Awesome Shoes

One of the highlights of the collaboration between The North Face and Undercover. The SOUKUU Summit Offtrail TR are laceless trail running shoes. They use a BOA system to adjust the fit, a ripstop and rubber upper, and an integrated gaiter. Drops 10.30.24 for $430 and likely to sell out to folks who will never run a trail in their life.

French shoemaker Kleman has created what we can only describe as work boots with diacritics. The Courrier N Bio transforms the humble workwear into a derby that’s equally fire with streetwear as it is with semi-formal affairs. The shoes are made from eco-friendly nubuck leather that develops a patina over time. Available in brown or light brown.

Give your toes some time off in Combat Flip Flops’ Men’s RNR Slip-ons. Designed by military vets, they combine Combat’s StickyAF rubber, stitched outsoles, EVA mid-layers, and a padded heel. Available in grey or black. Comes with a lifetime warranty and supports wounded veterans through One More Wave, a non-profit helping vets heal through surfing.

Exclusive to .Swoosh members, the Nike Air Max 1 Low Poly is a throwback video game-inspired take on the original Air Max 1 colorway. The upper is rendered in the style of low polygon 3D games, resulting in a sweet color gradient pattern and a pixelated logo on the tongue. It also has a little ESRB-style surprise. N64 and PS1 colorways would be amazing.

The second basketball sneaker from rising shoe brand EQLZ. The 360 was designed for fast and fluid movement. But we can’t deny that it looks badass off the court as well. Its knitted upper is caged in a heat-molded leather overlay. The eyelets are on the overlay, making it easy to customize the shoe’s fit. Drops 11.2024 for $130.

Keep your toes toasty literally and figuratively with this awesome pair from Suicoke. The Pepper Trab Eco has a quilted and padded upper, 3M Thinsulate insulating fill, a biodegradable antibacterial footbed, and a Vibram outsole. It comes in either all-black or ivory and black. If you want even more protection, get the Bower Trab Eco boots.

Vietnam-based custom sneaker shop Bigassteam knocked it out of the park with their latest creation. They dressed up the Puma Speedcat as a racing shoe inspired by the iconic Le Mans livery of the legendary Porsche 917. Aside from the bright red upper, number 23, and retro logos, the shoe features a sick tread-patterned heel.

Re-release the Croc-en! Nike’s pre-game mules based on the Flightposite and Foamposite basketball shoes were divisive when they first launched in the early 2000s. But now that dad shoes and clogs are in, they’re simply another option among the dozens of comfortable slip-ons on the market. This refresh also brings with it modern, breathable textiles.

MSCHF revisits their wacky backward sneakers with a high-top model that’s even more ludicrous. Always provocative with their tongue-in-cheek designs, the art collective’s $200 BWD High sneaks are completely impractical on the basketball court but certainly make a fashion statement. Drops 9.24.24. (Thanks, Harriet!)

Custom sneaker maker Sole Concern has created an unlikely combo. Their aptly named Dunkshot sneakers combine the casual suede and leather upper of the Killshot with the chunky basketball midsole of the Dunk. The result is something that looks like a skateboard shoe that Nike itself could have released. Available in four colorways.

Crazy sneaker maker BB IMP beat Warner Bros. to the punch with the low-hanging fruit of merchandise. Their Grey Bugs Bunny Shoes are exactly what you think they are: gray furry sneakers with large rabbit toes. We can’t decide which is more ridiculous: these kicks or the fact that the first version was black.

Plastic slip-ons are on their way out; the boat takeover is here. OG techwear brand Canada Goose hops in on the new trend of upper-eating wraps with the Glacier Trail High. The sneakers are waterproof, and the large band wrapped around the shoe is leather but rubberized for durability. There’s also a mid-top version, which ditches the stretch collar.

adidas’ latest homage to Mexico’s darkly festive holiday. The Samba OG Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) sees the classic street soccer shoe decked out in inverse colorways. The white version has a black eyestay, tongue, and accent stitching, while the black one swaps the monochrome theme. Drops 9.2024 for $120.

The adidas EQT Badlander from 1997 took the Feet You Wear technology and aesthetic from the basketball court to the outdoors. adidas Originals put a fresh spin on the trail sneakers to create the Radlander Moc. It still has the chunky outsole and throwback Feet You Wear logo but now has a comfy puffy ripstop upper and a bungee lace.

Custom geek merch maker Bull Airs is releasing a limited batch of their Nintendo-themed Nike Blazers. The Classic Console rocks the NES’s white, gray, and black color scheme along with a retro logo branding. The Japan-inspired Family Computer colorway is in the iconic red and beige. Pre-orders are open, with the custom sneakers arriving in Q1 of 2025.

Brooklyn footwear brand Atoms began with a simple goal: to make the comfiest shoes you’ve ever worn. Utilizing innovative, industry-first materials and fabrications, Atoms footwear packs comfort and function-enhancing features into a sleek design that’s lightweight, durable, odor/bacteria killing, vegan, machine washable, and fully recyclable.