Jesse Leyva’s 50 Favorite Sneakers
You should be very familiar with Jesse Leyva, but in case you didn’t know, Jesse Leyva is the Nike Sportswear Global Design Director. He recently put together a list of his 50 favorite sneakers for Complex. I haven’t met Jesse yet, but according to his #1 pick, he’s good in my book. Peep his list here
Category: Features, Nike Shoes
great read! its good to see an insiders point of view with all these releases. I really liked the fact that his top 50 wasn’t your stereotypical list full of jordans, forces, AM’s but still included a lot of classics along with some picks that I had forgotten about or flat out didnt know about.
1/3 of the list was crack!
1/3 of the list was like ok if that’s what your into
1/3 of the list was like ok “what the fuck wrong with you?”
G-Roc, whats your all time 50? Now, that would be a good look!
How is the AM1 not in his top 10. That shoe changed the industry. PERIOD!
I got through most of his list. I agreed that some of his choices belonged on there. A lot of them were really ugly. Then I got to this:
“11. Nike Air Force 1 Low Canvas ’94
“Air Forces can be crazy, but the canvas version are the ones I wore before working at Nike. This material made the shoe completely different. It was the first time I had seen a basketball shoe in canvas, and it slims it up a bit. These are rad.”"
It was the first time you saw basketball shoes in canvas, huh moron? Clearly this numbnuts never heard of Converse.
THIS GUY HAD LIKE SERIOUSLY 9 SHOES ON THIS WHOLE LIST THAT WERE ANYTHING GOOD LMAO… 40 OF EM WERE PURE TRASH!!!
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LOL THIS GUY GOT TEVA SANDALS AND NIKE SWIMMING SLIPPERS ON HIS DAM TOP 50 OF ALL TIME LIST….C’MON SON!!!
For the most part i like his list isnt the typical list, naming the humara’s, air max 120, air terra albis and some others were dope to me some of em were like wtf but i respect it cant hate on someone thinking outside the box than most people
QUESTION…. what Nike is that left of the 50?????? I have been searching for ever to find out the name of that kick and it has eluded my for 5 years now!!!!!
Don’t really agree with him on the majority of the list, but not going to hate since he likes what he likes, when it comes down to sneaks, it’s all preference and opinion.
im wit ATLien_smoke G-roc whats your top 50?
@aSh its the Nike Air Sunder i think you are talking about
Nike Tech reps just get 2 test out the new shoes?? where do I sign up lol
Isn’t this the fool who’s responsible for the influx of flywire in shoes lately as well? Way to go figuring out you could reinforce plastic shoes with dental floss, dummy!
@ Converse King – I might have asked you this before, but would you know any place I can get my hands on the “converse all star music mids -Brooklyn” other then Ebay of course.
BcUz-I-cAn, those released a few years ago, and would be very hard to find now. I would check Ebay, because that’s the only place I think would have them.
yeah that’s what I figured. sucks that I slept on those when they had a full size run on PYS for $50. Oh well on the hunt I go then.
Who is this fool btw…doesn’t know shit about sneaker..he aint Mexican right ?
he had CLEATS on his top 50 list of SNEAKERS?? WTF??
but…I’M NOT MAD AT # 2
^And I’m not mad at #1.
@Rumibaba – the nikesportswear global design director knows nothing about sneakers?? and ethnicity matters why?? fall back and keep reading son cause he just schooled you on the last 20 years of nike. just because his top 50 isn’t your top 50 doesnt mean he doesn’t know shit bout sneakers. step your game up and have an open mind.
@G-Roc – Thought of you on #4… It’s been a while since you dropped a hint at your love of that shoe!
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@Carter – I’m with your 3rds breakdown… my thoughts… not exactly my words… but def my thoughts!
Some of you just showed how ignorant you really are with your comments….Jesse Leyva’s FORGOTTEN more about kicks than you’ve forced yourselves to learn online, dickriding the mass trends….we know, we know….Air Force 1′s, Jordan 11′s, SB’s, blah blah blah….STFU with the predictable, corny Hypebeast list and put your time in the game long enough to learn what’s up.
On the strength of his #1 pick alone he has become my best friend……. so what I don’t know the man.
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That air trainer 1 is in my top 3 sneakers ever……….
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1a….sc trainer bo jackson og raiders
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1b….air trainer 1
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2. NEON AM95
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3. Royal blue foamposites
Good read and history review I respect his picks n groc for the post…thanks guys
BcUz-I-cAn THANK YOU…..
thats right! tryna turn these consumers into Connoisseurs TM but its hard work lol
Oh and just to be clear that wasn’t addressed to everyone on this site. just a select few who don’t know what the hell they are talking about.
wow. some AT1 “chloro” love. Now get those MASS GENERAL RELEASED to the PUBLIC, and put that frenzy into people, like the am90 infrared has done. Since the GR in 2000, we have seen a 2002 overseas limited release, a 2008 overseas limited release, a 2009 limited legacy pack release, and a limited stateside release. Being the #1 guy in charge, He needs to bring back the goods to the masses.
so do ya’ll like open toe nike sndals also???
*sandals
Was that the right pic at 37? I thought the ones he was talking about were white/black hi-tops with the zipper from 97…
MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY TOKYOMIKE……….MUDDASUCKIN HYPEBEASTSSSSSSSS….THAT DUDE JUST BROKE IT DOWN…THAT IS A SNEAKER HEAD IF I EVER SEEN ONE.
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AND WELL SAID BCUZ I CAN…….CONSUMERS TO CONNOISSEURS…..LOOK THAT WORD UP PEOPLE…IT IS NOT PART OF MY NAME BY ACCIDENT….SMH
@ Hye Style Kid….. THAAAANK YOU!!!!!!
Just bring back the junior seau’s I had when I was 7 and your cool with me.
Great list!!
Anybody see that the picture of the Payton shoe on his list does not match the description? Other than that, I thought the list was pretty good, lots of old school swag in that list.
@ BcUz-I-cAn ..Yup i know more than this fella about Nike sneaker..i’m also 32 yrs old, mind you. Out of 50 of his fav sneaker i have owned at least 30+. So i know what I’m talking about
Cant front on a lot of the football cleats in the 90′s they were sick not really his selection imo but there were some sick football cleats
i ain’t feelin’ this list