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Lead
As a new breed of artists start taking over the airwaves, you can't help but notice that the sneaker life is just as important to a many of these rappers as their rhymes — sneaker culture has become a way of life. One up-and-coming artist, CurT@!n$ is the epitome of just that — a sick balance of music and style. It doesn't hurt that he was dubbed by Kanye himself as a "true genius of fashion." We get with Mr. High Society and break down his favorite shoes. Click here to check out CurT@!n$ Top 10 Sneakers of All-Time.
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#10 Nike Vandal Supreme Vintage Retro "Magenta/Silver"
CurT@!n$ says: "This was an eBay score. I saw these in a magazine and instantly went noodles for 'em. No store had 'em, and I sat on eBay for 'bout a month 'til they popped up. I got two pairs and burnt both to the ground. That color is unexplainable on a shoe. People say its pink but I correct them and assure them that it's magenta. Plus that sounds way cooler, like 'No sorry, they are magenta.' Chicks dig em."
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#9 Nike iD Air Force 1
CurT@!n$ says: "The day I got my Air Yeezy's, Nike let me ID some sneakers for an episode of 'Maestro Knows.' I went all luxury on 'em and mixed Coca-Cola, Benetton, and Hermes color tones into the shoe. I had to perform at Sneaker Pimps, so I took a marker and wrote all over the bottom, just to stunt a lil. I love these kicks out of all of the ID's i've done."
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#8 Puma Clyde "Green/White"
CurT@!n$ says: "In my vintage phase I kept it 100 percent authentic to that era and wore the proper footwear. What more proper than the Puma Clydes? I totally abused Clydes for a while. I had colors upon colors. I ended up getting a Puma connect and he laced me with these green joints. I think I wore these more than any other pair I owned. Green for the money, as the Bishop Don Juan would say."
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#7 Nike iD Air Max 1
CurT@!n$ says: "I didn't technically ID these myself. Sportie LA did 'em and sold a few pairs. I snatched these on sight. These are beyond killer with the tennis ball check. People stopped me every five steps I took wearing these kicks. I used to lie tho and tell em I ID'ed em — truth of the matter they were a Sportie LA special. I never ran into anyone else that ever had 'em, tho."
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#6 Nike Vandal Supreme Vintage Retro "Silver/Red"
CurT@!n$ says: "These were the illest, most futuristic sneaker ever. That silver is boss. I eBayed my life away to get the original version of these. I got them, got the first retro version from like 2001, then boom, Nike drops a re-retro in a vintage style like three months later. So I have three different versions of these sneakers laying around. Still a winner in my eye."
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#5 Supreme x Nike Blazers "Red/Black"
CurT@!n$ says: "I procrastinate when it comes to shopping. I sit on everything before I decide to buy it or not. 90 percent of the time I end up paying more or just missing out. This was a case where I paid waaaaay more. Who cares? I liked 'em, wanted 'em, got 'em. These are insane. They are designed like a luxury bag. The detail is crazy. I sold these for dirt cheap and ran into the kid months later, he laughed at how cheap I sold it to him for. Looking back, I shoulda kept these."
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#4 Fila Tennis Classic "Cream/Red/Black"
CurT@!n$ says: "I grew up in Brooklyn, and in Brooklyn cats wore Fila Tennis Classics like they were Guccis. These are the sneaker equivalent to that whole Benetton & Polo '90s vintage era. Once I started wearing that style, I had to go all the way and make it authentic and rep with the tennis classics. Kids nowadays know nothing about how ill these are."
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#3 Nike Vandal Supreme Vintage Retro "Black/Yellow"
CurT@!n$ says: "For 'bout two years all I wore was Vandals. I been obsessed with Vandals since I saw the movie "The Goonies." I have zillions of colors of these, but this colorway happens to be my favorite. I wear all black mostly, and these pop with the yellow check and blend with the black body. I wore these to death tho. I need to score a new pair just for old-times sake."
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#2 Air Jordan 1 "Black/Blue" Retro 2001
CurT@!n$ says: "I got these to wear to the Grammys in 2005. Random find at Sportie LA, they had one pair left and it was my size. This is the only combo where I would ever wear black and blue together. It just works tho. I have the 1985 OGs of this colorway also, but I just like my 2001s better."
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#1 Air Jordan 1 "White/Black/Red" 1985 OG
CurT@!N$ says: "Is a conversation even necessary for these? I rather tell you a story, I found these on eBay for a steal. Got 'em, sold 'em the next day for almost double, six months later I buy 'em back from the same kid for less than what I paid for 'em. You do the math, I basically got 'em for free and made some money. Killer. My favorite sneakers ever."
