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Month: June 2022
The Nike Blue Ribbon SB will be arriving soon – and it’s amazing
Image: Nike
The Nike Blue Ribbon SB could easily get lost in your timeline amongst the hundreds of hyped releases dropping this year, but this should not reflect on the quality of the sneaker. The Nike Blue Ribbon SB, also known as the Nike BRSB, is a phenomenal silhouette that shows the level of thought that has gone into it, which we rarely expect from such a run-of-the-mill general release.
Image: Nike
The leading colourway plays on the classic Nike SB Cortez, worn by Farrah Fawcett on a skateboard in the movie “Charlie’s Angels.”
Firstly, this is what you need to know about the shoe. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Nike Cortez, Nike has decided to create an adapted version of the iconic silhouette that people can skateboard in. Whilst not an immediately obvious move to make, when looking at the success of the blazer – a similarly old and successful Nike sneaker – and its skateboarding equivalent, it makes a bit more sense as to why the Cortez might be a candidate to receive the skateboard shoe treatment. This silhouette is much more than just a “Cortez SB”, however. Named the Blue Ribbon SB after Nike’s original Blue Ribbon Sports moniker, the shoe features a reinforced suede toe to give the model greater durability when practicing shoe-destroying kickflips or ollies and a heavily updated sole that offers a sturdier base.
What makes the sneakers so brilliant, however, is the thought that has been put into blending the new design with references to the Cortez and Nike’s early history. For a start, the sole implements Nike’s react cushioning to offer greater impact protection, and it adds a translucent segment to the heel of the midsole in order to make this new tech visible. In doing so, the shoe makes a callback to the Cortez’s blue chip in the heel, which contrasted with the otherwise white midsole in order to emphasize the shoe’s added cushioning. This callback to how the Cortez showed off its latest tech, updated in a manner that emphasizes Nike’s updated technology, is not only the kind of nerdy detail that sneaker enthusiasts appreciate but is also done in such a tasteful manner that it fits in seamlessly with the rest of the design of the shoe. Whilst this remains the standout detail of the silhouette, the return of a herringbone traction, the two stitching lines down the sides of the shoe and, most importantly, the jagged eyestay overlay, keep the spirit of the Cortez ticking along in its newest adaptation.
Image: Nike
This colorways split green and orange detailing is another call back to Nike’s earliest running shoe designs.
The only detail that looks slightly off on the shoe is its branding. Most notably, the oversized swoosh on the side which follows the current trend of Nike shoes messing around with this Off-White “The Ten”-esque branding. Whilst we think the shoe would look better with a slimmer swoosh that more closely resembles the original Nike swoosh mock-ups, this is a very small complaint about an otherwise brilliant shoe.
A tasteful remaster of a classic silhouette, creating its own identity with new tech whilst simultaneously holding on to its vintage inspiration. A solid 8/10 in our books, that is growing on us with every new colorway that’s announced, we love the Nike BRSB and can’t wait for it to be released.
By Thomas Perry and Hannah Rodriguez
Introducing WOOVIN, the premier place that puts the power back into the community’s hands
If you’re reading this, you’ve found your way onto the brand new WOOVIN site, the premier place to buy and sell sneakers – but with so many competitors, it’s important we quickly establish why we have your best interests at heart. This article will take you through the Woovin sneakers website and explain the key aspects of our creation so that you will be all ready to get started using our services.
Image: WOOVIN
First of all, buyers on this site can purchase shoes free of any extra fees and expenses; just find the shoe you would like and pay no more than its listing price. To do so, a messaging function allows you to get in touch with the seller and ask them any questions before deciding to purchase the shoe in question. Each seller will have their own store page, which buyers can follow, allowing you to find stores with similar tastes or particularly great deals, staying updated every time they list a new shoe. WOOVIN currently has 5,000 different sneakers registered to be bought and sold on the site, with the hopes of increasing this number to 10,000 by the end of the year – so you will have plenty of choice in terms of sneakers. And, if you don’t see any offers that look tempting to you, you can put out an ad for the sneaker you want, allowing sellers to step forward and satisfy your request.
