Point of View

We told you.

Sorry, had to say it one more time. We CALLED it that the Nike Vapormax would be a hit. Called it on January 14th to be specific, a solid six weeks ago. And what’s happened now? Yeah, you guessed it. It’s a hit.

When we said it would be a competitor to the famed Ultra Boost, adidas’s flagship running model, we could practically hear the scoffs and feel the angry fingers typing out tweets and messages on phone and computer keyboards. How dare we say that a Nike shoe could compete with the Ultra Boos, the creme de la creme of premium running models. read more

The release of the Jordan I “Royal” is drawing closer and closer. April 1st is right around the corner, and the general sneaker populace is quite excited.

Understandable. The “Royal” is arguably the best Jordan I colorway ever (we personally prefer the Breds, but we can certainly see why someone might like the Royals a little bit more), and if the Bred release is any indication, the thirst for these will be very real as well.

Earlier this week, Sneaker News posed an interesting question: would the Royals generate more hype than the Breds? Unfortunately, they didn’t really answer the question at all in the accompanying article, so we’ll take care of that today. read more

At this point in the sneaker game, it’s a safe bet to assume that any popular performance sneaker will receive a “lifestyle” model sooner or later. On paper, this makes a lot of sense. Performance silhouettes are generally sleek and unique, so throwing casual materials on them and switching to a street-ready style seems like a pretty damn good idea. However, it’s not without its flaws. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Unfortunately, in the case of the recently-announced Nike Dualtone Racer … it didn’t work. If you couldn’t tell from looking at the above image, the Dualtone Racer is based off the infamous Nike Flyknit Racer, a shoe that turned the sneaker game on its head when it first released with its sleek, minimal style and incredibly unique look. read more

Rihanna’s collaborative “Fenty” line with Puma has provided some of the best sneakers and sandals in recent memory. Her “Creepers” were arguably the shoe of the year last year, and her furry Fenty slides were a big hit as well.

However, we’ve gotta say her newest Fenty releases (an R698 and a slide both featuring a large bow) are … well … not really up to snuff.

We understand it’s hard to follow up a release like the Creeper with something better, but these aren’t even close. The bow is a very cool concept, but it’s large and garish and doesn’t work well with the somewhat sleek silhouette of the R698, and it unfortunately doesn’t lend itself too terribly well to the sandal either, even though we will say that they’re marginally better. read more

I sold my Yeezys yesterday.

If you know me, you know that’s a big deal. I only ever had one Yeezy, the “Turtledove” 350 Boost … which also happens to be the best Yeezy of the bunch in my opinion. I managed to cook on them when I was still working at Finish Line … and I even got an employee discount, which means I paid a whopping $140 for one of the most valuable shoes of the last few years.

And I wore the absolute shit out of them, from the day they showed up. I wore them at Minnehaha Falls for a photoshoot, where they got thrashed. I wore them to events. To parties. To dates in the attempt to impress ladies (that didn’t really work, but hey … nothing ventured, nothing gained!) I wore them frequently, and got more than my money’s worth. read more

Kanye West’s greatest test is about to commence.

Just kidding. The release of the Yeezy PowerPhase won’t be his “greatest test”, we just wanted to say it because it rhymed.

However, the PowerPhase will be a test of sorts: it’ll be a test of how real the Yeezy hype actually is. These aren’t a futuristic, fashion-forwards sneaker like the 350’s and 750’s, nor are they a chunky, military-inspired boot like the 950’s or any of the Season 3 footwear. They’re a plain white leather sneaker that bear a striking resemblance to the Reebok Workout … a shoe that was loved by middle-age aerobics participants the world around when they released. read more

We’ll start today’s article off by acknowledging that we’ve said various parties “need to chill” a lot these past few weeks at KicksOneTwo. We’re cool with that though … there’s been a lot of extra shit going on in the sneaker game recently. From terrible overdone Yeezy customs to bad Team Jordan releases … you just gotta give out a reality check every so often.

The latest person who needs a reality check (as far as we see it) is LaVarr Ball, father of LaMelo, LiAngelo and Lonzo Ball, the three basketball-playing brothers, who’s names you’ve heard left and right if you follow hoops. LaVarr has garnered a reputation for being somewhat forwards and outlandish … but his latest caper might just be his best one yet. read more

Every so often, there’s a sneaker that slips through the cracks. A sneaker that, for whatever reason, doesn’t get the love (and with that love the cultural significance) that it should from the general public. Those shoes have a small (but very dedicated) group of fans that swear by them, and they manage to carve out their own weird niche even though they haven’t gained status with the sneakerhead community.

One of those sneakers is the Nike Footscape. A Nike sportswear release that offers a woven, moccasin-style upper sitting on top of a retro-inspired Nike running sole, the Footscape is a lightweight, unique sneaker that’s ideal for warmer months. read more