SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

Words_Jeremy Ripley

Whether it was the shark-gill inspired 1.0, Tinkered 2.0, or triangle infused III, Dwyane Wade’s line from Converse has withstood the unwavering forces of mundane market tendencies. While some brands choose to stay low profile with their prominent releases, (See adidas T-Mac II, III, and Nike KD1) the company has taken a “hate it or love it” approach with Wade’s line. The agenda has gone both ways for Cons—the 1.0 sold out upon its release, while the abstract 3.0 remains on shelves and can be had for $29.99.

Just like the other signature shoes of today, the Wade IV takes snippets from Dwyane’s past and present and incorporates him into the shoe. More specifically, the primary focus of the newest model was to focus on what’s important and relevant in Wade’s life. His sons, Zion and Zaire, have their names written on the tongue, (No Trina) along with the date the Miami Heat won the championship in ’06.

On a performance front, it appears as if Cons placed on emphasis on ventilation, as the shoe’s upper is marked by mesh slots. In the past, Wade has reported that he often changes his shoes at halftime, his first half pair drenched in sweat. What I’m most interested in learning though is this: what cushioning interface does the brand plan to implement? In the past Wade models, we’ve seen varying combinations of single and double layered EVA and CMEVA . But with DWade’s high profile, it’d be nice to see Nike and Converse work collaboratively in the Innovation Kitchen to cook something up that’s ultra-comfortable for the injury-prone player. The shoe will be available on 10.30.08 for a price of $90.

Source: http://dimemag.com/2008/08/d-wade-4-exclusive-colorway/