The unfortunate state of sneaker media on every social platform is every site, every influencer knows that Nike and Jordan Brand drive the dialogue. Sneaker culture was once about finding something a lot of people weren’t rocking and styling it with different shoelaces to give the appearance of having more kicks than you really owned. Sneakers weren’t readily available and easy to attain and odds were people weren’t going to be able to grab every pair that dropped to build big collections. Life was about which insoles and what sneaker powder you could find to make your joints last as long as possible and then when the next year or holiday rolled around, you might add another pair to the rotation… if your current pair still had little life left (which it did because kids were master craftsmen when it came to Kiwi shoe polish and stuffing kicks to keep their shape).
Over the years sneakers became a round of sameness and brand loyalty akin to making Nike and Jordan Brand family members. As the value of these sneakers increased, the lifestyle became about FOMO. A post or discussion on losing on a SNKRS raffle will garner more engagement than a picture of a new style from an unknown brand. There is brotherhood and sisterhood in frustration and loss. Jordan Brand has mastered the manipulation of grief, so there have to be solutions to move beyond the mourning process. This list reflects high top sneakers to help those willing to wear a yellow shirt in a sea of blue. Although it’s spring heading into summer and the preferred model is a low-cut sneaker, some people will rock a high top and jeans in 100-degree weather. Here are a few options built on the foundation of the classic hoop’s sneaker/court shoe. Each model was chosen based on quality and a smaller distribution model. The intent isn’t to find obscure kicks, but to give you brands you may not have considered.
Clarks Craft Court Top – Dark Sand Combi
CraftCourt Top Dark Sand Combi Clarks® Shoes Official Site | Clarks (clarksusa.com)
Clae Malone Mid -White China Blue Vanilla
MALONE MID – CLAE on-sale
Axel Arigato Area Hi – Cremino/Light Grey
AXEL ARIGATO – Area Hi Sneaker
Brandblack Capri – White
Men’s Capri White – Brandblack
NB Numeric Tom Knox 440 High – White with Navy