Aaron Hope 
It is with good reason that the period between mid-November and the end of each calendar year is commonly called the ‘holiday season’. So many of the world’s local cultures have contributed to a melange of occasions suitable for celebrating, and the one that starts off the annual spike in retail sales starts later this week in the United States. But even if coming together during the winter results in increased sales, getting the major sneaker brands to cooperate is a task on the order of creating world peace. So Foot Locker‘s ‘Black Pack’ for Black Friday not only launches the store’s Kicksmas celebration in earnest, but it also manages the ambitious coordination of releases from adidas Basketball, Jordan Brand, Nike Basketball and Nike Sportswear. Dark colorways of the adidas adiZero Power Howard and adiZero Rose 2.0 join the Air Jordan III Retro ‘Black Cement’, Jordan 1 Flight in the same colorway, triple-black Nike LeBron 9s, Zoom Hyperdunk and Hyperfuse 2011s, the Total Air Foamposite Max also in black/anthracite, and John Wall’s Reebok Zig Encore. Last but not least is the ‘Binary Blue’ Zoom Rookie LWP, a model presumably included because it’s the darkest colorway on a model that has no ‘blackout’ edition (yet?). It’s a mouthful and enough to drain your wallet, and even if FL’s best wishes come true, it’s unlikely anyone will seek to complete this ‘pack’; so which ones are the must-haves?
