By Alaina Archer

Last Wednesday, we followed students around the campus of Lehman College to ask them why they think that their shoes are the best. From Gilet Hall to Carman Hall, students on campus had some words to say about their most favorite kicks.

“It goes with everything.”

On March 10th of 2021, Nike released the Nike Dunk Low ‘Panda’ for a retail price of $110. Because of its black and white color scheme, the sneakers closely resemble the panda and therefore are known as the Nike Panda Dunks. Like a panda, these dunks give you a laid-back feel as you walk around campus.

“It’s convenient.”

Being one of the first basketball sneakers by Nike, the Nike Blazer Low was released in 1973 as a high-top sneaker and endorsed by George “the Iceman” Gervin. They now come in the option of mid tops and low tops in addition to the already released high tops. The sneakers in the article above are the Nike Blazer low tops. They retail for $180.

“It resembles who I am.”

Back in Sept. of 2021, the Air Jordan 5 Moonlights were released at a retail price of $190. Although many may know its predecessor, the Air Jordan 5 ‘Oreos’ for its overlooked drop back in 2013, the shoes released back again on Sept. 25th 2021, as the Air Jordan 5 ‘Moonlight’.

“Really comfy, stylish, light reflective, fit and snug, not too tight and go with the outfit.”

26 years ago, the Nike Air Max 97s were released in the year 1997 at a retail price of $150.

Almost three decades later, the classic design has yet to fade from existence. An upgraded version of the shoe was created under the name ‘Nike Vapormax 97’ and set for release on March 9th 2023. Even though the upper body of the Nike Vapormax 97 holds the same design as the original Air Max 97s, the soles are Vapor Max hence how it received its name. If you are looking to put a spin on the Nike Air Max 97s, you might be willing to give the Nike Air Vapor Max 97s a try.

“They’re comfortable.”

Last year, on March 12th 2022, these Yeezy sneakers were re-released for a retail price of $230.

However, they were originally released on Dec. 17th of 2016. Now, on popular sneaker reselling sites like “Goat.com”, the sneaker resells for as low as $366 for a size 5.5 in US mens and as high as $1,034 for a size 16 in US mens at the time of publishing this article.

“Virgil.”

As a fashion designer, the late Virgil Abloh was known for his iconic designs for celebrities such as Solange, Rihanna and Drake. In 2018, he became the first ever black designer to be appointed as creative director for Louis Vuitton, more specifically, the men’s division. From shirts, dresses, hoodies, bags, shoes, belts, album covers, cars and even planes, Virgil’s designs were one of a kind. You can potentially catch sight of one of Virgil’s designs in the air on Drake’s $185 million Boeing 767 plane. Or if you are lucky enough, you can catch one of his designs on foot on the Off-White x Air Jordan 5 SP ‘Sail’. After all, only 46,000 sneakers were released at a retail price of $225 on Oct 29th, 2020, a little over a year before his untimely passing in Nov of 2021.

“Comfortable.”

Originally known as “Jade Ash”, the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 ‘Yeshaya’ released on Jan 25th of 2020 for a retail price of $220. On popular sneaker reselling sites like “Stockx.com”, the sneaker resells for as low as $294 for a size 10.5 in US mens and as high as $835 for a size 5 in US mens.

However, for the reflective version of the sneaker where the laces are reflective in the dark, the sneaker resells for as low as $400 for a size 5.5 in US mens and as high as $850 for a size 4.5 in US mens at the time of publishing this article.

“I like these shoes because of the brand.”

Jordan officially released their first pair of Air Jordan 1 High retros back in 1994 and continued to ever since. The University Blue Air Jordan 1 Retro High being one of them. At a retail price of $170, the sneakers dropped on March 6th of 2021. The symbolic jumpman logo makes the Jordan brand memorable and difficult to forget the legend himself that is Michael Jordan.

“Comfortable For running.”

The shoes were originally released in December 2015 for $160. Since its initial release they have become one of the most popular running shoes. Perfect for an early morning jog, exercise or daily wear, the shoes are an ideal choice with its added benefits.

“They go with a lot of outfits.”

On Jan 16th 2020, the Converse Run Star Hike was made available for a retail price of $105 in Feb. of 2019. Its jagged soles make it practical for hiking. They also come available in the high-top version which is identical in design to the low top sneakers shown above.

Have some shoes you want to show off?

We’d love to see!

Email lehmanmeridian at gmail.com