The Throwing Star

Most of us have owned at least one of his inventions in a lifetime as Frank Rudy is known as the person responsible for inventing the Nike Air we have grown to love. Aged 84, Rudy passed away in his Californian home on December 13th. He was an avid inventor with 250 patents under his name resulting from his background in aerospace engineer in the military and later on moving across various industries to provide his new ideas.

Nike founder Phil Knight had tried on the prototype sneaker with Air (a cushioning unit filled with pressurized gasses) in 1977 and the rest is history. From then Nike had come to release the Nike Air Tailwind (1979) then Air Force 1 (1982) to the spawning of the 1987 “Revolution” campaign in which Nike Air Max 1 was launched showcasing visible Air for the first time. After this revolution Nike has been synonymous for Air and its comfort as that tradition stays alive.

Nike CEO Mark Parker reflects that “Frank Rudy holds a singular place in the pantheon of Nike innovation” and that “his relentless creativity and focus on solving problems was, in many ways, the template for how Nike pursues performance to this very day.”

Also Rudy was known to be in close contact with doctors in Ohio and New York to fund and help with cancer research which he had dedicated his life to. Frank Rudy will not be forgotten as Nike prepares to launch the “Fresh Air” campaign in 2010.

Netherlands-based Patta finishes up the year strong with an exclusive capsule collection, created in conjunction with San Francisco’s own HUF brand. The collection consists of snapback hats, t-shirts, and a longsleeve tee. The t-shirts and hats are available in two colorways, white/blue or grey/teal, while the longsleeve comes in heather grey. Available December 31st exclusively at Patta and HUF flagship stores.

HUF SF
812 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
415.674.3744

HUF LA
410 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.944.0017

PATTA
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 142
1012 SH Amsterdam
+3120 5285994

Here you can preview the upcoming styles of England’s Nigel Cabourn. Executed with precision, the lineup finds its inspiration from Nigel’s father’s Army handbook, a diary utilized during his Army travels in India and Burma from 1942 through 1945. Taking those references a step further, the seasonal designs are reflective of the garments worn by Nigel’s father during the time, apparent within the featured book photography. Coupled with this small preview, Nigel Cabourn offers a website re-launch which can be viewed here.

Nike has busted out the starting gate this decade with three new trainers for 2010. The three styles being launched are the Nike SC2010, Nike Trainer Low, and the Lunar Kayoss. Each style uses Nike’s own Flywire technology, and have taken a few notable design elements from their previous footwear family. Available soon in early 2010. View shots of the other shoes after the jump.

Mac Miller releases his new mixtape The High Life, which should give you the obvious theme. If you haven’t heard any of Mac’s music before, I would suggest you to check this out. We’ve got the full tape for your listening pleasure. It features guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Skyzoo, Josh Everette and Boaz. Hit the jump to check out the track list and download link. Enjoy.

Download Mac Miller – The High Life (Mixtape).

Acting legend Robert De Niro has revamped the restaurant in his New York Greenwhich Hotel (of which none of the 88 rooms are alike) with a change in name and menu. Now called Locanda Verde (previously Ago) was given a makeover to make it more casual and relaxed…like your neighborhood restaurant with a touch of rustic Italian design. De Niro’s new restaurant also graced Esquire’s list of Best New Restaurants in 2009.

Locanda Verde – Robert De Niro
377 Greenwich St (at N. Moore St) Tribeca, New York, NY 10013, Tel: 212-925-3797

Title pretty much says it all; Method Man and Raekwon go at it on Part 2. This is the first joint off the The Wu Massacre, dropping February 31st!

[audio:http://thethrowingstar.com/wp-content/audio/MethVsChefPart2.mp3]

Download via 2dopeboyz: Mef vs Chef Pt.2

Here we bring you a sample of the Fall/Winter line-up from Reason. The collection entitled Excelsior has everything from jackets, to plaid shirts, denim to hoodies, t-shirts, vests, hats, and more. All items are now available through Reason’s website.

After the unfortunate passing of DJ AM earlier this year, one of the world’s most well-known sneaker collectors will see his entire collection auctioned off for charity thanks to the efforts of eBay, Deckstar and UNDFTD. The 900-deep collection, which features some highly sought after releases, went on the auction block Sunday, November 15th through eBay. 100% of the proceeds of the sales will be donated to the DJ AM Memorial Fund, an initiative to combat addiction and generate awareness. For the time being, some of DJ AM’s sneaker heat is temporarily on display at UNDFTD Silverlake. The current eBay auction is half-way through the first batch of items with the list of auction items seen here.