Sneakers star at glamorous parties around Art Basel Miami

MIAMI (AP):

Fashion has always played a starring role at the glamorous weeklong parties surrounding Art Basel Miami. This year, it’s all about the kicks as several major brands, including Dior, adidas, and Nike, drop limited-edition sneakers that had fans camping out overnight.

Gabriel Gomez, 38, set up his chair outside LeBron James’ new retail spot, UNKNWN, in the trendy arts district on Sunday to ensure that he was first in line when the shoes dropped to the public Thursday morning.

At the store’s grand opening Wednesday night, VIP guests, including Flo Rida, Timbaland, and Reese LaFlare, walked past a massive line of colourful folding chairs and backpacks of shoppers hoping to get their hands on limited-edition shoes such as Bape; several Air Jordans re-releases, including the Fearless and Ferrari models; the Nike Lebron 17 Harlem; and re-releases from Vans x Rhude and Bearbrick.

The store planned to release a limited amount of shoes through the weekend but was tight-lipped about which items would drop when, leaving fans guessing.

“I’m not sure what they’re going to pull out in the morning,” said Gomez, who has hundreds of pairs in his collection and was interested in Off-Whites, Air Force Ones, or “maybe a Travis Scott”.

Scott’s Air Force 1 Cactus Jack sneakers retailed for US$160, but the various versions are extremely difficult to get and are often sold by a lottery.

The hype man

Highest In the Room rapper Scott has been pulling double duty all week as a fashion frontman and performer. He’s headlining a show at the popular 24-hour Miami nightclub E11even on Friday night. Earlier in the week, he was the hype man for the highly anticipated Christian Dior Air Jordan 1 sneaker.

Dior designer Kim Jones unveiled the high-tops at a celebrity-studded fashion show attended by Kim Kardashian West, Kate Moss, and David Beckham on Tuesday night.

The white-and-grey sneaker includes hand-painted edges, as well as transparent soles with both Air Dior wings and the trademark swoop done in the signature grey Dior jacquard pattern outlined in black.

The Dior Jordans won’t be released until April 2020. Scott debuted them on the red carpet shortly before the Dior show. He also paid homage to the brand by wearing a massive diamond-encrusted ring that spelled ‘Dior’.

On Wednesday, Prada dropped its collab with adidas, a sleek white leather shoe and a bowling/gym bag. The two are sold as a set for US$3,170.

Adidas also partnered with artist Hebru Brantley on a limited-edition shoe slated for release Thursday night at a party hosted by Happy singer Pharrell Williams. The multicoloured suede shoe, with an olive toe and a splash of bright blue around the heel, matches Brantley’s signature Flyboy character.

Not to be left out, Louis Vuitton unveiled its first sneaker trunk Tuesday night at a Miami store. The massive hard-sided trunk’s exterior can be customised in the iconic brown logo or in a black exterior. The price starts at US$182,000.

Footwear was so prominent during Basel week that NBA All Star Jimmy Butler had a sneaker-cleaning station at his party Thursday, where he helped refurbish a basketball court and park for the community.