The Complex Sneakers Podcast

This week on the Complex Sneakers Podcast, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Matt Welty, and Upscale Vandal talk about the Coolkicks stolen sneaker scandal, Pharrell’s Jellyfish sneaker with Adidas, and why JLP doesn’t love all patent leather sneakers.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of the Complex Sneakers Podcast, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Matt Welty and Upscale Vandal discuss Air Jordan retros sitting on shelves, whether or not Jordan Brand is doing too much with the Air Jordan 11 for its 30th anniversary, and Welty seeing Michael Jordan at a NASCAR race in New Hampshire.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Sachs is on the Complex Sneakers Podcast this week to talk about his Nike Mars Yard 3.0, to unveil the brand new and upcoming Nike General Purpose Participation Shoe, address the allegations made against him at Nike in 2023, and his history in footwear and art. We even found out that Tom Sachs used to be an Air Jordan 9 guy. Elsewhere, the guys talk about the return of the "Toyko" Air Jordan 5, the return of grail-level shoes in general, and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Complex Sneakers Podcast is back for its first episode since Upscale Vandal joined Joe La Puma and Matt Welty as a new host. The three guys catch up, Vandal explains why he joined the podcast and they go over the Sneaker Collaborator Power Rankings, as decided by the Complex Sneakers team. The team debates Travis Scott, Nigel Sylvester, Jae Tips, ASAP Rocky, Tyler, the Creator, and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of the Complex Sneakers Podcast, Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss the upcoming Air Jordan 4 "White Cement," that re-released for the first time since 2016. The crew looks at the shoe's quality, leather, history, and more. And discusses whether or not they deserve a price tag of $225. They also discuss Lil Yachty's Air Force 1 release in NYC, Dick's Sporting Goods buying Foot Locker, and how good the Air Max 95 is this year.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It happens to the best of us—we let a sneaker argument online get us in our feelings. This week, we relive a recent online drama involving our own Matt Welty and the Cincinnati sneaker store Unheardof over their “Piggy Runner” Adidas collaboration. The other cohosts, Joe La Puma and Brendan Dunne, give a progress update on the great sneaker purge of 2025. Also in this episode: “Rodeo” SB Dunks, more NIke Kobe retros, the “White Cement” Jordan 4, and Dunne going belt shopping at a random man’s apartment. Note that this week's episode was shot in a temporary studio—we'll be back to normal in a few weeks.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ‘Dirty Triple White’ Nike Air Force 1 is the most viral sneaker this year. It’s a shoe from Nike’s Dot Swoosh division that’s made to look like it’s been worn-in right out of the box. The shoe is supposed to get cleaner as you wear it, revealing a crispy white Air Force 1 underneath. Why are people so mad about it? On this episode, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty discuss the sacred status of the white-on-white Air Force 1s, the less-talked-about black pair, and the real thing you should be mad about when it comes to Uptowns. Also on this episode, a preview of New Balance’s Grey Day celebration, a recap of the best sneakers of the year so far, and the upcoming Undefeated x Air Jordan 4.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We love Air Jordans—and we’ve spent a lot of time discussing the best ones—but let’s be honest, there have been some truly awful Jordan releases in the past 40 years. In this episode, co hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty pick out their least favorite Air Jordans of all time. Who is responsible for the J2K “Filbert” Jordan 7? Why do the “Plaid” Air Jordan 5s exist? And are the Dub Zeroes really that bad? Also in this episode, discussions about the latest Nike SNKRS update, the tariffs’ effects on Adidas sneaker prices, and even more Air Max 95 talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nike and Hyperice are dropping a wild pair of $900 boots that they say will help you warm up and recover from physical activity. How do the Nike Hyperboots actually work? And how wearable are they as shoes? We test a pair out in this episode. Also, co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty talk about the upcoming Nike SB Air Max 95, too-early picks for sneaker of the year, and that new shoe smell that we’re still all obsessed with. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s no debating that Michael Jordan has the best signature sneaker line ever in the Air Jordans, but who comes next? How close is Penny Hardaway to the top tier of signature shoes with designs like the Foamposite? And where do Bo Jackson and Ken Griffey’s shoes stack up? Does Carmelo Anthony deserve a spot in the tier list? Co-hosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty put together a tier-list ranking of all-time Nike signature lines in this episode. Also, an update on the Air Max 95 “Neon” rollout, news about Bodega’s struggles, and a narrowly avoided April Fools’ prank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.