Today, there's almost no good streetwear outfit without a good pair of sneakers. It's almost impossible, as sneakers have become an essential part of fashion and urban culture. Project X Paris invites you to discover its selection of must-have pairs in its collection right now.
The sneaker may be ubiquitous today, but it wasn't always so - far from it. It wasn't until basketball became the number 1 sport in the USA in the 60s and 70s that this type of shoe became popular. It was Nike who finally got the ball rolling in the 80s, with the launch of the Air Force One and the partnership with legend Michael Jordan. Since then, sneakers have been everywhere. But whereas sneakers used to be a style associated with youth and rebellion - in short, true streetwear - they have now been taken over by luxury brands, and appear in some haute couture shows. The advent of rap as the number 1 culture in the West is no stranger to this: luxury brands have reappropriated the codes of hip hop stars such as Jay-Z in his day, or Kanye West today.
Sneakers are perhaps one of the most important elements of any streetwear outfit. But with 10,000 pairs released every year, reissues of old mythical pairs such as TNs, Air Forces, Air Jordans and Stan Smiths, and organized sales with roundup systems, it's hard to find your way around. But the good thing is that there's bound to be a model to suit your every whim, even if you like the most eccentric or sober colors and designs. When you've got too much choice, it's hard to make up your mind, and that's precisely why we at Project X Paris have decided to select our 3 must-have pairs to complement your best outfits.
The Yeezy
At PXP, we love it when all aspects of urban culture collaborate to create something innovative. So we had to talk about Kanye West and the fruit of his collaboration with Adidas, the Yeezy. From producer to rapper to fashion designer, Kanye West's collaboration with the three-stripes brand has turned sneaker design on its head. Since then, the number of brands releasing models with increasingly futuristic designs (often directly inspired by the Yeezy) has grown steadily, as has the hype surrounding each release of Kanye-made sneakers.
Obviously, here again there are different models, at different prices. At Project X, we have a slight preference for the Yeezy 700, a model initially released in 2017 (v1), then reissued in 2018 (v2), and now boasting a v3. Inevitably, the further along you go in the versions, the more futuristic the design and color mixes available. In terms of avant-gardism and originality, the Yeezy 700 V3 comes out on top, but if you're looking for something less flashy, the V2 is also a very effective pair in a streetwear outfit.
Travis Scott's Air Jordan 1 Low OG SP Fragment
Naturally, Kanye West's success gave ideas to other sneaker brands, who wanted to find their rapper to collaborate with and release models made popular by placing them in music videos. But some brands were also a little more ambitious, like Nike when they decided to collaborate with Travis Scott. An artist who has always paid great attention to the visual/aesthetic side of his music and clips, and who is also an avant-gardist in his rap style. Since 2019, the man nicknamed Cactus Jack has been working for the famous brand, and has already released a bunch of different sneaker models.
At PXP, we've fallen head over heels for the Air Jordan 1 Low OG SP Fragment (yes, it's a long time but it's worth it) designed by Travis, with a choice of colors both very sober and rather original, especially in the way the colors are applied to the pair. White, cream, blue, black, with a sole that's not too thick. Some say the pair looks a little vintage, and that's possible, but here we find them very up-to-date and easy to match with a variety of outfits, whether with classic jeans or slightly original sweatpants.
The Nike Dunk Low Off White
It's with emotion that we're going to tell you about this latest pair, since its creator, Virgil Abloh, passed away very recently on November 28, at the age of 41. With him, fans of sneakers and fashion in general have lost one of the most important designers of the last ten years. He is perhaps the one who contributed most to building this bridge between streetwear and luxury brands, via his position as artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's line, acquired in 2018. But above all, we salute the designer for the work accomplished with his Off White brand and his numerous collaborations with Nike, which have radically changed the trend.
Today, we're going to tell you all about the Nike Dunk Low Off White, released in August 2021. One of the year's most beautiful pairs, it's already a highly sought-after and highly-rated piece. With its thick sole and stylized swoosh, it's our favorite of the year. And despite its high price tag, it's still selling fast, proof that it's a hit. Available in a range of different colors, the sneakers have a retro but not old-fashioned design, and can be worn with almost any outfit.
As you can see, sneakers are a must-have and that's why we wanted to present you with this little top 3. And it's also why we gave away the 3 pairs (for the 3 winners) in a competition a few weeks ago. At Project X Paris, we like to be generous during the holiday season! We wish you a 2022 filled with quality sapes.