crooked tongues magazine News Features

The shoe consumer is marginally more complicated in 2012. The cynics have got him or her pinned as a hype addled goon, but with New Balance, technical runners, Jordans that even include onetime UK white elephants at retro level like the 12 and 14, it's a tough thing to call. We thought that applying the tricksiness of Hyperfuse to something as beloved as an Air Max (where even changes in shape have caused mild outcry) would go down like the Hindenberg, but people have really taken to the Air Max 90 Hyperfuse - and prior to the recent NRG drop, we'd seen the 90 lose its popularity and get utterly eclipsed by the AM87. The Fuse world is totally different though and folk seem to prefer this upper when it gets the transparent treatment to the legendary OG Max design.

We never thought we'd see this madness after we handed them out at the BBQ (and if you weren't one of our "friends" who tried to shill theirs for a G on eBay after the BBQ or just left them to gather dust — don't be salty. Just slap yourself for thinking that sneakers like this can be any form of investment or heirloom), but the speed the Infrareds flew out the other Friday threw us a little. A new technology on a shoe can sink or swim, but these Michael Phelps'd (with those smoother uppers, maybe Duncan Goodhew would be a better reference point) the market, with nary a murmer of discontent among the lovers of the originals.

These new colourways bring a port colour and crimson and a platinum and metallic dynamic blue to the shoe and they work quite nicely — we still think dual tones can't deliver the potential of Hyperfuse like three colours can (and the best AM90s had at least three in the mix too) to let you see how the shoe is structured and they're certainly not as comfy as the real deal when they're slimlined like this, but it's still a versatile release and they're in the Crooked Tongues store now.