CDG x Converse Collab

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPu0hY_gWAM

One of my personal favorite shoes to wear when I'm not lacing up to step on the court and I'm going for style points. The Comme des Garcos PLAY x Converse collaborations 1970s edition. Ive learned about CDG from my best friend who passed away a couple of years ago. He was very advanced in fashion for us being sophomores in high school. But I just always was fascinated with the red heart and funny eyes. Years later it as ballooned into of the most well known clothing brands in the world. This shoe is simple yet very intriguing at the same time depending on how you view shoes. One person will see the basic black and white Chuck Taylor's with a cartoon heart on the side. Another will see a major brand collaboration between CDG and Converse.


CDG joining with Converse was a big deal on both sides of the brand because everyone knows about  Converse cause they had a pair or own a pair now. With the addition of CDG to a mainstream shoe that not only sold more converse and made them cool again, but now more people in the US now about CDG. And the basic converse shoe jumps from about $60 to $125-$150. Now this is another shoe I don't think people in the Midwest realize is that important or popular because I haven't seen anybody with the any of the 4 pairs released. Which is a good feeling for me because I was one of the first to get them when they first hit online. Very stylish and soon to be very popular shoe once people realize the wave this shoe can set.

"Cyber Monday" 3s

One of the older model shoes I have here with me at my apartment. The "Cyber Monday" 3s which released for the first time on October 15th, 2016. Very limited release due to the cyber Monday festivities. I was in Puerto Rico for a basketball trip when these shoes came out, and luckily thanks to my connection in Topeka and Overland Park I was able to get a pair. Ahead of purchasing this shoe I knew that Air Jordan Retro 3s run true to size, which means if you wear a 12 get a 12 because the shoe will fit kind of snug. But with the circumstances of me being in Puerto Rico with a different time zone from what I'm used to I wasn't able to order my size 12. I had to get a size 11 which isn't bad, but as I said before this shoe model fits very snug. So when I wear this shoes I tend to bring another pair of different shoes just in case my feet start to hurt because this shoe is very tight on my foot.


But the shoe itself is amazing, you can wear it all day everyday if you wanted to. The matte black of the shoe makes the shiny white bottom stand out and makes the entire shoe pop a little more. That's what I like most about this shoe, its different and you can't tell if the shoe is dirty or not because the black hides the detail of the shoe. If I could find a size 11.5 or 12 I would wear this shoe everyday easily. Air Jordan Retro 3s are one of the best on-foot looking Jordan's out of the 23 retros. High recommend you get a pair if you have the opportunity because they are hard to come by.

Nothing But Royalty On My Feet

A new color way added to the Air Jordan Retro 4 line. The "Royalty" 4s, a high fashion looking type of shoe. Retail only $190 which is a surprise because this is a mainly suede shoe, and Nike tends to up the price of the shoe when they use a lot of suede on the shoe. Such as the "Bred" 4s. I'm not comparing these to the "Bred" 4s by no means, because that is a top five Jordan of all time, but this shoe didn't really get the popularity it really deserved. I have seen maybe three or four people with this shoe and the shoe released on February 4th.


I recommend this shoe if you can still find it on shelves at your local finish line. The price will have most likely dropped from $190 to the $150-$130 range. Which make it a bigger steal than it originally was. I haven't tried hooping in them yet, but they are very comfortable and easy to wear shoe. What I mean by easy to wear is you don't have to try to hard to find the perfect black to match it, or pick to wear them with jeans or shorts. That's the upside of the Air Jordan Retro 4 line, the shoe looks good with whatever you wear. I like to wear them most in the summer with ankle socks because this shoe has a lot of ankle support and cushion

" Alternative Space Jam "

Another sneaker silhouette inspired from the 90s movie "Space Jam", the Air Jordan Retro 9 "Space Jam" color way. Now this shoe has the same name as the "Space Jam" 11s, but they have two completely different design and color ways on each shoe. This shoe was rumored to be Michael Jordan's baseball show for when he had reported retired from the game of basketball to fulfill his promise to his father of playing professional baseball. Their are many stories behind this numbered Jordan, like the reason Michael Jordan all of a sudden quit playing basketball for a year to play baseball, but then came right back to the NBA. Nevertheless this is one of the most comfortable and "hoopable" Jordan's in recent years.


