Retail Pros Name their Favourite Sneakers of 2019, So Far
Few know sneakers better than the retailers turning over racks and racks of them. They’ve pored over pre-release catalogues, guided civilians through the finer points, and spent time with pairs in front of them IRL rather than just scrolling past.
And you know what time in the sneaker industry gives you? Opinions. When it comes to the best sneakers of 2019 so far, we’ve already given you ours. So we decided to ask some retail pros. We posed the question to retail pros ranging from managers, to buyers, to owners, to see what they’ve liked so far this year – and what they’re still looking forward to.
Jens Burmester: Marketing Manager, Overkill
What was your sneaker highlight of the past six months?
That’s a tough call. There were quite a lot of nice releases in 2019 so far. But [if I had to] pick one, it has to be our colab with PUMA, the Puma Cell Venom “Radiant Venom”. Besides the fact that it’s an Overkill colab, I love the Cell Venom and the twist that the shoe gets through our design. And the extraordinary video we produced tops it off and makes it a very special one!
What sneaker (or sneaker-related event) are you looking forward to in the second half of 2019?
There’s no particular sneaker that I’m looking forward to in the second half of 2019. I’m pretty hyped about the Air Jordan 5 “Fire Red” Retro but that one’s scheduled for 2020. Of course there’s always something cooking at Overkill and there are some projects in the making I’m already excited about.
Mateusz Pytkowski: Brand Manager, Street Supply
What was your sneaker highlight of the past six months?
2019 celebrates 30 years of the ZX four-digit series. I am a ZX series fan, so my expectations of this anniversary are big, and the first half of 2019 was really good – adidas released the first retro of the ZX 4000 in an OG colourway, and a lot of new colourways. The best pair (and big surprise) so far has been the ZX 10.000C: a great pair and a tribute to Jacques Chassaing’s ZX design legacy. Also, it was nice to get this pair in a vintage-design box from the late-80s. Overkill Shop then made something even better in the ‘I Can If I Want’ [ZX colab], a true masterpiece.
What sneaker or event are you looking forward to in the second half of 2019?
Maybe it will be unpopular, but I’m definitely waiting for the next retro release of the ZX 8000 ‘Aqua’. Prices of previous releases are enormous; it’s almost six years since the last retro edition, and it is the best time for new release. I hope to see them on the store shelves within the next six months.
Dean Walker: Senior Buyer, END.
What was your sneaker highlight of the past six months?
When people ask my sneaker highlight, I have got to look at what I’ve worn the most. The first half of the year, it’s easily been Air Fear of God Raids [in] Black/Black Fossil. These dropped around the same time as the Travis Scott AJ1s and the rescheduled Sacai LDWaffle, so I don’t think they got the love they deserved. An original design in some of the most premium fabrics Nike have ever used. A future classic in my opinion.
What sneaker or event are you looking forward to in the second half of 2019?
There is a lot going on for Q4, with some amazing colabs both new and returning past partnerships, but I’m most looking forward to the reintroduction of Nike Dunk. It was the sneaker that cemented my love of sneakers long before the SB revolution. We’ve seen the Off-White Futura leaks, which get me excited with some mid-90s nostalgia.
Jay Renzell: Manager, Baskets Store
What was your sneaker highlight of the past six months?
We’re still quite early into the year, but it’s never too soon to highlight my pick for sneaker of the ‘year’, which was the New Balance M990 V5.
New Balance came back to their iconic 990 silhouette for the 990v5, which released earlier on this year. The sneaker comes dressed in the classic grey colourway associated with its predecessors: super fresh! With an upper constructed from mesh and high-quality suede, you know you can’t get better than that.
Other features of the sneaker include new rubber detailing around the ankle collar, and let’s not forget the ‘Made in USA’ tongue branding, ENCAP tooling, and the red and black ‘V5’ logo on the heel.
What sneaker or event are you looking forward to in the second half of 2019?
Without a doubt, it is Sneakerness in Paris from September 7 to September 8! Good vibes, lime scooters, and more.
Kasper Mølgaard-Nielson: Co-Founder, Rezet Sneaker Store
What was your sneaker highlight of the past six months?
I’m gonna go with a GR, the mash-up interpretation of the Nike Pegasus, the P-6000 in the first colourway. I have a sweet spot when Nike does silver/red combinations (Spiridon OG colourways), and this shoe just came out close-to-perfect in my eyes. The execution could have been taken up a notch, but with a $120 price tag, I think it’s a new classic from Nike. I hope they will protect it from making 100s of colourways. It deserves better.
If I can mention a second one, it’s the Salomon Advanced S/Lab XT6 model, which I think really is straight fire in almost all the colourways that came out. This one [pictured] is the best one in my opinion. It balances perfectly on that narrow ridge between a performance trail sneaker, and sneaker for everyday wear which still turns some heads in the streets. But this model is where form really follows function. There is superior comfort in this one and, the first time I saw them, I fell in love with them.
What sneaker or event are you looking forward to in the second half of 2019?
Hard one, because there are a lot. We are on the edge of opening two new stores, so that’s two obvious sneaker events that I’m looking forward to. We will create a lot of things around those two openings.
As for a sneaker release I’m looking forward to, that would be some of the trail silhouettes that adidas are bringing back. Especially on a colab, which I can’t tell you more about.
