Basketball sneakers ride a new wave: Streetwear meets performance

2018 has been a great year for both sneaker and basketball enthusiasts. Whether or not you play basketball, appreciate fashion or sneakers it is undeniable that these sneakers below have amassed great hype and that the barrier between fashion hype and basketball sneakers have been broken. Below, we will discuss three of the best collaboration between streetwear fashion brands with basketball shoes and the impact it has on culture, markets, and sports.



THE 10: Nike Air Hyperdunk Flyknit "Off-White" 

Over the past recent years, no matter your age and interests it is without a doubt that as long as you are connected with social media you will be aware of the name "Yeezy". Your kids know, you know and your grandparents might even know by now too. The "Yeezy" name gave Adidas so much attention and even created a "loyal" fan-base bringing in people that have never even set foot into the fashion culture. These "loyal" Adidas fan might have their loyalty questioned though. You'll find many new people being attracted to the Nike brand due to the "Off-White" wave, and some of these people have never heard of the original models.

Virgil Abloh, the creator of the brand "Off-White" has collaborated with Nike brand, creating his own deconstructed and soon to be iconic versions of 10 of Nike's shoes. Many of them consist of running shoes to casual shoes, but there is one shoe is more unique. The 2017 Hyperdunk Flyknit is revamped for the "Off-White" treatment, and it has a considerable value in the market. Although the shoe does not feature any significant technology that increases the performance of the shoe, basketball players can now bring their sense of fashion and "hypebeast" onto the court without a compromise of performance. Many NBA players do this on court and have gained quite a bit of recognition for their daring sneaker choices on the court. The "Off-White" collaboration has received so much attention, and has attracted newcomers onto Nike's new-wave. It brings a new form of hype and flavour to the market, and Nike has it all in control. 

adidas Dame 4 BAPE

Hitting the polar opposite of what we just discussed is the adidas Dame 4 BAPE. It's the fourth signature shoe for the superstar Damian Lillard, and he's gotten a crazy twist on his shoe. The rival of Nike, is connected with Bape as there are numerous Bape X Adidas collaboration from their shoes but mainly Adidas clothing. This is the first time ever that an Adidas basketball shoe has gotten a revamp from a high caliber brand like Bape.

The shoe features a popping and iconic 'Ape' camoflauge print on the upper, and the ankle features the "WGM" print that is seen on many of their famous bape hoodies. Alongside the sole to the toe, the "Shark teeth" is also shown on the shoe. In terms of representing the brand of Bape, the aesthetic execution was perfect on this shoe. 

What must be noticed though, is that although these shoes maybe are not upgraded versions and to a traditional basketball player this may seem irrelevant both the shoes have broken boundaries in the market. Collaboration's on athletic shoes especially is very unique and rarely seen but they do so much for the market of the brand. Basketball players are now able to express their style and fashion through ways that weren't possible before, because now there is a blend between fashion and athletics. It is without a doubt that this is a gateway to a new wave and hype on basketball sneakers.