Converse CTS (Chuck Taylor Skate) Mid Leather in White / Red/ Denim

Now here's an interesting pair of sneakers I owned. I had 2 maybe 3 pairs of these. These were a white leather skate mid-top version of the classic Converse All Star Chuck Taylors. They were very comfortable and pretty cool looking. As you can see in the photos they had some padding around the collar, similar to Vans Era. These were great for colder weather and wet weather since they were leather. I ended up selling every pair I had of these and unfortunately they don't make 'em anymore. So my loss but this is a familiar story and I've learned to get used to it.

Q&A

I wanted to take the time to answer some of the questions I get from the readers of this blog. Of course they pertain to my sneaker collection past and present and my wearing habits. So here are a few Q&A's:

1. What are your favorite brands of sneakers?

I have several but #1 on my list is Nike because over the years Nike has consistently made shoes that I love. Since I first started observing sneakers in the mid 1980's, Nike has constantly kept a flow of awesome shoes coming. That's not to say Nike has not made some real eyesores and stuff that I would NEVER EVER wear--I remember a co-worker and I talking about sneakers once and he said 'they're making some shoes now that are so ugly I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy"--but so have all the other brands. The difference is that Nike has made a lot more that I WOULD wear and were nothing short of awesome. But some of the other brands have made sneakers that have been just as meaningful and special to me as anything Nike has ever put out. These other brands include:

-Reebok
-New Balance
-Saucony
-Converse
-Vans

That is pretty much it. That is all I wear nowadays. Most days you will find me wearing either Nike, Converse or New Balance. There have been other brands that made shoes I really liked and was into, such as K-Swiss, DVS & Adio, but that was several years ago and I haven't seen anything I really liked from them since.

2. Do you wear the same sneakers all year round?

No I don't actually. Since I'm in an area that has brutally cold winters and really hot summers I keep some of my sneakers dedicated to certain times of the year. In the summer when it's really hot I wear my Nike Nylon Cortez or Converse All Star low or Nike Free 5.0 or Saucony Jazz or New Balance 996 or Vans Authentic or Vans Era. When it's hot and wet though, I'll wear the New Balance or the Cortez. Definitely no canvas shoes when it's pouring out. When fall comes around it allows for more variety so I'll wear any of those I already mentioned or my AJ4, Reebok 4600, Air Flight 89, Air Max 90 or Nike Dunk high. If there's some autumn rain going on I'll choose the AF89, NB996 or Nike Dunk High. Now when winter comes around I'll mainly wear any of my sneaks that are leather as long as it's dry out. All the canvas and nylon sneakers get to hibernate for several months. But whenever there is snow on the ground I pull out my waterproof Nike Air Assault and wear those or the AF89 since I'm not all that crazy about those.. Yeah, I don't like salt stains on my kicks. And whenever spring rolls around I keep the Assaults still nearby along with all the other leather sneakers. If it gets warm enough and dry I start wearing the canvas and nylon ones again.

3. Do you only wear sneakers?

For the most part, yes! I mean, what else is there? Boat shoes? Loafers? Crocs? God forbid! No thanks. Those are old men's shoes and I'm not an old man nor will I ever be one! Crocs are just for people who have absolutely no sense of fashion or style. I'm sorry but that's just the truth. So yes, I mainly wear sneakers the whole year round, with the exception of the few times I wear my Dr. Martens boots and my tall sheepskin boots in the winter. All the jobs I've ever had didn't have a formal dress code so it was always sneakers. At church it's sneakers. Pretty much everywhere I go. If for whatever reason I do need to dress up just a little I will wear either my Dr. Martens or my all-black Vans Authentics. I don't wear flip flops or sandals in public. I just like the security of having my feet covered and protected from being stepped on and also in the event that I should have to run for my life in an emergency. Ever try running in flip flops or sandals? Or barefoot for that matter? Ultimately I just like looking down and seeing my sneakers and feeling at one with them. Thank goodness for sneakers, one of the greatest creations of all time!

Nike Air Flight 89 in Black / Zen Grey / Cool Grey

I imagine that most true fans of Air Jordan 4's are also fans of the Air Flight '89 which came out at the same time the 4's did. There were clear similarities between the two, particularly the sole & midsole design, the plastic lace tabs and the fact that both shoes were the mid-top variety. I don't know how much the Air Flight 89's cost when they came out, but they were surely considered the poor man's AJ4. Even to this day the AF89 is a relatively affordable high quality sneaker with timeless good looks. I have owned many pairs of these shoes and at the moment I am down just to one pair, which was a Nike ID shoe I had customized in white/grey. I really liked the original colorways and of course the original leather they used was very supple and would easily get creased. I don't know about you guys but I don't mind the creasing. Just give me the high quality leather they used back in the day. The leather they use nowadays--and I may be generous by calling it leather--is so stiff and vinyl-like that the shoes have fake look to them. And for whatever reason, Nike ID is no longer offering the AF89 as a customizable shoe.

