Editors' Picks: The Best Sneakers Of The Month

Gerald Flores, Editor-in-Chief

It's no secret that Jordan Brand has been digging deep in the crates for Michael Jordan stories to tell on their sneakers. Some have been hits (Shattered Backboard 1s), while others have been misses (On Air 1s). The Jordan x Converse "The 2 That Started It All" pack was right on the money for a couple reasons. It released 30 years to the day of the 1987 UNC Alumni game. It also comes right off the heels (no pun intended) of UNC's 2017 national title. Most importantly, it's an organic story that doesn't feel completely forced or made up.

Brendan Dunne, News Editor

I'm conflicted about the Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 2.0. I still have a deadstock original pair, and I'm not a huge fan of collab projects like this that feel so special and unique coming back out, especially with the time gap here being relatively small. That being said, Sachs' explanation of the redux makes sense from a functional standpoint, and I'm happy to have the new pair while I continue to let the old one sit in the closet. 

Zac Dubasik, Managing Editor

The Vandal isn't my favorite shoe in the Nike archives, and I don't own any John Elliott gear, but sometimes a shoe just works. On paper, it's a sneaker with a description would make me yawn, yet there I was on both Elliott's site and Mr. Porter as I unsuccessfully attempted to cop either pair of the collaboration. Rumor has it that these will be hitting Lab doors this Fall, so I'll be looking forward to striking out a third time until then.

Brennan Hiro Williams, Social Media Editor

Nike continues to show that, even during turbulent times, it's not afraid to speak out on important social issues affecting its employees, athletes, and consumers. On the "Be True" VaporMax, Nike's support for the LGBTQ community aligns with its premiere product for what might be the best colorway of the sneaker yet.

Brandon Richard, Senior Writer

Growing up, my favorite two players were Shaq and Allen Iverson, so watching the 2001 NBA Finals was bittersweet. Ultimately, the Lakers had too much firepower and were able to repeat, but somehow Iverson emerged from the series with the most iconic moment. The crossover, stepback, and step over is a play that's stuck with both Iverson and victim Tyronn Lue throughout their respective careers. And during this year's NBA Finals, Reebok served up a well-timed retro of the Answer 4 colorway the former was wearing at the time. The only issue I had with this release is that after years of anticipation, Reebok didn't do enough to hype it up as a big deal.

Rich Lopez, Editorial Producer

Kanye West, in my opinion, has almost single-handedly transformed Adidas. Sure, the product outside of Yeezy is good, but without Ye I don't think many people would be paying attention. With that said, I haven't been much of a fan of his Yeezy Boosts. I respect them. I understand them. But they haven't really been for me. The Zebra Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 changed all of this for me. It is, in my opinion, the best Adidas Yeezy release ever and I might even go so far as to say the best Yeezy sneaker ever.