Sneakers: My Big Thing of 2025
Eric remembers that this blog exists and decides to yammer about his dip into fashion.
Publish Date - January 2nd, 2026
Hi! How's it going? Been a while since I updated this, eh? Well what can I say? This last year has been a real mother...but I ain't giving up on this blog! No sir...Look man, lets see you make it through a year like 2025 without losing your spirits on a near constant level. But regardless, I move on. I survive. And I live to fight another day as we all do!
Anyhow at the end of the last post, I said I was gonna talk about a failed OC story of mine to continue the theme of OC based failures in my life. But the more I thought about it, the more I didn't want my blog to have back to back bummer posts. We gotta be honest about our failures as artists and writers but it shouldn't be the only thing we bang on about.
So to kick off the new year with some positivity, let's talk about something I really got into this year! And that's...
SHOES!
Guess who was watching vintage Conan clips!
See this last year I've been experimenting with fashion. Mostly to make myself look somewhat presentable when I go out and do stuff with friends. I don't know what caused this shift, but it's been fun figuring out my style. I'd label it as...Initial D jobber fodder: A graphic tee with a long sleeve undershirt, cargo pants with cuffs, maybe an accessory or a flannel shirt on top, all with a matching color scheme accented by my kicks. There's also usually some kind of stealthy character reference, like one outfit is Bro Strider from Homestuck, another is Tekken 4 Kuma, etc etc.
I mean I'm still an ugly S.O.B., but one step at a time. At least I have a solid eye for color coordination instead of just throwing on whatever and running out of the door like I used to. In any case, this blog post is going over my shoe collection as of the end of 2025 and the start of 2026. It's not the biggest or fanciest, but it's a reflection of my style and tastes. So even if I'm not blowing my wad on the latest must-have collab, it's true to me. Let's begin!
Fubu 'Heritage'
Gotta start somewhere.
We all gotta start somewhere. And for me, it was a pair of Walmart shoes. A pair of Walmart shoes that represent a long forgotten legacy. Fubu was one of those 'You had to be there' type beats. A huge street fashion brand from the early 2000's, I fucked with Fubu HEAVILY. Had a sweet jacket, some shirts...that was it really. I was styling for a 5 to 6 year old.
But that was then, this is now. Fubu still exists, but it doesn't have the same level of pull it had in the 90's. Again I found these in Walmart and that's not usually a sign of quality to most collectors. They're cheap so the less fortunate kids and folks can have something on their feet. Unless you're one of those idiot influencers who keeps buying those Walmart Avias that cause the prices to go up.
Regardless...I like em. And I don't really care who knows I unironically wear a pair of Walmart sneakers. They look good to me and they fit. That's all that matters. And get ready to see me write that last bit alot during this post. And I mean A LOT.
Vans 'Sk-8 Hi/Authentics'
Cool, but overplayed...At least I'm LOTAK ready!
Ah yes. Vans. The sneaker of choice for millions of skaters, non-skaters and anyone who's still playing Skate 4 and is tired of Vans being the only unlockable shoes because fuck you, Microtransactions Bitch.
Guess which of these groups I'm in? That's right, the second one! Because I gave up on Skate 4 months ago.
Yeah, I don't skateboard. But most people who wear Jordans casually have never touched a basketball either. People wear the sneakers they wear because they just like em'...unless you're the Hypebeast as mentioned earlier in the page. And yeah...I like Vans, so there you go.
I should mention that these two in particular were thrifted off of Depop, an app for reselling clothes. And they were a steal! The red and blue pair especially since those were most likely customs ordered from the Vans site, and I've been wanting a pair of kicks in that specific color way because of...well...Homestuck.
I just had to cop the Air Striders...DON'T JUDGE ME, JUDGE JUDY!!
Fila 'A-High'
Take me to the FILA store!
Another brand that once had major prominence, Fila tends to come back every few years or so. Of the brands I've mentioned this far, Fila is like Adidas or Puma. A more general sport brand that dabbles in a bit of everything from basketball (they notably signed on Grant Hill as their icon) to more bougie sports like Tennis.
Although I remember Fila more so because of their inclusion in Crazy Taxi 1. What a time for inter brand synergy, eh?
