What Your Back to School Sneaker Choice Says About You

And... We're back!

Prada Patents for the first day? You’re probably still stuck in the last decade, bruh. Sure, you wouldn’t be alone, there are plenty of dudes who still wear these kicks for some reason or another. But “style” and “current trends” are none of those reasons. Sorry if that offends you. That being said, if you’re wearing those to go to school you probably don’t read Complex Sneakers so… Nevermind.

If Air Max 1 OGs are your back to school sneakers, you’re probably the coolest kid in the yard. But you’re cool because you’re not a dick about it. It's effortless. Timeless. You're the Zack Morris of your age, a Fresh Prince. Everyone respects you for who you are and what you do, and even though you might not sit with the quarterback at lunch, you know everyone's going to be working for you in 10 years. But, not to worry. You're an heir to the James Dean tradition and you'll let them have their fun. You're already shining, no need to throw shade.

You’re probably an attention whore if Jeremy Scotts are on your feet. There’s nothing wrong with that, but come on. No one buys Jeremy Scott unless they’re looking to stand out and peacock. Over stuffed tongues, screaming plaids, every type of animal print imaginable. These are the kicks you rock to turn heads. And what better time to remind everyone you exist than on the first day of school.

It’s likely no one will understand you if you decide to rock a pair of ASICS collabs. Sure, here in the small world of Complex Sneakers and other sneaker blogs, we’re quick to talk about these collabs, but your peers probably don’t know much about them. They don’t know why you’re waiting outside for a pair of running shoes, or what makes your GLVs any different from the Sambas they’ve been kicking around in all summer. People probably aren’t shitting on you about it, but you might get some side eye when duck walking in your Gels. It's okay though, we get it.

If you're rocking Air Force 1s on the first day of school you are the people's champ. You're a fan of the old school while also knowing that Uptowns are, in fact, popping off again in the mainstream as of late. It's the best of both worlds and shows that you are a well-rounded student versed in many facets of street culture. You'll do well this year, playa.

Let's not forget the guys who are gonna rock their summer-release Jordan rotation the first week. It means you want everyone to know you had a REALLY good summer. That being said, if you have all these releases you probably spent most of your summer on GChat and Nike.com. Unless you’re just connected like that, which is what you’re tryna prove anyway, it took time and effort to get all those pairs. Time you could have been spending outside with your friends, forming new memories with life experiences. But hey, you got them Jays though.

If Vans Sk8-His are your weapon of choice for your first day it means there will be zero-fucks given. At all. Pulling up to the schoolyard deck in hand and Sk8-His on feet means you're a bad ass not afraid to do a little curb stomping or getting your kicks dirty. And with those vulcanized soles, who can blame you? Dare anyone to mess with you.

Lunar Air Max 90 “Apollos” on the first day? Ouch. Now you’re really just saying “Hi” to your haterz. Lunar Air Max 90s became the stunt sneakers of the season, with the boldest upper and a limited release to match. It wasn’t until the week before that everyone started scrambling for pairs, and by the time the release rolled around most ‘heads ended up empty handed. The full 3M upper means there’s always a special element to show off to make everyone super envious, and you'll probably do it in front of the clown that called you a loser in May. But you’re not mad anymore. That’s your one small step.

If your back to school sneakers are a pair of adidas Sambas, you’re not reading this. You’re not really thinking about what’s on your feet, you probably have other things on your mind. Like getting an education and creating a positive learning environment for you and your peers. Your focus is what the next reasonable step in your life is going to be, either college or career-wise, and not what kicks you're going to spend this extra $300 on. Get your priorities straight, dude. Come on.

Alright, I see you in your LeBron iDs, you’ve got pride. You made these shits. You spent that late June night, in the din of your air conditioning, putting all your hopes and dreams, nay, your identity, into making this pair everything it could be. Every color, every texture, you chose for precise and important reasons. You were making the best iD possible, and then you hit “Place Order” and waited. You waited weeks before Nike started making them. Weeks before they were finished. Another week before you got them. And God lived in that box. Now you’re going to show them off. And if no one compliments you within 5 minutes of first period, you might just lose your shit. 

There's nothing to be ashamed of if you're gonna stick with the tried and true Roshe Run, it just means you’re really practical. Sure, Roshes have run their course and are probably never going to come back to what they were in 2012, but they’re inexpensive and super comfortable. And, if you know what you’re doing, they can look absolute fire. When done right, they’re the biggest bang for your buck, and you’ll stay comfortable until last period. Because of their price tag, you can get two pairs for every Jordan release, so you’ll have more variety than your MJ-laced brethren. That’s the spice of life.

Ay, Balenciaga Arenas for the first day? Take it back a notch my guy. Don’t get me wrong, Arenas are super ill, and if that’s what you rock, it’s likely your alphet supports the move. But are these really what you want to be wearing kicking around the schoolyard, or waiting in line at the cafeteria? These are stunt shoes, and you don’t need to stunt on your fifth period math teacher, bruh. And if they're not stunt shoes for you and you just roll like that, all the props to you because we ain't on your level.