As I said before in one of my other blog posts about Nike bringing back "OG" sneakers, the material from the 90s to now isn't the same. Nor does it last as long. Nike took their time with this shoe and made it as close to the original release as possible. Their are still some minor details that are different, but a first glance you wouldn't be able to tell. But for a popular shoe of the 90s to re-release for just $190 is a steal in my eyes. Bottom of the shoe gets fairly dusty quickly due to the rubbery material, but its nothing some shoe cleaner can't deal with.

Boulevard Bordeaux Jordan 12

One of the more recent shoe I have gotten, due to the saving for all the Black Friday sales. The Air Jordan Bordeaux 12 released on October 14th 2017 for $190. This is the first time Jordan has released this color/style of the Retro 12. The entire shoe is covered in nu buck and suede material. This shoe is more of luxury fashion type of shoe. For when your going to a event of a dinner party. Can be worn with jeans or nice dress pants in my opinion. Jordan in the last couple of years have gone with a wide variety of colors schemes instead of using the original colors of Black, Red, or White. The suede on the upper part of this shoe really makes the magenta stand out from the bottom color. That's a problem Jordan has always had with matching the colors on the upper and lower parts of shoes. But in some cases it benefits the shoe.


Not this shoe though, this shoe would have looked a lot better if it was all suede with the off white bottom. The Air Jordan 12 has always had nu buck on the bottom half of the shoe, and with some colors you can't really see the detail difference. But with this shoe it stands out when you look at the shoe straight on. Still one of the better looking and easy wear shoe you can find from Jordan retailers.

The "Royal" OG

The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG Royal was released once again on April 1st 2017 for retail of $160, which is a very low price because this shoe can re-sell for anywhere between $400-$1000. This is a very special shoe because some people will argue the Air Jordan Retro 1 is the best looking Jordan to wear with anything. They brought back all the old material that was made to make the first edition of this shoe. Plus the the classic Nike Air logo on the tongue.


This shoe itself doesn't change with age, the more this shoe is worn the better it looks. Everyone is going to like a fresh and clean shoe. But there isn't many shoes that can be "beat up" and still look like a very high class shoe. And what I mean by high class is, even if this shoe was been worn hundreds of times. People will still know what it is, and how rare the shoe is. Adding what the sneaker world calls character to a shoe can make it or break it. And with this beautiful shoe their is no need to let this sit on ice. I recommend wearing this shoe anytime possible. With me I got lucky and got the high-tops and the low-tops, so I wear my low tops a lot more. Someday I will complete the trilogy and obtain the red/black and grey/black Air Jordan 1 Retro. But in the meantime stay "Royal"

Call in Sick You Got The Flu

One of the best names given to shoe due to the circumstances Michael Jordan fought through against the Utah Jazz in the playoffs. The night before the game in Utah Michael had some bad pizza in his hotel room giving him food poisoning. Now for whatever reason,the media and team called it a flu like illness. Michael would go out that night and do what only he could and score 38 points and help his team win a crucial road playoff game.

The Air Jordan 12 personally is one of my favorite models and luckily it dropped again for the third time on May 28th, 2016 for retail of $190. Now with this shoe if you don’t get it when it’s dropped/released you will be paying a at least $225-$500 depending on the condition and year model. In a reality it’s worth it because this is one of top 10 shoes you must have if you out to wow people when walking the streets. The material of this shoe has changed from the original suede to like tougher nu buck. Still doesn’t take away from a classic shoe with an amazing back story to it.

My dad’s shoes from when he was in high school are still in some critical condition the worst part about the shoe is over time sitting in that box the mid sole will either crack or fade. That’s one thing I can say Nike doesn’t do a good job when they bring back these old model shoes. They don’t take the little details serious enough to make the shoe last even if it isn’t to be worn for years.

