Soul 2 Sole Scans 30 Years of Sneaker Culture

No, Adidas is not an acronym

(NEWSER) - Some sneaker names are obvious—Air Jordan, anyone? But Mental Floss uncovered the origins of some popular brand names that are a bit more mysterious:

• Converse Chuck Taylor All Star: A former high school basketball star, Chuck Taylor joined the Converse team in 1921 and helped launch the shoe to stardom.
• Puma Clyde: The nickname of Walt Frazier, the Knicks player who asked Puma to design a wider basketball shoe.

(NEWSER) - The Cavaliers' loss to the Orlando Magic last night further highlights the difference between LeBron James and his spectacular forebear, Michael Jordan, Mike Freeman writes for CBS Sports. “Jordan wouldn't have lost this game or been destroyed in this series,” Freeman writes. Furthermore, Jordan would not have delivered James’ easygoing response to the loss that left Cleveland down 3-1. “Jordan would've strangled someone.” More»

(NEWSER) - LeBron James' 3-point bomb at the buzzer last night to beat Orlando is the stuff of legend. In fact, writes Jodie Valade in the Plain Dealer, it invokes another classic shot in Cavaliers' history, this one by Michael Jordan 20 years ago to beat Cleveland. "He was born to do that," said guard Sasha Pavlovic of James. "I believed. I think all our fans believed, too." The Eastern finals are now tied at 1-1. More»

Also, he once beat Maya Moore at HORSE

(NEWSER) - President Obama wants you to know that he had his eye on Jeremy Lin before it was cool. Obama sat down with Bill Simmons for a half-hour of sports talk on today's BS Report (audio here ), and the first question was how he felt about being America's second most famous Harvard grad. "I knew about Jeremy before you did, or everybody else did," Obama shot back, explaining that he got the heads up from former Harvard basketball captain (and current Secretary of Education) Arne Duncan. "So I've been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon for a while." More»

Digitally-linked shoes track your moves

(NEWSER) - Next stop for the digital revolution: Your feet. Nike yesterday showed off its new line of Nike+ footwear that keeps tabs on wearers' movements. Pressure sensors and an accelerometer on the shoes can keep track of distance, jumping height, and step frequency, Mashable reports. The data is linked to iPhone, iPod, and web apps. The shoes will be available in key markets worldwide, including the US, on June 29. More»