Sports vs. Music: Who's Got the Best Kicks?

Sneaker culture has surged to new commercial heights in recent times for a variety of reasons.

First off, workplace dress code has dramatically changed in a lot of fields. A more "relaxed" wardrobe for employees has created additional avenues for sneakers to thrive. Along with that, the rise of social media has created a place where we can fantasize over the latest and greatest kicks, turning average would-be consumers into addicts.

Because of these changes, celebrities and athletes alike have been given the chance to make fashion statements by entering the sneaker world on a personal level. Consumers have become the beneficiary of these changes.

We wanted to explore the difference between celebrity-inspired sneakers and signature athletic shoes. From design to exclusivity, sales and colorways, we pulled some of the most popular models to date and broke them down one by one.

To make things easier, we gave each sneaker a report card. Here's what we came up with and how each shoe graded out.

Honorable Mention: LASCO Veg Octobers

Image via LASCO

A tireless work ethic and vision for excellence perfectly describes LASCO brand's Veg Octobers. As you can probably see from the image above, these shoes are a reinterpretation of Kanye West and Nike's Air Yeezy 2. But they're so much more than that.

Each pair is handcrafted utilizing the finest materials available. Not just in terms of leather, but with the type of glue they use and the binds that hold the shoe together.

That means a consumer who grabs these Veg Octobers will essentially have their very own "one-of-a-kind" sneaker. And in today's day and age, that's all sneakerheads want.

When you talk about quality and exclusivity, LASCO's Veg Octobers are unmatched. Nothing on the market today holds up in a materials capacity.

Because of the attention to detail and visual adjustments made from the folks at LASCO, these kicks will arrive in a super-limited quantity.

Report Card

Quality: A+

Exclusivity: A+

Unique Colorways: C

Cultural Impact: A

Drake: OVO Air Jordan X

Image via Jordan Brand

Drake's collaboration with Jordan Brand has been beneficial for the company's portfolio. With the success of Kanye West's deal with Adidas, it made sense for Jordan Brand to loop Drake into the fold.

The Air Jordan X "OVO" was the first installment of this relationship.

Keeping within the confines of exclusivity, Jordan Brand dropped this "OVO" X on a limited basis, as Brandon Richard of Sole Collector described. The shoe was tough to pick up.

Since the first two waves of releases, we've seen maddening auction prices for these sneakers around the Internet. In many cases it feels like people are chasing the exclusivity more than the design itself.

The "OVO" X features the same framework as any Air Jordan X model. Anatomically it's identical. Differences come down to a plush leather installation and that "OVO"-specific colorway. Fair being fair, it definitely was the best-looking Air Jordan X to drop in a long time.

We have yet to see a multitude of colorways emerge from this partnership, although future drops are in the works. Once that hits, the Drake, "OVO" and Jordan Brand collab is going to soar to new Kanye West levels.

Report Card

Quality: A

Exclusivity: A

Unique Colorways: C

Cultural Impact: B

Kevin Durant: Nike KD 8

Image via Nike

It certainly feels like Kevin Durant's sneaker empire has flown under the radar lately. LeBron James has taken over the Nike airwaves with his LeBron 13 release and cultural sneakers like Kanye West's Adidas collaboration have hogged most of the mainstream coverage.

Let us not forget that Durant secured $195 million in sneaker sales last year, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.

Durant's KD 8 offering is the latest release from the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar. Unlike a lot of Durant models, the KD 8 hasn't been deemed an exclusive sneaker. The kicks have been relatively easy cops since the first colorway debuted this past June.

Impact-wise, the KD 8 has gotten lost in the proverbial shuffle. Despite being an extraordinarily comfortable sneaker—and a performance beast—folks haven't gravitated to the shoe nearly as much as we expected them to.

It's a weird twist of fate for Nike's second-most prominent shoe guy. Only time will tell what happens next in terms of bulk sales.

Report Card

Quality: B+

Exclusivity: C

Unique Colorways: A

Cultural Impact: C

Pharrell Williams: Adidas Superstar Supershell

Image via Adidas

Giving a creative entity like Pharrell Williams the chance to redesign a timeless sneaker can only lead to good things.

