Which shoes are students wearing on campus?

Since the early eighties, self-proclaimed “sneakerheads” have been buying dozens of shoes, and in the last decade, more people have begun to pay attention to their choice of footwear.

On June 17, an Algonquin Times reporter went to campus to see which sneakers students at Algonquin College are wearing, and to ask what their dream pair of shoes would be.

Name: Nicole Migrino

Program: Dental Hygiene

Nicole is wearing a pair of Nike Air Max Plus “Pure Platinum”, also known as TNs due to the use of Nike’s Tuned Air comfort technology. Released in 1998, the Air Max Plus is one of the most unique air-max shoes in Nike’s catalogue, with a cult-like following in certain parts of The United Kingdom and Australia.

“My family members are sneakerheads, shoes have always been a thing for us, if you look good you feel good,” Nicole explained. “I really like the Air Jordan Retro 1s in white and blue.”

Name: Gurpartap Singh

Program: Electrical Engineering Technician

Gurpartap is wearing a pair of Adidas Ultraboost 4.0 “Grey Four”. The Ultraboost is a performance runner that features Adidas’ Boost comfort technology. Originally released in 2015, the Ultraboost has seen many different iterations and revamps. This particular model, the 4.0, was released in Fall 2017.

“Nike Air Jordan 1 Dior would be my favourite.”

Name: Mike Chiasson

Program: Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician

Mike is wearing a pair of Nike Air Jordan 12 Retro “Gym Red”. The Air Jordan 12 was originally released in 1996 and was designed by Tinker Hatfield, one of the most important sneaker designers of all time. This pair were released on Black Friday 2018.

“If I could have any shoe, it would be the Jordan 4 ‘Black Cat.’ I missed out on the release of them, and now they’re super expensive.”

Name: Chen Shen

Program: Animation Design

Chen is wearing a pair of Adidas Yeezy 350 V2 “Zebra”. The Yeezy 350 V2 was designed by Kanye West in 2016 and has been released in more than 30 colours since. The black and white edition dubbed the “Zebra” is the most iconic and sought after colourway of this model.

“My dream shoe would be the Yeezy 750, in the grey colour, with the gum sole.”

Name: Xu Leng

Program: Computer Programming

Xu is wearing a pair of Adidas Yeezy 350 V2 “Natural”. This colourway was released in October of 2020, featuring some natural grey, white and cream accents. It is a reworked version of the original monotone “Cream” colourway, featuring a see-through side stripe, and a yellowed boost sole.

“I would like a pair of Nike Air Jordan Retro 1s in blue and grey, the “Hyper Royal” colour from earlier this year.”