Image via Complex Original
Lead
Even if you're not into BMX like that, you probably know who Nigel Sylvester is. He's the New York street shredder with Michael Jordan level sponsors — Nike, Gatorade, G-Shock, New Era — to go along with Mirraco and Animal Bikes. Riding's taken Nigel all over the world and back again, and his kicks game has benefited greatly — dude is always #PopAWheelieFresh. Click away to check out Nigel Sylvester's Top 25 Sneakers of All-Time.
25
25. Nike SB Paul Rodriguez High "White/Red"
Nigel says: "That was like the first hightop riding shoe that I put on – it was pretty cool, it felt good on the pedals and whatnot. And the colorway, I was feeling that."
24
24. Nike Toki "Gucci"
Nigel says: "That was my first pair of Tokis, so I was all psyched on that colorway too — that was when the whole all-black everything was real heavy, so those joints just fit for sure. Just a simple shoe that I like."
23
23. Nike Air Tech Challenge Hybrid
Nigel says: "I was up at Nike — 6.0 Migration, when I jumped into the pond on campus — I was at the Employee Store, and I found them joints, I’d never seen those joints before. I was like, these joints are dope — got the little collage of colors on the side, whatever. Even the shape of the shoe was cool. I was about those shoes for a minute, I just wanna get them back."
22
22. Nike Air Griffey Max II "Black/Teal"
Nigel says: "That was one of those shoes I got when I was younger, favorite pair of shoes — I had them forever. Just a dope colorway again. Actually bought a pair the other day, haven’t gotten a chance to wear ‘em yet. Just the shape of the shoe, the way it feels, way it looks."
21
21. Nike Cortez "Midnight Navy"
Nigel says: "Gotta have those. Those are just a classic. When I was a little kid when I got those I was so psyched, went out and got every color. They were like — they were a super-affordable shoe at the same time, they were just basic, you could just throw ‘em down with different outfits. As a kid without a job you had to make shit stretch. Those worked perfectly."
20
20. Nike More Uptempo "Black/White"
Nigel says: "Those joints are sick, dude. The first time I saw those — a shoe that said AIR on the side, I was so fascinated with that. One of my homies, Jordan had a pair, he was the first one to have a pair, I was like ‘those joints are HARD,’ and I gotta get a pair, too."
19
19. Nike 6.0 Melee
Nigel says: "Those joints are dope because I filmed that one Gatorade series out here in New York with Glenn [PP Milligan] in those joints on, and I feel like that series kind of opened me up to a whole different realm. It was a real big look, it was something that hadn’t been done in BMX. Every time I look at that series or think about that series, I think about those shoes. They were all blue canvas, they held up good for riding, they didn’t stretch out super bad. Those were just on point."
18
18. Nike Court Force High BT
Nigel says: "I went to China my first time around the Olympics, went out there for that Beijing thing, I went to Niketown, and I seen them joints and I was like, aw, these joints is HARD. They had the stars on the side and shit, dude, I was like these joints is hard. I’m also a big fan of the Court Forces, so I was like I gotta get these joints. I killed ‘em at a party the other day, they’re in my mom’s basement just chillin’."
17
17. Nike Vandal High Supreme "Black/White"
Nigel says: "I just like the Vandal Highs for sure – that was one of the first pairs of shoes I got when I got on Nike outside of 6.0s. I just remember having those joints and thinking I was doing it. [Laughs.] You could put like the strap on the back and let it sit down, I thought that was so official."
16
16. Air Jordan X Retro "Steel"
Nigel says: "Those joints is crazy. When I was younger my cousin had a pair of those and my mom wouldn’t get me them. So when I got on Nike and I had a chance to get a pair, that was one of the first pairs I got. ‘I gotta get these joints,’ I had to put all my effort into getting’ those. My cousin had ‘em and he killed those sneakers, I was like ‘I want those sneakers so bad.’ It was on my mind a long time to get a pair of those."
15
15. Nike SB Dunk High "Pee Wee Herman"
Nigel says: "When I had that shop Format, those were a pair of shoes we had in there. I’m just a fan of solid-color shoes, especially a grey? So I think those pair were my favorite pair of Dunks for sure. Just hard, just super-simple and clean. And Pee-Wee Herman, he rides bikes, too."
14
14. Nike Air Max 1 "White/Red"
Nigel says: "Oh, I just think those are a classic pair of sneakers – the white and red joints? Another pair of sneakers I wanted as a kid and couldn’t really get. When I got on Nike it was like, I gotta get those. It was just like, when I got on Nike there were so many shoes on my mind that I had to get, so those are just high up there on the list."
13
13. Nike SB Zoom Stefan Janoski "Tiffany"
Nigel says: "I couldn’t get the Tiffany Dunks, the colorway is just sick, I couldn’t get those when they came out. But those Janoski shoes are super comfortable – I went on like five trips with those shoes on. Like airport flow, you know, because they’re just super comfortable. I still have ‘em too, they’re kind of killed but I still wear ‘em to the store or outside to get something from the car."
12
12. Nike Air Force 1 Bespoke "Nigel Sylvester"
Nigel says: "Those are just sick — those are my first pair of Bespokes, I sat down with Izzy at 21 Mercer, and we did those, and just denim, the leather — when I actually got the shoe in my hand I was like, damn, this joint is just crazy. It’s a different level — I guess the materials are just so premium it makes you appreciate ‘em. I haven’t even wore ‘em yet honestly — I think I’m waiting for my birthday or something, some special occasion."
