Dr. Romanelli go together to create a very unique Converse All-Star. The shoe looks like the traditional Chuck Taylor, except rather than canvas the upper is completely patent leather, and the usually-black line is red, as is the outsole. Even the iconic “Converse All-Star” badge on the ankle is just impressioned into the patent leather.

David Z stores and DavidZ.com have the Lupe Fiasco Converse All-Star now for $100. A bit steep for All-Stars, but the patent leather and good cause give you a nice excuse to splurge. And these things will break necks. I was at Urban Outfitter the other day debating the wearability of leather All-Stars. These patent leather joints put them to shame.