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Where do sneakerheads get their information? Well, for most of them, it's sneaker blogs. This is where early images of Air Jordans, release dates, and everything in between gets shared and posted on the Internet.
But sneaker blogs function as much more than an alert system for when a pair of Air Jordans will drop. They're just as much a part of a sneakerhead's life, these days, as going to Foot Locker on a Saturday morning. They serve as a place where sneaker culture gets discussed, reminisced about, and critiqued. And some blogs do it better than others.
To rank the best sneaker blogs right now, we took into consideration some criteria. For starters, we eliminated corporate sneaker blogs. That's a different list for a different day. We also noted how much impact a blog has, and whether it's able to carve its own niche within the plethora of other websites. Smaller sneaker blogs—although they deliver good information, but not as frequently, and often focus on one particular brand or style—were left off the list, too.
So let's start the debate: Here are The Best Sneaker Blogs Right Now.
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15. CounterKicks
Site: CounterKicks.com
Notable Editors And Writers: John Brilliant, Founder and Editor-in-Chief
What It Does Well: Sneaker counterintelligence.
When it comes to covering the world of sneakers from the perspective of inside the industry, nobody does it better than CounterKicks. From interviews with the sneaker business' most notable personalities to monthly roundups of top-selling sneakers, CounterKicks has connections with all the right people in sneakers through its partnership with Slam Magazine. Along with Complex Senior Staff Writer Russ Bengtson, CounterKicks founder and editor-in-chief John Brilliant contributed to the basketball magazine's first sneaker book: SLAM Kicks: Basketball Sneakers That Changed the Game.
14. The Shoe Game
Site: TheShoeGame.com
Notable Editors And Writers: Gerard "G-Roc" Smith, Founder
What It Does Well: Covering the Southern sneaker scene.
One of the first sneaker blogs on the web, Gerard "G-Roc" Smith and The Shoe Game team have been dishing out info and holding down the Atlanta shoe scene since 2006. During that time, TSG has built a loyal following and a rabid fanbase, many of whom consider the site an integral part of their sneaker lives. With their form of Southern hospitality and down-to-earth coverage of the latest releases, celebrity footwear, and outlet reports, no site does it quite like these Atlanta gents.
13. Modern Notoriety
Site: Modern-Notoriety.com
Notable Editors And Writers: Oscar Castillo, Founder
What It Does Well: Jordan release dates, quick posts on Instagram.
Sneakerheads don't like their news too complicated. It needs to be easy to read and about the stories that matter. That's what Modern Notoriety does well. The site has a running list of every Jordan Brand release, clean site design, and doesn't flood the site with unnecessary news posts. Although it doesn't have an exuberant amount of followers, the site's Instagram account is also a reliable source for 'heads on the run who want to get instant news.
12. Jordans Daily
Site: JordansDaily.com
Notable Editors And Writers: Yu-Ming Wu, Publisher; Patrick Johnson, Editor
What It Does Well: All Js, all day.
There's nothing wrong with writing about Air Jordans—it's what a lot of readers want to see on blogs. And no one does it more frequently than Jordans Daily. That's all the site covers. Owned by Yu-Ming Wu, the man behind Sneaker News and Freshness Mag, Jordans Daily just doesn't cover Jordan sneakers, but the whole lifestyle that encompasses the brand. A reader can expect release dates, unreleased sneakers, and clothing and events from Jordan Brand. If you're all-Jumpman with every sneaker that you purchase, or just want a pair of retros in your life, Jordans Daily has every piece of info you'd need.
11. High Snobiety
Site: HighSnobiety.com
Notable Editors And Writers: Jeff Carvalho, Partner/Editor; Pete Williams, Editor-in-Chief
What It Does Well: Connecting clothing and sneakers.
High Snobiety has been around for some time, and it boldly straddles the line that separates men's style and sneakers. The site is an authority on both topics, and can be trusted to cover sneakers—both athletic and designer. High Snobiety has also ventured out and tackled in-depth think pieces. On the news end, High Snobiety delivers it straight and lets the site's high-quality images do the talking.
