Here's a list of some of the all-time sneaker classics inspired by major North American cities including Boston, Mexico City, Montreal, and more. From celebrating their famous local dishes to representing historical architecture and culture, these sneakers showcase the creative storytelling abilities of some of the most talented footwear design teams.
10. Boston: Concepts x New Balance 1500 “The Freedom Trail”
Alongside the equally interesting 875 boot model, this 1500 New Balance sneaker was released in late November of 2009 as part of "The Freedom Trail" collection which takes inspiration from the historical background of the great American city of Boston. This famous trail takes many eager tourists through some of the most iconic landmarks of the city, including America's oldest public park, the Old South Meeting House where the Boston Tea Party began, and the World's oldest commissioned warship still afloat.
Representing the Freedom Trail's red footpath and the prominent brown brick buildings of the North End neighborhood, this sneaker's colourway and high-end materials create a very classical and premium aesthetic.
9. Mexico City: Adidas “Mexico City” Forum
Marketed as "hecho de historia", or "made of history", this Adidas Forum model celebrates the beautiful Mexican tradition of Talavera, the decoration of ceramic pieces with colourful floral and miscellaneous patterns and shapes.
This release is a truly beautiful representation of the nation and its culture; bringing global attention to a five-century-old tradition.
8. Montreal: Nike Dunk Low Montreal Bagel Shoe
The bagel: an unsuspecting inspiration behind a pair of sneakers and Montreal's favourite treat.
Paying homage to the Canadian city's culinary wonder, Nike decided to go all out with this limited edition colourway by printing sesame seeds graphics onto the upper materials.
Food-themed designs tend to be offensive to the eye and receive poor feedback from sneakerheads but these Dunks are a rare exception due to neutral choices in colour and minimal iconography of the respective food item. The great thing about this design is that, while even knowing its unusual inspiration, it remains a classic shoe; They do not scream, "look! This guy is wearing bagels on his feet...". Instead, this sneaker stays true to the Dunk simplicity.
7. Seattle: New Balance “My Home” TWO WXY
If you're a fan of the NBA, chances are you're familiar with Atlanta Hawks' star, Dejounte Murray. This New Balance basketball sneaker takes inspiration from his hometown of Seattle by sampling the green, gold, and white colours of the old Seattle SuperSonics who have since relocated to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder.
The use of these basic primary colours alone makes for a sneaker that well-represents the retro scene when the Sonics were still going strong.
6. Miami: Ronnie Fieg x Asics Gel Lyte III “Miami Beach”
When you pair the incredible talent of Ronnie Fieg with the sportstyle giants, Asics, you're bound to create an incredible piece of art and this is exactly what happened an entire decade ago with this magical collaboration.
Bringing sports and style together in a sweet harmony, this model also takes on a summery colour scheme inspired by the local NFL team, the Dolphins.
Representing one of the most bustling cities in the world and its incredible nightlife, a reflective 3M layer was placed beneath the Asics stripes so the shoe continues to stand out once it turns dark.
Now the sneaker sells for around 5x its original retail price!
5. San Francisco: Nike Air Max 90 NTSF San Francisco
Featuring graffiti-like "SF" embroidery on the heel counter and San Francisco Giants colours, this sneaker creatively represents the coastal Californian city.
Standing for Nike Town San Francisco, this sneaker also came with a small promotional flyer in celebration of Nike Town's tenth anniversary.
4. Detroit: Burn Rubber x New Balance 577
Taking fourth place is this very versatile 577 model which was introduced through a special collaboration between the sneaker boutique, Burn Rubber, and New Balance.
To pay tribute to Detroit's rich boxing heritage and Michigan's most decorated veteran, Joe Louis (AKA the Brown Bomber), premium leathers were paired with early-era boxing colours.
3. Dallas: Nike Air Max 97 “Home and Away”
Among an Atlanta-themed Air Force 1, an Air Max 95 inspired by Houston, and a Miami Air Max Plus 97, this Dallas Air Max 97 was released as part of Nike's 2019 "Home and Away" series.
With loose inspiration from the city itself, this sneaker is one of the more versatile designs on the list. It can be considered that the green componentry is a nod to the local Bank of America Plaza which, at night, becomes illuminated in a bright green hue. Perhaps the green is inspired by the colours of the Dallas Stars NFL team, or some of the past and present Dallas Mavericks uniforms.
2. New York: New Balance Made in USA 992 NY
This collaboration between J.Crew and New Balance introduced the limited-edition Made in USA 992 NY to pay homage to J.Crew's home state and its state flag.
Many New Yorkers say the city is most beautiful during the Fall or Autumn season and this is why this very special sneaker features an array of fall colours including orange, brown, grey, and blue.
Being the fourth New Balance model on this list, it's clear to see the brand knows how to capture the spirit of a proud city.
1. Honolulu: Nike Waffle 2 Shoe Dog Pack
The glorious number one spot is in honour of Nike's co-founder, Phil Knight, who, alongside the legendary Bill Bowerman, had built one of the most successful brands ever.
In 2016, Phil Knight released "Shoe Dog", a memoir on Nike's founding story and the challenges the company faced early on in its colossal journey, and many times throughout this read, Knight references the state of Hawaii where the Honolulu Marathon is hosted annually.
Taking inspiration from these references, Nike released this new take on the heritage-style runner which pairs the timeless silhouette with a warm colour palette and beautiful graphics of the Hawaiian state flower that transport us to the incredible city of Honolulu.
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