Goodbye to Airmax and Hello to Vapormax

The hottest shoe of 2017 in this weeks blog post is the "Nike Vapormax" this shoe will see a huge jump in sales this year and the next. Going for $190 retail is the triple black color way you see above. Other color ways can go from $220-$250 depending on if its special edition or not. The picture don't due its justice of how nice this shoe really is. If you're looking for a easy slide on shoe to wear every day to class, this is the shoe for you. With the triple black color you can wear this shoe everyday. The knock I have for this shoe on the flip side of wearing everyday. The shoe is fly knit which means its very thin shoe material so if it rains or you step in snow you feet will be soaked because the shoe material is so light.


I see Nike dropping different variations of this shoe based of the fact its easy to wear and it looks good. Nike tends to drop a hardcover and boot cover of shoe if its really "hot". This style of shoe was created off the Air max foundation. The bubbles on the bottom add a bounce of comfort ability to the shoe each step. I highly recommend you go buy a pair of these. The more popular the shoe becomes the harder it will be to get, and the higher the price will go.

Why fly when you can be a racer?

One of my personal favorites when I am going for a comfortable shoe to wear of the day. The "Nike Fly knit Racer" very hot shoe in today's world and not to expensive either. The first racer was released back in 2013 for retail of $150-160. This is the "Oreo" colorway, as you can see the split of the white to black of the shoe. I highly recommend this shoe to wear if running, walking around, or just going for a stylish shoe under $200 from a major brand. You can wear this shoe every single day, and it’s so light and durable it will last you until the next edition comes out.

This shoe is very underrated in the sneaker community. Also it is on sale at a lot local shoe stores. I purchased mine not too long ago for just $70. So this shoe isn’t just a comfortable fit for running, casual wear etc. It's affordable to be stylish as well. Downside to this shoe is with the shoe being so light and having breathable material it will easy to soak through if it rains or you step in water.

"To A Real Crossover"

This week on "What are Those" I am bringing to you one of the reasons I play basketball. He was a inspiration to most young hoopers growing up in the 90s. Allen Iverson is one of the first under 6 foot killers in the NBA. He brought the urban street swag to the professional side of the NBA.

He brought Hip-Hop music to the sports world because everyone wanted to be like A.I. And that’s what this shoe is all about. His most popular shoe, the "Reebok Question," was made in so many different colorways and variations of high-tops and low-top sneakers.

This specific shoe released February 13, 2015. Even with this shoe being under the Reebok brand, it is arguably one of the top 25 shoe models to release as a casual or a on-court shoe. Thank you A.I. for inspiring many hoopers like myself and kids all over the world to be like you.

Welcome to The "Space Jam"

The Most talked about Movie Inspired Shoe in History Air Jordan Retro "Space Jam" 11s.

According to https://solecollector.com these shoes were released December 10th 2016 for $220. When the original drop happened in 1996, the shoe with a 23 on the back instead of the new 45 you see in the picture. What makes the shoe so special no matter how they change it is, one the movie Space Jam and two this style of shoe is arguably one of the best Nike has ever made. Due to the fact it is everybody’s  favorite Jordan when asked if you could choose one. Also one can argue the color ways for Air Jordan Retro 11 look the best. So anytime this shoe is dropped, people literally go crazy for it. I’m just glad I got my hands on couple pairs.

What makes this shoe so special? Besides the shoe being one of the best hooping (basketball) shoes ever made. It’s comfortable and it can be worn with just about anything. The baby blue icy sole doesn’t clash with suits or jeans. I recommend buying this shoe if ever lucky enough to find it under retail price because it will good for years and feel good too.

Welcome Blog

Welcome all sneaker heads,

This is my shoe blog, me being Javion Blake, basketball player and shoe collector. This blog will "unlace" shoes of today and of the past. I will be showing and comparing some of the shoes the youth of today are buzzing about. And what the difference is between when they were first released to the changes of the re-release. I have about fifty plus shoes I could pick from to discuss on this blog, but i know you viewers want the best of the best, and the most talked about shoes.

What does it mean to be a sneaker head? To have a love, but not an obsession with shoes. No specific shoe love makes you a sneaker head. There are also different kinds of sneaker heads. Their is the sneaker head who just collects shoes simply to have and then their are sneaker heads that buy to wear and show off. Having a lot of shoes doesn’t make you a sneaker head though, having the right shoes does and that’s what this blog will teach the viewers. What shoes look the best on feet and what could possibly be a new trend for tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy this blog as much as I will making it.