My Dumb Opinion

Call me a curmudgeon, but I am of the dumb opinion that basketball sneakers have gone too far in their style. What happened to the Converse Weapons, Air Jordans, and A.I.’s of my youth? Why does everything need to be covered in metallic fabrics, foam-posits, and enough neon to make 1992 uncomfortable? Have you seen what’s available out there? While sneakers have always had a prominence in basketball culture, their current incarnations seem to value fashion over the ability to play better. Do the new KD’s need to be lime green and tropical orange for you to jump higher and run faster? No. God forbid an NBA player endorse a shoe that is ‘gasp’, black and white! As a result, teams look ridiculous on the floor now. You never see superstars wear their own atrocious color combinations during televised games. Maroon uniforms with pink and powder blue shoes are not what one would call compatible. The days of allowing one’s game to speak for itself is over. Now sneakers draw the attention of onlookers faster than their jump shot; this seems backwards to me. Bring back the days of simple colors, elegant patterns and normal materials. Leave the neon for the 90’s.