Top 3 – My Favorite Shoes

1. As a native Clevelander I was ecstatic with LeBron’s “I’m coming home!” decision. I soaked up the incessant coverage of this feel good story from the beginning and was thrilled with the assurance of relevancy his decision bore to the lowly Cavaliers.

Secondly as a sneaker enthusiast I thought about the potential of impressive designs Nike could create to mark this joyous occasion. The Nike LeBron 11 Low ‘’Black/ Gum” is a clean looking shoe. It’s entirely black with a gum sole outsole, a trend Nike has incorporated into many recent drops. I like the floral interior as well as “LEBRON” seen embroidered on the interior sole. I waited in a short line at Niketown NYC last summer the day they were released (7/31/14). The ¾ mid cut makes these a little lighter than the high top LeBron’s, which feel a bit bulky if intended to wear casually. The 360 air max cushioning throughout the sole makes it very comfortable. This is a versatile shoe and I’ve gotten feedback that, “those don’t look like basketball shoes.”

2. The New Balance Grey 991’s are a global staple across all ages. Regardless of your style this shoe provides a great finishing touch to a range of outfits, with a sophisticated, subtle look. The New Balance 991 “Grey Speckle” is a slight variation from the original with non‐uniform, speckles of blackish grey throughout the sole and features a greenish mesh throughout. The speckle design dates to retro Nikes and remains a fixture today in the Air Jordan’s and other popular Nike lines. This is a very rare shoe and I was excited to find this in a Nordstrom Rack for $75. On Ebay they sell around $140. New Balance has pushed this speckle design in their New Balance 850 and I’m hoping they continue to develop it further across their other classics.

3. The 2012 Nike Lunarglide+4 “Chicago Marathon” also has a speckle. It’s the lightest and most comfortable shoe I own. The Lunarglide is a great running shoe and this specific custom is a jazzed up version of it that was sold throughout Chicagoland during that time. The black color helps preserve a new look over time. This shoe gained appeal outside the running community with a review from the popular sneaker blog, Sole Collector.

As a finisher of that marathon I couldn’t pass on these. The attention to detail on this shoe is what I love. There’s a “26.2” logo on the tongue of the right shoe as well as a design of the SearsTower on the left one. These designs create sentiment with marathon finishers or simply sneaker fanatics that love Chicago and want to show pride for their city.

The Nike LeBron 11 Low “Black/ Gum”, The New Balance 991 “Grey Speckle” and the Lunarglide+4 “Chicago Marathon’s” span a variety of styles. The thing I love about all three of these shoes is their versatility. Each can be worn a pair of khakis or jeans. If you come across any of these on Ebay I definitely recommend buying them. All three are good‐looking, comfortable, well‐constructed shoes