Awesome Shoes

Nike’s Kevin Durant collection adds a great monochromatic colorway for the KD13. The high-energy basketball shoe features a full-length Air Zoom unit stacked on a secondary unit for added cushioning, and its lightweight upper gives a broken-in feel straight from the box. We really dig the grey-speckled soles.

Vans’ all-weather high-tops look great in this ’90s inspired multicolor design. They feature water-resistant leather and suede uppers, along with a heat retention and moisture management layer, and a cushioned, molded sockliner. Their lug soles provide plentiful traction on slippery surfaces too.

Inspired by an early-2000s midsole design, adidas quirky, but cool Microbounce T1 puts a spring in your step with cushioning cells that remind us of the suckers on an octopus’ tentacles. We dig the contrast of the rainbow colors with the black upper and cream patent leather mud guard.

Sean Yan Muk of SeansCrafts loves to make stuff out of ordinary household materials. This time out, he created a pair of impressively accurate Nike Air Force 1 sneakers out of cardboard, then wore the pair into footwear stores to check out the reactions when he asked if they had them in stock.

A very special gift for sneaker fanatics, Taschen’s 644-page coffee table book tells the storied history of famed footwear brand adidas through images. It features more than 350 pairs of shoes, including rare prototypes, one-of-a-kind originals, and iconic designs throughout the years.

“If they look weird, that’s because they’re made of trash.” Nike’s funky and sustainable Space Hippie line is made from 50% recycled materials by weight, including reground rubber, foam scraps, and Flyknit yarns made from recycled plastic bottles, t-shirts, and yarn scraps. We love how the design embraces the irregularities.

How do you improve the original duck boot? Make it warmer and more flexible by replacing the traditional rubber shell with waterproof AeroForm polyurethane so it doesn’t transfer cold. Coupled with a water-resistant, full-grain leather upper and heavy-traction soles, the LaCrosse Aero Timber Top is built for slushy, muddy tasks.

A 670-page anthology about the history of Sneaker Freaker and the world of sneaker collecting. It features the biggest sneaker moments and everything from famous to obscure sneaker brands. A special metallic red edition is available here.

Finnish brand Tarvas makes these stylish go-anywhere sneakers with leather or Cordura uppers, and thick mudguards along their bottom edge. Their lug rubber outsoles offer great multi-surface traction too. They’re available from a handful of outlets around the globe, including C’H’C’M in NYC and Tanner Goods in Portland.

These stylish everyday shoes don’t look like industrial-strength work shoes, but they are. They come in a variety of designs, and each one as han anti-puncture, skid-resistant, shock-damping sole, a water-resistant body, and a reinforced steel toe. We particularly like the Ryder in green.

For its signature OCA Low Stripe sneaker, Brazilian shoemaker Cariuma updates the classic Chuck Taylor look with premium materials like suede leather, and insole cushioning for superior comfort. The brand goes to extremes to ethically tap rubber, operate a Gold Rated tannery, use solar energy panels, and pay fair wages.

Snow and ice have met their match with Danner’s gorgeous suede hiking boot. Built for men and women, it outfits the popular Mountain 600 collection with a high top and cold-weather tech: Vibram’s Arctic Grip and Ice Trek rubber compounds for traction, plus Primaloft Gold insulation, a waterproof zipper, and a Danner Dry waterproof membrane.

No more ugly tassels and metal spikes. The embossed-leather Croco golf sneaker goes from the clubhouse to the club. Designed in England and handmade in Italy, Royal Albartross’ golf shoes feature modern style, impeccable stitching, gold details, and a kicky orange sole with rubber cleats for grip on the greens and comfort on the street.

Nike gives its ’90s inspired walking shoe a rich and rugged colorway that looks great for outdoor living. Its earthy olive drab main body is accented by a woven canvas inlay with shiny red accents, all riding atop a cushioned air pocket sole. Expect the design to hit stores and Nike.com before the end of 2019.

Chrome’s understated and comfortable workboot is designed to keep your feet dry when stormy weather hits. It’s got a full-grain leather upper, a vulcanized rubber sole, an impact-resistant footbed, and a waterproof membrane to keep the wet stuff out all day long.

You’ve spent thousands on your sneaker collection only to toss them in a closet or on a bookshelf. RCKZ are slick, stackable sneaker boxes which give them an appropriate home. Each box features triangular surfaces which break up and reflect light, while diamond-shaped cutouts ensure stable stacking.