

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

Jun 4, 2021 • 1h 13min
Off-White x Nike: The Best, the Worst, and the Rest
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, the three co-hosts discuss Virgil Abloh's growing body of Off-White x Nike sneakers, starting at the first release of The Ten in 2017 and extending to the upcoming 50 set of Dunks. How big of an impact have sneakers like the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 had on collaborations and Nike's approach to them in general? Do we really need another 50 pairs this summer? Also, Welty explains his Memorial Day workout while Joe and Brendan discuss Italian food. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 2021 • 1h 26min
Jesse Leyva on Making Nike's Coolest Sneakers for Decades
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, the three co-hosts are joined by Jesse Leyva, a Nike veteran who spent 20 years at the company creating some of its coolest sneakers. As the design director at Nike Sportswear and later the creative director in charge of Nike SB and Nike ACG, he was responsible for sneaker collaborations with Kaws, Geoff McFetridge, Undefeated, Stussy, and many more. Leyva discusses his decades-long history in the industry and the inner workings of Nike. Also, Welty ponders a holiday weekend workout, Brendan preps for the Nets game, and Joe talks his adventures on NIKEiD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 21, 2021 • 1h 5min
Is Nike Making Too Many Dunks or Not Enough?
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, the three co-hosts discuss the Nike Dunk, a retro sneaker from 1985 that’s been huge in the past year thanks to SB collaborations and inline styles. But is Nike over-saturating the market with the shoes or should they keep making more? The co-hosts discuss their personal history with Dunks, current resell prices, and some of their favorite pairs old and new. Also: Joe gives some teasers on the next season of Sneaker Shopping, Welty relives his wild weekend, and Brendan comes back from vacation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 14, 2021 • 1h 21min
How Jon Wexler Signed Kanye to Adidas and Helped Build Yeezy
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week they're joined by sneaker industry veteran Jon Wexler to talk about his 18 years at Adidas, which included working with Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady and most notoriously signing Kanye West in 2013. He discusses his time with Yeezy and some of the craziest and most notorious moments with the brand, as well as trying to sign Drake to Adidas before Wexler moved on to Shopify in 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 7, 2021 • 1h 12min
How Haze Made One of the Greatest Nike Dunks of All Time
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, the three co-hosts talk to graffiti writer and graphic designer Haze. The artist talks about his long history working on collaboration sneakers, from his New Balance 574 to his Nike Air Force 1 to the set of Dunks he did in 2003. Haze also discusses building his brand and connecting with Japanese streetwear icons Hiroshi Fujiwara and Nigo. Elsewhere, Welty gets a brief birthday celebration and the co-hosts talk about the effects of sneaker hype. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 30, 2021 • 1h 15min
Hikmet Sugoer: The Sneaker King Who ate Ice Cream Out of Chunky Dunkys
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, the three co-hosts talk to Solebox founder Hikmet Sugoer about his decades in the German sneaker scene, from sourcing sneakers through American military bases to helping bring new energy to brands like New Balance and Asics. Sugoer breaks down his Nike beef, his exit from Solebox, and that time Pharrell didn't recognize his own Dunks. Of course, he also addressed the viral video from last year of him eating ice cream out of the Ben & Jerry's x Nike SB Chunky Dunky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 23, 2021 • 60min
The Stories Behind Our Biggest Interviews With Kanye, Nigo, and More
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty. This week, the three co-hosts talk about the most memorable interviews from their shared decades of experience in sneaker media. Joe recalls linking up with Kanye West for an early Complex feature on Kid Cudi, Matt relives meeting Nigo, and Brendan remembers his conversations with industry insiders. Also, the co-hosts discuss sneaker deliveries, workout routines, and a garbage bag full of Mars Yards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 16, 2021 • 1h 23min
How Croatian Style Became the Most Exclusive Sneaker Reseller
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty. This week the guys speak to Andre Ljustina aka Croatian Style. Andre shares his story of how a game of pop-a-shot basketball lead to his lifelong passion for sneakers. It's a passion that he has cultivated into becoming not only one of the biggest sneaker collectors around, but also a celebrity plug for stars from all walks of life, from Beyonce and Jay Z to Travis Scott to Mark McGwire and the late DJ AM. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 9, 2021 • 1h 25min
How the Shoe Surgeon Became the Go-To Customizer for Drake, Justin Bieber, and Nelly
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty. This week the guys speak to Dominic Ciambrone, also known as, the Shoe Surgeon. Dominic shares how he became inspired to create custom designed sneakers with a surprise story that includes Pharrell Williams. He goes on to tell some stories behind some of his custom designs for celebrity clients, what's coming down the pipeline in the future and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 2, 2021 • 1h 9min
Aleali May Talks Her Air Jordan Journey
The Complex Sneakers Podcast is co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty. This week the guys speak to Aleali May, the second woman to design an Air Jordan and the first woman to ever design a Jordan 1. Aleali takes us back to the beginning of her career, shares the moment she met Michael Jordan, gives an early sneak peak of her upcoming Air Jordan sneaker release and so much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


