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StrengthInKicks | Wear. Train. Connect.

@strengthinkicks

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Shoes connect people.
Sharing the stories behind the pairs we actually wear.
🏀 Hoops • 💪 Training • 👟 Community

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👟 WHY THIS PAIR?

I spotted these across @chipotle and had to ask about them.

@yoshigetsdough was wearing the @kith × @marvel vs. @officialcapcom @asics_sportstyle GEL-Kayano 12.1 “Captain America vs. Guile”—a pair you don’t see every day.

But the line that stood out most wasn’t about the collaboration:

“I wear my shoes.”

That’s exactly what this series is about.

Not just the model, the resale value, or how rare a pair might be—but the people who choose to wear them and the reasons behind that choice.

I also learned that he recently launched a meal-prep service called @purposekitchenindy built around the message "Eat With Purpose."

That immediately connected with me because "Train With Purpose" has been part of my mantra. Check them out!

Same mindset. Overlapping Lanes. What you eat and how you train go hand in hand.

Be intentional about what you wear, how you train, and how you fuel yourself.

Every Pair Has a Story.

What’s one special pair you refuse to leave sitting on the shelf?

#whythispair #everypairhasastory #sneakerhead #asics #sneakercommunity by @strengthinkicks

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3 months ago

Different movements demand different shoes.

🏋️‍♂️ Strength → Romaleo 4
⚡ Plyo + Speed → Metcon
🏀 Kobe 8 → responsive feel, tested for jumps

This isn’t about hype — it’s about intent.

Train smarter.
Let the shoes do the talking.

Which pair are you training in today?

#sneakerhead
#kobeshoes by @strengthinkicks

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9 months ago

I train in sneakers — under real load.
Not in a lab. Not just for looks. But the look does matter.

This page is about how shoes feel when you actually move in them while enjoying them along the way:
lifting heavy, playing ball, and wearing them day to day.

No hype reviews. No paid opinions.
Just strength, basketball, and culture.

If you care how sneakers perform in real life, you’re in the right place.

👇 Follow and let the shoes do the talking.

#wearyourshoes
#wearwhatyoulike
#sneakerhead by @strengthinkicks

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9 months ago

2½ hours early for the Caitlin 1 launch and Nike Indy grand reopening.

The turnout was smaller than I expected, but one of the coolest parts was seeing how many parents were there grabbing pairs for their daughters — and some even brought them along for the experience. @caitlinclark22
Is inspiring the next generation of ballers.

Both @caitlin1 colorways were there, and I was able to grab the blue and yellow pairs I wanted.

I also came for the Nike By You setup. The customization options were a little lighter than I expected, and I was hoping to get the fuzzy pink laces I saw someone else use, but they couldn’t find another set so I ended up with white.

Still… both pairs secured, and that’s what mattered.

Another pair. Another story. Well, two pairs and one story.

Every Pair Has a Story.

@nikebasketball #caitlinclark #caitlin1 #nikebasketball #indianafever by @strengthinkicks

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3 days ago

Showed up 2 hours early thinking I might leave with the new @caitlinclark22 @caitlin1 release. Iconic @longsbakery teamed up with @jdsportsus
and @nikebasketball for a little pregame excitement.

Plot twist: no shoes.

Still walked away with a towel, a damn good donut, a tee… and a reason to finally break out my Caitlin Clark Kobe 5 PEs for the first time.

Then the day took another turn.

I wasn’t planning on going to the @indianafever game at all, but I bought a ticket, stayed for the game, and watched Indiana get the win.

Didn’t leave with the pair I came for.

Still left with a story.

Every Pair Has a Story.

#caitlinclark #indianafever #kobe5 #sneakerculture by @strengthinkicks

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4 days ago

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4 days ago

3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 reps at 70% 1 rep max (about your 12 rep failure). Only 15 seconds between mini-sets. Recover 2.5 minutes then hit the movement from 3 to 7 again.

It looks like one of those gym protocols somebody made up just to make training harder.

Except the 3/7 Method has actually been studied.

In one 8-week bench-press study, using a similar number of total reps:

3/7: +29.8% 1RM
4×6: +21.8% 1RM

A separate 12-week study also found 3/7 produced greater gains than 8×6 in both 1RM strength (22.2% vs. 12.1%) and biceps thickness (9.6% vs. 5.5%).

That doesn’t mean 3/7 is automatically “better” than traditional straight sets for everybody.

But it does make this a pretty interesting alternative:

3 reps → rest 15 sec
4 → rest 15
5 → rest 15
6 → rest 15
7

25 reps. A lot of accumulated fatigue. Very little wasted time. It's my personal favorite when I need to get in and out quickly.

For this workout I used 90 seconds between full rounds, so my version isn’t an exact replication of the published 2019 protocol.

Would you try 3/7—or are you sticking with traditional straight sets?

