Initial Impressions

The Nike Dunk High Aluminum is definitely being launched at the right time to be a success. While not quite as hyped up as they were in 2020, the Nike Dunk is still selling out with every release, and this not-quite-Carolina blue colorway is still close enough to a classic Nike colorway that it has every chance to be a smash hit.

As someone who has had more than a reasonable number of shoes pass through his hands, I’ve started to really appreciate having “classic” design. By a classic, I mean a pair of shoes that you know will work. You’ve worn it. Your dad wore it. And, in the case of this pair here, your grandad wore it. When it comes to classic, there is nothing that fits that bill more than the Alden 975, also known as the Alden Longwing or Alden Gunboat.

The Nike x Sacai Blazer Low is the latest in a long line of collaborations between Nike and the Japanese fashion brand Sacai. Following the wildly successful LDWaffle, the blazer high, and more, these shoes continue the tradition of overlaying panels from different shoes on top of one another.

I have to admit, I was a bit scared when I ordered these Viberg Service Boots. On some pictures, the boots can look somewhere close to bright orange. Thankfully, these fears were completely unfounded. The leather on the upper is much closer to a typical tan in most lighting – though it is difficult to capture in photos.

Viberg Service Boots almost need no introduction. After breaking onto the scene during the Americana/workwear craze around 10 years ago, they have been the yardstick that many others are graded on. Since that time, countless others from the pacific northwest have followed suit – White’s, Nick’s, and others owe much of their recent success to Viberg.

When Brooks Brothers ended their contracts with Alden, Crockett & Jones, and Alfred Sargent, there was a bit of an uproar. Including from your author. For many men in the United States who prefer to not shop for shoes online, Brooks was the only place to get these brands. Their Golden Fleece Captoes, and others in the line, had the unenviable task of trying to replace these giants of the shoe industry on the Mahogany shelves of Brooks Brothers stores.

Creating a classic sneaker is hard. Every year, a dozen models or more come out of the big sneaker brands only to fade into obscurity once the next Jordan collab comes out. Even harder than that is trying to improve and build on a classic sneaker. This is the loop that Adidas has been in with their Ultraboost line. While the Ultraboost 19 and 20 were not the commercial success Adidas wanted, they have another try with the Adidas Ultraboost 21. Is this another classic, or is this more Jordan 33 than Jordan 3?

If you’re not familiar with the brand, TB Phelps has been around since 1938. Originally starting off making leather bags, they expanded into other leather products over time. You can really tell that the leather choices are at the heart of what they do. Offering a variety of products in sheepskin, deerskin, elk and more, they offer a way to take traditional designs and give them a slightly different style. It’s a look that I feel works best with shoes that lean into that rustic design – and may be best exemplified in the T.B. Phelps Weekender.

Here at 100wears there are a few recurring themes on shoes we like. Generally, they are made with higher end materials, are assembled in the United States, and often have a hit of 90’s nostalgia to them. When I heard that there was a pair of sneakers coming that met all these criteria – and from a local sneaker store no less – I knew that I had to pick up a pair. Is YCMC’s New Balance 992 Rewind worth it?

For a sneaker as storied as the Air Max 90, there really isn’t that many famous colorways. Sure, the Lunar90 might go for a lot of money, but outside of the small overlap of sneakerheads and NASA enthusiasts, most people don’t really know about it. In fact, when it comes to collabs that people know about, I think there is only one clear winner: the Nike Air Max 90 Bacon.