Point of View

As anyone who even has a passing interest in sneakers knows, the Jordan VI “Black Infared” will be released this upcoming Black Friday. Even though it’s been re-released a few times since its original release in 1991, it still creates somewhat of a frenzy whenever it drops. With this being hands down the biggest sneaker release of Black Friday, it’s only right that the quality of the shoe and what the community thinks about them is discussed here on KicksOneTwo.

Although the shoe does look great in pictures (in case you couldn’t tell from looking at the snap above), in person the quality is average at very best. The nubuck on the upper is very susceptible to scratches and scuffs, but the 3M hits are nicely done. read more

You might be groaning.

An opinion piece? On a sneaker website? “I didn’t come here for opinions, I came here to read about sneakers”. Well that’s just great. Sneakers and sneaker-related topics (which this kind of is, in a funny way) are going to be 95% of what goes on here. However, occasionally there’s an issue that needs to be written about. Much like the Bar Louie piece I wrote this July, I feel like writing about something that “really grinds my gears” as Peter Griffin might say. read more

I gave my mom her first pair of Jordans this week.

Why’s that, you might ask? It was her birthday, and being the sneaker fiend that I am I figured that a dope pair of kicks would make for a great present. Plus, they were Jordan I Highs. Everyone loves Jordan I Highs. From sneakerheads to skaters to people who really don’t care about sneakers at all, you really can’t go wrong.

Plus there’s nothing quite like that first pair of Jordans. Some people might get them when they’re still waddling around, not 1oo percent sure how to walk. Some might get them as a Christmas present. Some might not even get their first pair until they’re well into their 30’s. read more

This last week, I was hanging out and talking about sneakers like I usually do in my free time when I heard an unfortunate phone conversation taking place in my immediate vicinity.

A young-ish kid decked out in Supreme and rocking some Nike Flyknit Racers was talking to his friend about the wheat Air Force I Mids that had dropped earlier that day. You see, this kid had gone over to a store that still had several pair in stock and cleaned them out, buying every last pair so he could attempt to flip them on eBay. read more

In sneaker culture, there are few shops more prevalent than NiceKicks. With a dope storefront in Austin, Texas, and one of the best sneaker Youtube channels out, they’ve always managed to find a way to stay in the front of the pack in the sneaker industry.

One of the most popular segments on their Youtube channel is their “Sneak Peek” series, in which they visit various sneakerheads (everyone from DJ Skee to Rico Love), and let them show off some of the dope sneakers that they have in their collection. They’ve been through five very successful seasons, and just started their sixth. read more

Ah, the good old wheat sneaker/boot colorway. Used on everything from classic staple kicks like a 6-inch Timberland boot to the more recent (2004 to be exact Jordan XIII colorway, it’s always been an underrated yet tastefully utilized color scheme.

However, it seems to have experienced somewhat of a recent resurgence with the recent releases of the Wheat Foamposite Ones and Air Force I Mids. Pictures below for those who aren’t quite as up on game.

Pretty buttery right? I’ve been lucky enough to see both pairs in person, and there’s a bit of an odd “reverse effect” (if you will) between the two. read more

Sometimes you just feel like you can’t keep up. You’ve been online all day looking at sneaker news and info, but no matter how much research and reading you do, there’s always a new release that you haven’t heard about yet. Now you’re reading about said release, but what’s this? Kanye was seen wearing what shoe? On to the next article.

Nowadays with the plethora of information on the internet, it’s almost impossible to stay ahead of the curve on what’s going on in the world of sneakers. This constant need to keep up and be at the forefront of sneaker culture can be extremely tiring, and is known as “sneaker fatigue.” read more

Happy Halloween, KicksOneTwo fam!

We figured that as Haloween is a time of “horror” in some aspects (word to Freddy Kruger and Jason Voorhees), it was only right to include a list of “sneaker horrors” that most sneakerheads have had to deal with at least once or twice. Enjoy the list, and have a very happy Halloween! If you can think of any other funny “sneaker horrors”, please feel free to let us know in the comments!

-When your shoes show up in the mail, and look like B-grades. read more

It normally starts about three months early. The text message from someone you haven’t talked to in a few months. The Facebook message from someone you haven’t talked to in even longer. They’re both asking the same question: “Hey man, can you help me get those XI’s that are coming out this holiday season?”

As anyone who’s ever worked in a sneaker store can tell you, it’s a fall ritual: People who you haven’t talked to in a long time or are simply not close with will bug you about the XI’s for months and months on end. For some reason, the holiday release seems to bring out the worst in most sneakerheads, and also shows a bad side of folks who are just into shoes casually or not at all. read more

The greatest to ever play the game and the heir apparent to the throne. The past versus the present. Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James.

Don’t get it twisted. Even though a piece comparing them as basketball players would be interesting, we’re here to talk about their shoes. Does LeBron have what it takes to top Michael in terms of influence and total sales, or is Michael so far ahead of LeBron that it’s not even slightly worth discussing? Let’s take a look.

The first area that we’ll look at is influence on the culture, and this is an area that Michael wins running away. Not only have his shoes continued to endure as iconic style pieces for all types of people, they continue to inspire fervor in loyal collectors all over the world. Although there are people that are just as loyal to their LeBron collections, nothing tops the craziness of any Jordan fan. Plus, Michael’s shoes have been selling since ’85, and although LeBron is on his 12th signature model (which is no small feat), Michael gets the edge in this one. read more