Episodes
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DJ Clark Kent was a huge figure in hip-hop—he discovered Jay-Z and worked with Biggie—and an influential sneaker collector who made shoes with brands like Nike and Adidas. Clark, who died in October, was also a close friend to Complex. In this episode, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Wetly reflect on Clark in the wake of his passing. Elsewhere in the episode, they talk about the lifespan ASICS Kayano trend, running into Michael Jordan, and all the exciting sneaker releases coming up at ComplexCon.
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The leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, the RZA, joins the Complex Sneakers Show this week to discuss the long history of the Wu-Tang x Nike Dunk High, breaking down how the shoe finally came back as a retro after all these years. RZA runs through his sneaker history, from ducking gangs with ODB in Coney Island to collecting all flavors of Havana Joes. Also in the episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk about the viral New Balance loafers and the next Coreiz x Nike Air Max 95s.
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Episodes manquant?
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Michael Vick has one of the NFL’s defining signature sneaker lines with a series of Nike shoes that matched his electric play with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2000s. Before that, he was turning heads by wearing Air Jordan 17s on the field. On this episode, he breaks down how his Nike deal happened, how he got back together with Nike, and why he wants to start his own footwear brand now. Vick touches on the influence his shoes had in Atlanta specifically, where the Nike Vick line was embraced by the likes of T.I. and Young Jeezy. Also in the episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk Nigo’s upcoming Nike collab and Nike’s incoming CEO, Elliott Hill.
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Is the Staple x Nike SB Dunk Low “Pigeon” the best SB Dunk of all time? What about the legendarily rare “FLOM” SB Dunk High by Futura? And does a shoe like the “Chunky Dunky” SB by Ben & Jerry’s even deserve consideration in such a discussion? In this episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty give their takes on the best SB Dunks of all time, and respond to some of the recent feedback over the rankings. They also talk about spending big money on grails, hunting for rare shoes, and the generally stale state of Air Jordans right now.
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J Balvin is four sneakers deep with Jordan Brand, and it sounds like he has more to come. In this episode, the Colombian artist discusses his relationship with Michael Jordan, his battle against sneaker bots on the Air Jordan 3, and what might be next up for his collaborations. He even touches briefly on that recent Air Jordan 4 custom he wore that Jordan was apparently not too happy about. Elsewhere in the episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk about finding your true sneaker size, the merits of the Air Max Dn, Wale’s Foams, and getting caught wearing basic sneakers.
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Michael Rubin is a billionaire, entrepreneur, and close personal friend to Travis Scott. In this conversation, he talks about Travis’ sneaker business, and even dishes a bit on the ‘White Party’ version of the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low that popped up this summer. Rubin also talks about Jay-Z gifting him Louis Vuitton Air Force 1s, recounts a business meeting with Nike co-founder Phil Knight, and talks about his own history reselling sneakers in the '90s. At the top of the episode, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk Noah Lyles’ sneaker wish, hunting down rare footwear, and the Wizard of Oz x Nike SB Dunk Low.
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Who is the most powerful collaborator in sneakers right now? In this episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty run down a long list of industry heavyweights to determine who in the industry is generating the most buzz, sales, and genuinely cool sneakers. They discuss how high Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God work at Adidas puts him, everything Joe Freshgoods has contributed, and why Travis Scott is still a titan. Also in the episode, some quick catch up on Odell Beckham Jr.’s Nike lawsuit, LeBron 22 updates, and Salehe Bembury’s new challenge at Puma
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Nigel Sylvester is back with Jordan Brand, with what might be his most ambitious project ever. This time around, the BMX superstar is reworking a new take on the Air Jordan 4, the Jordan 4RM. It's a low-cut shoe with a frame that's inspired by bikes. The story behind his shoes takes root from his grandmother's driveway, where he first learned how to ride a bike. In this episode, Sylvester talks about making the shoes and shows off the green and grey colorways of the sneakers. He talks about Lil Yachty wearing the shoes, Ronnie Fieg giving his feedback on them, and comparing them to his Jordan 1s. The guys also talk about Michael Rubin's all-white Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 Lows, when it's time to retire shoes in your rotation, and the sneakers they've been wearing the most this year.
