Editors' Picks: The Best Sneakers of the Month

Gerald Flores, Editor-in-Chief

Because of Kanye.

Brendan Dunne, News Editor

Full disclosure: Vans flew me to London for the launch of these. While I know that makes this pick sound like a total shill move, I was legitimately into these prior to any media event around them. On paper an orange suede sneaker sounds awful to me, but Our Legacy's take manages to be not quite garish and the materials are on point. I haven't had a pair of Half Cabs in my rotation for some time now, and these are a welcome return for the classic silhouette.

Zac Dubasik, Managing Editor

When Nike revealed that there were 12,000 individually numbered pairs available of the “Shining” colorway of Paul George’s first signature shoe, I was relieved that I would be able to cop some without too much effort. PG plays on a middle-of-the-road team in the Eastern Conference, and his first signature shoe represents the bottom end of Nike’s signature lines. Yet, by the time I remembered to jump online on Saturday morning at 10:45, the shoe was long gone. I’m excited to play in the PG1, so I won’t make the same mistake when the “Ferocity" colorway drops next weekend, but I’m disappointed I missed out on the colorway that I actually liked.

Brennan Hiro Williams, Social Media Editor

Is the VaporMax Nike's next big hit? With the official release date still weeks away, a lot remains to be seen, but the new sneaker is off to a great start. Japanese powerhouse Comme des Garcons kicked things off with a collaborative version of the runner, released in very limited numbers during NYFW and at select retail locations. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a pair and can say it's probably my favorite Air Max model since the Air Max Deluxe (which released almost two decades ago, but who's counting?).

Brandon Richard, Senior Writer

It's hard to believe that it's been almost 20 years since Penny Hardaway's final signature shoe (as an active player) launched. After mixed reviews for the black-based retro, the beloved "Orlando Home" colorway returned to retail in February and did a much better job of capturing the essence of the original. The Penny 4 is a bittersweet sneaker because it should be symbolic of Hardaway's ascension to prime form, but realistically represents the end of his run as an elite talent in Orlando. Nevertheless, the model is an integral part of one of Nike's all-time great signature lines.

Rich Lopez, Release Dates Manager

I'm thankful. One of my favorite sneakers of all time, the Air Force 1, is finally getting some attention again from the Swoosh. I'm thankful that the sneaker survived its 25th anniversary, which for the most part, was a debacle, and is back for its 35th. I'm thankful that Ben Kirschner finally flipped the Air Force 1 in a way that not only looks good, but makes sense. I'm thankful that I can finally, finally, erase those dreadful AF1 Jordan Fusions from my memory. I'm thankful that the AF1 is "back." And, I'm thankful for my plug for ooping me a pair of these.