I managed to catch their most recent fire sale before their accounts said that they were going silent for a while. Although that might be more about the global brand as Fila Korea is still going strong.
Anyways, the A-Highs. Yeah they're high tops alright. Feel good, look sharp and the Velcro strap makes it so that I don't have to tie my laces in a hurry.
Lugz 'Lear'
Good for sudden errands, not much else.
You know...I honestly don't remember why I bought these. Were they for a cosplay I didn't do? I honestly don't remember. But this clear as day Vans knockoffs probably get the most play out of my current shoe collection as the pair I grab for doing basic errands and other non-special outings.
And well....they do the job. But that's all I can say really. Lugz are the most Shoes to ever Shoe, if that makes sense. Moving on!
Adidas 'Campus/Daily 4.0'
AHHHHHH NO, CHEEKI BREEKI IV DAMKE YA!
Aw yes, Adidas. Y'know, the tracksuit brand trusted by Gopniks and fat guys all over the world? I don't go on a shift at my day job without seeing some schmuck wander into the store in a three striped hoodie, pants or shoes! Their legacy is huge and you can't avoid them.
So naturally I wound up with a pair or two. The Campus, which I think is a skate shoe as it has that grippy sole you find on the likes of the aforementioned Vans and the Daily 4.0 which says they're skate shoes, but I'm pretty sure they're more lifestyle oriented.
In any case I copped the Campus because I wanted a nice pair of green sneakers and as for the Daily 4.0s...I grabbed them on sale because they're as close as I'm gonna get to having a pair of the Adidas Superstars, but now I have a project in mind for them somewhere down the road, which I'll talk about when we get there.
Nike 'Air Jordan 1 (AJKO Lows, Kentucky Blue)/Court Vision Lows'
Truly, we were all Like Mike.
Speaking of the big legacy brands you can't go long without seeing in the outside world...Nike! The house that Jordan didn't build but certainly helped elevate with his signature shoe deal that still goes on to this very day.
And much like Adidas, I own two pairs: the Air Jordan 1 KO Lows in Kentucky Blue and Court Vision Mids.
For the Kentucky Blues, I actually bought them for cosplay. They were my shoes of choice for my Kaiji cosplay for AnimeNYC this past August. I needed a pair of blue and white sneakers as Kaiji wore a pair of blue Adidas Superstars. But as mentioned before Superstars were stupid expensive at the time and I'd rather try and save some money while having style. So somehow I came upon the Kentucky Blues and the cosplay was set! And they look damn good!
I'd post a pic of my cosplay, but uh...I just don'feel like doin' it!
But for the non-Sneakerheads reading this (which should be all, if not most of my friends...no offense) I should point out that while these are Jordans on a technical level, they aren't the same as a proper pair. These are AJKOs and while it's never been explained as to what the KO means, most folk agree that the name means 'Air Jordan Knock Offs'. Don't misunderstand. These are official Nike Js, but they're made from a different material (Canvas instead of shoe leather), the design isn't 1:1 (notably the back heel panel is missing but I'm sure a real Jordan collector can point out more aesthetic differences) and the soles lack the air bubbles in the heel (which is the Air in Air Jordans if you ever wondered that).
Now about the Court Visions...Actually...I think I'm gonna keep my mouth quiet on the context. Let's just say it's somewhat...'unheavenly'. As for the shoes themselves, these are my first L pair. They're very uncomfortable and stiff and no matter how much I try, I just can't seem to break them in to being actually comfortable. I only wear it with one of my outfits, but I might replace them with some basic Panda Dunks.
PUMA 'Rebound V6'
We got Js at home!
Like all Sneakerheads, I'd like to own a pair of Air Jordan 1 Highs in the Chicago colorway. And while it's possible, it ain't cheap nor easy. Sure Nike still produces 1s, but the specific Chicago colors are usually limited editions that can only be bought off the Nike Snkers app and go for crazy prices on the second hand market. And most of the time it's some kind of gimmicked release, like they look old and ratty or they were put in a freezer or something and have some icy frost on them.
And I don't know about you but I try not to buy shoes that exceed my self imposed $100 sneaker budget. I try to be smart with my money...keyword being 'TRY'.
