Ross Dwyer

It happens a few times every year. There’s a limited sneaker that’s dropping and the thirst is real. Everyone and their mother wants a pair, and they’re frantically scrambling around trying to scrape together some way to make sure they get theirs.

If you’ve been in the sneaker game long enough, you have connections, and maybe even a little sway. You might….just MIGHT be able to pull a few strings and get a pair for yourself without too much hassle, and maybe if it’s a really good day you can secure a pair or two for a few other people you know as well. However, I speak from experience when I say that this is a blessing and a curse…and when it comes to a hyped release like this weekend’s “Pirate Black” Yeezy 350 Boosts, it tends to lean further towards the “curse” side of the equation. read more

Round II. It’s time for another edition of Sunday Sneaker Ramblings.

It’s 3 AM right now, I just got back from the bar (you already know I was with the rest of the Voss Boys…squad) and you’re going to get a truly unfiltered look at my thoughts on any sneaker news that has occurred in the last week. Let’s get right into it.

First off, we’ll start with the biggest news of the past week, at least from my perspective. Yes, we’re talking about the rumored Supreme x Jordan I collab. Anyone who knows me knows that I love Supreme, and I really love Jordan I’s. Because of this, I’m going to have to get my hands on a pair of whatever their collaboration turns out to be, no matter if it’s the most fire shoe of the year or if it’s whack and uninspired. All the 16 year old hypebeasts who are using their dad’s credit card be dammed, I’ll be getting my pair release day (whenever that may be) come hell or high water, and they’ll be going on my feet the very same day that they show up on my doorstep. read more

I’m not one to spend much time reminiscing about the “good old days”, as I believe that adapting to change and trying to constantly look forwards is the best thing to do, especially in today’s sneaker game. However, one thing that I do look back on fondly (sometimes) is camping out for kicks.

Back before the hype for releases got way too out of hand, there was a little shop in Southdale Mall called V.S. or Versus. It was on the third floor by the old  food court (if you remember any of this stuff, shouts to you), and they had a Jordan account. They got most releases, and they’d let you come in the store when the mall closed. You could chill and socialize with other sneakerheads until midnight, when they’d sell you the kicks and send you on your way. read more

There comes a time in every sneakerhead’s life when they look at the stack of boxes piled up in their closet, bedroom, garage, or storage unit, and they think to themselves “damn, do I have a lot of kicks.”

That’s you. Years of collecting have left you with more shoes than you know what to do with. Maybe you’ve even cracked triple digits. Then, you get to thinking about it and you realize you have a lot of kicks that you don’t wear, and you’re not all that attached to. There are pairs in your collection that mean a lot to you and you’d never get rid of in a thousand years, but what do you do with the excess? read more

It’s not Cruzday Tuesday, but we’re discussing Victor Cruz anyway. To be more specific, we’re discussing his first Nike signature shoe and how it is that we feel about it. If you haven’t seen the kicks yet, here’s a snap of them.

Unfortunately, there’s only one word that comes to my mind when I see these sneakers. What’s that word, you might ask?

Yuck.

Victor Cruz seems to be a great guy with a big personality (and I don’t think that many people would disagree when I say that he has one of the best touchdown celebrations in the NFL, but his first signature shoe doesn’t reflect any of that personality. The folks at Nike seemed to think it was a good idea to vomit design inspirations from a bunch of other sneakers (Jordan III, Air Trainer I, Air Safari, and Air Yeezy) onto one silhouette. Although these are all great sneakers in their own right, combining them onto one shoe seems to be mashing too many good things together, similar to a Jordan Fusion. read more

When you’ve been in the sneaker game for a minute, you’re prepared for the ups and downs. Sometimes everything goes your way and you’re able to get your hands on multiple shoes you want in a row. Sometimes it’s the opposite and you’re striking out on releases and trades left and right. Eventually, you come to terms with that.

However, one thing in the sneaker game that’s more difficult to come to terms with is when you let a shoe go, either by selling or trading, that you really wish you had kept. Everyone’s got that one pair of kicks they let go that they can’t help but think wistfully about. When it comes to me, there have been a few times over the years when I let kicks go that I find myself wishing I kept. read more