February 19, 2016

Written By Devin Fountain

After a short break in January, it’s Yeezy season again. Which means it’s time to gear up your bots, upgrade your internet, and tell your parents to get off the wifi for an hour. But before you decide to put on a pair of your fresh Yeezys or even consider purchasing from a reseller, read my review. The shoes were worn for a month before writing this so I could really experience how they break down over time and give an honest opinion.

PRE-PURCHASE:

I purchased the Yeezys in late December after many failed attempts in the past. I want to cover all aspects of the shoe so let’s dive into how I got them. Like many non-sneakerheads, I never had the chance to go to a retail location for a raffle. My Adidas store in San Francisco had lines running from the registers on the second floor, down the stairs and slightly out the door. When I asked a group of guys waiting in line how long they thought it would be, their response was, “About an hour and half.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that sort of time, especially on a weekday. My chances of snagging the shoes were slowly diminishing.

Adidas’ website listed a few stockists that would carry the shoe. After calling each one of them; they all said they would not be receiving the shoe. I realized that either I’m not familiar with the game or someone was lying.

THE MORNING OF:

On release day, I woke up as my girlfriend was getting ready to leave for work and wasn’t even prepped when I received a “They dropped” text from Tim.

When you take a loss on nearly every other anticipated sneaker, you tend to feel a little jaded about the whole thing. I didn’t rush to my computer. I grabbed some water and a yogurt from the fridge and popped open my laptop. I had a backdoor link, but who doesn’t these days. That wasn’t going to help and it really won’t help when the Pirate Blacks drop tomorrow. Adidas will cancel and refund your order for using them.

I only waited in the queue for a few minutes before I was finally let in. I just had one window; one tab. No phones or tablets refreshing constantly. After getting in, it was a rush; a mad dash to the finish. I didn’t even have time to scan sizes to see if Tim’s was available; or even if I could get my girlfriend a pair. It was me time.

After completing the captcha they throw at you, which consisted of a “Which of these is a stop sign” sort of thing; I added the size 10 to the cart successfully! I clicked on checkout and bam, the size was gone. The site had crashed on me. I had faith that the system hadn’t actually lost my size so I kept opening the checkout/cart in a separate tab and eventually, it showed up. I used auto filled in Chrome to quicken the process and I was done. Although, I was worried that it wouldn’t count as a purchase until the debit card charge came back with $200 taken from my account. I’ve read too many stories of people making big purchases only to have the retailer refund them for a stocking issue.

The waiting killed me. I understand that it was New Years, and Adidas was closed for the holidays (as they should be), but an email receipt and confirmation of shipment would have been fantastic. The email didn’t come for nearly four days; which left me in grail-limbo. Who knows if I was actually going to get them. Sure my card was charged, but no email, no dice. After that, it was another three days before the shoes even shipped out. Seven business days is a long time to wait for a big release like this.

“The email didn’t come for nearly four days; which left me in grail-limbo.”

UNBOXING:

This is something that Tim covered before that I don’t care to elaborate on deeply. The shoes arrived in the most unluxurious, brown, cardboard box. I’ve seen better packaging with the least hyped Nike Jordans. It was rather uneventful, but if you’re thinking, “Devin, the box is a stylistic choice and reminiscent of the Yeezy season 1/2 aesthetic,” you’re wrong. If it really was, the inside wouldn’t echo the outside. The shoes were layered with a thin and waxy, brown paper and the insides were stuffed with cardboard brown paper. No extra laces. No shoe bags. Just the shoes already laced up, and some paper to accompany the sadness. I know they were only $200, but for such a highly anticipated shoe, I expected more. I kept the box for a short amount of time, just in case the shoes didn’t fit me, but after trying them on, threw it in the trash without even thinking.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

I always thought the shoes were attractive, but seeing them in person gives you a new perspective. The suede looked fantastic, the Primeknit was a solid choice for this lightweight casual shoe, and the laces were thick and hearty. My girlfriend said they looked a bit like dinosaur feet. I don’t think she’s wrong.

She actually put them on before I did and they looked comically large on her Women’s size 7 feet. She always thought they looked ridiculous before they arrived. After putting them on, she said, “Can you get me a pair?” As I put them on, the very first thing I noticed was how god-damned comfortable they are. I couldn’t even comprehend how a shoe could be this comfortable. In the past, I’ve owned Nike running shoes, Stan Smiths, so many Vans, and even shoes meant for walking, like the Nike Air Maxes or a pair of New Balances, but nothing even comes close to the Ultra Boost technology. When commenters on Reddit say they feel like walking on clouds, they don’t. But they come really close. I walked around my apartment for a good 20 minutes, not even taking them off when sitting down.

