Sneaker Culture within the music industry has blown up over the past few years!

Collecting & owning a good pair of trainers is almost critical if you’re a true sneaker-head. Back in the day it was Run DMC who ran the scene with ‘their Adidas’, but now if you don’t have a good pair of sneaks on your feet, especially if you are in music, you will get stamped on… 

I fully remember the day when Drake rocked Timberland’s with a velvet tracksuit (not the one), & everyone parred him nicely; like bro…you can’t do that! But some people will never fail to keep a good sneaker game, both here & in the USA.

One of the biggest sneaker-freaker’s in the UK at the moment is Mikill Pane.  The cheeky LDN Rap-Chap posts a new picture everyday on Instagram, (the almost Twitter like iPhone app for pictures) of new kicks that become his ‘kicks of the day’. A collection filled with Air Max’s, Jordan’s, Nike’s, Vans anything you can think of he probably has it! He even recently got to create his own pair of Nike Air Max’s named after his second to last released EP ‘Guinness & Blackcurrant’. 

It seems that in the UK, it is becoming necessary to be up to date & a fashion forward thinker, as image is becoming more & more difficult to become identified as unique. A vast collection of clothes & sneakers are amounting to the freshness of UK artists, like Mikill Pane, who will ‘most likely spend his money on loads of trainers’ when undoubtedly he makes it big!

Independent fashion brands & a fresh pair of kicks are the best way to show your style without conforming to the high-street fashion you may see every boring day!

With the release of the Jordan Bordeaux Spizike’s happening two days ago (yes I copped a pair) & the release of the new Jordan 4’s White Cement Grey Retro’s on the horizon of the next two weeks, sneaker heads are buzzing as the exclusivity of sneakers to just the US is easing just enough for the UK can receive them, but not so much that they are still exclusive to the few that manage to get them. It’s hard to say what the best sneaker of all time is, but from asking around a bit it seems the air force 1 rocks in at most peoples first place. Place’s like Oxford Street, Carnaby street, Brick Lane & Covent Garden are the best places in LDN to find exclusives & keep up with the ever changing but original styles of sneakers everywhere. Make sure to check blogs as well for release dates.

So it seems like a big sneaker collection, some fresh clothes & talent is the perfect recipe to make a perfect artist! So let’s hope artists everywhere keep their sneaker game up & maybe the swag will inspire some more great music to be produced in 2012.

WORDS:Parris OH