Sorry for taking a week off from writing words about shoes. It slipped my mind I guess.
Well, thanks for being here.
There are several notable sneakers releasing this week, especially on Nov. 16, so it was hard to narrow it down to five selections.
By the way, when I say “Name x Name,” like I will with this first sneaker, the “x” is interchangeable with “and.” That’s generally how collaborations are written on notable shoe and fashion sites. Idk. I’m trying to be cultured.
- Alexander Wang x Adidas AW Turnout BBall
Photo: Sneaker Bar Detroit
This is awful. There isn’t a justifiable angle where I go “Well actually, from this side I can see how it would be OK.” No. I like when high-end fashion and athletic fashion crosses paths and collaborates, but this isn’t it. This sneaker pays homage to some of the retro Kobe Bryant Adidas shoes, (which were also terrible), before he switched to team Nike. I’m a fan of tweaking logos, so I can actually appreciate the upside down Adidas logo on the upper. That is the sole silver lining with the Turnout BBall. If you’re about this life, you can buy it on Wednesday, Nov. 14, for a whopping $250.
- Nike Air Max 97 “Blue Hero”
Photo: Sneaker News
My feelings couldn’t shift more drastically than it does from shoe No. 1 to this. I absolutely love this 97. I find most shades of blue enjoyable, and this is one of my favorites, if not my favorite. The 97 is one of the most timeless and my most-liked Nike silhouettes. The unique upper pairs seamlessly with the all-around airbag. This year, Nike has often experimented with variating and bold branding, which comes through on this colorway. Where the swoosh normally appears on the 97, the Blue Hero sports “Nike” in bold, black, all-caps text. The swoosh can be found offset from the toe and also on the tongue, with “Air Max” detailing across the laces and on the heel. The white laces and alternating white and blue colors on the outsole are beautiful accents. A small element of this shoe I really appreciate is the horizontal red stripe beneath the toe. That tiny, bold accent is a nice touch. It makes the shoe extra eye-catching from the front angle. If I have to be critical about something — I could live without the tongue detailing. Removing that would clean the silhouette up. I’m trying to be a responsible adult and not buy any sneakers until Black Friday when a new Yeezy colorway drops (lol @ my life), so I won’t be buying these right away, but I hope to get my hands on them at some point if they sit on the shelves or have a reasonable resale price. These release Friday, Nov. 16, for $160.
- Adidas Yeezy 350 V2 “Zebra”
Photo: Sneaker Bar Detroit
Speaking of Yeezy … the “Zebra” 350 is being restocked this week. I bought a pair of the Zebras when they initially released in June 2017 and I love them. It’s my favorite Yeezy and one of my overall most beloved shoes. It’s a wild, unique design, yet is easy to wear with almost anything. The bold red letters complete the look. I would change nothing about the shoe. A minuscule detail I appreciate is the strap on the back. Since the outsole extends back and is bigger than the upper, having the strap makes that less drastic and noticeable. Some 350s don’t have the strap or whatever it should be called on the back, such as 2016’s Black Friday releases. That’s still a sharp-looking shoe, but I like this slightly different design more. I will not be adding another pair of Zebras to my collection, but you can on Friday, Nov. 16, for $220.
- Nike Kyrie 5 “Taco PE”
Photo: Sneaker Bar Detroit
This is an interesting one. The new Kyrie 5 is a cool shoe. Kyrie Irving hasn’t disappointed with a signature sneaker yet, he and Nike are 5-for-5. The silhouette of the 5 is similar to the 4, with one of the main differences being the Venus Flytrap-inspired containment system on the tongue. There are various aspects that make this particular rendition of the Kyrie 5 unique. They were designed by rapper/DJ Travis Leonard aka Taco, who was a member of rap collective Odd Future. Apparently, Taco and Irving are good friends, hence why Taco designed a colorway of his signature sneaker. After being on the fence, I think I like these. They’re wild. I’ve never seen a basketball shoe with a woodland camouflage upper, bright orange accents and an inflated Nike swoosh that wraps around the entire heal. Irving debuted this colorway against the Milwaukee Bucks, which was ironically funny (because deer hunters wear camo and bright orange). I’d like to see what this would look like if the swoosh was completely orange, rather than gray outlined with orange. This was the right choice, I think, but that big of a completely orange swoosh with the woodland camo upper would’ve been loud and intriguing. The Taco Kyrie 5 drops Nov. 16 for $130.
- Air Jordan 1 “Rookie of the Year”
Photo: Sneaker Bar Detroit
I’m not a fan of this color combination, but the history behind the “Rookie of the Year” Jordan 1 is what makes it notable. On April 30, 1985, Jordan accepted his NBA Rookie of the Year honors, and this shoe honors the shirt he wore during his acceptance speech. Like afore mentioned, the Gold Harvest color doesn’t do it for me. Regardless, the Jordan 1 truly is timeless. It’s still arguably the most popular and most beloved Jordan shoe to this day, and every release flies off the shelves. The old school Air Jordan wings logo is one of my favorite emblems of all time. Even though I love the silhouette and history behind the shoe, and have yet to get my hands on a Jordan 1, I will not be copping the Rookie of the Year 1 for $160 on Saturday, Nov. 17.
I would write about this stunning Air Max 95, but this blog is already too long, it’s 1:47 a.m. and I have some mindless social media scrolling on my phone to do before I struggle to fall asleep. Bye.
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