Welcome to the first ever Sneaker Summary.
I’ve always liked shoes, but didn’t seriously get into them until the spring/summer of 2017. At some point last year, I discovered sites like Flight Club, which helped me realize how big sneaker culture is, and that some shoes are more valuable and rare than others. I quickly became fascinated.
In June 2017, I purchased my first rare/hyped sneaker, the Adidas Yeezy 350 “Zebra.” And after that I’ve been obsessed. I look at shoe release calendars on a weekly basis and want to put my sneaker thoughts into words.
The plan is to highlight around five notable sneakers releasing that respective week. I will give my opinion and some tidbits on each sneaker mentioned, and which one I would hypothetically purchase.
Thank you for being here. Enjoy.
- Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro “Purple Reign”
Photo: gc911
I wasn’t entirely sold on the Protro Kobes at first, but I’ve come around on them. Nike has released eye-catching colorways of Kobe Bryant’s first signature sneaker with the company. Purple is one of my favorite colors, so these got my attention. The Protro 1 silhouette is kind of oddly-shaped; however it’s a decent enough silhouette that a good color scheme can carry it a long way. This specific look is very clean. I think the accents on the collar, tongue and midsole give it the perfect amount of purple. The carbon fiber detailing on the midsole, and stitching around the swoosh and upper portion of the shoe gives it a high-quality look. These release Tuesday, Oct. 23 for $175.
- Adidas Yeezy 700 Mauve
Photo: Adidas
Kanye West needs no introduction. The designer of Yeezy clothing and shoes seems to have a new, often controversial, headline every day. Regardless, the guy sure knows how to sell merchandise. In August, the Yeezy brand received a reported valuation of $1.5 billion. I loved the first wave of Yeezy 350s that dropped in 2015 and most of the 350 V2s, but I can’t get behind the 700. Yeezy is one of the frontrunners in the bulky, “ugly,” shoe movement. I didn’t like the original “Wave Runner” 700 and this isn’t much of an improvement; however, I think there is a sliver of potential with the silhouette. With the right colors it might not look bad. This 700 V2 is a step in the right direction. Despite the widespread love/hate feelings people have, the Mauve 700 will sell out instantly and have high resale prices. It releases Saturday, Oct. 27 for $300.
- Nike LeBron 16 “20/20”
Photo: Sneaker Bar Detroit
I haven’t liked a LeBron James signature sneaker since the LeBron 12. And this year’s shoe, the 16, doesn’t change that. James is one of the best and most popular athletes on Earth, so the shoes will likely fly off the shelves and is worth talking about. Nike went a similar route as last year’s LeBron 15 with the new Battleknit Flyknit 2.0 design, and Air Max and Zoom Air sole. The silhouette just doesn’t work for me, but I don’t completely hate the shoe. This is a sharp-looking colorway with the multicolored design paired with gray accents. The lion logo on the tongue is an awesome detail. The name of this rendition is cool too; “20/20” refers to his stellar court vision. That being said, a good color combo and details, while vital, can only lift an unattractive silhouette so far. It’s almost like two shoes that don’t really go together wound up attached to each other and the 16 is what came of it. It also releases on the 27th for $185.
- Air Jordan 11 “Platinum Tint”
Photo: Finish Line/Chris Elliot
This is a great shoe. The platinum/sail/red colorway with the black inside is so clean. These are small details; but the red accent next to the logo and the red on the tongue bring the shoe together nicely. The history behind the 11 and the design makes it my favorite Jordan and maybe my outright favorite shoe ever. Jordan wore the 11 in the 1995-96 season when he led the Chicago Bulls to a 72-10 record and won his third championship. The “Defining Moments” is still my favorite 11 colorway, but this one comes awfully close. This is my favorite release of the week and I will absolutely be attempting to buy them. They release on, you guessed it, Oct. 27 for $220.
To anyone who cared enough to click on this, thank you and I really appreciate you. If you ever have any feedback, or want to talk sneakers or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out via the contact link or Twitter (@JohnnMill).
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