Welcome back to another edition of Buy, Pass, Wait, where the Kicks On Fire staff takes a look at the weekend’s (including today’s) big releases and let the audience know if we think it’s worth a purchase, a pass or maybe a buy at a later time when the price drops. This weekend will give us our first Air Jordan 12 retro of the year, an adidas Ultra Boost that is finally making its way stateside, a Nike Kobe 11 that says goodbye in a kinda weird way and much more.
Air Jordan 12 The Master
Juan Martinez, Editor-In-Chief: (GOT ‘EM) Second favorite Air Jordan model in an almost murdered out colorway. You can’t get away with making those nursing shoe jokes with these I’ll tell you that much and also, the packaging theme of taking it back to 1997 was a nice touch. Just make them true to size though, geez…
Andres Carrillo, News: (PASS) As nice as this Air Jordan 12 is I already have my sights set on the French Blue and Flu Game colorways releasing later this year so I’m gonna have to make the tough decision to pass on these.
Juan Carrillo, News: (BUY) Surprisingly, I like the tonal look on the shoe. The allblack with a little bit of gold looks really clean on the 12s. I don’t own any 12s, but I’d be willing to change that once these drop.
Renz Ofiaza, News: (BUY) In general, I’m a big fan of the silhouette. In this colorway, the versatility is a given and definitely appealing to the masses.
Wood Wood x adidas Ultra Boost
EIC Juan: (PASS) With all of the colorful Ultra Boosts that are starting to show themselves lately, this seems bland in comparison. Also, I already have a two pairs of “basic” Ultra Boosts so I’m just waiting for the right multicolor pair to cop at the moment.
Andres: (PASS) I like how adidas continues to think outside the box with the Ultra Boost. The women’s pair is the more interesting of the two thanks to the removal of the “cage” and addition of a midfoot strap. Unfortunately neither pair really grasps my attention.
News Juan: (PASS) It’s a nice collaboration, but it’s nothing I’d jump over hoops for. Honestly, I’d be fine with picking up a regular all-black pair instead of these. I feel like this collaboration offers nothing out of the ordinary.
Renz: (BUY) Both pairs have their own positives but I’m more inclined to the men’s version obviously. Just the simplicity of the “caged” system and the timeless colorway is a winner.
Nike Kobe 11 Eulogy/8:24
EIC Juan: (BUY) One of my all-time favorite Kobes is the Nike Kobe 8 Purple Platinum and this is a close approximation of that on the Kobe 11. The 8:24 on the heel is a great aesthetic choice although I can’t deal with the really morbid nickname Nike chose for these. Great kicks, terrible nickname.
Andres: (BUY) If you’ve been a Kobe Bryant since his early Lakers days with Shaq when they won the threepeat, then this is the colorway of the Kobe 11 that YOU NEED to buy. It celebrates the amazing 20 year career of the Black Mamba and everything that he’s done while wearing the purple and gold.
News Juan: (PASS) This colorway is too closely connected to the Lakers team colors. While I do have respect for Kobe, I would not go to the extent of buying a pair of his shoes in his team’s colorway. I’d much rather wait for a more neutral colorway.
Renz: (WAIT) I’ve shared before that I admire the silhouette’s design. The dominant purple finish isn’t my cup of tea, but the significance of the pair is suitably for die-hard Kobe fans.
Atmos x Nike Air Max 1 Safari (2016)
EIC Juan: (BUY) I’ll never own the original Air Max 1 Safari so this is not a bad alternative. Now whether or not Nike should have even put this together? See below for my thoughts on that…
Andres: (PASS) While this is one of the nicest Air Max 1 collaborations ever, I think Nike made a mistake by not re-releasing the original. They tinkered a bit with this 2016 version and changed some materials and even colors. Don’t get me wrong though, they’re probably still gonna sell out almost instantly.
News Juan: (BUY) I wasn’t into sneakers as much as I am today when the OG Atmos x Nike Air Max 1 originally release. To have something similar to the original release is alright with me. If I get the chance to pick up a pair, I definitely would.
Renz: (PASS) Back when it originally released in 2003, it was pretty hot, but thirteen years later, I’m kind of over that Safari print detail. It’s still a solid drop even though it’s slightly different but nonetheless, fans should be excited. I might consider purchasing if the price drops.
Should Nike Bring Back Classics Like The Atmos x Air Max 1 In “Remixed” Form Or Like The Original?
EIC Juan: I’m all for retros of classic Air Max and Nike SB Dunks from the past. I’m not a fan of penalizing those who had misfortune of being born later missing out on kicks like these. However, these kicks strike a different chord than OG Air Jordans in that their quirkiness should remain just that; so the original designs need to stay in the past and remixes need to be different enough so that those who had them when they first came out can rest easy knowing what they have is still the “best” or at least “first”. Meanwhile, Nike needs to also concentrate on making today’s kicks the new classics so that this generation has something to brag about too.
Andres: Adding to what I already said, I think Nike should have left this Atmos x Nike Air Max 1 untouched and should have released it in its original form. I’m not sure what the thought process was behind “remixing” a classic shoe that lots of people have been waiting a long time to get their hands on.
News Juan: I think Nike should bring back the original classics. Many of us struck out when the shoe originally released or weren’t even into sneaker when they released. It’d be nice to have another chance to pick up a classic retro. They do it with Jordans all the time, and you know how well that’s been going, sort of.
Renz: Yeah, more for the original form. It’s nice to see old pairs being revived after a decade or more in the vault. I’m not into Nike SB Dunks as much as I was years ago, but I’m still waiting for a retro of the Sea Crystals. Already 12 years.