Kickolls – Kickolls

This is how he wanted to take the picture I swear.

This week, I caught up with Collin Brazan, a Mass Communication senior wearing his “80’s Mickey” Old Skool Vans. They’re a limited collaboration between Disney and Vans that Collin was able to get before they sold out. He’s really happy he didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for them, too. Between us getting distracted online shoe shopping, I managed to get enough of an interview done to get some conversation

“That’s why I like Vans. They’re not expensive and they all look so unique. Every design of vans are so different. They all have their own style and you can rock your own style with them.”
-Collin Brazan

We talked a lot about how Vans are definitely an essential pick-up for all college students looking to improve their shoe game. Besides just enjoying the designs of his shoes, Collin also really enjoys Vans because they’re affordable. As shoes can sometime climb into quadruple digit prices, it’s often so relieving to be able to get a nice pair of sneakers for under $100.

“When you think of college students, you think of style, you think of affordability. Everybody wants to flex a little bit and Vans are a great way to do that.”
-Collin Brazan

I asked him if he ever thought about lace swapping or doing anything to the Vans to change them and Collin said how he was perfectly happy with the stock pair. There’s so much already going on in the shoe that I’d hate to ruin the checkerboard print with weird laces, he said.

When he isn’t wearing those, Collin likes to break out his Adidas Ultraboosts. A super comfortable shoe that is meant to be worn and is a great sneaker to rotate to on a rainy day.

We started to discuss grails (sneakers that you really want). Collin had two. The Hallow’s Eve Off-White Blazers and the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Air Jordan 1s.

The Jordans are particularly special to him. Collin is incredibly passionate about animation and he’s a huge fan of Marvel. This shoe was a combination of all of his interests. Unfortunately, this shoe was also the one that got away from him. He was in the theater watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse when he finally made the decision to not buy a pair. Now the price has doubled and he is just waiting to get a pair.

I really enjoyed that story and that he remembered it to tell it to me. That shows that shoes stick with us, even if was a pair we decided to not buy a year and a half ago.

Make sure to follow Collin on Instagram!

As always, this is Robbie reminding you to keep your laces tight!

Shoe Review: Air Max 1 “Aqua”

I’ve been waiting to do this review all semester and after wearing them one day this week, I’ve decided today was the day.

The Nike Air Max 1, originally released in 1987, have been a constant fan favorite for the last 33 years. With multiple different designs coming out every year, it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop soon.

The pair I’m reviewing, the Aquas, were originally released in 1988. They were released again in 2018 and I grabbed a pair.

On first glance, it’s a very pretty shoe. A very subtle white and light grey is on top with a contrasting aqua blue in the middle. The top lace hole, the Nike logo, and the inside of the shoe are also accented in grape for a nice touch of color.

The shoe consists almost entirely of suede with a mesh design over the toes. Even though the shoe is suede and white, it still looks great after two years of wear and tear. I’ve worn mine multiple times a week since buying and the white still stands out.

These shoes are the only shoes I have right now that truly fit to size. I’m a size 9 and it’s like they were made for my feet. They fit snugly on my feet as well but never rubbing against them so much it starts to irritate me. For other wearers, you may find a little extra room in the toe box but the shoe fits so well everywhere else, you don’t even notice.

They retailed for $140 and the average resale price on GOAT and StockX right now is $150 dollars. In my opinion, it’s a great deal as most shoes don’t ever stay anywhere close to retail price.

The shoe is a great addition to my closet and a comfortable pair of shoes I can wear anywhere. I definitely plan on buying another if these ever fall apart.

As always, this is Robbie reminding you to keep your laces tight!

As always, this is Robbie and remember to keep your laces tight!