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The Wu-Tang x Nike Dunks are releasing for the first time ever. The “Galaxy” Foamposites are coming back. It even looks like the Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 grails are retroing next year. Why is Nike scrambling to drop so much heat? And should the brand show any restraint when it comes to bringing sneakers back out? Should certain sneakers remain in the vault? Co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss these questions in this latest episode, and try to situate the decisions with respect to Nike’s current financial woes. Also, the trio talk “Pink Diamond” SB Dunks and pays tribute to the late reseller Upscale Cracc.
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What’s the most exciting new sneaker in the past year? How much do big retros like the Air Jordan 4 “Military Blue” deserve to be celebrated in 2024? What about Nina Chanel Abney’s Air Jordan 3? In this mid-year episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss the best sneakers to drop now that the year is halfway over. They also preview some upcoming releases, like Nike’s Sunder Max retro and the Swarovski versions of the TN. And, an important conversation about Kendrick Lamar popping out in Nike Shox.
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Fabolous is a serious sneaker collector—he’s seen every era, from original Air Jordans to the wild fake shoes of the 2000s to the current retros and Travis Scott collaborations. He joins the show this week to discuss all that, along with his influential style, the heyday of throwback jerseys, filling your house with sneakers, and more. Also, the cohosts address Action Bronson’s New Balance drops, “Flu Game” Jordan 12s coming back, and Bad Bunny’s big Gazelle collab.
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Is the first ever Air Max sneaker still the best in the line? Or did the post-Tinker Hatfield designers who worked on massive shoes like the Air Max 95 and the Tn do it better? Cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty rank all the best Air Maxes in this episode, whittling them down to the best of the best. Also, they talk about LeBron James’ mysterious new shoe, Cam’ron’s Adidas diss over the Anthony Edwards spot, and the SB version of the Air Max 95.
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What’s the best Air Jordan model of all time? What are the most important colorways to consider in such a ranking? How much have the best Air Jordans changed through time? Co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty end up on a winding debate on those topics in the latest episode The general consensus is that the S-tier, the most elite of Air Jordans, consists of the Jordan 1, Jordan 3, Jordan 4, and Jordan 11. Also in the episode, the trio discusses the end of Kool Kiy’s Nike lawsuit, the return of the Pro B Dunk, and the knockoff Travis Scott Nikes.
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June Ambrose is a costume designer and creative director who’s spent 30 years elevating the style of hip hop icons. She was there with Jay Z since the beginning, she was there when Missy Elliott signed her deal with Adidas, and she was there when Busta Rhymes needed exaggerated visuals to match his energy. In this episode, she relives her long resume, reflects on her Puma work, and dishes out some style advice. Also, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk about Jack Harlow’s New Balances, upcoming Nike SB Dunks, and the LeBron James’ potential sneaker for his last season in the NBA.
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Travis Scott is finally switching up his retro Air Jordans with a new colorway of his Cactus Jack Air Jordan 1 Lows inspired by his high school colors. Does the new palette make the “Elkins” Air Jordan 1 Low his best in a while? In this episode, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty break down the merits of those, LaMelo Ball’s Lanvin Curb/Osiris D3-looking Puma lifestyle shoe, and the 2025 flip on the “Black Cat” Air Jordan 4. They also reveal the hidden layer underneath the A-Cold-Wall x Nike Air Max Plus by breaking down the black pair with a bit of sandpaper. In this no-guest episode, they also catch up on big sneaker news topics like Nike and Bape settling their lawsuit, Adidas’ CEO reflecting on losing the German football team, and Riccardo Tisci’s next collab.
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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 Better Guards. At the top of the episode, Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty anticipate next year’s “Bred” Air Jordan 1 and break their moratorium on the Air Max Dn.
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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 Force 1s in the market, and just how good Anthony Edwards’ AE 1 is.
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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 interview, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk about the return of the “Flu Game” Air Jordan 12, the Nina Chanel Abney x Air Jordan 3, and the “Metallic” Air Jordan 5 retro.
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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 up at Vans. Also, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss Bode x Nike Astro Grabbers and try not to discuss the Air Max Dn. The episode is a monumental one, the 200th overall episode of the Complex Sneakers Show in all its forms.
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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 sneakers, Nike’s Bape lawsuit, and Adidas trying to sign Taylor Swift.
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