We asked five top independent retailers what sneakers they are most excited about for spring. What did they choose? Read on.
Peng Cheng
Owner, Bait
California, Oregon & Washington
“There are some [collaborations] we’re working on, but I am also excited about the Adidas Tubular Doom. That shoe is the direction the alternative-lifestyle sneaker look is going in, and it’s the perfect execution of it — it’s high-end, the next evolution of the so-called Y-3 trend.”
Omar Quiambao
Co-Owner, Commonwealth
Washington, D.C. & Virginia Beach, Va.
“The shoe I’m looking forward to is a collaboration between Japan’s White Mountaineering and Adidas Originals. One of the shoes they chose was an Energy Boost. It’s low-key on the branding side, but stands out because it’s all-navy leather — and they bound the edges of each panel with white. It gives off a futuristic, military, robotic feel, like the ‘Gundam’ comics from Japan.”

Lester Wasserman
Owner, West NYC
New York, N.Y.
“Adidas Stan Smith. Even though we sold a ton of them this year, I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface. Any of the classic white Stan Smith shoes [are on fire]. [It helped that] there weren’t enough in the marketplace this year. Hopefully, it doesn’t overcorrect and there’s a zillion of them out this coming year, but I think Stan Smith is going to be an essential must-have.”

Ankur Amin
Co-Owner, Renarts
East Northport, N.Y.
“The Jordan Poster Collection looks pretty good, especially the Air Jordan 2 and the Air Jordan 12 Poster. The collection is all about the Jordan OGs and the new color-ups. The Air Jordan 12 is the standout in the Poster collection — it’s an all-black leather shoe. The line is probably the bulkiest collection from the Jordan brand that I’ve seen so far.”

Chase Ceparano
Co-Owner, Rise
Huntington, N.Y.
“Puma’s Ignite platform so far hasn’t really made its way in front of the consumer, but it certainly will. The brand has a bunch of executions happening with that collection, whether it’s performance product for the likes of a Usain Bolt or lifestyle executions that are happening with that technology. It’s all good stuff from what I’ve seen.”

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