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Month: October 2022
Looking at the Kanye West and Adidas fallout
Over the last month or so, Kanye West has been on a mass media tour, giving interviews to any and all
platforms, in the name of free speech, and to air out his grievances with his collaborating brands. But
whilst this has caused subsequent fallout with those brands, namely Adidas, it wasn’t his dismissive
comments about them directly that spurred their relationship to splinter, but rather the antisemitic
comments Kanye West has been vocalizing.
Image: Time
As a result, the 45-year-old rapper and designer hailing from Chicago has been formally dropped from
his contract with Adidas. Publicly condemning his words towards the Jewish community, although not
commenting on his other hateful remarks, Adidas have finally committed to leaving Kanye West and
recalling all shoes made in collaboration with him from stores. Whilst this is a story in itself, that is being
covered all over the news, we would like to quickly have a look at what Kanye’s actions mean to those
within the industry.
As we are all aware, Yeezy has been extremely successful, and as a result, they have built a huge team to
power the collective creative genius behind each of their shoe releases. All of this team are now out of a
job as a result of Kanye West’s actions. Many of these team members that have lost their jobs have
made it clear that they publicly support what Adidas has done but will miss their team and the work
they did with them. So many people are involved in the designing process of a shoe, from the materials
to the technology, and the colour palettes. And many of these talented designers have been caught in
the crossfire, paying the price for their boss’s actions.
Image: House of Heat
Moreover, many stores have come out in support of Adidas dropping Kanye but are distraught over their
choice to withdraw Yeezy’s from stores. Not necessarily because they thought it was “going too far,” but
rather because of how much they relied on Yeezy deliveries to make their living. Yeezy’s were always
excellent selling shoes and were therefore very important releases for retail stores attempting to turn in
a profit, so to have that stream of income wiped out overnight, after waiting for a response from Adidas
for so long, has been met with strong criticism.
Do we have to keep our white sneakers clean?
Many readers may be thinking that it is against a tradition as old as sneakers themselves. Since sneakers were shoes worn on croquet lawn by members of high society, they have often been a crisp white, as a marker of status. They showed everyone you could afford to own a pair of shoes that weren’t dirty. And since then, this ideology has remained a constant in the sneaker space, until the present day when rappers often make the news for only wearing their white Air Force 1’s once before chucking them. But just because this is, and has been the case, it doesn’t mean it has to be. Maybe you’ve just bought a grail off of WOOVIN, and you don’t want to get it ruined. Let me try and tell you why getting your shoes dirty is what it’s all about.
Image: Nike
Firstly, if you are going to spend your money on a lovely pair of shoes, you need to make the most of
them. And when you do, you don’t want to live with the stress of making sure you aren’t getting them
dirty or creased. Eventually, you will come to the same realization that I did, that it is better to rock what
you want when you want. The weather is out of your control, so wear your shoes and accept the
consequences.Secondly, any sneakerhead knows that their shoes are an extension of themselves. So how would you like to introduce yourself? As someone who doesn’t go outside often, and is careful to stay in their comfort zone? If that’s the case, then feel free to continue keeping your shoes white and crisp. But if that isn’t you, why don’t you want to show that in the shoes you wear? If you are adventurous, spontaneous and like to get your hands dirty, let your feet reflect that.
Image: SepRun
Lastly and most importantly, if scars look cool, then scuffs do too. Sure, when Buggin Out had his shoes
stepped on in Do The Right Thing, it was a major point of anger for him and was a relatable situation for
many of us. But looking back at that moment, it’s become iconic in the sneaker world, to the extent that
people have been adding matching scuffs to their own Air Jordan 4’s in tribute, and Jordan even
released an official version with the added scuff. We are meant to believe that one scuff ruined the
aesthetic of the shoe, but it is now understood as something that tells a story. It makes your shoes
unique. Scuffs really do add character to your shoes and are a device we can use to remember moments of our lives. So why not? Go out into the world and get your sneakers dirty.
What are some of our favourite sneaker features of the last few years?
As we collect more and more shoes, we become aware of all the different features and additional brand names tagged onto them that help to market these products. But it’s not all marketing, certain features have become marks of quality craftmanship justifiably, or exciting tech that extends past the gimmicks of sneaker-tech 30 years ago. We wanted to highlight some examples that have been particularly popular and point out what we think is so special about them.
