Explanations, again
So, this is a bit late, but I have a good reason! I forgot about it. I need to start setting reminders for all this scheduled stuff I plan. Anyway, #SneakerWednesday for April! There was no post on the 27th because I was too busy worrying about college, fun times.
Puma Mostro - April 1st
This #SneakerWednesday (it is 9PM here I am well on time) will be about one of the lowkey coolest designs of
the 2000s, the Puma Mostro!
Designed by Peter Schmidt (that at least one magazine called "eccentric German"), the Mostro, which is
italian for "Monster", born out of a Frankestein's Monster-esque fusion of the 1968 Tahoe Brush Spike, a
very old Puma shoe with racing tracks, and an 80s surf shoe (that no one mentions by name, but the photo has
the Puma formstripe).
It has a completely unique design, where the midsole and the outsole are kind of the same thing, the
aggressive spikes and the asymmetrical velcro strap it uses for securing the shoe in place made it a Y2K
favorite, selling millions on release. But it truly came back to life when Puma had a collab with Ottolinger
in 2023, bringing the Mostro back in three boot variations.
Later it got collabs with artists, most notably A$AP Rocky, and a bunch of different variations. For the
picture, I chose one that actually releases tomorrow: The Mostro Pokémon Espeon!
Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam" - April 9th
Today, on a day is absolutely Wednesday and you should not check, #SneakerWednesday brings a favorite of
sneakerheads, and one of those big moments in sneaker culture: the Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam". We all have
seen Space Jam, the original of course, we all saw Michael Jordan playing with Bugs Bunny and how insanely
horny the writers were for Lola (which was created for this movie, by the way).
In the final match (NOT on the training sequence, mind you, the sneakers Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck get from
Jordan's house are not these), Jordan wears a colorway made specifically for the movie of the Air Jordan 11,
by this time colorways had names, and of course, it's the Space Jam.
The 11 came out alongside Jordan leaving retirement, legends say he was inspired by the movie (/j). The 11
features a patent leather upper, a ballistic mesh (yes) and carbon fiber plates, which made the AJ11
actually really technologically advanced for its time.
You mix a genuinely good basketball sneaker, with a never before seen design, and the cultural moment of
Space Jam, and you have a beast of sneaker culture. For years now Nike, on the holidays, always releases an
AJ11. This year, to celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary (sorry if I made you feel old, yes, Space Jam is
30 years old), that 11 is the Space Jam.
Adidas Gazelle - April 15th
The #SneakerWednesday of today will be of an underrated classic, the adidas Gazelle. While modern adidas is
absolutely defined by the Superstar and the Samba OG, the Gazelle remains an incredibly popular option to
this day, particularly among women.
Not that it was always like this, the Gazelle was not and is not just for women, and you can find it on all
sizes. It begun in 1966 (adidas' sneakers all go back so long) as a shoe for training (signaled by the color
blue) and handball (signaled by the color red). It was also made of suede, which was actually revolutionary
when it launched, if you see ads for the originals you may see they look a lot like the modern Tokyo (the
adidas sneakers, not the city).
However, like much of adidas, what propelled them as icons was the terrace culture in the UK during the 80s,
while you may see the Samba OG as the "embodiment" of these aesthetics, the Gazelle was actually there
first, and you may even go as far as to say that the Samba stole the Gazelle's looks, since it had that more
recognizable design from the start. The 90s saw the Gazelle jump to the feet of britpop artists, and later
to b-boys. It is, in a way, very british (and somewhat american).
adidas does not keep their shoes static like Nike does, so the 70s, the 80s, the 2000s all had different
Gazelles to contend to, they keep the DNA but change the package, it's just how adidas is. And, should you
wish, these are everywhere, but you can still put up a solid outfit with them, plus with a sea of sambas
around, a gazelle in suede will absolutely call attention.
On the picture: A pair of Gazelle 85s in blue, a more premium "OG" spec of the shoes.
Nike Air Pressure - April 23th
Today, on the belated #SneakerWednesday, my actually favorite sneakers. Like period. The Nike Air Pressure!
If you recall a past post, I talked about the Rebook Pump, the Air Pressure was Nike's response to it. It
featured none of the easy to use system that the Pump was famous for, instead it came with an external pump,
all packaged in a huge translucent box like it came out of NASA. Despite the aura, this thing was a pretty
big failure, the external pump was a massive hassle, and when you pair it with the absurd price of $175
dollars in 1989, it was dead on arrival, unfortunately.
However, in the following years, the iconic design by Bruce Kilgore became a collectors' item, and the
re-release in 2016 came to satisfy everyone that couldn't get 1989 sneakers anymore. Provided you managed to
snag one and pay the extremely hefty price of $300 dollars.
The picture is of the re-release. I really hope Nike releases it again some day, but I wouldn't hold my
breath, being so old, any deadstock pair is gone by hydrolysis at this point. One can hope!
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