Black Sneakers

Many prefer the all-white sneaker for its levity and crisp, clean look, but an almost equal amount are drawn to the black-on-black colourway. The all-black sneaker could be deemed the polar opposite of the all-white shoe; the color black is associated with stealth, dominance, and mystery. The black-on-black colourway has been in use as long as the white-on-white colourway was, and some of the most classic shoes of our time, like the Nike Air Force 1, Reebok Classic, and adidas Superstar, employed both colourways.

Credited as the first basketball shoe in history, and for a time the official sneaker of the National Basketball Association, the Converse Chuck Taylor is best recognized in its black colourway, and is arguably the most popular color variety of the Chuck Taylor in both the high-top and low-top design.

The most signifcant line of basketball sneakers, Air Jordan, is also predominately black. While all of the Air Jordan signature designs house the familiar Chicago Bulls colourway, the black color is used as the main backdrop. One of the more notable comparisons of white and black was made in 2006, when Jordan Brand released two Retros of the Air Jordan IV, in an all-white “Pure $” colourway and the “Black Cat”, which is completely black. The nicknames appointed to each colourway denote the contrast between black and white, but that centuries-old argument has been put through the fire by philosophers for just as long.