There are a lot of things you could say about Reebok right now. With Swizz Beatz seemingly calling the shots, they’re trying to find and pinpoint their identity as a brand. They’re trying to keep pace with other sneaker companies. They’re trying to live on the line that exists between functional sneakers and cool guy kicks. And, well, they’re trying to reinvent themselves as a company at the same time.

If nothing else, though, there’s one thing that we like about Reebok as a whole right now: They’re not afraid to take chances! That comes across loud and clear (and we do mean loud and clear) when you take a look at the new Reebok Chi-Kaze sneakers. At first glance, there’s no way in hell that we’d wear a pair of these. But then we realized that Reebok is at least attempting to push the boundaries by releasing these. Featuring a Kamikaze Kexalite sole and a Freestyle upper, they’ve taken two proven commodities from Reebok’s past and smashed them together to create a new sneaker that pays homage to Reebok’s past.

Is it something that you need to have in your closet? Not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I’m still pretty set on not picking these up. But it’s good to see Reebok taking chances and trying new things to breathe some life into the brand. Because it means that while these particular sneaks might not appeal to me, there will be a pair somewhere down the line that does the trick. And, if you are in love with these, well, let’s just say that you’re gonna turn a few heads if you strap a pair of these onto your feet. And unlike past years, you’ll be turning them for all the right reasons. Keep it up, Reebok!

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