My Old School Kicks
Millennial saw a lot of innovation and exclusives in the world of footwear, especially around the early 2000's. Rappers and Black folks popularized Tim's to the point where Timberland released dozens of colorways for their classic steel-toes. Meanwhile, Lugz and Mountain Gear were trying to chip away of that boot market. Reebok, Bathing Apes (Bapes), and even Shaquielle O'Neal tried the same with shoes the same style as Nike Air Force 1's. Those are well known examples. But they're not my favorites from the dawn of Y2K.
Avirex Shoes
Avirex was most known for their high quality, leather jackets. But they had a few casual shoes for a short while, one in a similar style of Air Forces. They weren't popular or even known by most people. Where I was, they were only in random stores that no longer exist today. I liked them, though. This is the only entry on this list I don't remember seeing in Eastbay catalogs.
Nike Air Force 2
You read that right. Around the peak of AF1s and their experimental colorways, Nike tried pushing a successor - Air Force 2. Low-top and high-top versions appeared in Eastbay for quite a while. I never saw anyone wear or mention them. Its interesting that AF2s failed to catch on but all white and all black AF1s are still prominent two decades later.
Adidas Half Shell
While Nike marketed Air Force 2s, Adidas made a subtle change its flagship Superstar II, better known as the "shell toe." The belly of the toe shell was cut and replaced with leather. I never saw anyone wear the Adidas Half Shell.
DaDa Supreme
Before they shifted their focus to Asia, DaDa Supreme targeted Blacks with innovative basketball and casual shoe designs through, you guessed it, US-targeted online stores. The DaDa Cdubbz, shown in the top image, included a "simulated wood-grain side panel" and was available in maybe a dozen colorways. Their most notable release was a collaboration when former Minnesota Timberwolves player Latrell Sprewell - Spinner shoes. Trying to profit off the hype of chrome spinner rims, the basketball shoe was marketed as the wheel being able to spin with movement.
I mentioned DaDa Supreme shoes in my song "Unique."
Tags: clothing-and-shoes