Adidas allowed Williams to put his own touch on the Superstar sneaker, and in the process he gave the brand a shot in the arm. Unlike a lot of celebrity kicks or even athlete-driven materials, Williams' sneakers are so far out of the box on a visual level.

Recently, he took the stalwart Superstar model and lined it with flower artwork and colored stripes. The combination was a noteworthy way to make his presence felt.

A lot of Williams' work with Adidas has been tough to pick up. Whether it was the vivacious color wheel of Superstar kicks or this more recent Supershell version, we've seen a lot of diverse kicks come from Williams' camp.

Report Card

Quality: A

Exclusivity: B

Unique Colorways: A

Cultural Impact: B

LeBron James: Nike LeBron 13

Image via Nike

One area where celebrity kicks can't match athletic conglomerates is in the selection department. Despite Kanye West and Adidas' best efforts to give consumers different colorways, a shoe like Nike's LeBron 13 will always overcome that.

We've already seen an inundation of unique colorways and the shoe was first released to the public on Oct. 10. 

Very few sneakers on the market will get the same treatment as the LeBron 13. He's without question the most commandeering figure in basketball and Nike's sole cash cow—James pulled in $340 million from sneaker sales alone in 2014, per Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.

You won't see those types of numbers of volume of colorways from any celebrity-based sneaker out there on the market.

Report Card

Quality: B+

Exclusivity: C+

Unique Colorways: A

Cultural Impact: B+

Kanye West: Adidas Yeezy Boost

Image via Adidas

No shoe out there, athletic or leisure, is crushing the galaxy quite like Kanye West's Yeezy Boost series.

Built in two forms—the 350 low-top Boost and the high-top 750 model—each release we've seen has been nearly impossible to attain. What separates West from a lot of his peers designing kicks is his taste and appreciation for aesthetics.

Durable, minimalistic structures, freshly woven patterns and dynamic comfort mechanisms fuse together to create a shoe that looks at good as it wears. The Yeezy sneaker line makes shooting hoops or writing a paper equally as interesting of a fashionable task.

Comparing West to any signature athlete isn't fair game these days. The hype for his shoes alone catapults those products above a LeBron James or even an Air Jordan model. 

In terms of quality and lasting consumer value, the Yeezy Boost 350 and 750 emerge as winners once again. When you combine colorways like "Moonrock" and "Pirate Black," the clear-cut winner is Kanye and the powers over at Adidas headquarters.

Report Card

Quality: A

Exclusivity: A+

Unique Colorways: B

Cultural Impact: A+

Kobe Bryant: Nike Kobe X

Image via Nike

Kobe Bryant's kicks have been toward the forefront of sneaker technology for years now. Remember, it was Bryant who made the whole low-top sneaker a normal thing in the NBA.

Nike's Kobe X is the culmination of all things Bryant. And based on his comments on SiriusXM (h/t Frank Isola of the New York Daily News), these kicks could be the last ones he wears during his NBA career.

Unlike a lot of its predecessors, the Kobe X hasn't been as coveted as others—that may change if Bryant walks away from the game. Consumers don't face many issues trying to add a new colorway into their shopping carts. This notion came as a change of pace considering various Kobe IX models were instant sellers.

Tech specs and wearability are the two areas where the Kobe X makes a shuttering impact. These kicks truly are mesmerizing to wear on the court, offering layers of support. It's also become commonplace for a pair of Bryant sneakers to be treated to what feels like millions of colorways. The Kobe X is no different on that front.

Report Card

Quality: A

Exclusivity: C

Unique Colorways: A

Cultural Impact: C+

Pusha T: Adidas King Push EQT 'Black Market'

Image via Adidas

Behind Kanye West, Pusha T has become the hottest name in the Adidas camp. Forget the $200 million deal the brand handed off to Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

That premium streetwear factor has given Pusha a one-up on the rest of the Adidas roster. Wearability matters and Pusha's kicks can be displayed effortlessly.

We saw Adidas unveil the King Push EQT "Black Market" sneaker last week. It took that beautiful EQT shell we've all come to love and blessed it with a black overlay.