Image: WOOVIN
Now that we have established how easy it is to get buying on our site, we should take a look at selling through WOOVIN. All sellers can sign up by paying for one of four memberships offered by WOOVIN, which provide our services at a range of prices making it accessible to all levels of sneaker sellers. This is comprised of Bronze, Gold, Platinum and Custom memberships, which offer the ability to list an increasing number of shoes for an increased cost per month. The benefit of using a membership system is that Woovin can cut out all transaction fees and hidden costs that would otherwise affect a seller’s profit margins, allowing them to offer their shoes at lower prices and offering a greater incentive for buyers to purchase their products. All memberships also include the ability to create your own store page.
Image: WOOVIN
Lastly, it is important to reinforce the community-driven aspect of our site, offering review and report systems in conjunction with each other to make sure only trusted sellers can use our platform, and that buyers can check the reputation of their sellers before going through with a deal. A built-in three-step verification process for buyers and sellers alike also adds an extra level of authentication to every transaction. Furthermore, the messaging feature allows buyers and sellers to interact and build a rapport with each other before any money is changed hands. This is what we so passionately believe will give our site a unique community aspect over the faceless nature of sellers on many competing sneaker-selling sites, as our focus on reputation and open communication should reinforce the power and importance of a sense of community when it comes to collecting sneakers.
By Thomas Perry and Hannah Rodriguez
Why Kanye and Adidas are feuding, and the essence of the takedown model
Image: SoleKitchen
Images: Adidas
On June 13th, Kanye West put out a post on Instagram taking aim at the newly announced Adidas Adilette 2022 Slide (pictured right), claiming it was a copy of his own Yeezy Slides (pictured left). Stating, “This shoe is a fake Yeezy”, Kanye West called out Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted and “DC” – who is believed to be Daniel Cherry III, the SVP and General Manager of Adidas – for their lack of communication over the issue, expressing his anger at the alleged imitation of his own product. Kanye claims that the same brand stamped into his Slides are now copying its design.
Image: Adidas
Takedown models are common practice in the world of shoes, originally becoming a known term from brands’ practice of creating multiple signature sneaker lines for their athletes. These lines would consist of a main line that used their top of the range technology, and then other budget lines that copied many of the characteristics of the top range models but were available at a much more affordable price. These models, that share strong similarities with another, more popular, model at a lower price, are often called takedown models. For example, in this case, whilst the Yeezy Slide can be found reselling for upwards of $200, the Adidas Adilette 2022 Slide is retailing for $55.
Image: Yankee Kicks
Recently, however, takedown models of collaborations outside of the sports world have started to attract mainstream attention. Sometimes these models have their own identity but will take fashionable design language, such as how Virgil Abloh’s “The Ten” collection would spur Nike to release several of their shoes with a similar makeover. One of the clearest examples of this was the suspiciously familiar colourway of the Nike React Live Schematic (pictured above). But sometimes these takedown models can be seen as nothing more than a cheaper version of the original, such as the Adidas Tubular Shadow as a takedown model of the Yeezy Boost 350. That being said, Kanye himself has admitted that his most famous Yeezy model was heavily inspired by the Nike Roshe Run, one of the best-selling shoes of the mid-2010s.
So, this argument once again brings up the issue of inspiration versus imitation. Regardless, never has a takedown model, released by the brand that issued the original model, ever been called out by someone within the same brand. And it begs the question of how complicit other collaborators have been with brands working with them and then continuing to use their work to bring in higher profits, whilst also cutting them out of the deal in terms of royalties. Dennis Rodman revealed a similar situation in an episode of Sneaker Shopping with Complex, wherein he claimed that Converse wouldn’t bring back the All-Star React 91 Rodman’s, since they would have to cut him a check. So, brands being stingy about avoiding pay-outs to collaborators has been a contentious issue behind the scenes for some time. And, with Kanye West’s deal with Adidas currently set to expire in 2026, this does bring into question the two parties’ futures with each other.
So, what do you think? Do you take Kanye’s side and understand his frustration at Adidas for blindsiding him? Or do you support Adidas and the takedown model, since it offers a popular look at a lower and more accessible price? Or are you on the fence, finding good arguments on both sides? Feel free to air your opinion in the comments below.
By Thomas Perry and Hannah Rodriguez
