

The Complex Sneakers Podcast
Complex
On The Complex Sneakers Podcast. Joe La Puma, Matt Welty, and Upscale Vandal discuss the most important sneaker news and topics every week, and give their expert opinions that can only be told authentically from Complex. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 19, 2021 • 1h 23min
Ronnie Fieg on Asics Collabs, Supply Chain Issues, & Kith's 10th Year
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. They are joined this week by Kith founder Ronnie Fieg, who brings with him some exclusive Asics collaborations to unveil around his brand's 10-year anniversary celebrations. In addition to breaking down the "Salmon Toe" and "Leatherback" Asics Gel Lyte Vs, he talks about how much supply chain issues have disrupted the footwear business, sneaker trips to Tokyo, and that lost feeling of opening a box and seeing a new shoe for the first time. Also, Welty celebrates his new gig as superintendent and the co-hosts talk car crashes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 12, 2021 • 58min
How Nigel Sylvester Became Air Jordan's First BMX Rider
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, they bring on professional BMX rider and friend of the program Nigel Sylvester for a conversation from ComplexCon. Sylvester discusses the new deal he signed with Jordan Brand, his days going into Supreme to buy SB Dunks, and his love of the Air Jordan 1. Also, the three cohosts talk about the best booths at ComplexCon, the best food at ComplexCon, and the outfits they put together for ComplexCon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 5, 2021 • 1h 18min
How Premium Pete Got 500 Pairs of Limited Nike SB Dunks
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, they welcome back a friend of the show Premium Pete, a renaissance man who's gone from sneaker retail to podcasting to pasta sauce to acting and everywhere in between. Pete joins the crew to share footwear stories—like how he got Air Force 1s while locked up or his stash of 400 pairs of MF Doom x Nike SB Dunk Highs—and reminisce on his journeys. Also, the gang cracks open some Manhattan specials, preps for ComplexCon, and gives some analysis on the latest UFC card. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 29, 2021 • 1h 6min
Salomons + Hokas, Nike HQ, and Having Virgil Sign Your Off-Whites
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, the trio return from their brief week off to discuss smaller sneaker brands like Hoka and Salomon as well as generally recap the sneaker-related things they've been up to. This includes some reminiscing on the golden era of soccer cleats, stories of run-ins with sneaker industry insiders like Steven Smith and Frank Cooke, and a hypothetical around letting Virgil Abloh bless your Off-Whites. Plus, a look ahead to all the fun that will be had at ComplexCon, where the podcast will be recording a live episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 15, 2021 • 1h 21min
GQ's Jim Moore on Collaborating With Virgil Abloh, Ronnie Fieg, and Kanye
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. In this week's episode, they are joined by Jim Moore, the legendary GQ creative director who spent four decades at the magazine shaping how men in America dress. Moore talks through his career and points in it where sneakers interacted with his work, from shooting with Michael Jordan in the late 1980s to helping push athletic footwear to a new space in the wardrobe of the modern man. Moore also discusses his interactions in the past decade with more streetwear-specific designers like Virgil Abloh, Ronnie Fieg, and Kanye West. Also, the co-hosts discuss sneaker cleaning tips, Welty steps in dog feces, and Joe gets honest about his screen time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 8, 2021 • 1h 29min
Bernie Gross Explains What Really Goes Into Running a Sneaker Store
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. In this week's episode, the trio is joined by Bernie Gross, creative director at New York sneaker boutique Extra Butter. Gross recalls his journey in the footwear industry, from buying SBs at stores like Special Sauce in Long Island to helping longstanding LI sneaker shop Renarts establish itself anew with Extra Butter. He breaks down what running a sneaker store really takes—from handling chaotic releases to managing relationships with brand partners and collaborators. Also, the co-hosts discuss the merits of beat sneakers: When is it time to throw your old shoes out? How much wear is too much wear? Can a pair of Air Force 1s that spent a year in the Armenian mountains go any further? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 1, 2021 • 1h 17min
Super Collector Abdul Says Dirty Air Force 1s Are OK to Wear
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. In this week's episode, the trio is joined by Abdul, sneaker scene mainstay with powerful friends and a powerful collection. You may not know exactly who Abdul is or what he does, but you've definitely seen him in the background or at the front of the line at footwear happenings around the world. In the episode, he talks about his 30 years collecting shoes, dirty white Air Force 1s, whether or not Mids are acceptable, and how he obtained some of his rarest shoes. Also, Joe breaks down Dave Matthews' out-of-body BBQ experience, Welty relives his out-of-T-shirt weekend, and Brendan returns from vacation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 24, 2021 • 1h 5min
How Many Sneakers Is Too Many?
