Top 10 Sneakers We Spotted At Crepe City Birmingham

Last weekend we headed up to Birmingham for Crepe City with high hopes that the midlands would turn up with serious heat. Of course Birmingham came to represent, impressing us with both their footwear knowledge and love for the culture. While at the event we couldn’t help but keep our eyes from off the floor, as shoe-after-shoe continued to set the bar higher. Eager to capture the best sneakers on camera, it is safe to say that the Crepe City community made our job easy, leaving us with the difficult part of choosing which pairs should make our list.

From the second we stepped into the venue, it was clear that the midlands still had big love for Nike and Jordan Brand, with many a sneakerhead rocking Air Max 95s and Air Jordan 4s. It was hard for us to boil the list down to just ten, but we have managed to put together a list that everyone can enjoy. Whether they were fresh-out-the-box or battered Nike SBs from 2005, no trainer was overlooked.

Starting out with something unique, we have the RTFKT x Nike Dunk. Unless you’re tapped into the NFT space, the RTFKT x Nike collaborations may remain somewhat of a mystery, with little concrete information on them available online. Inspired by gaming, this Dunk project comes with everything from modular components and notched laces to even a scannable NFC chip. Originally released at Complexcon, the VOID Dunk eventually hit the SNKRS app labelled as ‘Edition 11394’, with the number referencing the number of pairs made. Only 1,000 of these ended up hitting the SNKRS app which means these are incredibly rare to see in Europe. As pairs now resell for 2.5x the price of retail, it’s not a bad option to pick up a pair before they could skyrocket.

Rejigging the iconic Dunk tooling with a futuristic and angular profile, this project subtly nods to the incredible Bionicle x Nike collaboration. An insertable void vial on the tongue clasp echoing the removable orange worm from Bionicles outsole, giving this an added playful edge. Shout out to @harlsdogg for letting us see his “VOID” RTFKT Dunk Low up close!

There’s not much else to say about these other than they are arguably the best triple collab to have ever released. An instant hit since initial release, this modern take on the classic Fragment Jordan 1 is a pair we never tire of seeing. The only question worth asking is, would you rather own this AJ1 High or the AJ1 Low version?

One of the first trainers that crossed our eyes as soon as we landed were these "What The Dunk" SBs. A classic colourway that many OGs will recognise, these aren't something you see every day. Given the eye-watering prices that they fetch, many a sneakerhead is hesitant to even take them out of the box, let alone wear them out. The person wearing them remained low-key, mentioning how he’d clocked some serious mileage with these on feet. That being said, they looked to be in great condition.

Fun fact - these are technically considered by Nike as part of the infamous “Pigeon” Dunk series given the right foot boasts the embroidered bird.

A bittersweet collaboration given the passing of the legendary Spanto, although one we will always be happy to see being worn. From the broguing on the toe box, the embroidered lettering on the front toe and pearlescent Swoosh, the details are absolutely top notch. Laced up in the pink bandana-themed laces, if this SB Born x Raised isn’t on your grail list then you’re certainly missing a trick!

Given the recently announced retro, we were doing a double-take when we saw this Patta x Air Max 1 knocking about the Birmingham NEC. Make no mistake, these are in fact the 2005 edition, it’s just that the owner has taken seriously good care of them. Proudly rocking a UK12 (a unicorn size for the PATTA AM1), the crisp white midsole, un-stained mesh toe box and clear Air unit had these looking like they were taken straight out of a time capsule. Commenting on the upcoming retro of the Chlorophyll AM1s, the gentleman wearing them said he hopes Nike makes the remake slightly different, just so you can tell which one is the OG and the remake. We hear you!

Released during the ‘AIR in Colour’ event and limited to just 100 pairs, this LORENZ.OG edition is one of the more recent cases of ‘if you know, you know’ footwear releases. As prices for these keep rising, it was good to see this pair out and about in action. Paired up with a green ALIZA hoodie, there is no doubt the owner of these is dialled into the UK streetwear scene.

Birmingham’s love for the Air Max 95 was obvious at Crepe City, as hits of “Neon” were visible every way you looked. That’s why we were happy to see this cult favourite “Solar Red” AM95 walk by our booth. Adding in custom 3M rope laces for an extra pop, these are holding on nicely, bearing in mind they’re over a decade old. Definitely one of the older pairs we saw at CC, fingers crossed we get another retro in 2025.

Looking like one of the “What The” editions, this 2021 Dunk Low celebrates Chinese cuisine with an assortment of printed panels across the upper. As far as food-themed Dunks go, we reckon the “Street Hawker” SB Dunk is heavily overlooked, so be sure to swipe these up while you can grab them for a decent price!

The Nike Air Max 24-7 “Neon” is definitely a shoe that seems to pop up less frequently these days, so seeing these definitely brought a smile to our faces. A hybrid from 2010, the 360 Air unit take from the Air Max 2009 is a sturdy one, with no signs of crumbling in sight. Combining design elements from the Air Max 97 and Air Max 95, the silhouette was birthed during the early 2010s, a time when the Air Max line-up was merged with all of Nike’s other emerging technology. The result was a period full of weird and wacky innovations and mashups. Compared to the Flyknit and Lunarlon hybrids, the 24-7 certainly got left behind, with many Nike heads having issues with sizing. Now deemed a cult classic, we loved seeing @nitrousoxide19 wearing these on-feet with pride!

Last but not least, hiding among the rows of shoes on the @foot__klan stall was this SB Dunk High none of us had ever seen before, and unless you’re a serious OG who was collecting during the Pink Box era, we doubt many others have either. Debuting in September 2005 as part of two-shoe capsule as a tribute to The Melvins, a post-punk band out of Washington DC, we have the Nike Dunk High "Melvins". This white canvas pair Nike described in their online archive as “an equally ornate and grim take on the Dunk silhouette, employing crimson plasma saturation, logotypes, scrawl, iconography and a Chinese symbol that of course, translates to “blood” just to reinforce the gore.” As people debate which pair is best between these and the “Black” edition, they are considered a gem by the grungier skate heads of the time.

Discovering pairs you never knew existed is what being a sneakerhead is all about, so we hope you enjoy learning about this pair as much as we did!