Aaron Cooper is a Nike design veteran who worked on genre-defining basketball sneakers for athletes like Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, and Scottie Pippen. Cooper started out as Nike’s first design intern in the 90s, ascending from there to influence classics like the Nike Free, Air More Uptempo, and Air Max Plus. Cooper talks about his long resume, his design philosophy, and what he believes is the future of the industry. He also gives updates on his current work with EQLZ and...

Drake dissed Kendrick Lamar last week for being a “big stepper” with a size-7 men’s on, but it turns out the bar wasn’t actually factual. As the Rap War of 2024 now includes a footwear-related jab, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty reacted to the line and also talk about the clarification, from sneaker store Rif LA, that Lamar is in fact a few sizes up from that. Also, the co-hosts discuss Nike’s Olympic rollout of its A.I.R. prototypes in Paris, the plan to have less Air...

Paul Litchfield is a mad scientist, a shoe dog with decades of experience, and the innovator who created the original Reebok Pump. In this episode, he talks about his long history in footwear and the Pump’s iconic lineage from Dee Brown and Dominique Wilkins to Jackie Chan and John Cena. Litchfield, a fireball of Irish-American energy, has truly seen it all in sneakers. Lately he’s been making footwear at GoRuck, a company that’s laser-focused on legit training gear. Ahead of the Litchfield...

Ian Ginoza has worked in sneakers for decades, playing a part in collaborative projects with the likes of Drake, Tom Sachs, Beyonce, Ye, Frank Ocean, and more. He started the Honolulu sneaker store Kicks HI, then did stints at Converse, Nike and Adidas. Now, he’s the global vice president and creative director of pinnacle product at Vans. Ginoza has mostly worked in the background, opting to let his work speak for itself. Here, he tells the story of his life in the industry and how he ended...

Kerwin Frost—designer, wearer of big fits, talk show host—has worn many hats in the streetwear industry. Here, he talks about the realities of signing with a big brand like Adidas, making footwear with McDonald’s, and Post Malone’s total lack of footwear. Frost also gives his perspective on the many collaborators he’s seen go through Adidas, from Jonah Hill to Jerry Lorenzo. At the top of the episode, hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Wetly discuss Lil Nas X’s absurd half marathon...

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Love it or hate it, the Nike Dunk Low “Panda,” the black and white colorway you’ve seen everywhere every day for the past three years, isn’t going anywhere. In this episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Wetly discuss the positives and negatives of the unavoidable sneaker, and react to Welty’s claim that it’s the most influential sneaker of the past five years. The group also discuss the ethics of sneaker mockups, Ben Affleck’s latest Dunk moment, and those questionable...

In one of the most bizarre moments in the history of sneakers, former President Donald Trump popped up at Sneaker Con last weekend to sell a gold pair of $399 sneakers called the Never Surrender High Tops. Is it a low point for sneaker culture? Is it the end of sneaker culture as we know it? Here, the co-hosts discuss Trump’s Sneaker Con appearance and new line of footwear, Biden’s response, and the generally gross idea of politicians hopping into sneakers in order to pander to voters. Also,...

Nike is still the biggest brand in sneakers by a large margin, but it feels like the Swoosh has slowed down a little in the past couple years. Where are the exciting new products? How long can Nike rely on retro? Co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss these topics in response to a recent Business of Fashion story about Nike’s sluggish business. The trio also leak some upcoming sneakers (from Corteiz, Kobe, and Stash), dig into Jay Z’s Reeboks from the Super Bowl, and pine...

With the legacy of Karmaloop being a hot topic on social media in the past few weeks, we sit down with the company’s founder, Greg Selkoe. Selkoe tells never-before-heard stories about the company and also explains the highs and lows of running the streetwear juggernaut. Earlier in the episode co-hosts, Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty talk about Nike seizing $5 million in sneaker inventory from a Los Angeles-based warehouse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

There’s no denying the Nike Air Max 95 is a classic sneaker, but what about the Air Max 96? What about a pedestrian shoe like the Air Max 270, which is everywhere but not that loved by sneakerheads? What about the VaporMax? Co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss the merits and bounds of the term “classic” in sneakers in this episode. They also talk about the rumored Kobe x Nike SB collaboration, the Flyknit era of the 2010s, Chinese New year Air Force 1s, and how horrible...

Edison Chen is the co-founder of Clot, a streetwear brand that’s spent 20 years tying together the East and the West. Clot is best known in sneakers for its high-profile Nike collaborations, but that’s about to change. Last year, Chen and Clot started a new partnership with Adidas that promises to expand their sneaker empire by allowing Clot more resources and freedom to create. In this episode, Chen talks about leaving Nike, signing with Adidas, and the bygone era of lining up for sneakers....

Is it too early to start talking about the best sneakers of 2024? Absolutely, but that hasn’t stopped people from throwing around that distinction for the “Bred” Air Jordan 4 reimagined, which changes up a classic with a leather makeover. In their comeback episode, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss the merits of the latest Jordan 4 retro. They also break down the hot year New Balance is already having, the lukewarm reaction to Devin Booker’s first Nike shoe, and the...

