Your guide to the trendiest unisex sneakers this season

Spring time, fun time, sneaker time. Sneaker season is finally here! After fighting the cold and slippery Comm Ave all winter with my durable, but fugly boots, I finally get to take my kicks out of the boxes and put them on.

Many major brands in the business have already made several releases to set the trend for the next six months. However, some brands on the peripheral, like Vans and Asics, are making their ways towards the center of the discussion.

These are the only trendy unisex sneakers you need for spring 2016. I have to admit that I haven’t been in the shoe game long enough to make predictions like this, but you don’t have to take my word for it. You might find the kicks on this list everywhere on the street. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Adidas “NMD” Runner

As much as I hate Adidas, I have to give the brand some credit for keeping itself relevant under the dominance of Nike. 2015 was a good year for Adidas. Adidas certainly harnessed on the reputation of Pharrell Williams and sold 15 million pairs of the signature “SuperStar” in 2015. With that momentum, the brand debuted the new NMD line in early 2016. The NMD runners are nicely designed, but I never saw them as a trendsetting pair. I thought this line would be a general release when they first came out. And then people started flipping the prices like crazy on eBay.

Although I never had the chance to put them on feet, this pair of sneakers should be very comfortable. The Adidas “boost” technology offers a lot of support. In other words, these are perfect for college students who walks all the time. Additionally, the Adidas “Primeknit” upper provides breathability to the sneakers. You don’t have to worry about sweaty feet. You might see these everywhere, but they are worth copping.

Nike Flyknit Racer

I see a lot of girls wearing these.

As a Nike fan, I feel guilty for not owning a pair of Flyknit Racers. Nike’s “Flyknit” technology has been out for a while, but the Racer line took this technology to the optimum level. I was very skeptical about the knitted upper when I first saw the Flyknit racers. I doubted its durability, I doubted its stability, I doubted the aesthetics. Well, let’s just say that Nike put plenty of effort thinking about these problems before releasing the Flyknit Racers.

Three words to describe the Flyknit Racers: light, versatile, and breathable. The “Flyknit” technology enables this pair of shoes to weigh less than eight ounces while providing just enough support to be a good pair of running shoes. You can wear them to run; you can wear them to the gym; you can wear them to walk around campus; you can wear them to do anything, and they look good with everything.

Yeezy Boost 350 — Pirate Black

I’m a basic sneakerhead. You can call me that and I won’t get offended, so go ahead.

After hearing the news that Adidas is restocking these shoes, my friends and I gathered everyone we could to get raffles at various sneaker stores in Boston. Despite the fact that I didn’t win, one of my friend won a pair and was kind enough to let me feature these kicks in this piece.
I don’t like the Yeezys, but again, I’m basic, so I’m putting them in here.

Enough said.

Air Jordan 1

DJ Khaled: “They timeless, they classic, they iconic.”

You gotta have the 1s. They never go out of style.

There’s just never enough to talk about the Jordan 1s. Michael flew through the air in them, won a dunk contest in them, broke other people’s ankles in them. This pair of kicks just have too much history and stories behind it. The NBA banned this pair of shoes when they first came out because they didn’t have enough team color, and Nike had to pay NBA $5000 for every single game that Jordan wore them. You get the idea. This pair of shoes endured the merciless test of time and still manage to stay in the center of the sneaker culture after 31 years. You just can’t go wrong with the 1s, they look good with anything.

PS: Girls, if you’re trying to impress the guys, get a pair of these.

Vans, any Vans

Vans did plan to make a comeback this year, but no one saw “Damn Daniel” meme coming. 2016 marks the 50th anniversary for Vans. The brand made 50 colorways available. However, it was the all white colorway that got hyped the most. Vans had a really good reputation among skaters, at least that’s what I heard. The rubber sole skate shoes transformed itself to a lifestyle necessity with classic, clean design and durable, comfortable material. In recent years, Vans started to release limited colorways, and those went out fast. 2016 will be a good year for Vans. They’re affordable, they’re durable, and you should have a pair in your collection.

Hey, get a pair of “Damn Daniel” white Vans and paint them. You might be surprised.

Jordan 3

DJ Khaled: “I call these, ‘Don’t ever play yourself.’”

If Tinker Hatfield didn’t design this pair of shoe, Jordan wouldn’t have stayed in Nike, which means, the sneaker culture probably wouldn’t exist. There’s only one word to describe this pair of shoes: solid. The funkiness of the elephant print and the luxuriousness of the tumbled leather ensure the durability of this pair. If you take care of them, you can wear them until the visible air bubble pop. Then you can find some sneaker fanatic like me and have your Jordan 3s sole-swapped, and then keep wearing them. This is the first pair of Jordans that has the “Jumpman” logo. If you’re a Drake fan, you should know how the Canada’s greatest feels about these shoes.

Bonus: Nike Dunk SB

How can you say no to a girl wearing these? How?

Now go out there and wear your sneakers.