Dallas Penn's Top 25 Sneakers of All-Time

Dallas says: "What's good, internets? If you fux with the inter-connected networks also known as the internets you might have already peeped my steez. But if you haven't ever heard of me allow me to reintroduce, myself my name is hoooo — nah, it's Dallas Penn. I blog and vlog and cop kicks and hella Polo RL gear and I also have an action figure or two. Basically, I live the Complex lifestyle.

I'm honored to be able to place a list on the Complex website talking about my 25 all-time favorite kicks. I'm religious about the items I collect. I don't deadstock all my kicks, but I definitely double up on my favorite joints when possible. Just so I can get flamboyant with the perfect 'fit on a late summer afternoon. This is my favorite time of year too, since I'm a tennis shoe head at heart and the US Open is on and poppin'. September is simply the best month to swag out in NYC, except for that one day 10 years ago, but normally, Indian summer is for winning. Except for the Indians, but now I'm digressing...

My 25 greatest kicks are a mix of the nostalgia I have for growing up in New York City as a teenager in the 1980s when crack was king and NYC was the distressed kingdom. Kicks were always a statement in my aspirations to be something bigger or better than I was at the time. That's why my all-time diamond grail shoe is the Bally Competition. The Bally Comp is an official tennis shoe with a sueded toebox and a D-ring lacing system. The Bally Competition was worn by the original 50 Cent and an assortment of Guess-jeans-suit-clad Brooklyn thugs. I can still see them catching wreck in the Union Square nightclub. I had to have a pair of these shoes and I copped them at the former Albee Square Mall. Bally Competition for life. [Dallas had them at the top of the list, but photos of these do not exist. Prove us wrong. —Ed.]

Here are the 25 kicks that I consider jewels in my cup called the holy grail...

Dallas says: "On your OG AM95 kicks, the outsole tells you the PSI pressure that the airbags can allow. Nike was so scientific with their Air, but the neon hits are what give these kicks their Bladerunner appeal."

Dallas says: "Some people think that the K-Swiss all white classic is a bite off the Tretorn tennis shoe. No way. Tretorns are for sweetchucks and cheerleaders. K-Swiss classics are tennis shoes. Get your U.S. Open swag up, internets."

Dallas says: "3M is one of those magical sneaker materials, like patina leathers and elephant-print suede."

Dallas says: "God is in the details, and my god loves suede and contrast stitching."

Dallas says: "The Mowabb was the ACG shoe that could do it all, but mostly, it could look good as hell on your feet."

Dallas says: "I'm not a Force dude (pause), but this ACG inspired AF1 looks so dope with my Mets and Knicks gear. NYC losing franchises, stand up!"

Dallas says: "Pronouncing this tennis great's name was hard, and so were these tennis shoes. Diadora also had that 'Where'd You Get Those' appeal of being the only dude in the hood with some exotic (yet affordable) shit on."

Dallas says: "It's either these or the 574, but no matter which style number you choose make sure its the all-grey colorway because that is what college professors and dopeboys would do."

Dallas says: "Not a boot, not a sneaker, but all fresh."

Dallas says: "Bounty hunter swag."

Dallas says: "The most comfortable Air Jordan of all time. ALL TIME!"

Dallas says: "Tennis shoes are supposed to be white and plain. The Air Tech Challenge was white (mainly) but far from plain. The electric lime heel was the neck snapper."

Dallas says: "The Air Max Attack Pack was a great release from Nike in 2010. These all-red Flywire 2009s are my favorite shoe from the series. I love looking at the platform these shoes rest on and imagining how the fux Nike will improve on this design. I don't believe they can do it. At this point you would have to buy an empty Nike shoebox that Tinker Hatfield breathed into. Now that would be some Nike 'Air'."

Dallas says: "Nike introduced their Air Max 360 hybrid program with the 'One Time Only' pack. My biggest complaint about these shoes was that Nike issued them in a general release box. The ad program to introduce these shoes was animated genius. The point-of-sale packaging didn't match that level. Nike, you can do better."

Dallas says: "Did Bo know that Nike was going to reissue this shoe in this reedirk colorway? The suede hits take this shoe into outer space. Consider yourself a king if you owned a pair of these joints."

Dallas says: "If Penny had been as futuristic as his signature shoes, there would be even more mayhem in the streets for the release of these shoes. The translucent outsole and the lacing system are great details but it is the foam upper which makes this shoe one of the greatest ever made."

Dallas says: "Ken Griffey is the greatest baseball player of my generation. He didn't retire with the biggest numbers, but he still had his drug-free dignity. The GD Max (Griffey 6) had all the best elements you look for is a cross-trainer shoe. The 3/4 height mixes great with shorts or long pants and the full-length airbag gives you Nike's patented TL swag."

Dallas says: "Everyone calls these shoes 'Agassi's' after the colorful tennis pro who had the day-glo highlighter pack swag way early. The retros have been enjoyable for me to rock, but nothing kills like the OG joints with the fireball logo on the heel."

Dallas says: "The Nike Dunk is another timeless silhouette for my collection. The panels and details fall over each other in a perfect rhythm. I appreciated the materials used on this shoe also and the backstory of Josh Gibson is some shit I can get with since my Blackness is loud and proud."

Dallas says: "I'm not all psycho to love a sneaker because Jordan wore them since the next step is to wear a pair of underdrawls because someone famous wore them. These VIs were released last year with the deluge of VIs that dropped and I love this colorway most of all. Black suede as well as a black patina on the upper and then some red and blue hits on the shoe. Jordan didn't wear this exact shoe, but he wore out the Pistons to get his first 'chip and that is what these shoes represent."

Dallas says: "Don't get it twisted, internets — this boot might be the most Hip-Hop sneaker of all time. Even more than the Air Force 1 and the adidas Superstar since this boot gets worn in four seasons in every weather condition. I can promise you right now there is a dude in Brooklyn playing basketball in these as well as a Puerto Rican in the Bronx playing handball wearing these cheese boots. That shit kray."

Dallas says: "I don't think enough people understand how crazy this shoe was to have a window in the sole. This shoe was a dope boy special in the vein that New Balance's 900-1500 series had been previously. You could only cop these joints at sports specialty shops like Paragon or Spiegel's on Nassau Street (R.I.P.)."

Complex says: "The Lavers get into my top five because they are so damn clean. The silhouette is understated and even underbranded for a sneaker. No Three Stripes on the upper, just a smooth leather and a nifty sueded toecap. The added value is that the Rod Laver is nearly impossible to burn."

Dallas says: "Shouts to the U.S. Open popping off in Flushing Meadows Park. My number-one runner-up is another tennis shoe. The material on the toebox was Kevlar. Nike produced these shoes as part of a line of footwear called NDESTRUKT. These were the first shoes made with recycled rubber outsoles. I just lost one of my OG pairs last summer — I mailed them back to Nike and they deaded me since the shoes were made in 1995. I guess even indestructible shit has a limit to its warranty?"

Dallas says: "These are the shoes which inspired those nasty Reebok S dot Carters. Gucci retro'd their classic trainer last year, but they sat on store shelves because most heads thought Gucci was biting off the nasty Reebok S dot Carter. These shoes were strictly for G's and hood celebrities. There was nothing better on a Friday night than putting on these Gucci trainers and some colorful Polo I.T.s and then going to the Deuce to profile your style. The OG Gucci trainers are living proof that you can't relive an era no matter how many retros get produced. If you are lucky enough to find these shoes in an outlet, make sure you swap out those white laces for the classic green and red joints."