The 25 Coolest Sneakers in Russ Bengtson's Office

During my first semester of graduate school at the University of Delaware, I made the curious decision to deliver a lecture on the cultural importance of the adidas Mutombo. My musings, since published in Sneaker Freaker, required innovative research. I had a pair tested in a conservation lab to ascertain each and every material used and spent hours pouring through Sports Illustrated microfilm. (This all happened before widespread digitization).

While these steps were useful in establishing concrete facts about the shoe, I needed narrative. I needed an expert. I needed advice from Russ Bengtson.

A UD alum himself, Bengtson answered a wide range of questions with deft wit and uncanny critical acumen. Unlike other self-proclaimed "sneaker experts," Bengtson's understanding of cultural context extends beyond the odd rap cover or lyrical reference. He champions technological innovation and boasts an archive of truly important footwear. He understands exactly what it is to be a connoisseur. (For the record, most "sneaker experts" haven't a fucking clue).

Mr. Bengtson no longer owns a pair of Mutombos [Yes I do! Er, somewhere. —RB] . He does, however, have 25 really cool pairs of shoes in his office. Today is also his birthday. —NICK SCHONBERGER

I never really thought that much about Newton Running shoes until I started running — which is probably the way it should be. I've been running in a pair of their classic Distancia S stability trainers, and have these on reserve for whenever those wear out.

Bought these cheap on eBay just to compare them to the current Air Force 1 Low and see what's changed. You'd be surprised. Or, then again, maybe you wouldn't. Also worth noting: real vintage soles DO turn yellow with age.

When former style editor Bradley Carbone left for adidas Originals, I only wanted one thing — JS Bears. These are likely the most ridiculous shoes that I will ever wear in my life.

Better than the retros in every possible sense, from materials to cut to last to all the little details, the original Air Force II remains one of my favorite shoes of all time. Bonus: The Coreys (or one of them, anyway) wore this colorway of this shoe in "Learning To Drive."

RADIO RAHEEM! The original Air Revolution always fascinated me, with it's sky-high cut, inner bootie, Velcro closure and Visible Air. And, as welcome as the retros were, the cut-down upper made them something of a disappointment. So this unwearable (the midsoles are cracking) pair of OGs sits on my desk instead.

No kids, but I've got kids's shoes. These varsity jacket inspired UNDRCRWN x adidas collabs were done up as tiny samples but never made it past that stage. Picked them up at a sample sale with the intent of lacing one of my nephews, but they outgrew them before I even sent them. Good thing they don't take up much space. (Er, the shoes, not the nephews.)

Before UNDFTD linked up with Puma to re-do the Clyde six ways to Sunday, Nick Santora of Classic Kicks did this 3M-heavy reworking of the lesser-known R698. The colors are late-'80s, early-'90s perfect, and it feels good to rep a NYC sneaker spot that didn't make it, but did it right.

I've been fortunate enough to meet a ludicrous number of amazing people through sneakers, and Clark Kent is high on that list. It's always good to break it down with a fellow obsessive, and even better to get broken off with one of his classic creations. Jason Petrie x Clark Kent = #StayFRESH.

One of three Nike FlyKnits that were done by the HTM triumvirate of Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker, these trainers are black and white and cool all over. They will be a summertime staple, along with the rest of the pack.

Here's what I do know about these sneakers: They're a size 10.5, they were made in 1986, and I got them on eBay for less than $40 shipped. They are made of canvas with a terrycloth liner, have a reinforced toebox, and feature the signature John McEnroe checkerboard on the tongue tag. They are, in short, amazing. Here's what I don't know: what they're called. A little help?

At $150 shipped these were a little on the steep side, but the ability to put the Free 3.0 sole on the Free Run+ 3 upper made it well worth my while. If only you could put any sole on any upper in NIKEiD — on second thought, for my bank account's sake, please don't listen to me.

One of the best vintage makeups Nike has ever done, the Tailwind 79 is an accurate remake of the first Nike Air shoe. It's worth getting a pair of these and putting them on just to see how far Nike Air has come in 30 years. The extra materials — a "retro card" and Air bag — only make the $85 package that much better. I'm at two pairs and counting.

