ComplexCon 2022 Exhibits A ‘New Balance’ In Sneaker Culture

By Cassell Ferere originally published on Forbes.com

ComplexCon 2022 was a deep dive into street culture from multiple perspectives. Among the streetwear and fashion enthusiasts were reporters, rappers, artists, curators, innovators, decision-makers, and the many folks participating in the street culture market. They gathered to galvanize and trade creativity through community building under the ComplexCon catalog.

A conversation called the “War On Rap” kicked off the panel discussions, hosted by Ari Melber of The Beat, a news show on MSNBC that often wraps political news in the context of hip-hop lyrics. This initial panel featured rap legends Bun B, and Tip T.I. Harris, who all spoke to modern interpretations of street culture that emanate through, dialogue, fashion, sneakers, cultural relics, and artifacts of modernized culture.

Another panel hosted the rap duo The Clipse, made up of Pusha T and No Malice, music executive Steven Victor and long-time friend, collaborator, and rapper Fam-Lay. Moderated by Andrew Barber, the group detailed the many stories and nuances that made the album Lord Willin’ a cultural classic.

As big as this conference is, it’s no bigger than the over 260 brands that occupy the expo floor in efforts to keep a pulse on the ever-changing youth culture that fuels trends. Since 2016, ComplexCon has brought together thousands of fans who gravitate towards rare and unique items provided by each brand's desire to offer an experience significant to the conference.

Ideally, each brand would find a way to excite customers under the impression of exclusivity. Evidence of this lives throughout the ComplexCon expo floor, seeing the hundreds of brands that make up the streetwear and street culture ecosystem. Although Nike, an intricate brand in street culture, has been at the top of any footwear list, sneakers specifically. This year has showcased one brand as a guiding light in this sneaker generation.

This year at ComplexCon, New Balance earned three spots on the Sneaker of the Year List, a long-running list, and the most popular ComplexCon panel that features sneaker enthusiasts who have made broad impacts and spend about an hour debating their choices for top 10 sneakers of the year. Hosted by Complex: Sneaker Shopping host Joe La Puma, rapper Jim Jones, cultural curator Vashtie, rapper Jadakiss, and of course, DJ Clark Kent, famous for his one-pair-a-day sneaker trend, all got knee-deep into the hottest shoes of 2022.