Ambition is one thing. Everyone one has lofty aspirations. If you can sleep, you can dream.
Execution is something entirely different. It takes proper planning to turn hopes into goals. Accomplishing them requires the means and wherewithal to see them through. CEO Ryan Duke and the rest of his team at Crossover Culture, a Los-Angeles based basketball and casual footwear and apparel line, have done just that.
The brand, created by and catering to hoopers, launched in mid-February with the release of both its Game Day (performance) and Every Day (lifestyle) sneaker series aimed at addressing the needs of today's game's do-it-all, positionless players by adorning them with accoutrements that function on the court without sacrificing their fresh off it.
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"You’re a basketball player. You’re a playmaker. You’re a creator," Duke said. "You’ve got points guards just dominating the rim, and you’ve got 7-footers running the ball up the floor. It’s just a different kind of game and that’s what we’re coming for.”
SN was able to score two of Crossover Culture's three performance releases, the Sniper Lo LP and the Fortune LP (mid). The Game Day series also includes the Sniper LP (high).
First, we'll review the black diamond/stealth/gold ingot colorway of the Sniper Lo LP, the company's most successful drop to date.
Crossover Culture Sniper Lo LP
Look Good
The Crossover Culture Sniper Lo LP passes the eye test with flying colors that would make Canadian emcee Shad proud. (If you don't know about that, get familiar.) They come also come in a polar white/stealth/gold ignot colorway that would be a perfect summer shoe and set off any white party. The sleek gold branding on the tongue, forefoot, heel and midsole gives the shoe a near-regal look that's sure to set it apart from other startup brands that often go for too much flair.
The quality and detail on the 3D molded knit upper is on par with some of the best I've seen, and the patterned midsole shows Crossover Culture is committed to high-level design and style that should serve them well for years to come. Plus, they've got a ton of dope gear to make the cypher complete.
Feel Good
The Crossover Culture Sniper Lo LP fits true to size for me, which, as someone who often gets caught between sizes (even among half sizes), was a welcomed relief. If you're wearing them for casual purposes, I'd recommend no-show socks for a nice relaxed ride. If you're hooping, they'll fit comfortably snug with a pair of performance athletic socks.
Even if you prefer an extremely tight fit, I think you'll be satisfied without going down a half size, and even as a wide-footer, I saw no reason to go up.
"The idea is that you see a sneaker online, you see it on the wall that's one view of it," Duke said. "But then, you pick it up in your hands, you feel the textures, that's another view of it. You put it on. It's comfortable. It feels a certain way."
Play Good
Here's where what really matters. The Crossover Culture Sniper Lo LP is a solid performance basketball shoe. Its best attribute is that it lives up to the company's billing that its "zero-compression set LP cushioning doesn't break down like traditional foams, resulting in the same resilient cushioning from Day to Day 101."
As with most shoes, they get even more comfortable the more you play in them, but you could unbox these right before a game and be good to go without practicing in them. That's something I can't say about most hoop shoes.
While its collar height is lower than even most low tops due to its cut (yes, I'm fully aware that wearing low tops doesn't increase the likelihood you'll sustain an ankle injury), you'll feel just as secure in these as you do in any mid-tops. Crossover Culture's wishbone suspension accommodates all the jumping, cutting, twisting and turning that comes along with with a competitive run, regardless of the level of play or a player's given position.
The traction indoors is decent, too. The Sniper Lo LP boasts a "multi-level modified herringbone outsole," but I found myself wiping a couple times. However, that's something I'm prone to do as a precaution no matter what kicks I'm rocking. Your experience could be different.
Crossover Culture prides itself on versatility. From combo guards to stretch power forwards and centers who can knockdown 3-pointers, the game is changing. Crossover Culture is seeking to outfit the renaissance.
Pay Good
Priced at $100 and available to purchase on Eastbay and select retail locations, the Crossover Culture Sniper Lo is a bargain you can't beat. Go ahead. Check them out, and sneakerheads will be asking you, "What are those?!" (Don't worry. I mean that in a good way.)
"I don't know about you, but I couldn't afford ten different sneakers when I was growing up," Duke said. "I got one pair of sneakers, and those were my sneakers for the year.
"We wanted to make it something that kids can get, that they can buy for themselves and they can wear it off-court, on-court, everywhere they go."