Dome Pondering

Here are a few aesthetic inspos that caught my eye and intrigued me this month.  --- Caitlin 1 Basketball Shoes Caitlin Clark and Nike finally dropped her signature shoe, and it was a great debut. I love the little Cs in the texture of the shoe. The original blue colorway was a great drop, but the "Purple" (creative title, huh?) colorways are awesome. Every great signature shoe line is all about how you follow up the initial version; Caitlin 2s should be interesting.  Philadelphia Phillies Field of Dreams Uniform I've grown fond of the annual game. The uniforms have also become a part of that experience. This year's Phillies threads have to be up there if we're ranking all six teams to have participated. These were dope.  Josh Naylor's Diamond Studded Space Jam Jordan 11s Josh Naylor can annoy a lot of opposing fan bases, but you have to respect the dude's shoe game. These right here? On the baseball field? Fire.  New York Jets White-Helmets The Jets lose ...

Nike dropped new "Rebel" uniforms for the WNBA earlier this week. I can get on my soapbox and rant about how some teams in sports are losing their identities, but I'll save that for another post.  The following are some of my favorite design concepts for the "Rebel" line.  WNBA Rebel Edition Uniforms - Dallas Wings There is a simplicity to these that is extraordinary. These are my favorites in the entire concept for that very reason.  WNBA Rebel Edition Uniforms - Golden State Valkyries The Valkyries have something special in their design. In the current landscape of sports, it's difficult to own something truly unique - they have that. In this "Rebel" line, these designs further (and protect) that concept.  Portland Fire Rebel Edition Personally I find the [enter alternate name for city] usage to entering a space of being overdone. However, in this concept, it still feels authentic and unforced. Most importantly, the rose sublimation pattern is so...

It's been a while since I've shared some thoughts on sports aesthetics.  Bro, it's been four years. I know, I know. Nonetheless, in the comeback, dropping some quick thoughts on some inspo in the world of sports aesthetics and threads. Here is the latest Dope Sports Threads.  --- Nike LeBron 23 “Hurt Feelings Write History” Release Date: April 17, 2026 The LeBron line has been interesting. Some memorable, and lot of "ehhhs" in the line. I love the design of the 23s, and this latest colorway is fire. Air Jordan 11 low "University Blue" Release Date: April 18, 2026 Nothing new here. Just an old classic re-released in lows.  Nike LeBron NXXT Gen By JuJu “Metallic Silver” Release Date: April 21, 2026 The discounted LeBron lines are often overlooked. This one should get some looks. Love the silver and metallic blend.  Air Jordan 4 WMNS "Iced Carmine" Release Date: April 23, 2026 I'm typically a fan of the Jordan 4s in traditional colorways, but ...

Signature sneakers for WNBA athletes? Ummm, yes, please!   This has been a long time coming. Since the debut of those signature Sheryl Swoopes from Nike , the market has not seen many women athletes given signature kicks, and more importantly, a platform for little girls and fans of the WNBA to emulate their favorite players and superstars - you know, the way we've always had it with our male athletes.  I want to live in a world where yes, little girls too can get excited about rockin' their favorite female basketball player's shoes. Shoes that are in their size...made for their feet.  Lately, we've seen a slow trend back into this space as the WNBA continues to gain popularity with a devoted following (like myself), but also as companies look to diversify their portfolio in a sports world that is ever-evolving.  I feel like Candace Parker helped revitalize that with the "Exhibit" line under Adidas. The design was endorsed, but not necessarily a signature shoe...

After last year's overwhelming debacle of a design, Nike was forced to go back to the drawing board in creating a concept that would create an exclusive All-Star Game look for Major League Baseball while getting players back in their own uniforms - one of the few it's-always-been-this-way traditions that the majority of baseball fans can agree on.  Unlike other sports and their All-Star Games, having players in their uniforms reppin' their team is super important. As long as baseball is a regional sport - and that's not going away anytime soon - this will remain important for the fan. Especially for the league that invented the All-Star Game concept - and the league with probably the best competitive game.  Soooooooo, Nike blended both concepts. It kept the players in the design concepts of its everyday squads while finding a way to give uniqueness and a "team" feel to the All-Star Game. Count me in on the crowd that prefers to see the traditional uniforms wit...

When I saw these threads, I immediately fell for them. They nailed it! These are dope!  San Diego was one of those teams that I pinpointed as the opportunity to be something special because of everything they encompass and represent, as well as the few ties to tradition that Nike would have to incorporate (a big hurdle in these designs, for sure) - Nike didn't disappoint here.

Before we dive into the Milwaukee Brewers Nike City Connect uniforms, I want to give some major props to the Brewers organization for handling the Lorenzo Cain situation . Allowing Cain to remain with the team long enough to reach the 10-year milestone, despite a subpar performance and every intention to designate him for assignment, is classy.  Of course, that 10 years (and 5 years with the same team) gives Cain added incentives to his pension as a Major League player. The Brewers didn't have to do that. Classy stuff.  As for these new threads, it's tough for Nike to surpass the aesthetics of the Brewers' current everyday design. The pinstripes, the combination of blue and yellow, the arc of the font across the chest - all of it just feels like the very best of old-school-baseball-in modern-age-aesthetics. And yes, there is the beautiful, amazing, fantastic logo that sits atop the hat is a baseball glove, wrapped with the secret message of "MB" (Milwaukee Br...yo...

