Sneaker Freaker

As it was suggested to us, perhaps they weren’t made for the sales team but rather they are genuine ‘test mules’, made to trial new upper designs with lowers that have already been tested and approved. And vice versa. It’s hard to be authoritative
on these vintage models without verifying it with someone who was there at the time, but if you think about it, it’s not surprising that these models create harmony in form and function. They are from a short epoch in time and adhere to the early nineties Nike design mantra, namely jacked-up running shoes that were committed to the concept of visible air and heels so chunky, you could carve them.

Since nothing succeeds like success, (my apologies to Oscar Wilde) it is all the more tempting for profit driven corporations to repeat a winning formula ad nauseum to keep everyone happy, numb and in stasis. The problem with that is obvious – what happens when we all hit that wall collectively? Is that when the whole sneaker game circa 2008/09 collapses into a screaming heap of indigestion and heartburn through over consumption?

Let me put it this way – can anyone out there name more than a handful of shoes designed in the past five years that really hit you over the head? Whether we love him or not, Puma has Mihara in their corner fighting hard, but can you name a single adidas shoe other than the crazy failure of the 1 computer shoe? Nike has the Moire, the FREE, the Mayfly and a brace of Jordans plus a protege in Le Bron as a marquee machine. Reebok developed a new Pump and they also have... G-Unit anyone?