Air Jordan 3 "Brasil" - June 4th
I make the rules, and in turn of the world cup that is starting, we will have a #SneakerWednesday about the
Air Jordan 3 "Brasil" (or Brazil depending on location).
It may not be here to please everyone, with the extremely loud colors, and pink that I don't know where it
came from. But I cannot deny it is one of the wildest colorways we had in a very long time, loud and
unapologetic on purpose, which is not really something you see on these Jordans.
This one was released in May, you can still buy it on stores, unsurprisingly the screaming colors didn't
really make this a super popular release. A lot of people claim it looks specially cooler in person, but
aren't all sneakers that? Anyway, it shines through a lot of white and black releases, it will, at the very
least, be a good conversation starter.
Off-White x Converse Chuck 70 "The Ten" - June 10th
On this #SneakerWednesday, a pretty special one. The Off-White x Converse Chuck 70 "The Ten", part of the
groundbreaking collection with designer Virgil Abloh, released in 2018.
I am not going to go in details of the collection itself, I highly recommend you check it here, plus if you
REALLY into go into this, check the book Virgil Abloh - nike - icons, green cover published by Taschen. It's
one of the pivotal points of sneaker culture, where designers finally got permission to tinker and really go
wild on collaborations.
That set of 10 sneakers had two themes, Revealing and Ghosting. The Revealing ones were about opening the
shoes up, showing materials and such. The Ghosting one I'm sure you can guess by the looks of this one. They
have a translucent aspect to them, literally revealing what is inside without needing cuts.
It features a clear mesh material instead of the classic canvas, literally meant to show your socks, if you
had cool socks, no better shoe than it. Other details include a semi translucent icy-tinted sole, a flipped
branding logo on the heel, all the irony texts Off-White is known for: VULCANIZED, LEFT, RIGHT, SHOELACES,
plus the red zip-tie. You really can't make Converse sneakers more distinct and unique than this.
Funnily enough it got delayed, the collection released in 2017, but this one in particular was plagued with
material problems that forced a delay to 2018. Nowadays it is a considerably rare member of The Ten.
Don't mind the fact it says "All-Stars" on the text, there is some confusion but it was made based on the
Chuck 70 silhouette, and since it's more of an "upgraded" All-Stars, it got there.
Nike Dunk High "Be True to Your School" - June 24th
#SneakerWednesday today covers the Dunk High, in particular we'll be looking at the original 1985 "Be True
to Your School" pack, 8 colorways designed to match the colors of famous colleges, the audience Nike was
trying to hit, University of Michigan, University of Kentucky, University of Iowa, Georgetown, Syracuse, St.
John's and UNLV.
The Dunk was designed to be both a competitive basketball shoe (it would release on the same year as the Air
Jordan 1, designed by the same guy, Peter Moore) and a way to cheer for your school and wear those colors.
Between them, the "Varsity Maize" in Black/Yellow, representing Iowa, would be the most iconic one of this
era.
After this the Dunk High immediately went on hiatus, it wouldn't be re-released until 1998, and later on the
Nike SB (Skateboarding) resurgence, where it would gain a puffy tongue and a zoom insole. Even then, the
Dunk High never gained traction as a mainstream hit, eclipsed by the Air Jordan 1 High on one side, and the
Dunk Low on the other. It has been a very rare silhouette in the modern years.
Nike Air Huarache 2K4 - July 1st
#SneakerWednesday today is about a basketball shoe that sits on that in-between classic basketball era that
became lifestyle icons, and the modern era of purely technical shoes: The Nike Air Huarache 2K4!
Released, as you can guess, in 2004, designed by Eric Avar, it became famous in the feet of Kobe Bryant and
Sue Bird. In fact, the one you are seeing here is Sue Bird's Player Exclusive version, which is set to be
publicly released later this year!
This was before the same Kobe Bryant would challenge Nike to develop a low top basketball shoe, which would
become the Nike Zoom Kobe IV in 2008. Basketball sneakers would never be high tops after that. The Huarache
sits firmly on that era where stuff was still high on the ankles! When stuff was cooler, damn you Kobe and
the fact he was correct.
Nike Air Yeezy 1 - July 8th
Well, so, today's #SneakerWednesday is the iconic, transgressive, and controversial in retrospect: Nike Air
Yeezy 1. Yes, that Yeezy.
The year is 2009, so, change your expectations a bit, Kanye West is just an influential and inflammatory
singer, not an antisemite. The Air Yeezy was the first time an artist got to collab with Nike to this degree
of freedom, Nike didn't just put his name on a shoe, they designed the entire thing from the ground up.
It is a crazy maximalist sneaker that we just don't see anymore, you don't make sneakers like this, it has
that insane vibe of the early 2010s that completely died out, not to mention it's a hell of a high top.
Crazy proportions, mixed materials, it goes all the way and then some.
