Issue #325 | An Inside Look at the Making of the Next “It” Sneaker

An Inside Look at the Making of the Next “It” Sneaker

The first Nike to hit the cover of Sports Illustrated was a shoe you’ve probably never heard of. The Astro Grabber, worn by USC’s star running back Anthony Davis in that 1974 photo, was “a simple cleat that the Swoosh put on football players in the company’s bootstrapping early days,” says GQ. Like, really early—when Nike had only just figured out what to call itself, thanks to company founder Phil Knight’s first hire, Jeff Johnson, who helped develop the Grabber. Now, the young person’s “it” luxury brand, Bode, is picking up where Nike left off by turning the shoe into what some are saying is the next “it” sneaker.

GQ

Speak Like a Local This Summer

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Navigate somewhere new with ease.

John C. Reilly Thinks Your Flaws Are Swaggy

It’s routine advice we all kinda suck at taking, whether in style or life: don’t overthink things so much. But coming from John C. Reilly, the words feel less like a platitude and more like sage advice you’re hearing for the first time. In conversation with the accomplished actor, a guy who can swing between the acid comedy of Tim & Eric and a coke-addled drama like Boogie Nights, Blackbird Spyplane gets to the bottom of why you shouldn’t feel so weird about wearing that cool hat—or just being yourself.

Blackbird Spyplane

This Technology Could Revolutionize Winter Jackets

Just as colder weather exits stage left for the year, some new tech for staying warm is entering the spotlight. Aerogel, developed by NASA as insulation to keep equipment from freezing in space, is 99 percent air, making it the lightest solid known to man. That also makes it an idyllic substitute for down, since the two products work in the same way—by trapping heat with hundreds (thousands?) of tiny air pockets; more of them means better insulation. Here’s how it could change the layers we reach for when temps start to drop.

MyLifeOutdoors

Rolex’s Biggest Release of 2024 Is…

There’s always one big new release from Rolex, says GQ writer Cam Wolf. This week, on opening day of the watch industry’s biggest event of the year, Watches and Wonders, the crowds in Geneva descended on a silver GMT-Master II that was a cooled-off spin on last year’s all-gold piece with a black and gray bezel. It was a soft pivot, with all the luxury intact. But that was just one of several tricks up Rolex’s sleeve. From a newish dress watch line to embellishments on tried and true sports pieces, here’s everything the watchmaker unveiled on Tuesday this week.

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