After that, I put them away because California’s El Niño said, “I’m sorry Devin, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

QUALITY:

Materials

The Oxford Tans are a head above the rest of Adidas shoes. The Primeknit feels sturdy and thick but very breathable and flexible. This puts my mind at ease when it comes to bumping into things with my feet. When I wear my Lunar Flyknits, I always worry that the Flyknit material will catch on the sharp part of a door or a corner, and it’ll rip right open. The suede on the outside of the shoe feels thick and nappy, which is my favorite part of the shoe. It really adds to the luxury appeal and it feels legitimate. The heel tab is made with a seriously thick canvas and looks like it would never rip or fray unless it ripped from the shoe itself.

I only have two gripes about this shoe and this is one of them: the sole material. Yes, it’s solid and thick and insanely comfortable, but whatever process it was painted with, is a complete mistake. I haven’t worn these in the rain nor stepped in a puddle, and the color on the sole is already cracking. I give it two months before it starts peeling off completely. Again, I don’t think this was a stylistic choice, but a financial one to cut costs for Adidas. Because of this, the shoes give off a DIY aesthetic, like I painted them myself or even purchased a fake pair. One of my former coworkers has a replica pair of Turtledoves and he doesn’t seem to have this issue. That’s a sign of some quality control issues.

On the bright side, there are no visible glue stains on my pair and the color is rich and varied. Depending on the light, these can look like Moonrocks, Oxford Tans, or a little bit both in-between.

Comfort

They are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn without a doubt. I wear them nearly every chance I get. I try not to wear them consecutive days in a row, but I just can’t help it. They look good and they feel amazing. I’ve almost considered buying a standing desk for work; just because I know I’d be content standing on a pillow for hours. I’m also not going to wear them in the rain or hop into a puddle in case you’re wondering. I’ve worn them on cold days of which there are few recently, and I don’t recommend it. The Primeknit makes this a summer shoe and your feet will get cold regardless of your socks. That breeze will blow right on through to your toes.

My last gripe with the shoe and this may be a personal one, the heel material. The think and rough canvas rips my heel up if I wear no-show socks (explains why the socks are worn in the photos). I can’t wear them a full day with no-show socks unless I’m also rocking a sweet band-aid. Even then, the shoe’s thickness will push the band-aid right off.

Fit

I’ve read so many comments from many sources claiming anything from a full size down, to a full size up. A full size up? Come on, you know this one isn’t true. I decided to trust my gut feeling after reading an average amount of comments, and went with my true size. I wear a size ten in Stan Smiths and I thought, Adidas knows what they are doing, I’ll trust their judgment to make the shoe right. Sure enough, it fits flawlessly. Now I’m not saying the sizing works for all of the Yeezy 350 shoes, but this worked for me personally and I’m a true size ten. Here is my size in a few other shoes as well, to give you an idea:

Common Projects Achilles Low, Chelseas, Sidezips – 42EU or 9US Full size down

42EU or 9US Full size down Wolverine 1000 Mile – 9.5US Half size down

9.5US Half size down Adidas Stan Smith – 10US

10US Nike Lunar Flyknits, Free 2.0, Air Max – 10.5US Half size up

10.5US Half size up Converse Chuck Taylor – 10US

10US Saint Laurent Wyatt – 43EU

If you took a half size down, let me know in the comments, or tweet at me; I’m still curious.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

These are great, but nothing game-changing. I plan on attempting to get a pair of the Pirate Black restocks tomorrow morning, but I may not have the same luck as I did last time. For $200 bucks and a bit of waiting, you can’t go wrong. You’re not just buying into the shoe itself, but the exclusivity and the hype. They are as stylish as they are comfortable. I’m not going to baby mine and put them on a pedestal, or even a glass case because they’re sneakers and they’re meant to be worn. That said, I plan on bringing these everywhere and wearing them as often as possible. They get looked at everywhere I go and it’s starting to give me anxiety wondering if someone will ask me about my Yeezys. It does feel a bit like that meme. You know the one. If you somehow can’t seem to cop a pair, just get some Adidas Ultraboosts, you won’t be disappointed.

This review was written by Devin Fountain, a designer in San Francisco that loves fashion probably more than you do. At least, that’s what he told me. You can tweet at him @devinsfountain or just wave to him on your morning commute. He looks tired and not ready to put up with your shit. You can email him too, but he said not to give that out.

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