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The Sneakerheadit: Shezi Manezi

By Nic Hayman, April 25, 2017

Shezi Manezi splits his time between organizing the chaos on worldwide sneaker releases at The Drop Date, and doing #content for London streetwear collective Basement Approved.

As a seasoned veteran of the queue life, Shezi has seen sneaker trends come and go and brands rise and fall, all the while refining his own taste in footwear. Here are his top five picks right now…

Nike Dunk High

The Dunk is such a nice, classic shoe — it’s so easy to like. They remind me of my youth in a big way and of the skate scene, when having a pair of them was essential. The simple black and white colorway on this pair makes matching it up to an outfit easy as anything.

Nike Air Max 90 Breathe

The Air Max 90 Breathe is the ultimate summer shoe. This colorway is especially banging and, to me, looks just like a lollipop, which reminds me of being on vacation somewhere tropical. It’s a classic silhouette, with eye-catching colors, an icy sole and breathable material — perfect for the warmer months.

adidas Originals NMD

To be honest, when the NMD launched I wasn't totally sold on them. I was already a fan of the Ultra Boost so I stuck with that. But then I tried them on and my mind was changed. There’s so much going on in the NMD range with so many different silhouettes and colorways, it feels like there’s something for everyone. This drop has a wooly, Primeknit upper, which has a kind of flecked look to it. Low-key enough so you can wear it to work, but interesting enough to work it into an outfit for the bar — it really goes with everything.

adidas Originals Gazelle

The Gazelle is a subtle, classic shoe with a silhouette that almost anyone can appreciate whether they’re into sneakers or not. Unlike the NMD, there’s heritage in the Gazelle, it is old school and there’s good reason it’s been around for 20 years. The gum sole on this colorway makes the gold stand out and when it catches the sunlight it really pops.

Pictures: ASOS

adidas Originals Tubular Shadow

Then there’s the Tubular Shadow, which sits on the opposite end of the spectrum to the Gazelle. With a wedged sole and minimalist upper the Tubular Shadow is a new model which ties in with some of the biggest sneaker trends at the moment. This is an accessible, affordable option for those who maybe don’t want to stand in line or pound the refresh button on their computer at drop time. The quilted leather on this colorway is a game-changer for me, I haven't seen anything like this before on a shoe.