It gets really tiring to look at sneakers everyday on the Internet. Everything tends to look the same after awhile and very few shoes catch your eye or stand out. Dozens of new shoes are previewed by brands, retailers, celebrities, and leakers on a daily basis, and there's more product on the market than anyone could ever consume. But every so often, there are a couple shoes that stick out in the best way possible; leather, suede, and rubber gems amongst a pile of indistinguishable footwear. This week, there were three sneakers (or collections) that treaded above the rest.
Trophy Room x Air Jordan XVI (pictured above)
Marcus Jordan, Michael Jordan's son, has made a name for himself in the sneaker industry, and it's not from riding his father's coattails. He's opened Trophy Room, a sneaker store in Orlando, which carries, you guessed it, Air Jordans. But he's the perfect face for the brand. This week he unveiled an exclusive for the shop, a French Blue pair of the Air Jordan XVI. I always thought the XVI was cool because it came after Jordan's glory days, but it had a patent leather toe and looked clean in a futuristic way. So I really like these. Expect them to drop early next month.
Reebok x Renarts LX85000
You might not have heard of Renarts before, but it's the shop who took the infamous photo of the white "Chef" Curry Under Armour sneakers that went viral and launched a million memes. It's also the store behind sneaker boutiques Extra Butter and Rise, and it has a real mom-and-pops feel, being located in Long Island. The shop's celebrating its New York heritage and 30 years since the Mets won the World Series. The sneakers fit the theme perfectly without doing too much, and it's always good to see the small guy get some shine. Expect these sneakers to drop on October 22.
Saint Alfred x Adidas Gazelle Gore-Tex
The Adidas Gazelle has been one of my favorite sneakers of 2016, and it's not getting its own collaborations. Saint Alfred, a sneaker boutique in Chicago, got a crack on the shoe and did something really simple to it: did it up in off-white suede and made it weatherproof for its city. Wearing white sneakers in Chicago in the late fall and weather is near suicidal, but these will be OK with their Gore-Tex lining. If you haven't gotten a pair of Gazelles yet, get these on October 29.
