KJax22 has posted another pair of interesting custom Nikes at Nike Talk (linked here). These Nike Dunk Lows feature images of Talib Kweli and Mos Def from the cover of 1998’s “Black Star.” This initial collaboration between the two hip-hop artists was loved by a lot of people including the designer.

The problem for KJax22 is that the homage to “Black Star” is a bit off the mark. If I didn’t know these shoes were based on “Black Star,” I would think they were an awesome pair of shoes with some fine touches. KJax22 tried to replicate the profile images of Talib and Mos Def from the album cover. These portraits lack enough definition to show that they are the beloved hip-hop artists in question rather than well-drawn look alikes.

My bigger issue with these shoes is that the colors aren’t connected to the green, yellow and red hues used on the “Black Star” cover. The green, blue and burgundy on KJax22’s work are nice but they don’t contribute to any sort of tribute to the hip-hop duo. These shoes are fantastic out of context but it doesn’t seem like they match up the designer’s stated intent.

Tags: Black Star, Custom Sneakers, Dunks, Mos Def, Nike, Talib Kweli