Complex Picks: The Sneakers You Need This Summer

Memorial Day has come and gone, which means it's the unofficial start of summer. With warmer temperatures and sunnier days on the horizon, what sneakers will you need to complete that summer 'fit? Here, the Complex staff weighs in on what they'll be wearing for the upcoming season. To see the kicks we'll be rocking for the next few months, check out Complex Picks: The Sneakers You Need This Summer.

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Who: Justin Duran, Associate Producer for Complex TV
Sneaker: size? x Nike Air Max 93, £100
Buy It Here (5/30)

The quintessential summer sneaker is the Air Max 93. Since nineteen naughty-three, this silhouette has been known to excite all the freaks, guaranteeing you Wilt Chamberlain numbers, dig? This summer should be no different. If you missed out on the teal joints Size? dropped last year, no worries: May 30 you get another shot to re-up with the "Metal Pack." Hopefully they don't come complete with a massive boulder. Sneakers shouldn't have to be a sword-in-the-stone type situation. What I look like - Merlin? — Justin Duran

Who: Emily Oberg, Editorial Producer
Sneaker: Air Max TN, $125
Buy It Here

My top pick for this summer's sneaker would undoubtably have to be the Air Max Plus TN. And like all good things, it comes from the '90s. They've been rare and hard to find for quite sometime. The shoe recently made a reappearance into box stores such as Foot Locker and Champs. It's technical advantages such as cushioning in specific areas with varying resistance, combined with the sleek and sporty silhouette of a practical shoe. Whether it's a BBQ or tennis court you find yourself at, these sneakers will have you looking your best at all times. — Emily Oberg

Who: Matt Welty, Editorial Assistant
Sneaker: Nike Free Flyknit, (N/A)
Buy It Here

A summer sneaker has to be a couple things for me: It has to be seasonal, breathe easy on foot, and, most importantly, it needs to be copped at a price point that’s conducive to being on your worst behavior. This past weekend, I picked up a pair of Nike Free Flyknits at the Nike Outlet Store in Kittery, Me. while visiting my folks. They were $35 plus tax.

I can wear them without socks, they’re Flyknit so my feet won’t sweat, and I don’t feel confident wearing an all-Volt sneaker any other time of the year. Having an actual running sneaker on my feet might also encourage me to get in shape, too. I won’t feel guilty about sitting on my porch and drinking beer, because I can run around the block and continue to chill in the same sneakers.—Matt Welty

Who: Gerald Flores, Associate Editor
Sneaker: Brooks Vanguard, $90
Buy It Here

Brooks Running may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of what the common sneakerhead is looking for. Nowadays, the brand is known more for its technical runners, but it's just started digging in the crates of its 100-year-old archive. The Vanguard is a vintage silhouette that Brooks brought back for the first time this spring. It's got those clean design lines and pigskin upper that are a throwback how running shoes were made back in the '70s. (Think Nike Cortez or Onitsuka Tiger's Corsair) The color options are also pretty rad, especially for those who don't always want a pair of white kicks for the summer and are looking for something a little different. — Gerald Flores

Who: Nick Schonberger, Deputy Editor
Sneaker: Nike Free Breathe, $100
Buy It Here

The current sneaker climate is full of anniversary celebrations. While traditional timer makers—10, 20, 25 years—were once standard, the market now accepts looser moments. Still, milestones matter. After a decade Nike's Free platform has proved a successful mate to Air for the folks in Beaverton. The original Free has returned as the Nike Free Breath; though slightly modified from the original (the tooling is now NSW specific and the upper is built of a double-sided mesh). It could be considered better. At the very least, its the type of retro this generation of sneakerheads should be championing. Especially those who like to go barefoot. — Nick Schonberger

Who: Jian DeLeon, Deputy Style Editor
Sneaker: Raf Stan Smith, $455
Buy It Here

When most guys see images from a fashion show, their initial reaction is usually something along the lines of "what the hell am I looking at?" Sneakerheads have the same general attitude towards the new wave of kicks from fashion designers like Rick Owens and Raf Simons. You have to speak a certain language to really understand what's going on. I don't have a pair of Stan Smiths, nor do I have any of Raf's designer sneakers-though I'd kill for a pair of the Nike Vandal-inspired shoes from 2010. These low-tops take inspiration from the materials, construction, and color palette of Simons' Spring/Summer 2014 collection, and fuses them with the classic Stan silhouette.

The snakeskin embossed leather and silver snap closures are pretty much copy-pasted off his line's Holographic Sneakers, and that bright green and blue pop up on pieces in the collection. I think of all the other fashion sneakers that have bit the shape of the Stan, from Common Projects to Saint Laurent Paris, and this particular pair is sort of like the merging of two things I'm super nerdy about. Plus, they're gonna look awesome all beat-up after a whole season of wear. After all, you don't drop bills on something you plan on wearing every once in a while. — Jian DeLeon

Who: Joe La Puma, Director of Content Strategy
Sneaker: Nike Flyknit Trainer, $150
Buy It Here

That's right, the sneaker of last summer is the sneaker of this summer. And it's probably going to be the sneaker of next summer. I got lucky on a restock of these Flyknits a few months ago and have been saving them for summer. I'm going to wear them with jeans, shorts, board shorts, and whatever else better weather days throw at me. You can't do better than Flyknits in the summer, they're the sneakerhead sandal, and they're awesome. Multiple pairs suggested. — Joe La Puma