What would end up happening is that Kanye wasn't happy with how Nike was treating him, he wanted to build a
brand, a line, but Nike only gave him a few super coveted grails (the 1 was followed by the 2) and he wasn't
entitled to royalties like the athletes were. He would end up changing for Adidas in a massive deal, that
half a decade later would be one of the biggest downfalls in sneaker history. Note: an antisemite behind
your biggest line is a problem, specially for a German company.
Today, the Yeezy 1 sits on a strange spot. It's hard to appreciate it when it is connected to an horrible
person, and while Nike does own the shoe (not the name though), I doubt Nike wants to open this can of
worms. Nowadays artists simply do not get this kind of freedom, you may alter a shoe, but a new one from
scratch? No. You don't do that. Too risky. With a few exceptions and only after an established connection.
Still, people remember Travis Scott for the Jordans, not the originals. Definitely one for the history
books, one way or another.
Nike Moon Shoe - July 15th
Alright, time for #SneakerWednesday (também conhecida como #QuarTênis), and today's sneakers are the perhaps
forgotten but ever inspiring, Moon Shoe. Time for a little history lesson.
Nike's co-founder Bill Bowerman wanted to make running shoes for the new track on the University of Oregon
that didn't rely on metal spikes. Legend has it that during a breakfast with his wife, he saw the waffle
iron, looked at the pattern, and something clicked. He poured urethane on it, ruined it, but created the
world famous waffle sole that would be a Nike staple.
He stitched some nylon uppers on it, and the rest is history, a run of about 12 pairs was made. The shoe got
the name because, reportedly, runners would leave prints that looked like those of astronauts on the moon.
The Moon Shoe was not released to the public, but it would be a foundation to the Waffle Trainer, launched
in 1974. Plus Nike would use the waffle sole on many others, like the LD-1000.
Recently, after a collaboration with french fashion house Jacquemus decided to revive the silhouette as
chic, low profile and athletic inspired sneakers for women (as in smaller sizing). There is no exact reason
given, but the Moon Shoe OG was never released in extended sizing. The Jacquemus one is the one featured on
this post.
Nike would release leather versions of these too, instead of the nylon ones that look like ballet shoes.
More recently, as in today, Travis Scott was seen on the premiere of The Odyssey wearing what looked like
Moon Shoes OG, featuring his iconic reverse swoosh. It remains to be seen if this turns out something, and
if it really is a Moon Shoe.
Extra Fun Fact: An original prototype of the Moon Shoe was sold at an auction for staggering 437,500
dollars, which made it the most expensive sneakers ever sold at auction.
Puma Clyde - July 22nd
Alright I gathered some energy for a short snd sweet #SneakerWednesday / #Quartênis. We will take a look at
the ever influential Puma Clyde.
The Clyde is an interesting case, designed for Walt "Clyde" Frazier and first released in 1973, it came to
be because Clyde did not want to wear the Puma Basket, which you can search and see it is the same shoe as
the Suede, but in leather. Clyde set his conditions for the new shoe were to be made of suede, to have his
signature "Clyde" printed in it, and a new color variation for every NBA game he took part in. That last
part matters because the reportedly wore 390 different colorways throughout his career.
The shoe is essentially a Puma Suede modified with his inputs to be a better basketball sneaker. It proved
to be a massive success in the streets, in fact Bobbito Garcia makes a point in his book "Where did you get
these?" that it was in fact more popular off-court than on-court. It never caught on in the NBA, but it
absolutely caught on in the streets. Skate, breakdacing, or people just wanting to be cool, because these
were cool.
The Clyde was brought back in 2018 in a lifelong deal as is a pivot of Puma's lifestyle line, alongside the
Suede and its variations.
Air Jordan 9 "Space Jam" - July 29th
Today's #SneakerWednesday (#QuarTênis) is the Air Jordan 9 "Space Jam", which happens to be an upcoming
release, though it already had others in the past.
The AJ9 holds an interesting position in the Jordan line, it was released just after Michael Jordan retired
to pursue baseball, and Nike was left with the task of releasing their flagship basketball shoes without a
star in the court. The 9 is not on the list of most hyped Jordans of all time, but it features a very sleek,
boot-like design without losing that sneaker energy (like the shudders Air Jordan 12). It leans heavily on
the "Global Superstar" status Michael had (and has), the outsole features a bunch of words in multiple
languages describing the sporting values Jordan embodied.
This was already on the era where Jordans were quite technological, so it features a bunch of cool stuff for
basketball, including two air units (forefoot and heel) and a "one-pull" lacing system for a quick fit.
The Space Jam is actually a retroactive name, this colorway was one of the originals released back in 1993,
it was used during the training montage on the film, where it gained its fame and the name.
We are expecting this mid-September this year, after an hiatus of 10 years since it was last released. It
should feature Space Jam themed packaging as well. It's an appetizer for the highly sought out Air Jordan 11
Space Jam, coming this December (which I already talked about).
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