Supra Skytop II - Max 95 inspired

So, is this a homage to the beloved Air Max '95 or a shot at Nike's continual usage of classic colorways to increase sales?  Who knows? Supra not only uses the iconic '95 color scheme, but also uses a mesh like material on the collar that also obviously ties back to the old school performance running shoe.  There is no doubt that the color blocking inspiration for this shoe comes from the classic '95. But, the question is why did Supra blatantly take inspiration from a shoe that has been done in countless color ways?  In my opinion, changing the color blocking of a silhouette can completely alter the appearance of a pair of kicks. For instance, the last part of this shoe you notice is the massive tongue and neck, which is normally the first things noticed on a Skytop.  But, by utilizing the grey gradient and volt yellow towards the sole of the shoe, it draws the eye away from the massive tongue and stresses the lower parts of the shoe.  In the world of sneakers, there are countless silhouettes that tie back to original old school design lines.  Repetition is everywhere, but creating a new colorway that tricks the eye to think it's an entirely different shoe is an art within designing sneakers.  For you art fans out there, it's basically the "Mark Rothko approach" to shoes.

Air Max 95 - Reversed Grey

Who is not a fan of the classic Air Max '95s?  This classic style that has design elements influenced by the human rib cage has design lines that flow like no other Air Max (well.....except for the '97s).  This basic gradient color scheme appears simple at first glance, but a closer look reveals a newer trend for this classic Air Max style.  The lightest colors of the gradient scheme start on the sole/outsole and darken as the pattern pieces of the upper reach the tongue.  This approach is the opposite of the traditional dark sole to lighter upper approach on most '95 colorways.  In layman's terms, it's basically a traditional Air Max '95 turned upside down, and in my opinion, completely alters the visual impact of the shoe.  I totally dig these, but if I could change one thing, there should be a more gradual gradient color scheme.  Look closely at the lace loops and the laces themselves which bring an "ACG" aspect to these kicks.  Nike has utilized an iconic classic silhouette and colorway to bring us a freakin' sick pair of kicks.  Let's just hope that they have several Air Max '97s in the works!

  

Nike Air Max 24/7 Eggplant Colorway

This new color way couldn't be a shock to those of us who've been following Nikes for awhile now.  The resurgence of the eggplant color, made infamous by the Air Foamposite One, continues to grow.  This color way has recently seen on the Big Highs, the original Foamposite Ones, the Air 1/2 Cent and even on Blazers.  I'm sure some of the purist are starting to think that Nike is overusing the eggplant, but they couldn't argue that these look great.  I would have excluded the 3M reflective stripes on the eyelets because they take away from the toe to heel flow of the shoe, especially on such a monotone color way.  Any thoughts?