The Los Angeles Angels Nike City Connect uniforms might be the very first in the collection that makes a clear argument in style, practicality, and overall aesthetics to replace - yes, REPLACE! - the everyday uniforms.  That's no hyperbole from me. I really love the look of these threads and feel like the uniforms not only capture the mission statement of the collection but ultimately, do more for Angel's brand.  Let's dig in shall we... The biggest appeal to the uniforms for me is easy - simplicity. Nike and the Angels did not go crazy in trying to capture the "Los Angeles" in its identity, especially, considering the roots that are heavy (and controversial) in Anaheim. The overall look is clean, and with that, carries a tremendous cream overtone that drives the concept home.  The design is based off of the beach, the coastline, and everything that is summer in SoCal - baseball, beach, surfing, and good vibes. Check. Check. Check, and ultimately, check.  Pulling ...

Look, I'm just going to jump right into this review of the Colorado Rockies City connect jerseys - I'm not a fan. The initial aesthetic at first can be jarring - in a good way - but after it settles in on your eyes (or at least mine), it quickly turns into, what the heck am I looking at. I'm trying to be fair, but overall, the look just carries supreme Sunday-softball-league vibes. Join our squad, we got awesome unis bro!  OK, I'm being over the top, but still... There is so much to get into for my feelings, but the biggest is the overall theme for the jerseys which are derived from the Colorado state license plate - yes, you read that right. There is no question that Colorado has some dope license plates - after all, we've all done road trips and have somewhat ranked the aesthetics of state vehicle tags. However, carrying that over into jerseys? Is it that representative of the state?!

The Kansas City Royals' City Connect uniforms were a design that I wholeheartedly looked forward to. The Royals' current uniforms and aesthetics are some of the best in baseball, and for a city like Kansas City, it just feels like there was enough room creatively to do something historically enlightening (more so something many do not already know about the city), or a simple approach that builds off of the current design.  To be honest, it may sound simple, but the use of "blue" by the Royals is fantastic.  What we got is a concept that continued the awesome blue approach, with a design concept that is just as cool as their everyday threads. However, where I feel disappointed is the safe approach to this. I would have loved to see them lean into the rich history of the Negro Leagues that is Kansas City - a team (and city) able to do so more than others. That could have been really cool, enriching, meaningful, and somewhat different from the norm - maybe even an ode t...

Ok, I'll try to keep all snarky comments about "cheating" out of this review. Because really, the Astros really have a VERY cool concept here for their City Connecti uniforms.  Houston and its ties to NASA and everything space exploration made this such an easy concept for Nike to move towards. I think what really makes this design so awesome is the ability to take the current color scheme and designs and turn it up a notch giving the Astros a very space-theme feel, but also, one that also comes off extremely futuristic.  There are several elements of this design that really work for me. The first is a minor element, but the biggest one is the gradient use of blue and orange throughout the uniform. From the piping on the front of the jerseys to the socks to the font on the back of the jerseys - and the minor tidbits in between - all of it is really well done. 

Nike returns for the 2022 MLB season for its second round of the MLB City Connect Series. Hopefully, this year, the shock of seeing your favorite team in some modern threads calms the classic don't-change-anything-ever fanbase that seems to engulf baseball. Despite the reaction, the Nationals lead off the 2022 campaign and it was definitely a great choice to go in this direction.  First, kudos to Nike for not going the lazy route of injecting some red, white, and blue design, or albeit, something patriotic-themed. Sometimes, when it comes to teams from the Capital, it's as if Washington D.C. has no other character but being the Nation's capital. Going with the Cherry Blossoms is not only enlightening but a really cool theme.  Pink isn't often used in color threads in sports. So to see the cherry blossoms represented by pink accompanied by the dark grey tone of the uniform is super unique and extremely exclusive. That subtle design of the flowers on the jerseys as a patt...

As the NBA turns 75 this year, the ultimate opportunist that is Nike decided to unveil "new" (notice the quotations for some teams) jersey designs that would celebrate the city AND the history of each franchise.  As described by Nike, "Each 2021-22 Nike NBA City Edition team uniform represents the ultimate basketball moments mixtape – a compilation of the franchise’s greatest hits through the years in every design." Quite frankly, putting together a jersey that encapsulates each team's greatest moments sounds super awesome, and the kind of creativity that I'm here for.  Nike's release also stated,"Beyond some of the more obvious design elements, the uniforms include many subtle touches (“easter eggs”) that highlight pivotal moments from each team’s history." Alright, that's pretty dope! 

Well, we finally are at the end of the first round of this experiment - the Nike City Connect Series - for a sport that does not embrace ideas and initiatives like this very easily. I've said it when I started reviewing this series - it has the potential to be very cool, but handling the traditional aesthetics will be the key in this idea not only flourishing but surviving.  With some really cool designs unveiled this summer, and an EXTREMELY conservative approach to the designs for those teams like the Giants and Dodgers (review to come in a bit, I promise), it is fair to say that this has been a success.  Want further proof? Check out this article that discusses the mindset change by teams with traditional aesthetics such as the Yankees who are now "aggressively pursuing alternate jerseys".