And yes, I did the whole thing in @sneakerpolitics Rhythm & Blues polka-dot adidas. 😂

Save it. Try it. Decide.

Every Pair Has a Story.

#strengthtraining #hypertrophytraining #workouttips by @strengthinkicks

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8 days ago

Sometimes the loudest part of the outfit should be the only loud part.

For work today, I kept everything else intentionally subdued:

Bone @vuoriclothing Long Sleeve Cypress Rugby.
Black @levis baggy jeans.
Then the Kobe 8 Protro “What The Kobe.”

That was the whole setup.

The Kobe 8 honestly isn’t one of my favorite Kobes to actually play in. For me, there just isn’t enough cushioning underfoot.

But as a casual shoe?

Completely different conversation.

This colorway is ridiculous in the best way. There’s so much color, contrast and mismatched detail going on that it doesn’t need any help from the rest of the outfit.

So instead of competing with it, I gave it a neutral backdrop.

And people noticed.

I had four or five different people at work comment on the shoes today. Of course I gave the whole background "What The" models for Nike.

That’s exactly why I like wearing pairs like this outside of the gym and basketball court. A performance shoe can still be the centerpiece of an everyday outfit.

Bone. Black. Then chaos.

Not my favorite Kobe to hoop in.

Absolutely one of the more fun ones to wear.

Every Pair Has a Story. by @strengthinkicks

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10 days ago

Office clothes don’t always have to mean chinos and a polo.

Today I wanted something that felt comfortable and relaxed, but still intentional enough for the office.

@allsaints cashmere sweater up top gave the outfit some polish.

The @levis baggy cargos pushed it firmly into the relaxed/streetwear lane with the wider silhouette and utility feel.

Then I let the @awakenewyorkclothing × Air Jordan 5 “Arctic Pink” do what they do.

The pink could easily become the entire outfit, so keeping everything else dark and muted lets the shoes add the personality without making the whole thing feel loud.

That’s probably my favorite way to wear sneakers to work:

Not trying to disguise them.

Not forcing them into traditional business casual.

Just building the outfit around them in a way that still makes sense for the environment.

Upscale streettwear. A little professionalism. A lot more personality.

And yes… I’m wearing pink Jordan 5s to the office.

Every Pair Has a Story. by @strengthinkicks

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11 days ago

I got the sneakers. Puffin got the box. Everybody wins. 😂🐈

The @adidas Handball Spezial × @sneakerpolitics “Rhythm & Blues” celebrates 20 years of the boutique with a design that refuses to take itself too seriously.

The polka dots are inspired by a Louisiana blues musician’s promise to return home successful in a polka-dot Cadillac. I love when a collaboration has an actual story behind the design.

I’ve always been drawn to Politics collabs, and this one is just FUN. 🎳

It definitely has a bowling-shoe vibe, but seeing it in person changed my perspective. The cream balances out those playful polka dots and makes the pair much more wearable than I originally expected.

A Shop app discount made the pickup even sweeter.

And apparently, I wasn’t the only one excited about the delivery. As soon as the unboxing was over, Puffin claimed the shipping box.

Every Pair Has a Story. Sometimes the box gets one, too.

Are you rocking the polka dots, or are these too much for you?

#adidasspezial #sneakercommunity #EveryPairHasAStory #sneakerpolitics by @strengthinkicks

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15 days ago

@king_gibbs0 with the first TD of the @detroitlionsnfl season!!! by @strengthinkicks

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21 days ago

An iconic colorway with a very different twist.

The Infrared Air Max 90 is one of those shoes that has basically been done every way imaginable, which is exactly why I liked what Nike did with this pair.

The Air Max 90 Premium “Carbon Fiber Infrared” keeps that classic Infrared energy, but swaps the usual upper for a woven carbon-fiber construction that completely changes the feel and look of the shoe.

More texture.
More structure.
More durability.

Somehow it brings a 1990 silhouette forward without losing what makes an Air Max 90 an Air Max 90.

I actually like the extra rigidity because it works well for my foot, but I could see it feeling a little stiff for someone who prefers a softer, more forgiving upper. And then there’s the one thing you absolutely cannot ignore:

These things squeak. Every. Single. Step.
No ninja work in these. 😂

This wasn’t a hyped release, but I wasn’t taking chances. I showed up at City Gear right when they opened on release day in February 2025 because I knew I wanted this pair. AirMax 90s are everywhere, come in just about every color imaginable, and can often be found on sale. But when Nike takes a familiar silhouette and does something genuinely different with the materials, that gets my attention.

Today’s work:
3 rounds bench press + concentration curls
3 rounds incline Hammer Strength press + dumbbell drag curls
3 straight sets low-to-high cable flyes

Classic silhouette. Modern material. Loud color. And apparently… loud footsteps too.

Every Pair Has a Story.

#airmax90 #nikeshoes #nikeairmax #justdoit by @strengthinkicks

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23 days ago