Compared to a lot of athletic sneakers, Pusha's joints always overwhelm in terms of craftsmanship. Sublime quality is essential to make these kicks work. That's why you get a leathery shine on the base that hopefully will last an extended period of time.

Put them on a table with a pair of Nike Kyrie 1s and you'll notice the difference. Celebrity kicks like these seem to leapfrog others in a qualitative capacity.

Report Card

Quality: A

Exclusivity: A

Unique Colorways: C

Cultural Impact: B+

Stephen Curry: Under Armour Curry Two

Image via Under Armour

Raise your glasses to Under Armour. The company's brilliant move to ink Stephen Curry to a sneaker deal—when Nike wouldn't—has turned into a spectacular decision for the ever-growing apparel titan.

Hayley Peterson of Business Insider wrote about it further after the Curry One came out: "Sales in that category grew 754 percent in the second quarter ended June 30, 2015, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley. That's up from a 296 percent growth rate in the first quarter of the year."

Numbers like that turned the Curry Two into a hyped model. How would Under Armour continue to grow its brand and utilize Curry's star power was the main question we all pondered.

The Curry Two dropped and immediately elevated the company. It's an ultra-comfortable sneaker that performs admirably on the court. 

Initial colorways have dropped and more are expected based on Curry's popularity. The shoe may be challenging to pull off in a streetwear capacity but that's expected from a Curry silhouette at this stage in the game.

No matter what, this shoe has become a serious player in the cultural world and has given Under Armour a seat at the adults' sneaker table.

Report Card

Quality: B+

Exclusivity: B

Unique Colorways: B+

Cultural Impact: B+

Kendrick Lamar: Reebok Ventilator

We haven't politicked about Reebok lately. But one sneaker that's worth conversing about is the brand's joint effort with Kendrick Lamar.

Lamar's custom Ventilator was one of the dopest sneaker releases of 2015. Built to pay homage to Los Angeles, this shoe was a hot commodity when it was finally liberated from Reebok's vault. It became a near-instant sellout, sending a shiver down the spine of consumers.

Resellers were able to push these kicks out there at an inflated price because of the exclusivity, materials and overall quality of this Reebok artifact.

There weren't many colorways of the Lamar Ventilator. In fact, only one has dropped to date. But that was expected as the brand is testing the waters with one of hip-hop's brightest talents.

That lone drop resulted in one special sneaker that could be a sign of things to come—a product that truly put Reebok back on the map.

Report Card

Quality: A

Exclusivity: A

Unique Colorways: C

Cultural Impact: B+

Russell Westbrook: Jordan Brand's Westbrook 0

Image via Nike

The pinnacle of all these various kicks from different sources came together to create Jordan Brand's Westbrook 0.

Russell Westbrook is the first prominent NBA athlete to bail on the idea of an athletic signature sneaker, instead opting for a fashionable endeavor. It makes sense when you think about it. Westbrook has worked with Barneys and has been an invoking presence in the dense world of fashion.

The Westbrook 0 was a way to tie his on-court style together with off-the-court endeavors, and the result was spectacular.

Nabbing this sneaker wasn't overly difficult. The first few pairs sold out over time but fresh colorways have remained online and in stores. It's a fashion-first sneaker and perhaps that's the main reason why it didn't explode out of the hands of retailers.

All things considered, the Westbrook 0 was a well-put-together sneaker that made waves when it first debuted.

Report Card

Quality: B

Exclusivity: C+

Unique Colorways: B+

Cultural Impact: B-

Who's Kicks Are Better?

Image via Nike

Now that we've combed over a group of the best selling and sought-after sneakers in the world, the question left laying on the table: Whose kicks are better?

Do we give the victory to celebrities because of the perceived exclusivity that goes with them? Or do athletes get the nod of approval considering their sneakers are available in more colorways and can double as performance or fashion-based footwear?

Honestly, it all comes down to preference. Blurring the lines between impactful quality and design has given both athletes and celebrities jaw-dropping endeavors. There isn't a substantial drop-off from either side of the footwear aisle.

Sneakerheads and consumers have been able to reap the rewards of variety and we're all grateful for that.

Winner: Tie

All Nike/Jordan product information via News.Nike.com unless noted otherwise. All Adidas information via News.Adidas.com unless noted otherwise.