DON’T MISS OUT: THE NIKE REACT ELEMENT 87
Shared from MR PORTER . Click here to read more
There is some truth in the talk of Nike going soft. Its latest running-shoe technology, Epic React, is 11 per cent softer than that employed in its game-changing LunarEpic Low Flyknit 2, not to mention 13 per cent bouncier (yes, there clearly is a quantifiable way of measuring these things). But given that the wider world’s first engagement with this new sole revolution came in the form of the React Element 87, it’s clear that the sportswear superbrand is not just ahead of the curve, but way out in front.
The React Element 87, and therefore this new cushioning system, was first unveiled not by Nike itself, but at Undercover’s AW18 show in Paris earlier this year. The cult Japanese streetwear label – a long-time collaborator with Nike – produced its own take on the shoe, which sold out instantly when it finally dropped last month. This, the mainline version, shares much of the DNA, notably game use of technical fabrics and bleeding-edge design.
And despite the deployment of the new super-soft hardware, this sneaker isn’t even technically a running shoe. Instead, the technology has been “optimised for the urban commute”. “Proof,” says Nike “that innovation can walk before it runs.”
It was a bold first step to put (very forward) fashion ahead of athletic application, but the shoe certainly delivers. Now available on MR PORTER in three arresting colourways – Black/Neptune Green/Bright Mango/Midnight Navy, Black/Cool Grey/Blue Chill/Solar Red, Wolf Grey/Black/Thunder Blue/Total Orange (phew) – the Element 87 features ripstop uppers, reflective trims and microsuede linings, as well as the oversized Swooshes, are very becoming of a shoe that is built on that ground-breaking foam foundation. Also of note, removable cork insoles – evidence that age-old natural materials still have a place in the modern world.
As ever, you’ll have to be quick, which obviously will be easier once you cop a pair of the sneakers.
Shared from MR PORTER . Click here to read more
XXL: THE SHOES OUR FEET ARE FUCKING WITH Shared from SSENSE . Click here to read more Breaking Down the Impact of Chunky Sneakers feat. Balenciaga, Nike, Eytys, and More Long before the rise of Balenciaga’s Triple S, before Eytys’ Angel or Acne Studios’ Manhattan, bulky shoes were thriving. Their prevalence and array of corresponding shapes continue to evolve with whatever mainstream silhouettes and lifestyles catch wind. To occupy more space than necessary—by way of your shoe—is to make a statement of how you wish to be perceived within the world. 
EIGHT GUYS WHO MAKE US WANT TO UP OUR STYLE GAME A sartorial masterclass from the streets of Florence and Milan CLICK FOR MORE Words by Mr Mansel Fletcher The new year kicks off with Italy’s two big biannual fashion events, Pitti Uomoin Florence and Fashion Week in Milan. Media attention in Florence is almost entirely dedicated to the outfits worn by the attendees, while interest in Milan is spread more evenly between the clothes on the catwalks and the clothes on the street. All of this means that for the guys attending these events there’s an almost irresistible temptation to overthink their outfits, the result of which is that there’s great sport to be had reviewing the street-style shots. 