A Bathing Ape

One of the most coveted sneakers for years was the Bathing Ape shoe. I used to want these sneakers during high school and even middle school. An extremely rare shoe, A Bathing Ape is only available in New York. The sneakers are also expensive, some on sale for $300. They also had the most intricate and flamboyant color ways. Although they had a similar design to Nike's shoes, such as the Air Force One, these shoes were special to me because of the star that was replaced the Nike Swoosh. Their exclusiveness also made them more desired and valued. Only one kid in my high school had a pair of Bapes. I do not think that Bape can make a comeback with their shoes, however, because they were more of a fad than a stylish shoe. Wearing a shoe with  outlandish color designs today would just seem tacky and would not be as appreciated as before. Additionally, the Bape brand has faded and is no longer regarded or valued. It is ironic to observe how trends can be popular for a certain amount of time and then forgotten later. This is why style will always be appreciated more than trendiness. Style is timeless and can never be duplicated, while trendiness only receives recognition for the time that it is "in." This is why I resort to buying sneakers based on my own personal interest in them and not because of the hype around them. Originality is much more valuable than imitation.

Adidas Equipment

One Adidas sneaker that I've always wanted was the Adidas Equipment. This was a basketball shoe that came in many different colorways and had a matching inner sleeve for your feet. It also was very supportive on the court. Off the court, people wore it simply for style and to match their clothes. The Equipment's were released around my freshman year of high school. They sold for $150. What I liked most about these shoes though, were their intricate colorways. There seemed to be a colorway that could go with every NBA team. I am not sure if they will ever be released again in the future, but I hope that they do come out. No rumors or information on the internet indicates or predicts another release. These are a pair of shoes that I regret missing out on, also because they are the only pair of Adidas's that I would buy. The Adidas sneakers being sold today are not as supportive, stylish or exclusive. The only shoe by Adidas that is somewhat relevant now is the Derrick Rose sneaker, but even those are not worth buying. They are a good basketball shoe because they are light, but I feel that that they are not that supportive. I need a shoe that gives strength to my feet when I'm on the court. I don't want to feel like I'm playing in slippers. Until Adidas releases the Equipment's, or another shoe that is as fresh and supportive, I will not buy Adidas basketball sneakers.

True

I wasn't aware that True Religion also sold sneakers until I saw them for sale at a local Journey's. Surprisingly, the shoes are much less than the True Religion jeans, only going for $60. The jeans usually sell for $200 plus. I have never been a fan of True Religion's and the sneakers don't have much of an appeal to me. Their design is more of a rugged, more detailed pair of Converse Chuch Taylor's. I also notice that the material is of low quality. For such a luxurious brand, I expected the sneakers to at least live up to the name. I was disappointed when I discovered these shoes. However, there were still people excited to buy them. What does this say about our society? Are we willing to spend our hard earned money on name brands and not on quality? Would we buy a product merely for the title that it bears, regardless of how it looks and its design? This pattern is also similar in purchases of the more recent Jordan releases. Many people bought the Jordan 14's that were released a few months ago in the white and red colorway. The shoe was made of poor quality, yet many people bought it because it was a Jordan sneaker. This is probably why True Religion shoes are cheaper than the jeans. Owners of the company know that more people will buy the shoe at a decent price, only because of the brand name and will ignore its quality and appearance.

MJ & Adidas

Recently, I just watched a video which discussed how Adidas turned Michael Jordan down on a sneaker deal. This is how Nike acquire Jordan and gave him his sneaker line. I  was shocked by Adidas's decision. They overlooked the greatest basketball player to ever play the game! Now his shoes are the hottest on the market, selling out as soon as they hit stores. Adidas must heavily regret the decision they made. Not only for the money their business could have made, but also the legacy that they could have created. Their rejection of Jordan most likely served as a motivation factor for him to be the greatest and to launch such a successful sneaker campaign. As I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, in Jordan's first season, he was fined by the NBA for every game in which he wore his own sneakers. Finally, the NBA came to accept him having and wearing Jordans. It is remarkable how a dream can begin so overlooked, questioned and rejected and then grow into something successful and unforgettable. Now, the Jordan Brand is even more popular than Adidas. In surveying some of my friends, I found that most would prefer a pair of Jordans over the most popular and stylish Adidas shoe. Any sneaker with a Jumpman logo is well respected throughout the sneaker head community. I personally would definitely rock a pair of J's before I put on any pair of Adidas sneakers. I don't even own a pair of Adidas!

