Francisco Rivero/Assistant Sports Director
This upcoming weekend will see the release of eight sneakers, by far the most releases in one weekend so far this year. From Nike Trainers to Jordan Retros, if you’re the type of person that enjoys variety, then this is the weekend for you.
Lebron strikes gold with graffiti
This weekend will see the Lebron 11 “Graffiti” and my personal choice for shoe of the year thus far. The Graffiti will be released on Saturday, Jan. 25 and will sell for a retail price of $200.
The sneaker itself is a high top shoe with a mostly black and white color to it while also consisting of the color red inside the shoe and on the Nike swoosh.
However, what makes this Lebron 11 different from all the other 11’s that have come out so far is its unique black and white graffiti pattern that takes up most of the shoe.
I will be the first person to say that I have not liked the Lebron 11’s so far, in fact I have not bought one pair of 11’s. However, I’ve already made sure that I have money pulled out of the bank to purchase the Graffiti. If you’re the type of person that enjoys having unique styles of shoes on their feet then this is the shoe for you.
As far as the uniqueness of the shoe it is one to truly admire. This is yet another way that basketball superstar Lebron James is applying the Miami culture into his products. We saw it for the first time when he came to Miami and released the Lebron 8 south beach, which had the Miami Vice colors.
Although graffiti originally came from the subways of New York City, there is no doubt that the graffiti art that we see in Miami is just as impactful and just as expressional.
Kobe Preludes continue January domination
Also releasing this Saturday will be yet another installment of the Kobe preludes, the Kobe 8 Prelude. Selling at a retail price of $200 the Kobe 8 Preludes are a low top sneaker that explodes with a variety of colors.
The shoe contains the colors red, black, blue, green, neon green or “volt” and purple. This explosion of color makes the Kobe 8 Prelude stand out from all other shoes that will be releasing this weekend. Nothing even comes close to the multitude of colors within their design.
The only problem that I’m starting to see with the Kobe preludes is that they are starting to repeat. In fact, the Kobe 8 preludes are not even the first Preludes to come out with a variety of colors. The theme is just starting to get boring and if the brand wants to compete with the Lebron 11’s and Jordan Retro’s then they need to change things up.
Jordan Retros fall flat this weekend
Along with the Lebron 11 Graffiti and the Kobe 8 Prelude will be the release of not one but two Jordan Retros. The Jordan Retro 10 “Infrared” and the Jordan Retro 1 “Gym Red”.
The Infrared is a mid-top sneaker that has a black and grey tone throughout most of the shoe with a hint of orange located at the bottom of the show. While the Gym Red is also a mid-top sneaker with a completely black color base with red laces and a red bottom.
During any other weekend these Retros would be a solid purchase however, the problem for Jordans this week is that they are competing against an explosion of color with the Kobe 8 Prelude and the Graffiti that is one of the hottest shoes to have come out so far this year.
To put it plain and simple, the Jordan Retros this weekend are just too boring. They are dull, solid in color and nothing crazy to look at. When placed alongside the Kobe’s and the Lebron’s the customer’s eyes are not going to drift anywhere near the Jordan’s due to their lack of color and design creativeness.
francisco.rivero@fiusm.com
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