20 years ago, Nike set in motion a series of events culminating in a band of local sneakerheads getting together to celebrate the anniversary of the Nike Air Max 95 Neon. What better way to pay homage than to brunch at Montreal’s own Junior Filipino where we just killed their chicken and waffles / lechon and waffles morning specialties.
As we met up in front of the restaurant, a random on-looker would think a cloning experiment was in progress, at least from the knees down. Only a seasoned sneaker buff would notice the differences of the various make-ups of the Neon 95, as the 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015 Patch, Mita Prototype and even the OG 1995 made an appearance at the meet. Brief discussions of which versions had the best qualities, as suede coloring, air bubble sizing, and overall shape were topics of debate. As per usual, the conversation at the table jumped from sneakers to food, to photography, to collector focus, to life, back to sneakers. An actual sneaker trade between Albert and past Sneakerhead Spolightee, Nick Pocket, also took place right in front of us as everyone at the table chimed in with their opinions and advice about the trade values and hotness of each shoe (stabs for wovens).

These periodic meet-ups have a way of resetting your views on the current state of the game; online drama tends to fade in the presence of an unspoken bond between good people with an appreciation for good sneakers and common goals.

Take a look at the deafening shoe shots below, courtesy of Albert NewYen and stay tuned for the next Kicks Convo by TheBragAffair.