Top Ten

The Adidas Top Ten sneakers are a classic pair of basketball shoes. Sometimes they can be spotted on the feet of kids playing ball on Boston's outside courts.These shoes are a large hit in the Boston area. In the city of Boston, Adidas sneakers are very popular. Most of our sneaker stores sell the Top Ten's in the red, white and blue color way. I have never owned a pair. If I were to ever buy these shoes, they would either be used for me to play basketball in, or I would just keep them for the sake of collection. I would not buy these sneakers for stylish purposes. They are not versatile and cannot be worn with many different kinds of outfits. Despite this, I think these shoes would be a great hit for the summer, in athletic or casual gear. They would go well with shorts and a tee shirt, or tank top. They just cannot be worn with formal or semi-formal wear. Because of this, I am reluctant to buy a pair of Top Ten's, because they cannot be diversified with my outfits. I look for sneakers that can be worn with simple, casual clothes and formal, classy clothes. Sneakers are meant to serve as a compliment to one's outfit, not a distraction. With that being said, I will stick to other basketball shoes, such as Jordans and Nike's, and will leave the Top Ten's on the shelf. With respect to Adidas, I will always side with Nike.

Balance

One brand of sneakers that has been on the rise over the past year is New Balance. These shoes are being worn by many people for casual, athletic, and even (rarely) formal wear. As a little kid, I used to have a new pair of New Balances every school year. My parents bought them for me, because supposedly they were the most comfortable sneakers on the market. I also wore many of Reebok's sneakers. Recently, I thought about buying a pair of New Balances on numerous occasions, but I could never muster up the will to buy a pair. Something just didn't allow me to develop a desire for them. They seem too simple and subtle. New Balances also seem to only go with skinny jeans or really slim pants. Any heavier or straight fit jeans would make the shoe more unnoticeable. I prefer Asics, because they have more stylish and creative colorways. Though I haven't seen a pair of New Balances worth buying, I do not absolutely dislike the shoes. Some of my friends wear New Balances and I support their fashion decision. I just find it hard for me to connect to these shoes in any personal way, despite me wearing them as kid. Some shoes and styles just are not fit for everyone. An important rule in fashion is to find what style matches you. In trying to adapt to a certain look that doesn't align with you, your style will appear abstract and out of place.

Air Max

Air Maxes have always been popular, yet I have never owned a pair. Every time I set out to buy a pair of Air Maxes, I always end up buying another shoe. Recently, at the Nike Outlet in Wrentham, I tried on the Air Max 2012. These shoes were supportive, but not as comfortable as most people claimed they were. They fit extremely tight, and the tongue was scraping my foot. I like the colors and styles of Nike's signature running shoe, but I can never motivate myself to buy a pair. One pair that I would buy if it were released again is the Air Max 97 with a golden colorway. It has a tiny Nike swoosh logo which is red. I never saw this shoe in any store, except online. I first saw them a few months ago when my friend was showing me his brother's sneaker collection. I instantly fell in love with these shoes and searched for them on every sneaker website that I could think of. Narrowing my search down to pickyourshoes.com and flightclub.com, I still couldn't find them for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, on pickyourshoes.com, they were sold out, and on flight club, they were over-priced. They also didn't have them in my size. My only resort to finding this shoe is to wait and hope for them to be released again. Then I can become a member of the Air Max family, after purchasing my first pair. Hopefully  when they are released, they don't sell out too quickly.