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While at UCLA, freshman Lonzo Ball led the Bruins to a Sweet 16 berth in the 2017 NCAA Tournament on the strength of his explosive offensive capabilities. On the sidelines, his father LaVar was busy taking shots of a different variety.LaVar Nike Air Odyssey Womens Ball’s ridiculous Adidas NMD Femme claims about his and his son’s basketball careers (plus his open antagonism of Michael Jordan) would unfortunately overshadow Lonzo’s athleticism, contributing to an NBA-bound Lonzo being turned down for sponsorship from all three major basketball shoe manufacturers. Unfazed, his father LaVar made the only move audacious enough for media personality: starting a shoe brand to sponsor his son.In May, Big Baller Brand launched the Z02, a $495 signature sneaker debuting five months in advance of Lonzo Ball’s first minute of NBA play. The shoe was immediately ridiculed for its design and price point. Yet, Big Baller Brand powered on: in August, BBB launched the MB1, granting Lonzo’s high-school aged brother LaMelo a $395 signature shoe of his own. 2017, folks.This June’s NBA Finals pitted the defending champion www.mesryne.fr Cleveland Cavaliers Adidas NMD Dames against the “dream team” Golden Nike Air Presto Womens State Warriors in a rematch series seemingly made for primetime. If you were a sneaker brand, it was reason to celebrate.While both teams’ starting five compiled some of the best basketball talent of a generation, it was equally notable for compiling a lot of signature shoes. Of the Game 1 starters for both teams, 50 percent (Nike: James, Irving, Durant; Under Armour: Curry; Anta: Thompson) have their own signature basketball shoes. From a surprisingly-clean Curry 4 unveil to the on-the-court-off-the-court launch of the “Still KD,” the 2017 Finals were all about the shoes.

The team with more shoe endorsements did in fact win this year’s championship, but we’ll chalk that one up to coincidence.Demna Gvesalia’s second collection of Balenciaga menswear got a lot of heads talking. The ’80s-inspired Nike Air Max 2017 Dames clothing—oversized shoulders, Nike Air Pegasus 89 Womens flowy trousers, “Greed is Good” power ties—was as much American Psycho as “Psycho Killer,” but one specific part of Demna’s Reagan-era caricature stood well above the rest: the grotesque, the undulating, Triple-S luxury sneaker.For better or for worse, nothing the sneaker world had ever seen looked quite like the Triple-S. Within months, every luxury brand was announcing an “ugly dad shoe” of their own. Gucci, Acne, YEEZY, Louis, Dior; the list goes on. However, a summer’s worth of dad domination was only the opening act.This October, Balenciaga—the father of the luxury dad shoe—returned to the runway with 10cm-tall platform Crocs. Whether subversive fashion commentary or merely cynical meme-bait, the Balenciaga Crocs made a flashbulb impression on the culture at large. Both in altitude and attitude, Nike Air Max 2017 Femme Balenciaga’s 10cm Crocs Nike Air Huarache Womens were the peak of dad shoes.Last but certainly not least: Gary, this one’s for you.This September, the sneaker world was rocked by the passing of Gary “Gwarizm” Warnett, the legendary journalist, critic, and cultural scholar whose blog, gwarizm.com, cataloged the rise and maturation of what we now call streetwear.

For those who didn’t know him, Gary both shaped and chronicled the sneaker world. His blog—including the writing he contributed to industry publications, including Highsnobiety—is the closest thing the world will ever have to a history of this unique cultural moment. Through vintage ads, candid opinions, and a deep appreciation of the mechanisms that bring products to life, Gary shared his warmth with readers, peers, and colleagues alike.His infectious blend of humor and rigor brought an invaluable Adidas ZX 850 Femme perspective to our Adidas Superstar Dámské corner of the world, one missed by all but forgotten by none. Thank you, Gary. Rest in peace. At the end, Space Campers were rewarded with a shoe worthy of their day full of great leaps: anyone who finished had the opportunity to buy the Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 2.0.Mere weeks after the Zoom VaporFly propelled Nike runners to a world record marathon, a propulsion experience of a different kind landed in New York. Dubbed “Space Camp,” this June’s special Nike-sponsored obstacle course took lucky participants through an exercise regimen planned by design legend Tom Sachs.