Kanye West's "Red October" Air Yeezy IIs weren't the first monochromatic red sneaker of all time, but, for all intents and purposes, they might as well be. It's the sneaker that sparked the public's desire for fire-red sneakers, although science tells us that we're innately attracted to this makeup.
This afternoon, UK sneaker archivist and Crooked Tongues editor Gary Warnett put every one onto game that all-red sneakers were around in 1991, and they weren't just a loud pair of Reebok Freestyles. Posting a catalog scan of the Nike Air Ultra Force Low on Instagram, Warnett unearthed that there was a "Red October," an all-red Nike sneaker, way before Kanye ever laid down the reference on "Hold My Liquor."
According to Warnett, "It was a huge look to have an all green or all-red, mid-cut shoe that summer for some reason."
We're well aware that, even in recent memory, there have been mostly red sneakers floating around. We even ranked the 10 best of last year. But this flashback represents that red sneakers are powerful, and they're something that will always catch attention.
As Frank the Butcher lamented, "The hustlers around my way wearing these with "Force" suits," and Crepe City's Morgan Weekes added, "Bet those red joints sat on shelves," they showed that this specific colorway is enough to get people talking — whether or not they're on Kanye West's feet.
[via gwarizm]