11
11. Nike 6.0 Mavrk 2.0 Mid "Navy"
Nigel says: "Those are just my go-to shoe when I’m riding — they’re simple, they’re clean, they feel good on the pedals. I was so psyched when Nike did that Mavrk 2.0 — the first one was cool as fuck but this one’s even better. And I was just psyched on it. And I ride in them every day. Midnight blues like my favorite color."
10
10. Nike Air Max 90 "Infrared"
Nigel says: "Those are just classics. I can’t even explain those — those are just sick, man. Those are also another pair of shoes that when I got on Nike I had to get, and I recently got ‘em. And I’m just like, these are so fly though. They’re just crazy — even just the name of it, infrared, you think of a beam just goin’ POW."
9
9. Nike Air Max 95 "Neon"
Nigel says: "I have the Neons and I have the orange ones — those are just so comfortable. They’re my go-to travel shoes now, I throw on some sweatpants and throw on those and like… travel. You be on the plane just chillin’ or walk around — you know some airports are super long walks, especially with transfers and stuff, I just wanna be comfortable when I’m walkin’ around, you know?"
8
8. Nike 6.0 Mavrk 2.0 Mid ID "Tanned"
Nigel says: "Those are my favorite Mavrk 2 ID I did. When I made ‘em I was like, OK cool, they should be all right. I stole the colorway — Mayor did a pair of Air Force 1s, it was all tan and pink, and I was like ‘I have to do a Mavrk in that colorway,’ and I did it, and when they came out I was like ‘these are HARD.’ I probably did 30 pairs of Mavrk IDs, but these are by far my favorite pair. Those are just sick."
7
7. Air Jordan III Retro "White/Cement"
Nigel says: "Those are ones on the wish list that you just have to get. That was just a dope shoe — even the shape of that shoe. Sometimes I like shoes just for the shape of ‘em. Because the shape is so sick, they’re simple — they’re one of the only Nike shoes that don’t have a check on it — a Swoosh — I think that’s pretty cool, too."
6
6. Nike Air Force 1 Low "White/White"
Nigel says: "Those are a pair of shoes that from elementary school up to like, junior high school, every September you had to get a pair of those to go back to school. There wasn’t any no ifs ands or buts about it, those are just a staple in the wardrobe, closet, whatever. You have to have a pair of all whites. You could throw ‘em on with anything, in a sense. In my neighborhood growing up, my brother always got a pair, my friends all got pairs come September, back to school shopping."
5
5. Air Jordan 1 Retro "Ostrich"
Nigel says: "Those are sick, too. Jordan 1 is one of my favorite pairs of sneakers, and the first time I went to Japan I think they came out there — I’m not sure if they came out there before here, but they weren’t here yet [when I left] — and I went to Japan and I seen ‘em and I was like I GOTTA get these joints. That was one of the only things I bought in Japan when I went for my first time. All-black pair of Jordan 1s, and with different materials on ‘em? Those were crazy. Every time I see those I think about my Japan trip, which was an awesome, awesome trip."
4
4. Nike Air Max LeBron 8 "112"
Nigel says: "I just recently got those — that was one of the best nights of my life ever, I was already having such a good time, when Clark [Kent] came and gave me those shoes I was already having an incredible day, and that just took it to a whole different level, then the [G-Shock] party took it to ANOTHER level. That’s one of those shoes that I’m gonna look back every time I see ‘em and just remember that night and how much fun I had, so they had to be on the list."
3
3. Nike Mavrk Low "Nigel Sylvester"
Nigel says: "That Mavrk was the first Nike shoe I designed — it was like, a year or two after I got on Nike, so the opportunity was so crazy. I had in my mind I wanted to do an all-black Dunk, just use a whole bunch of different materials but all black, that was the theme behind that. It came out just sick, we used different kinds of leathers and suedes, ostrich and snakeskin — like six or seven different materials on one shoe, all black though. So from a distance it’s like cool, an all-black shoe, when you get up close you see the detail, you can appreciate it. That’s like a lot of things I do in life, from afar it’s, oh cool, but when you get up close it’s like oh shit, there’s actually some thought that went behind it. Inside was purple quilted which is super-comfortable, and a gold check on the outside, but the inside check was black. So that was pretty cool."
2
2. Nike 6.0 Mavrk 2.0 Mid "Black"
Nigel says: "Pretty much my favorite shoe — that’s my joint. The midnight blue ones are sick, the black and white — just a simple colorway, you can’t go wrong. I always get the black and white ones — ‘every time you send me a box, make sure there’s at least two or three in there.’ That’s shoes I wear to ride, I wear to go out, too, just to chill. A pair of those lasts me maybe a week and a half if I’m riding consistently."
1
1. Nike Air Jordan 1 "Blk/Red"
Nigel says: "I was coming over here thinking about those shoes — I could put them on for anything I’m doing in life, whether it’s riding, or just going out, whatever it may be, I could put those shoes on. Those are just my favorite shoes — they feel super, super comfortable. The pair I have now are just through, but I still wear ‘em all the time. I don’t even care, dude, just got ‘em on all the time."