This is the one you've all been asking for, the best sneakers of the year. The most hotly debated subject this year, or almost any year, what were the best sneakers over the past 12 months? After the panel at ComplexCon, many were wondering what we'd put as our top 10. Would Drake's Nocta shope be on the list? Would a Samba make it? How much did people care about Travis Scott's Air Jordan 1s still? Were we feeling the Nike SB Dunks this year? How good were the SB Jordan 4s? Would Jae Tips get...

Action Bronson’s next step in footwear is his boldest yet. On this episode, the rapper, chef, painter, sculptor, body builder, and all-around renaissance man debuts a wild EVA foam shoe that looks like something between a shoe you’d slip off as you step into the mosque and an old-school Dutch clog. Bronson also teases what’s to come from his New Balance 1906 collaboration and discusses how limited his sneakers are, how involved he is in making them, and how hackers tap into the stock numbers...

The biggest sneaker scandal of the year is the bombshell allegation that James Whitner, owner of sneaker stories like A Ma Maniere and Social Status, has for years resold millions of dollars of product, breaching his Nike contract and getting involved in what prosecutors say is an illegal money laundering scheme. In this episode, the cohosts respond to the allegations and what they might mean for Nike and Whitner. Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty also react to the long-awaited debut...

Tony Finau wants to change the game of golf, from how it looks to who plays it. In this episode, the PGA Tour pro talks about his deal with Nike, golfing with Michael Jordan, and how that infamous ankle roll changed his approach to sneakers. Finau even teases some early heat in the form of the “Reverse Grinch” Nike Kobe 6. Elsewhere in the episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss some 2024 sneaker leaks including a Stash x Nike Air Max 95, a Corteiz x Nike Air...

The sneakers that you loved decades ago may not be all that exciting today—no matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise. Here, Complex Sneakers Podcast co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk about wanting old Air Jordans to come back only to realize that a lot of them really don’t hold up. The retro market is different, and more saturated now, which affects how we consume retro staples like Jordans and Air Maxes. The co-hosts also discuss the black and royal Air...

Designer Nicole McLaughlin, who started out in the sneaker industry as an intern at Reebok before her quirky upcycling creations ever went viral, is ready to expand her footwear portfolio with a new collaboration from Hoka on its Mafate Three2 model. In this episode, McLaughlin relives her resume, from the Reebok years to her time at the Adidas Farm in Brooklyn (with a Kanye West cameo) to making her own collaboration with Vans. McLaughlin, queen of upcycling that she is, also gives tips on...

Ever seen someone try to return a pair of fake sneakers at Foot Locker? Or witnessed sneaker theft in real time? On the latest episode of the Complex Sneakers Show, cohosts Matt Welty and Joe La Puma relive their past lives as sneaker salesmen with tales of avoiding district managers, showing up late, and wage theft lawsuits. Also in the episode: Brendan Dunne’s report on the Adidas Yeezy release plan pause, the purported Lil Yachty x Nike collab, the sneaker scene in the UK, and a lot of...

Westside Gunn, who just released his album “And Then You Pray for Me,” is a rapper who’s well-versed in rare sneakers and elite garments. In this episode, he talks about the footwear of professional wrestlers, his aspirations to own a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s even if they’ll crumble on him, and the blight that is fake Denim Tears. Westside also drops a teaser that Griselda will reunite in 2024 for a sequel album in “WWCD 2.” At the top of the show, Joe La Puma, Matt Welty, and Brendan Dunne...

Bimma Williams is an entrepreneur and podcast host who spent years in the sneaker industry at brands like Saucony, Adidas, and Nike. Now, he interviews subjects from the footwear scene and beyond on his Claima Stories podcast. In this episode, Williams tells stories about his work on the Adidas Yeezy business, his time alongside Travis Scott at Nike, and finding his community as a Black man in the industry. Williams previews his first sneaker collaboration, a Saucony set to drop this weekend....

Remember the rare Nike Air Yeezy 1 Grammy sample worn by Kanye West that sold for $1.8 million dollars just two years ago? The shoe just sold again, this time losing 90 percent of its value and selling for a mere $180,000 at an auction at Goldin. The cohosts discuss the market of high-end sneakers, why pairs like this are suddenly selling for way less money, and who benefits from it all. Also, Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk about the latest signature shoes from LeBron James...

Did you know Michael Jordan wore New Balances in the original photo that inspired his famous Jumpman pose? Joe Freshgoods celebrated that 1984 moment on his latest New Balance collaboration, which cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss here. They also react to the incoming Powerpuff Girls set of Nike SB Dunks, which may or may not be a totally unnecessary collaboration. Elsewhere in the episode, the cohosts react to Rihanna’s rekindled Puma deal, the merits of the...