First off, we have Gore-Tex. Possibly the name on this list that comes with the most respect and trust, Gore-Tex tech is known for its heavy-duty nature and waterproof status. Used on hiking and trail running shoes from Hoka and Salomon, the technology has seen many entries into more mainstream sneaker fashion, being used on the Air Jordan 1 and soon the Air Jordan 5, as well as the infamous Air Force 1.
Image: KicksOnFire
Next, we have Vibram soles, which cater to a similar demographic as Gore-Tex, making grippy and durable soles capable of withstanding any weather. The difference with Vibram however, is the scale of its monopoly over smaller sneaker companies, with brands like Brandblack, WeAreUnderdogs, and Nnormal all using their products. But the soles are respected by big names in the sneaker game too, most notably being used by Merrell and Hoka, who have recently seen a run of popularity. Whilst soles are normally focused on the cushion debates between Boost and Max Air etc., recent trends in Gorpcore have reminded us you can’t go wrong with a Vibram sole.
More of a general piece of tech, rather than a patented product, knitted gear has and likely will always have a place in the world of shoes. Particularly common in the world of running and basketball shoes, knitted uppers have revolutionized the world of slip-ons and sneakers that have forgone the traditional laces. All Birds are an example of a brand that has recently used Knit to great effect, on their Tree Dasher models, whilst PrimeKnit and FlyKnit continue to be go-to materials for Adidas and Nike respectively.
Image: Farfetch
Lastly, we have 3D Printed sneaker parts. Now, at first, this seemed like a bit of a gimmick. Adidas’ 4D looked very promising, but it ultimately failed to cash in on its buzz and was quickly forgotten about. But more recently, we have seen entire shoes being 3d printed. More specifically, slides have returned in a big way, partly due to their large-scale production thanks to improved 3D printing capabilities. Adidas and Yeezy Brand are possibly the most notable examples of this with the Adilette 22 and Yeezy slides, but smaller brand Zellerfeld has also pushing the envelope on how far this tech can go.
Is ASICS running past New Balance?
Whilst Nike and Adidas are still raking in the largest profits, the “It” sneaker brand of the last few years has debatably been New Balance. At first, as the cool brand making a comeback for those in the know, to nowadays when it has been reaccepted into popular culture by everyone, it seems like New Balance is on top of the world. But as we look into the future, we wonder how long this trend can last, and when it does pass, who will overtake it to become the new hottest sneaker brand?
Image: Slick Sneakers
Over the last few months, we think it has become clear that the brand that stands the most chance of taking New Balance’s crown of coolness in the next few years is ASICS, and here’s why.
First and foremost, ASICS are the kings of a specific style of shoe, the 2000s runner. Known for its mesh panelling paired with a usually leather frame, this style of sneaker came before the great takeover of plastics and synthetic materials, but as the industry was starting to move away from the traditional bulky leather models of the 90s. Such ASICS 2000’s designs from the Cumulus, Nimbus and Kayano lines are great examples of this style.
But why do we think this shoe is going to see a return to popularity? For a start, it follows nicely on from New Balance’s classic leather and suede looks. As people start to get tired of the 990s and the 992s, ASICS’ Sport style catalogue offers similar shoes that work in the same kind of outfits and for the same overall aesthetic. But crucially, with enough difference to give the consumer something new to get excited about.
Image: Sneaker News
Moreover, last year’s release of the Balenciaga Runner is significant, because the model, whilst relatively successful, was hounded online for ripping off ASICS aesthetic, with many fans claiming the shoes were too close to the Japanese brand’s products for comfort. For ASICS, this was a huge win, as not only is Balenciaga peddling this style of the shoe back into fashion, but the story gave some positive press to ASICS, reminding the public of their products.
Finally, the tipping point that we think will be looked back on as the start of ASICS’ return to popular fashion, was the release of the JJJJound x ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 earlier this year. Selling out instantly and fetching prices over double its retail price, JJJJound was one of the first collaborators to attract buzz around New Balance and their models, and it looks like he may have just done it again. This time, on behalf of ASICS.
Our feedback phase is over: ready to launch!
