BOOK REVIEW: SLAM-KICKS: BASKETBALL SNEAKERS THAT CHANGED THE GAME

4/5

Can You Kick It?

Sneakers are as an ingrained part of the culture of basketball as the soles of shoes are to the blacktops of playground, hoop purists heaven sent dreams. Like tar on the heels of baby blue North Carolina to the Windy City Air of baby Bulls Chicago. From Jordan's to Kobe's. Nike to Adidas. Those weapon colourways and commercials to the and1 mixtape age. Hey, basketball fan or not those Converse you wear on your feet are a Basketball shoe created by Chuck Taylor and worn by Wilt Chamberlain when he scored a centuries worth of points. 100 years later and they STILL wont need to be changed. Through all this history the basketball bible SLAM has been there. You only need to library reference their 'Kicks' supplement Hall Of Fame but now with their first book they enter a whole new corridor. To join their latest Kicks magazine and Jordan special (in a 2014 that has also seen a throwback magazine, Iverson special and 'ChiHoops' insert to add to their sensational, revolutionary , magazine game spin-offs) this year comes their highest spin move on the hardwood yet. Always known as a hip magazine full of hops worthy ripping out the magazine like a steal and hanging off your wall like a backboard, this beautiful book is laced with glossy dome shots as pretty as their perfect picture. This is THE collectible for the purist court connoisseur. Thanks to their wonderful writers and a collaboration contribution from their classic scribe Scoop Jackson the history to the future of these trainers fit through these chapters and verse like the sock sneaks of the future. With 'Kicks' once again SLAM changes the game as the basketball bible has a new testament. Amen to the air God Jordan with a tongue in sneak pun intended. This is fresh out the box. TIM DAVID HARVEY