10. Kicks on Fire
Site: KicksonFire.com
Notable Editors And Writers: Furqan Khan, Founder/Creator; Jazerai Lord, General Manager; Juan Martinez, Editor-at-Large
What It Does Well: Huge social following.
Sneaker blogs don't always follow the rules of old media, and Kicks on Fire is a good example. The website is most notable for having tons and tons of Twitter followers, which makes the site something to notice. KOF's content isn't much different than other sites. It has product posts and lists, but it's also ventured into the lane of highlighting female sneakerheads. But most impressively is the site's over 467K Twitter followers and over 700k Instagram followers. It must be doing something right.
9. Sneakerwatch
Site: SneakerWatch.com
Notable Editors And Writers: DJ Vlad, Publisher
What It Does Well: Interviews with unlikely celebrity sneakerheads.
DJ Vlad's website, Sneakerwatch, really benefits from his association. Vlad has access to celebrities that other sneaker sites don't—or couldn't—talk to. And it makes for some of the most entertaining videos on the Internet. The site, however, isn't known for its editorial content, but the videos are its redeeming factor. Vlad is able to get the celebs and rappers to say wild things. Most notably, Trinidad James has criticized Nike and Evidence of Dilated Peoples made comments about the Red Octobers (hint: he wouldn't wear them). It's the closest thing to reality TV for sneakerheads, and people can't turn away. It's the Worldstar of sneaker media.
8. Kix and the City
Site: KixandtheCity.com
Notable Writers and Editors: Rich Lopez. Founder
What It Does Well: Consistency and release dates.
Kix And The City is one of the few (legit) blogs that specialize in what sneakers are hitting the market right now. Run by Rich “MaZe” Lopez, KATC is a one-man show. Literally. Aside from the site’s daily content on sneaker releases, you can check MaZe in his KATC Sneaker Spot video features or talking one-on-one with top sneaker designers.
7. Kicks Deals
Site: KicksDeals.com
Notable Editors and Writers: Ian Hofler, Editor-in-Chief
What It Does Well: Shares the wealth of good sales.
Everyone likes a good deal on sneakers. Although sneaker culture has become synonymous with outrageous resale prices, Kicks Deals isn't greedy with its sleuth-like nose for searching out under-retail sneakers. The site is a constant feed of sneakers that people might be sleeping on and where to get them. Kicks Deals just doesn't alert readers to sneakers that are on sale, but also ones that might have sold out online and where they're still available. The site also has started to make lists of its own about classic sneakers—further integrating its sneaker knowledge with editorial content. Simply put, it doesn't hurt to check out this site.
6. Complex Sneakers
Site: Complex.com/Sneakers
Notable Editors and Writers: Joe La Puma, Director of Content Strategy; Russ Bengtson, Senior Staff Writer; Gerald Flores, Associate Editor
What It Does Well: We're not going to self praise.
(Written by John B. Kim, managing editor of SneakerNews.com)
Complex Sneakers continues to strengthen its grasp as one of the best sneaker blogs on the Internet, thanks to the variety of features and voices that populate its columns. Along with providing all the essential information for everything sneaker-related, the Complex crew provides a unique angle on kicks with their famed lists, which offer up everything from educational pieces focusing on the history of the game to the lighthearted editorials that poke fun at the idiosyncrasies of the culture. Offering further depth is Quickstrike, which provides some analysis on the landscape from Russ Bengtson and DJ Clark Kent, two of the most well-known and respected individuals in the world of footwear.
5. Hypebeast
Site: Hypebeast.com
Notable Editors and Writers: Kevin Ma, Founder; Eugene Kan, Managing Editor
What It Does Well: Curating sneaker content.
