Bluffers Guide. The insider info to get you talking the talk and walking the walk

Walking on Nike Air
Sneaker aficionado? Actually, I can't say the words 'nice kicks' usually roll off my tongue, I'm far more au courant when it comes to heels. Here I was thinking sneakers were just sneakers but it turns out there's a massive difference between clunky white Jerry Seinfield-esqe runners and a pair of Adidas Superstar's. So on slip the Chuck Taylor's, I'm ready to morph into a Sneaker Freaker. We've got a whole bevy of terms to munch through so feast away like termites my little friends.

There are more to sneaker styles than just high tops, mids and lows, to make it confusing companies throw in a choice of soles. There are Vulc soles (vulcanised) which are where the bottom rim and the sole join together to make the shoe super flexible. Otherwise you can opt for a Cup sole which comes up the side of the shoe, making it firmer with more heel support.

Trying your hardest to become a Sneakerhead? The holy grail of lingo is the term colorway; basically a variation in colour and style of a particular model of shoe. Occasionally a company will release a quick strike meaning they'll do an immediate drop of a product already on the market, in a new colorway. These are stupid rare. Everyone wants what nobody else has, so if you're the artsy type, buying a pair of blanks, and making customs is the sure fire way to have everyone bowing at your feet.

Sneaker fiends go mental over collaborations, especially when there's a history behind a shoe. Like the Jordan Shoe, you probably couldn't afford it when you were a kid, but now it's 10 years later and you're an accountant, finally you get to rub your greasy mits all over that set. A heads up, pandemonium is set to erupt in 2010, the Star Wars franchise is teaming up with Adidas to release a range of limited edition character themed sneakers (we're thinking brown furry Chewbacca high tops - yeowza!).

Lastly when rocking your kicks, kreps, pair's, pumps, ups or just plain old sneakers make sure you don't go fugazi, fakes are what makes the cool kids throw up on themselves.

Talking Shop with Sneak and Destroy