Footpatrol has long been on point with their collaborative efforts, and their rendition of the Reebok Workout Plus on the occasion of its 25th anniversary maintains their lofty standards. Done up in the roughest of grey suedes with a gum outsole and a quilted liner, these take the classic trainer to new heights.

These were a no-brainer eBay purchase, and worn by Z-Bo in his Trailblazer days. I looked everywhere and couldn't find a single stash spot, though. Bummer.

I never understood why Nike made a lowtop version of the Air Revolution when they just could have pulled these from the archive. Essentially a lowcut Revolution with a tennis sole, the Air Ace was the first tennis shoe to feature Visible Air, and earned you major points in high school hallways in the late '80s.

The FlyKnit tech is amazing, the HTM design and "USA" branding made these a must. Groundbreaking Nike tech on a simply incredible shoe. It was well worth the trip to 21 Mercer to scoop these.

When I first heard of this project — that Steve Caballero himself would be cutting pairs of Cabs down to Half Cabs for Supreme — I knew I had to have a pair. For some reason, these didn't seem to draw the same level of attention that far less limited Supreme drops did. Lucky me.

The first pair of Nike Air basketball shoes I ever owned were a pair of white/natural Air Ships. I'm pretty sure I got them because they were $35, but it was a bonus that they were the first Nike shoes Michael Jordan wore as a Chicago Bull (he even wore the same colorway on occasion). Later, I tracked down this pair (and a pair of navy on white) on eBay. They sit on my desk today as a reminder of where it all started.

Last year, adidas Originals did a number (not sure exactly how many — reports varied) of all-white "Icon" Superstars for various members of the extended adidas family. I was honored to get a pair of these — and probably won't ever wear them.

Connects can lace you when you least suspect it. Early in 'Bron's career, I had a contact who worked on his PEs for Nike who was able to make sure I got pairs in my (9.5 at the time) size. I ended up with the home and away SVSM IIs, as well as the "triple-doubles" that went with the Cavs throwback jerseys. I've yet to wear any of them, but keep them all on hand just in case.

These Sheeds have been through a lot, as you can tell by the general shoddy condition and the fact that the straps (which have never been strapped properly) are nearly worn through. When David Stern direly pronounced his "ENORMOUS CONSEQUENCES" statement about the NBA lockout, I went immediately to NIKEiD to do up a pair of shoes — only to find the phrase exceeded the allowable lettering by a lot. But I did have these Sheeds and a Sharpie, so...

This size 9 right shoe arrived at the SLAM offices sometime in 1996, and never got sent back to Reebok. If my memory is correct, it lived under publisher Dennis Page's desk for years before I liberated it for use as a penholder. If y'all at Reebok need it back, holla.

From a distance, these just look like the run-of-the-mill Air Jordan Retro 1 "Black Toes" from the "Old Love/New Love" pack. A closer look reveals MJ's lasered signature on the inside ankle of the left shoe. These were a perk from the Air Jordan XX3 press trip in Chicago, left in our lockers at the United Center. Yes, our lockers. Introduced on the arena PA, we then got a chance to hoop in the house Mike built. Hard to top.

My favorite Air Force 1s have always been the highs, and the holy grail has always been an original pair from 1982, AKA the Air Force Zeros. Differentiated by a mesh sidepanel and an unperfed toebox, the Air Force Zero was only offered in white and silver and wasn't easy to find even then. So when this poorly listed pair of size 15s came up on eBay not too long ago, I was all over them. Clearly a sample pair made up for some player somewhere, this pair featured an early custom touch — a red Swoosh. Bobby Jones, your shoes are ready.

This pair was made possible through an awful lot of "right place, right time." While up at Nike Campus for the original Shox launch in 2000, I ran into a certain Nike exec who mentioned he had extra pairs of these Deion XIs in his office (from his comeback with the Reds), and did I want a pair? Um, yes. So a few weeks after they arrived at my office at SLAM, who else but Deion himself stopped by to visit XXL. I had him sign both shoes, and the "Psalm 32:4" notation is set off nicely by the "$" in "Sanders." Not for sale, ever.