It wasn't that long ago that purists complained about the over abdunance of the retro releases. These days, Nike has taken it a step further. They use a concept that was first seen in the counterfeit industry - melding of two different shoes and combine it to form one. Nike calls it fusion. Some of the shoe enthusiasts has called it profit without a conscience. But before we hate, it should be noted that every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, the bright spot is the Nike Sharkley. We take a closer look at this fusion project, with a familiar name to us all - Alphaproject aka Jason Petrie.

      Whether it is retros, retro pluses, fusion retros, we've grown accustomed to shoes that are remixed with a modern appeal. Most of the times, the overall result has left fans confused over just what the shoes want to be. You see, we are not looking for a split personality in our footwear. Shoes shouldn't have an identiy crisis. We just want it to perform and have it look good as well. Is that really too much to ask? When it comes to fusion, the secret is that it should be like peanut butter and jelly, the result must be greater than the sum of its parts.

      The first time I saw the Nike Sharkley's in nubuck, I knew instantly that was the shoe that hit the right spot. It was like the Golden Era all over again. The blend of CB and Shakes are just perfect for each other. Then I saw the price tag: $85! Hmm, how could it be on sale already? It must be a mistake... RIGHT? Then common sense hits me up side the head and I remembered a time where shoes use to be reasonably priced. Who says we can't have a perfectly good shoe for under $90?

      Most shoes I've seen reviewed in the past focused on performance and functionality. While I can do the same and tell you how this is the best basketball 2008 release under $85 in terms of comfort and on court performance, I rather focus on another aspects. For this shoe, I believe the Sharkley represent a perfect study case for the Artist Series participants of the past 5 years. The design elements in this shoe is something a lot of the artists have tried in the past contests. They borrow some but they focus on new innovations to push the envelope further. It isn't just fusion that captures our imagination but the infusion of new ideas that makes us vote for it. Have you seen David Cook on American Idols remake Mariah Carey's "Always be My Baby" in alternative rock form? Yah, it is kinda like that. You can have the same old package in one sense, yet new and edgy in another. And as we sort it out to find out what it really is, we find that we have been enjoying every minute of it. The Sharkley has that magic. So it shouldn't surprise you that it was created by same person who had his own theme (Alphaproject Inspired) on the Artist Series here - Jason Petrie.

      For those that still doesn't know JP by now. He is considered the pioneer of a group of online designers who wow'ed the internet crowd before making it big in the shoe design industry. Even now when you look at the Top Artists in the Artist Series ratings, Jason STILL ranks in the top 3 with just a select few of his overall portfolio. This is done with his outdated designs from over at least 6 years ago. Why do I bring this up in the discussion of the Sharkleys? Because when you have a classic design, it holds its own in the passage of time. For example, last month I saw some new designers complain about low ratings or worry about people ripping off their designs. Seeing JP's old work just reminds me that if you got skills you don't need to worry about new fads. You also don't rely on a one hit wonder to make your name. If you truly got the abilities you won't be afraid of someone stealing your best design because your best will always be yet to come.

      When I see the top renderings on this site, I notice that "style" lasts while "fads" fades. Classics are fresh and hip no matter when it was made. It is with that kind of nostalgia that I approached the Nike Sharkley. While I'm not ready to call it a classic, I am willing to say it is an example of the best of what Nike has to offer in terms of retro & fusion design. To find out more about the shoes, who else would be better to go to other than the designer himself? Here's what Jason has to say:

      The Sharkley was conceived as part of our summertime collection to be the ultimate shoe for summer hoops. The theory behind our remix shoes is to combine and amplify the best features and performance attributes of our classic shoes to create something new and better. It’s not about just chopping two shoes up and putting them together to look cool, it’s about creating a better performing product that winks back to our heritage but takes you somewhere new at the same time. That doesn’t necessarily mean the product has to be expensive. When you are beating up your shoes all day outside, you don’t want to drop $125 on them all the time...

      We started off by looking at some of Nike’s best outdoor and summertime shoes, and we took into account things like durability, fit, breathability, comfort, wearability, weight, traction, protection, and just shoes that players liked to play in that could stand up to outdoor abuse. Through that research we chose the Air Shake, because of it’s incredible durability, fit, and unique style, and the Air Max CB2 because no matter where we went in the country, guys were still playing in that shoe, indoor and outdoor. That shoe has incredible lockdown and cushioning for it’s weight, and is obvioulsy a shoe that has had significant cultural impact. Those two classics fed the heritage end of the design, and we wanted to add in some of the things we were experimenting with at the time, one of which was encasing the airbag in the really protective clear rubber bucket. This allowed you to see the technology without sacrificing durability, so you will see some of the Air Limelight sprinkled into the design as well.

      Above all else, the shoe had to feel and play great, so we re-engineered the overlays on the Max CB and made them straps to bolster lockdown and stability in the upper while protecting the laces at the same time. We then wanted to make sure the durability was on point as well so we took the protective and iconic rand from the Air Shake and triple stitched it while using more durable materials that will be right at home outside in the summer. We also wanted a really protective outsole, but not a lot of weight, so the outsole architecture is inspired by the huge herringbone traction from the Shake, but flipped in a modern way to be lighter and more sticky, with the protective clear heel bucket protecting a maximum volume zoom airbag- the best cushioning technology we have to offer. There are lots of little details from all of the shoes throughout the Sharkley, some more hidden than others, but something the ballplayer can discover over time.

      All in all, I would say this was a first venture into looking at our heritage to fuel our modern performance product in basketball- at least in such a direct manner. We have such an enormous vault of classic product that we have at our disposal and I would say it’s safe to say you will see more things of this nature from us in the future, but our concepts are constantly evolving, so you never know!

      To tap into Nike's vault sounds like a kid with unlimited access to the candy store. It seems almost unfair. There is so much potential and unlimited possiblities. Yet despite the excitement in the future of fusion, there is also great responsibility. It is important not to butcher a classic that we've loved over time. Every release should be done with past, present and future in mind. Just because we've always loved chocolate, it doesn't mean you can slap it with mayonaise and call it a sandwhich. It is with this thought in mind that we will look at future fusions with both anxiety and anticipation. The Sharkley is a right path in that direction. Let's hope we'll see many more to come.