Point of View

As Minnesota sneakerheads, it’s a problem we’re faced with every winter (Winter may seem far away, but it’ll sneak up on you before you know it). Do you rock your dopest kicks, or do you leave them in the box? You look outside, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to snow, but it’s wet all over the sidewalk and it also appears there’s lots of salt chilling everywhere. Do you dare??

As someone who’s been through many a Minnesota winter, I’m here to tell you it’s not at all worth it, and offer you some stylish suggestions for winter kicks. Put the white/suede/super icy kicks back in the box and take a look at this list of do’s and don’ts. When that first patch of nasty winter weather hits, you’ll be thankful that you did. read more

The Roshe Run is a great sneaker. They’re cheap, lightweight, comfy, and their sleek design works with anything from denim to jogger pants to shorts. They come in a cornucopia of colors and patterns, and you can find one to fit almost any taste. I personally own the black Flyknits, the classic black with white midsole, the marbled midsole reds, and the Iguanas, and  love rocking them frequently.

However, there’s a downside to the widespread popularity of the Roshe Run. It’s beginning to get played out. You can’t walk five feet without seeing someone, be it a 20-something girl with a pumpkin spice latte in one hand and a yoga mat under her other arm or a high schooler rocking a letterman jacket and sweatpants. There’s even a website, Daily Roshe.  There can be too much of a good thing, and the Roshe may just be becoming an example. read more

Everyone loves a dope pair of custom kicks. From the crazy “Iron Man” customs that Mache did for LeBron James to the “Lebronold Palmer” Nike SB Dunks designed by the up-and-coming CWhitt Customs there’s something fresh and different about a pair of custom kicks.

However, like most good things, the more popular customs got, the more people started trying to weave their way into the sneaker customizing business. From people with artistic talent who want to try something different, to bums who are looking to make a quick buck by sloppily painting shoes, everyone seemed to be trying to get their own piece of the action. This leads to a pretty interesting question: is the custom sneaker market oversaturated? read more

Almost everywhere you go, there’s a code of conduct that needs to be followed. Sometimes it’s written out (like no shirt, no shoes, no service at a convenience store) and sometimes it’s unwritten (not using a urinal next to someone else if there’s another one open in the men’s bathroom).

Although there isn’t a written list of things that you shouldn’t do at any sneaker store or boutique, there’s an unwritten and somewhat unknown list of things that should be avoided. Why should you avoid these things, you might ask? If you don’t you’ll be “that guy”…and nobody wants to be “that guy”. read more

Last week, GQ published a piece asking a question: Is Ronnie Fieg the most important man in NYC sneaker culture? If you asked the same question of the KicksOneTwo staff, the answer would be a resounding yes. Ronnie has changed the industry greatly, not just with his sneakers but also with his apparel. It’s only right to touch on Ronnie’s impact on the industry as a whole, and the direction he’s pushing his brand Kith in.

Even though sneakers is the main focus of this site, we’d be remiss to not touch on Ronnie’s contribution to the fashion side of things. Although jogger pants have been considered cool for years in Europe, it wasn’t until Ronnie introduced the Mercer pant (Kith’s jogger pant) that they really started to take off in the US. The quality and the cut of the pants was on point, and sneakerheads all over the US realized that a jogger cuff on the bottom of your pants afforded you a better opportunity to show off your prized sneakers. read more

At some point in your time spent sneaker collecting, you’ve most likely met an OG or two. You know, the guys that have been collecting as long as you’ve been alive, have shoes that are almost your age,  and remember that one time in ’91 that Mike did this, that, or the other thing while wearing that one specific pair.

But sometimes there’s a fine line between being an OG and flat-out just being old and crusty. What crosses that line and what’s OK? Here’s what I think. read more

Earlier this week, the one and only Drake took to Instagram to hand out his own “Hood Grammys”. The KicksOneTwo team liked the idea so much, we thought we’d hand out our own awards. Without further ado, we present to you the first annual “Hood Sneaker” awards, both good and bad.

Most Varied Collection: DJ Skee

 Although several were considered for this first award (Jeremy Guthrie and Wale to name two), the award had to go to Mr. Skee. With a crazy collection of Jordan and Nike models from all areas, there’s very few people, if any, in the sneaker game that have a more diverse lineup of kicks than he does. read more

We all know the feeling. You’ve got a fresh new pair or some heat that you don’t usually break out on foot, and someone notices. “Nice shoes bro!” “Those are dope” “Like the kicks man!”

Yes, it’s the always-coveted sneaker compliment. Someone likes what you’ve got on foot enough to make a comment about whatever heat you’ve got on foot. Some people get a lot of them, some people not as many, but all sneakerheads can agree that it’s a pretty damn good feeling. read more

We’re back! The long-awaited return of the Community Opinion is here. For the first piece, we asked Twin City sneakerheads for their thoughts on the KD VII “Global Game”. This time around, we’re doing something a little different. All the sneakerheads in this piece were asked one (not so) simple question: If you could only wear three shoe models for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Opinions varied, from Nikes to Vans to Red Wing boots. One thing is for sure though, there’s a wide variety of tastes in our sneaker community. As before, you can hit the links to check out anyone’s Twitter or Instagram, and any sneaker/sneaker related business affiliation they have will be listed as well. A final note, the shoes listed are not listed in any order, just three favorites. Without any further ado, let’s get to it! read more

You’ve most likely heard the news. Earlier this week, three of Nike‘s top designers left for their biggest rival: the brand with three stripes, (irony?) Adidas. What does this mean for the sneaker industry as a whole? Will the balance of power shift in Adidas’s direction? There’s a lot of questions to be answered.

A quick background on the three power players: First, there’s Marc Dolce. His specialty is modernizing popular retro models, as evidenced by his work on the Lunar Force 1’s. He’s also worked on signature basketball models for various Nike athletes, and football (of the American variety) gear. read more