For a lot of us, our fascination with sneakers on the Internet started with Hypebeast. The site put together a comprehensive take on which sneakers were cool and the lifestyle that connected with them. Hypebeast is still kicking stronger than ever, and is still splitting its content between sneakers and the choice culture that surrounds them. A visit to Hypebeast will still yield pairs of Air Jordans, but readers will also become familiar with limited New Balance models, adidas runners, and overseas-only ASICS. The site is also renowned for its original photography and getting exclusive access to collaborations. But the redeeming aspect of Hypebeast is the world it creates around sneakers and the way it connects sneakerheads and their interests with its visually appealing stream of hi-res photos. And we haven't mentioned the Hypebeast Forums, which have been a stomping ground for some of the culture's most creative minds.
4. Sneaker Freaker
Site: SneakerFreaker.com
Notable Editors and Writers: Simon "Woody" Wood, Founder
What It Does Well: Brings magazine content to the Internet; original photography and runner-heavy.
With the expansion of sneaker blogs, there has been a turn away from conventional print content. Sneaker Freaker, however, serves as an in-between publication that shoots a lot of original photography, has a print version that is revered, and has been known to have the first images of sneakers from the likes of Ronnie Fieg. Based in Australia, Sneaker Freaker offers a different point of view from the average American sneaker blog: somewhat European, but not quite. Simon Wood, known as Woody, the editor-in-chief, gives Sneaker Freaker the credibility of being directed by a true O.G. The website just doesn't play to hype, but tends to write about sneakers that it actually supports—which is rare in today's world of reblog-everything-that-another-site-already-posted.
3. Nice Kicks
Site: NiceKicks.com
Notable Editors and Writers: Matt Halfhill, founder; George Kiel, Associate Editor; Ian Stonebrook, Senior Staff Writer
What It Does Well: NBA sneaker coverage from inside the locker room.
One-part sneaker store, one-part sneaker blog. Nice Kicks is one of the founding fathers of the modern sneaker blog. The site's location, Austin, Tx., has afforded it to get away from the New York City or L.A. blog scenes, but it also has access to NBA athletes that other sites don't. The coverage is heavy on celebrities, but Nice Kicks has also done sneaker collaborations and transcends the line between sneaker blog and store.
2. Sole Collector
Site: SoleCollector.com
Notable Editors and Writers: Nick DePaula, Editor-in-Chief; Zac Dubasik, Managing Editor; Brandon Richard, Digital Content Manager; Zack Schlemmer, Senior Writer; Luis Sanchez, Senior Writer
What It Does Well: Designer interviews; thoughtful basketball content.
Forums have a strange place in sneaker culture. As the rest of the world has completely shifted over to social media, sneaker forums remain strong. Sole Collector, which is equal parts forum, print publication, and website, has a special connection being located in Portland. Sole Collector leverages its proximity to the Nike and adidas America headquarters to its advantage. It's not a rarity to see Nike designers being interview on the website. The site is also known for its abundance of sneaker collaborations, which some might argue are better than the original colors done by Nike and other sneaker brands. But at the core of Sole Collector is the kid who grew up in the '90s and loved basketball, and that's where much of the content is centered.
1. Sneaker News
Site: SneakerNews.com
Notable Editors and Writers: Yu-Ming Wu, Publisher; Aaron Kr., Features Editor; John B. Kim, Managing Editor; Brendan Dunne, Aaron Hope, Senior Editors
What It Does Well: A constant stream of early product news; Sneaker News Select; social media presence.
Sneaker News is winning right now. Not only does the site have original in-house photos, great sneaker event coverage, and a timeliness that other blogs struggle to match, but it also has a huge social media following. Currently, the site's Instagram is sitting right above 1.8M followers, and that's only one of the site's many strengths. Sneaker News' "Select" usually highlights yet-to-be-released collaborations and unreleased samples. This type of access has legitimized Sneaker News as the champion of sneaker blogs right now. While a lot of its competitors are chasing down second-hand information, Sneaker News gets it from the source. And that's why it's on top.
