Fire Footwear: Sneakers Talk (with Matt Frates)

On this episode of Fire Footwear, Matty Ice delves into the world of sneaker culture and beyond. He discusses the importance of foot comfort and protection, especially for older consumers like him. He also discusses the rise and impact of sneaker culture on social media, and the creative visions of well-known sneaker collaborators like Jerry Lorenzo, Virgil Abloh, and Travis Scott. But the hosts a...

Social media is woven into the fabric of society, but are its intended uses being overshadowed? In sneakers it seems as if social media brings nothing but negativity, in the form of ruining surprises, gatekeeping, and just general bad behavior. Let's strive to make it a more positive place to exist. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.co...

Matty Ice is back in the U.S. after a great trip to England. Having come down from the experience, he has many thoughts on his time there. From sneaker culture in the UK, to food, to differing language, the trip had it all. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.yout...

Matty Ice is crossing the Atlantic to visit the great country and England. In doing research for the trip, it dawned on him that so many cities around the world have a rich sneaker culture. In this episode we talk through some of the most prominent cities in sneaker culture today. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsnea...

March is Air Max Month, and while it is coming to close, the Iceman dives into other great Air Max models, while also giving his favorites. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m...

While the sneakers themselves are awesome, it's the humans that make up the culture. The creators can sometimes get a pass for troubling behavior, but the question that's on Matty Ice's mind is "should they?". Matt talks through the Ja Morant and Tom Sachs stories while wrestling with the morality of it all. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.y...

The release of the Jordan 3 Reimagined is probably going to be the biggest of the year, but the history of how the Jordan 3 saved the brand is critical to the hype behind that shoe. It's important to use the past to understand the present, and the Jordan 3 may be the prime example of that in sneakers. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube....

In 1987, Nike found themselves falling back to the mean and it needed to take a risk. In comes Tinker Hatfield and his architecture background. Taking inspiration from a Parisian building, he created a shoe that would be influential in the culture, and a consistent staple of Nike's line. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootw...

February 2005 changed sneaker culture forever. The Jeff Staple Pigeon Dunk caused a riot outside Reed Space in New York — and nothing was quite the same after that. This episode makes the case that Jeff Staple may not be the most hyped designer in the game, but his place as a sneaker icon is undeniable. We look at the moment that put street culture on the mainstream map and what Staple's legacy me...

In light of A Ma Maniere's Jordan 12 release for women, and the news of Kanye and Adidas possibly reuniting, Matty Ice thinks about the importance of community. In today's divided world, it's important not to further that divide (Kanye) but to lift up all parts of the sneaker community (women). --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fi...

Forty years ago this week, Matty Ice was born. The world was a different place in 1983; sneaker culture hadn't blossomed into what it is today. The last forty years have seen many ups, downs and sneaker releases, but all of it has led to this moment. Join in and get a deeper glimpse into the host of this show, and continue to build the community around this podcast and sneakers. --- New episodes r...

At the end of the day, unlike cars, sneakers are mostly all the same. A collection of leather, rubber, and stitching. However, not all sneakers are priced the same. It begs the question of whether sneakers should be marketed based on their affordability and price? --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to...

In an episode inspired by other sneaker content creators, Matty Ice talks through what sneaker companies actually care about. A fundamental question is "should we really be investing in the companies that are making so much money off of us?" --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube...

With their upcoming AJKO low release, and the announcement of another Jordan 1 OG High collab, it begs the question "Are sneaker collabs becoming too common?". --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https:/...

Sneakers are a wonderful part of our culture, but can they symbolize more than just sneaker culture? Matty Ice looks into sneakers' connection with societal narratives over the course of their history. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --...

Are sneaker companies missing an opportunity by releasing the same silhouettes year after year? Matty Ice discusses some forgotten silhouettes in the history of sneakers. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagr...

The calendar has turned over to 2023, and there are a lot of sneaker drops to look forward to. Matty Ice breaks down some of the known releases to look forward to this year. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Inst...

The year 2022 was quite the year. In some ways it was the most normal year we have had since the pandemic started. For sneakers, like every year, it was packed. Matt breaks down the headlines and drops that defined the sneaker year 2022. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: ht...

There were a lot of drops throughout 2022, but which one was the best? Check out Matty Ice's subjective list. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattfratescreates/ Follow Matt...

Are you a sneaker lover? Love talking about them? This is the show for you. New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattfratescreates/ Follow Matt Frates on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.c...

Much like the Jordan 11 always drops in December, should every month have an associated sneaker silhouette? What would one be you'd want to see? --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https://www.instagram....

One year after the passing of Virgil Abloh, a fundamental question remains. Is he the most influential designer in sneaker history? --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattfrate...

Should sneaker authentication be a million dollar a year job? With the need for true authenticity at its peak in sneaker, we examine just how difficult it can be to get there. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on In...

Can sneakers be compared to a Thanksgiving meal? If so, which would you have on your plate? Let's discuss. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattfratescreates/ Follow Matt Fra...

Are Nike and Jordan brand watering down the legacy of the Jordan 1 Chicagos with the upcoming Lost and Found release? We'll discuss this week. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firefootwearsneakers Subscribe to Matt Frates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattfrates --- Follow Matt Frates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.co...