But here is a pair I once had. These came out in the late 2000's or early 2010's. All black smooth leather with some grey highlights. I never wore these. I was saving them for a rainy day. Eventually they too ended up leaving my collection. Another decision I regret to this day. These are impossible to find now. I like black sneakers but not all black. The only sneaker I'll wear in 100% black is Vans Authentic. (I must admit I once had an all-black pair of AF89's that were not bad at all). Everything else I gotta have some highlights in other colors, preferably white. This was a kickass pair of shoes and I can only hope that Nike will make these again in this colorway. Air Flight 89 is definitely in my top 10 of all-time best sneakers.

DVS Drake Skate Shoes in Black & Grey

There was a time when I started getting into and buying skate shoes like crazy. I was buying skate shoes from brands I never heard of before. One of the brands was DVS and of the best skate shoes I have ever owned was their Drake model. This was a nearly perfect sneaker. Not bulky like many skate shoes typically are. A simple yet sleek design. Pretty comfortable. A thinner midsole layer which added to the sleekness of the shoe and made them compatible with different styles of pants. A cool ribbed sole. And made of black nubuck (and suede). Well, that's the case with the one I have pictured below, but they came in other colors and mostly smooth leather. I had two pairs of the ones in the photos but unfortunately they were both a half to a whole size too large for me and I could never find them in the size I needed. I guess I came upon them around the time of the end of their shelf life. What a shame because I think I would still be rockin' these today if I just had the right size. And I am pretty sure there is no chance of ever finding a pair of these nowadays. It's been around 5 years since I parted with this pair.

 

 

1996 Nike Air Worm Ndestrukt

Now here's a pair of sneakers I fell in love with after they were no longer available ANYWHERE! They were the Dennis Rodman basketball shoe. I started seeing them a lot in '96 and '97. Then in '98 is when I started frantically calling stores all over the place to see if they had them in stock. Too late, I know. The funny thing is most people at these shoe stores had no idea about these shoes. I'd call asking about the Nike Air Worm, "The one with the zipper," and it was as though I was talking about something from outer space. These shoes were unique in that they featured a zipper as the fastener which kept them on your feet. But hidden underneath the zipper was a lacing system that also served to help keep the shoes on. Very cool idea. Oh well, I learned to live without them as this was a sneaker that was never retroed. However I did eventually come into a few pairs of these many years after the fact, and the following photos are of the most recent pair I had.

While at the time I was really into these, in retrospect I don't think I'd wear these now. They are a bit too busy-looking and I much more prefer simplistic designs nowadays.

2004 Nike Air Jordan IV Retro in White, Chrome, Classic Green

Here is another Air Jordan IV retro that came out in 2004. This was was nearly all white, with some green and chrome highlights. I bought a few pairs of these and only wore one but I was never really into them either. I don't think they were ever as popular as the originals. Below are photos of the pair I never wore and kept stored in its box. As you can see, the mesh 'net' areas turned yellow.

These also were fillers for me until I would be able to get one of the original colorways I wanted so bad. Having a pair of AJ4's that I could wear was better than not having any even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted.

1989 Nike Air Jordan IV in White, Red & Black

I believe I only bought three pairs of Jordans from Vintage USA auction. Make that four. And the first one I ever got was a pair of original 1989 Air Jordan IV in white/red/black. The shoes did not have their original laces or any laces for that matter and I was bummed out by that because, as you can see in the photos, bright new laces on old beat up sneakers is not a great look. At least not to me it isn't. But I was thrilled to be getting my very first pair of Jordan IVs. And these were a size that I could definitely wear.

As far as the condition of these, well, the pictures speak for themselves. Heavily creased, lots of sole wear, ripping inside lining, air pockets shot, etc. As you can see, the soles seemed to be pretty curved especially on the instep sides. But despite all this, the shoes were very comfortable and I was even able to wear them, unlike the cement AJ IV I wrote about before which just came apart after one wearing. Even though these were virtually trashed and the air pockets were popped, the foam midsoles were pretty much intact and I could wear them without causing additional damage. I do remember wearing them just one time and that was to Dominick's grocery store.

Eventually I parted ways with this pair of Jordans as well. I don't remember getting much for them, even though I think I paid a pretty penny for them on Vintage USA. I might have held onto them if they had their original laces. But I still intend to get a pair of these whenever they shall be released again. I know, they will cost $220 or more. But I don't care. If I can I will.