The Complex Sneakers Show

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.