As devoted readers of my column are aware, Bothell-based running-shoe maker Brooks has everything going for it: outstanding construction, fine cushioning, durability, and pronation control. What it doesn’t have–what it has totally missed out on even as its long-distance brethren like Asics and New Balance have totally cashed in–is any kind of coolness factor. This is due, in part, to the random fickleness of fashion, but more directly to the company just not giving a damn about urban hipsters and their “streetwear.” As a result, Brooks devotees such as myself, and new converts such as SW Web Editor Chris Kornelis, find ourselves with absolutely sick arch support, but a somewhat dorky appearance.Big thanks, then, to Drea at The Sneakery, for tipping me off to these new Brooks models that just dropped in Japan. According to Brooks, these killer kicks aren’t actually made by Brooks but by the company’s “licensee.” “They did a very small quantity to test the sell through,” says company spokesperson Tamara Hills. Of course it’s a small quantity. That’s exactly how you get to be hip. And come on, how hip is this guy?