So that's where PUMA comes in! The brother company to Adidas has their own line of basketball sneakers, the Rebounds, that 'borrows' some design elements from the Jordan 1s. And when I say some...I mean practically the whole thing.
It's surprising how nearly 1:1 it is from the colors to the black PUMA stripe replacing the Nike swoosh. But yet...I think I prefer them to the actual Jordans design wise. I like the more angular look of the patterns, there's more contrasting black which makes the red pop more (at least in my own opinion) and at the end of the day, they're comfortable to wear. So that's more than enough for me.
Lakai 'Telford' (Pacifico)
Does drunk driving apply to skateboarding?
Speaking of shoes made for sports I don't play, Did You Know?;
Did you know that there's skateboard shoe brands that AREN'T Vans? Crazy right? Just to name a few, Etnies, DVS, Airwalk (even though they're a Walmart brand now), Nike SB, DC Shoes and the star of this section, Lakai.
I know nothing about them outside of their status as a smaller brand and that their designs are even more of a Nike ripoff than the Rebounds.
Like I don't mean to double dip on the same joke, but look at these two. It's low-key shameful especially when you consider that Nike SB makes Dunks FOR skating! Got damn, make sure the cunts aren't in the skateboard scene before you jack their shit! It's like Consolidated Skateboards times 10 and without the annoying 'EvErYOnE BuT uS Is FaKE!11!' ethos they have.
Regardless, I got these solely for the colors. Admittedly it might be tough to make a good outfit based around these, but sometimes you gotta buy a pair for looks first.
Also to bring it back to 'Things I Don't Do', these Telfords were made as part of a brand collab (because those are all the rage nowadays) with Pacifico. Some beer company based out of Mexico but I don't care because I don't drink. I just wanted 'em' because they look nice. Which I've said a lot in this post. And yes they have laces, I just haven't given them a proper tie since I've yet to wear them.
Ewing Athletics '33 Hi' (Sunflower)
So Damn Big I Couldn't Get This Shit In Frame.
My most recent and easily beloved pair...
Patrick Ewing. I know nothing of the man. And that ends that. Made some nice shoes though!
Nah I kid, I kid. I do know a few things. I know that he was in the NBA, he played for teams like The Knicks and gave the team their first real fighting chance in eons and he was apart of the legendary 1992 Summer Olympics basketball team with the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. And much like Jordan, Ewing has a sneaker legacy of his own. One that I can truly appreciate.
This is an abridged telling (I highly recommend checking out Take Flight's video on the brand), but Patrick was originally signed to Adidas early in his pro years. Sometime into his pro career Patrick cancelled his contract and decided to take a chance on himself believing in his name as a brand. And at the time Pat was on top as the star of the Knicks, so he had the pull, influence and charisma to pull it off. Some time later after hushed whispers and wearing unbranded all white, his own company rose to the public eye; Ewing Athletics. And after a slow launch with the first model, the Rebound, Ewing would later release their most famous and iconic model. Essentially their Air Jordan 1...The Ewing Athletics 33 Hi...
Just...take a look at that thing, man. My goodness. Where do I begin?
The chunky silhouette, the huge tongue, the extremely padded Ankle supports and the piece de resistance; a Velcro strap. It's for holding in the tongue, but I don't care about its function. I just think they added it in because it looked cool. It' like a fidget toy to mess about with!
There are just some designs that scream the decade they came from. Like the original Chuck Taylors. Those things absolutely look like they came from the 40's or 50's. Then you look at the 33 His and go 'Yeah, you absolutely came from the late 80's and 90's'.
Anyhow as for the shoes themselves, they feel so damn legit! They feel sturdy, almost boot like even! No idea how big sneakers like these would hold up on today's courts, but with these bad boys on I feel like I can do some serious damage on and off the court!
And that'll do it for this post. This was fun! Dunno what I'll post next, but hopefully it fills me with the same joy that this post did. 2026 is still young and while there's no doubt going to be a lot of headaches to face in this world...I'm gonna do my best and keep my head held high! If the bastards couldn't kill me last year, then they can't get me EVER!
Oh and uh, I don't think anyone who reads this blog is a sneakerhead like me, so feel free to post whatever in the guest book. Maybe tell a good joke or something, I dunno. Peace!