Shop Talks:

It's that time of year where the in office debates at Story get leaked( well…not really but we'd like to share our thoughts with you at least).

We all know that the streetwear industry is currently undergoing quite a large transition in terms of “what is cool” - is it understated quiet luxury? Is it blokecore? Is it gorp? Is the blatant answer just a New Balance? The unfortunate truth is that we don't really know ourselves however our egos like to think we have pretty good premonitions about 2024 so let's hear what some of the guys collectively think.

2024 WILL be a better year for sneakers than 2023

Starting off with a bit of a blind optimistic take yes.. But hear us out it has substance.

2023 was a pretty uninspiring year for sneakers. Resell prices dramatically dropped, Air Jordan 1s were sitting and overall hype around releases just never seemed to captivate the movement as much as it used to. There were some really standout releases such as the Air Jordan SB “Pine Green” and the J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 but other than that, it was quite bland. The over saturation of the Nike Dunk was a huge antagonistic reason for this and to the sneaker community as we know it. Large numbers of recycled colourways with little to no creativity and extremely poor quality control was almost a trend for Nike throughout the past year. In all fairness, as mentioned before 2023 felt like a transitional year, it was a year of old styles and trends dying out while new styles slowly emerged and set the foundation for the following year. This is one of the main reasons we feel 2024 may actually be a banger. Already we have had the reimagined version of the Bred AJ4 which continues the SB AJ4 lifespan, we have also had many leaks for more collabs revolving New Balance, Asics and the Indoor Gazelle which are all things good to come out of the 2023. Brands such as Corteiz have really set the tone for more rag tag streetwear brands to push and go big or go home, we hope to see a lot of this continue as well in the next couple months, its honestly exciting times.

Broken Planet will explode in 2024

Leading perfectly off the last point is a prime example of the influence Clint419 has had on the industry. It's safe to say Broken Planet currently owns fashion TikTok. Almost every reel these guys post gets a surplus of views; it's actually a joke. Currently amassing over 600k and 500k followers on instagram and Tik Tok respectively Broken Planet are cooking something very very special. Led by partners Lukas Žvikas and Indrė Narbutaitė, they have swiftly risen to prominence as one of the U.K.'s premier streetwear brands and one of the fastest growing brands of recent memory. Their innovative fusion of inspirations drawn from outer space and American hip-hop culture has resonated strongly with audiences, reflected in their oversized, graphic-heavy designs and smart TikTok-focused marketing strategies. Beyond merely offering trendy apparel, Broken Planet is on a mission to educate its younger demographic about the importance of global sustainability. This commitment is pretty evident when we have a look at their emphasis on utilising recycled materials in production and using eco-conscious shipping practices. The brand has further plans to expand with new explorations across outerwear along with interactive pop-up stores and a “Broken Planet Foundation” charity that has plans to help disadvantaged communities across the world… Seriously good job.

The Air Max Dn is Nike’s answer to New Balance and it will work

New Balance arguably had their best modern era year to date in 2023. Growth charts of sales were exponential for the Boston based brand as they saw a 25% increase in sales reaching $6.5 Billion in total. Other highlighted standout victories such as sponsored athlete Coco Gauff clinching her inaugural Grand Slam championship at the US Open drove the New Balance motive forward. This triumph not only solidified Gauff's status as a rising tennis star but also brought considerable acclaim to the New Balance brand in terms of performance. Furthermore, strategic partnerships with prominent athletes like Kawhi Leonard and Shohei Ohtani further bolstered New Balance's reputation and appeal, particularly among younger people. These signings plus streetwear and lifestyle collaborations with designers such as Salehe Bembury not only enhance the brand's visibility but also align New Balance on its already upwards trajectory of being a dominant force in the industry.

Nike have played their cards pretty well in order to combat this recent New Balance success. Unfortunately, the Air Max 1 and 90 have seen a stark decline in popularity. Once legendary silhouettes have even temporarily fallen from grace. On the flip side the Air max 95 and TN plus has soared in popularity over the past 24 months. Nike have identified this and created something that carries on that Euro-Step running flair.

For Air Max Day 2024, Nike has come up with the Air Max Dn, a supposed revolutionary sneaker poised to redefine the experience of walking on Air. Leveraging on Nike’s cutting-edge research and technology, the Air Max Dn brings back what represents the pinnacle of the footwear cushioning revolution. Central to its design is the introduction of Dynamic Air, a groundbreaking feature realised through a four-tubed Nike Air unit crafted to deliver maximum comfort, smooth strides, and as Nike say “exceptional interactive bounce.” Beyond the marketing jargon, the Air max Dn is a pretty good looking sneaker and already has some hype associated with its name thanks to Supreme. Clint419, who we all know by now is the founder of Corteiz, recently took to Instagram to unveil the second pair of the Supreme x Nike Air Max Dn collaboration. Dubbed the "Silver Bullet '' edition, this one will pay homage to the iconic Nike Air Max 97 silhouette, renowned for its legendary silver bullet colourway. We can easily see this silhouette becoming a trend in 2024, especially if rumours around the next Corteiz x Air max 95 is true.

We need to talk about the Air Jordan 4 SB (Again)

For many the Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 'Pine Green' distinguished itself as the perfect AJ4 as it addresses some key issues such as with a wider fit, a characteristic trait reminiscent of skate shoes. This unique feature not only enhances comfort but also pays homage to the roots of the Nike SB line. Many thought that this may be a once off a very rare occurrence for Jordan Brand, akin to when they take the AJ1 under the knife. This seems to not be the case however with three apparent Air Jordan 4 SB releases being confirmed for 2024 with one being the Bred reimagined that released last month. It’s safe to say that the Air Jordan 4 is going to have a stellar year, as Jordan Brand has seemed to transfer Jordan 1 hype over to the Jordan 4 silhouette quite successfully. Another A Ma Maniere collab is also on the horizon cementing the SB AJ4 as a prime runner for silhouette of the year at the end of the calendar pages.