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. In this week's episode, the hosts discuss how big their personal sneaker collections are and how often they've reached the point of having to downsize. What do you do when you have too many sneakers? Is a storage unit for your shoes really a good idea? What's the best way to donate footwear that you're not using? The questions are relevant for anyone who's spent years amassing sneakers at an unreasonable rate. Also in this episode, the hosts reflect briefly on Met Gala fashion and dream up what their own Ben Baller chains would look like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 17, 2021 • 1h 3min
Debating This Summer's Biggest Sneaker
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. In this week’s episode, it’s just the three guys debating their pick for the sneaker of the summer for 2021. Dunne makes a case for Nike Dunks, as a whole, being his choice, while Joe brings up why the Travis Scott Jordan 1s were a force to be reckoned with. Welty sides with Dunne, but zooms in on Virgil Abloh’s the 50 project. Joe Freshgood’s New Balances and more are discussed this week, too.EPISODE CHAPTERS / TIME STAMPS:00:00 - Start of show. 05:00 - JLP talks WWE smackdown event and the wrestling outfits he saw. 10:00 - Brendan Dunne talks traveling for college football games and the flight hookup he got. 15:00 - Welty talks a BIG package he got that got caught in customs. 18:27 - Joe introduces the Sneaker Giveaway of the Week. 26:00 - Topic of the week, this summer's biggest sneaker! 30:00 - Welty lets out his frustrations about the "Un-Tiffany" dunk. 35:33 - Welty talks New Balance 550 possibly being the sneaker of the summer??40:00 - Brendan talks Lightning Jordan 4s, possibly his sneaker of the summer. 45:00 - JLP talks about what he wore a lot this summer. 50:00 - Welty talks his certified choice for biggest sneaker moment of the summer.55:00 - Brendan talks about his StockX resell failure. 1:00:00 - JLP talks his Slam City Dunks falling apart on Sneaker Shopping shoot. 1:03:21 - End of episode. Enter for next week's sneaker giveaway here! https://ebay.complex.com/Looking for the Complex Sneakers Podcast Dad Hats? Shop on Complex Shop now! https://shop.complex.com/products/the-complex-sneakers-podcast-dad-hat-whitehttps://shop.complex.com/products/the-complex-sneakers-podcast-dad-hat-black Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 10, 2021 • 1h 12min
Conceited Tells Hilarious Stories About His Sneaker Addiction
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. In this week's episode, the hosts are joined by battle rapper Conceited, who is a longtime cast member on MTV's Wild 'N Out. He goes into his sneaker history, recalling the time he lost a pair of "True Blue" Air Jordan 3s in high school, the fakes he used to spot people in, and how much time and money he's spent on getting the rare shoes that makeup his collection. ESPO x Nike Air Force 2s? He remembers them from high school. Entourage x Nike Air Force 1s? It took Conceited years to track them down. Also in this episode, the co-hosts discuss Salehe Bembury's new New Balance collaboration and look forward to what else is releasing in 2021.Enter for next week's sneaker giveaway here! https://ebay.complex.com/Looking for the Complex Sneakers Podcast Dad Hats? Shop on Complex Shop now! https://shop.complex.com/products/the-complex-sneakers-podcast-dad-hat-whitehttps://shop.complex.com/products/the-complex-sneakers-podcast-dad-hat-black Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