After a lot of hard work and preparation, building our website into a product that we believe will truly benefit the sneaker community, we are proud to present to you WOOVIN! So, first of all, let’s run you through the basics of how it works.
Image: WOOVIN
If you are interested in buying shoes, then you are in the right place. Our site has a constantly growing number of sneakers registered to be bought and sold. We have an increasing number of stores selling all kinds of shoes in different conditions, giving you a wider range of options in any given price range without any hidden fees. Buyers at WOOVIN are treated with respect, giving you the best deals on your favorite shoes. Can’t find the shoe you’re looking for registered on our site? Let us know. Any other issues and we are never more than a click away from helping you through the problem. We want to make the purchasing part as easy as possible, allowing you to focus on the fun bit: the shoes.
Image: WOOVIN
If you are also interested in selling through WOOVIN, we have a couple of different membership options for you to choose from. We can cater to your needs, from those selling off a couple of pairs from their collections to the largest resellers around. Starting from €4.95 a month, we give all sellers the ability to create their own store, which can be followed by buyers, and to connect their PayPal to be paid directly into without any extra fees. Moreover, all sellers will be verified to confirm their identity and will have an inbuilt review system so that they can build up trust within the community and be rewarded for their efforts. This safe trading system is an essential part of what we want to provide, with WOOVIN staff vetting out any sellers that don’t match our requirements in order to keep your mind at ease when buying through the site.
Image: WOOVIN
Our website will be constantly updated with new sneakers from our sellers who have created stores with us, as well as new blogs on relevant sneaker topics to provide you with all of your sneaker needs. So, take a look around the site and, next time you’re giving your closet a new look, come to WOOVIN to avoid those hidden fees and work with real sneakerheads that share your passion for kicks.
Top 5 sneakers to look out for this October
Nike Dunk “Panda”
Granted, this is not a new release, but in fact, a restock, of the Nike Dunk “Panda,” a shoe we have become accustomed to over the last few years. The black and white version of one of the most popular shoes of the new decade, Nike has chosen this colourway as the one they are happy to give to consumers again and again. Sure, for some this release is dull and they have become tired of the colourway, but since the shoe will be so popular, it would be unfair to not include it in this list.
Image: Sneaker News
Neckface Nike SB Dunk Low
Another Nike dunk, this time in its skateboarding variation, makes the list, thanks to an exciting collab with Graffiti Artist Neckface. Covered in a scattered number of patches, the shoe has a unique aesthetic reminiscent of the Artists style, that perfectly complements a skater’s look or outfit. These patches also continue onto the midsole which is a nice touch, and the untidy sewing makes it look like a DIY project gone right.
Image: Hypebeast
Nike Air Max Scorpion
A brand-new Air Max model is always a big deal, but the upcoming release of the scorpion is shaping up to be a special one. Featuring an outlandishly large air bubble that spells a significant step forward in air cushioning technology, the scorpion’s sole pops out from underneath the shoe, and is paired with a similarly modern upper to create a look straight out of 2030. We can’t wait to see this model in person, especially after all the commotion it caused online.
Image: Sneaker News
Air Jordan 3 SE
We all love Air Jordan 3’s, and any new colourways deserve to feature on a list like this, but the latest colourway to hit the stores is less than traditional. Rather than featuring team colours and basic colour blocking, the shoe features a brown upper and soft pink detailing that offers an earthy feel, a highly popular aesthetic for shoes over the last couple of years. Moreover, the hose updates its materials, adding mesh and suede, and replacing the iconic elephant print that would usually be used to identify the Air Jordan 3.
Image: Sneaker News
Nike Zoom Vomero 5 Cobblestone
Now for those seriously tapped into the sneaker world, this pick won’t surprise you, but if you are just getting into New Balance runners, let me put you on. The Nike Zoom Vomero 5 has been a popular runner since its original release in 2010, because, well… look at it. It’s a beautiful shoe that perfectly brings you back to that age of late 2000s/early 2010’s runners, thanks to its mesh panelling and plastic midfoot section. And as we have seen from the last year, with Asics and New Balance, this style of shoe is fully back in style. Moreover, a cobblestone colourway, that features muted colours that will be easy to put into an outfit, makes this shoe one to watch this October.
Image: Sneaker Freaker
