Sneaker Specialist Yaniv Bar Rates His Top Thanksgiving Shoes

Wow, is it holiday season already? Time flies when you’re under pandemic restrictions, apparently. But let’s not let that ruin our holiday spirit – and our focus this time will be on Turkey Day. While other festive days attract special editions of our favorite sneakers, Thanksgiving is usually not given much thought for some reason. Well, with the help of sneakerhead sensation Yaniv Bar, owner and operator of the well-known YankeeKicks sneaker store, we dug up some of the old classics.

Yaniv has been around the world of sneakers for almost five years now, and his online store officially launched in 2018. Despite that short period of time, it has already acquired a global name and its Instagram page has over 170K active followers. This is why it was crystal clear to us that we should turn to him for this special project, and as you will be able to see, he didn’t let us down.

Nike CJ3 Flyweave Trainer Thankful

Remember this one from five years ago? This shoe was a tribute to former Detroit Lions football player Calvin Johnson. Generally, this sneaker brand never actually managed to make a huge buzz, but this Thanksgiving edition really caught Yaniv’s eye. “Something about the scribbles of color that make it an eye-catcher. I’m also a big fan of low-cut sneakers and I just love the traction that these shoes’ soles cause. This is definitely one of my Thanksgiving favorites.” Sadly, these shoes are hard to find nowadays (and when you do find them, they tend to be super expensive).

Saucony Race & Baste Ride 13 Thanksgiving

Saucony isn’t the first brand that comes to mind when you think of festive thanksgiving sneakers (or festive sneakers in general), but they actually managed to push quite a lot of holiday spirit into this shoe. “We can talk for hours about the different shades of orange,” said Yaniv, “but I want to say a few words on this shoe’s durability. There’s a reason why Saucony is considered a top name for running shoes. Check out the triple sole on the bottom of this shoe – it’s like a work of art. Keep in mind, though, that Saucony shoes are tougher to clean, so this shade of white may not be ideal for everyday wear. Oh, and yes, I love the colors.”

Adidas Strider Thanksgiving

Wow, these ones go all the way back to 2007. They were released together with a Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) edition and, as you can see, they really shout out ‘Thanksgiving’ in the design. ‘”I guess I like the holiday feeling of this shoe, and I’m kind of a sucker for anything nostalgic,” Yaniv told us. “Comfort is something that adidas puts a lot of thought into in its brands. That was true back in 2007 and it’s true today – and that’s not something that you should take for granted.” Today you can pretty much buy these shoes only on eBay and the likes – and we’re not sure we want to buy 13-year-old shoes from a teenager’s basement in Duluth, Minnesota.

Nike Air Force 1 Mid Premium Qk “Thanksgiving”

If you thought the previous shoe was antique, check this one out from a year earlier, in 2006. This AF1 model boasts wonderful fall colors, but don’t be mistaken by its decorativeness. “This is one rough, tough shoe,” said Yaniv, “and it is designed for everyday wear for a long period of time. The little holes in the toe area give it just the breathability you need for it to last and the rubber outsole makes sure you don’t slip. Thanksgiving edition or not, this is one fine shoe.” Surprisingly, you can still find this shoe selling around (and no, we’re not talking about second hand) if you look carefully enough. According to Yaniv Bar, it is definitely worth searching for.

“The Gobbler” – a Fleet Feet & Brooks Sports collaboration

“Look at these running sneakers, aren’t they the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen?” was Yaniv’s first reaction when he showed me these kicks from Thanksgiving 2019. And I agree – finally a Thanksgiving shoe that’s not afraid to go all the way orange. This model is clearly cheaper than the others here, since it’s not by one of the fancier brands, but it has its own class and it’s definitely a good shoe for running. “I wouldn’t display these sneaker in my collection, but I have a sentiment for the more ‘rugged’ type of running shoes. On the other hand, I must say that it’s not the best for running in November since it’s far from being waterproof,” Yaniv summed up.

We took advantage of the fact that we got Yaniv’s attention to ask him about his new project, SnkrsDen.com

“Well, basically the idea behind SnkrsDen was to create a platform where people who want to buy or sell sneakers can securely interact. Right now we’re still working on that marketplace app and it’s supposed to be ready within a few weeks, but for the time being you can enjoy the website, which features celebrity sneaker news, exclusive info on new sneakers, a guide to identifying fake sneakers and even a calendar with the most interesting upcoming drops (that means sneaker releases, if you didn’t know).”

“I Believe people will really dig this new marketplace because it will change the way they shop for shoes. It will surely make shoe-shopping more secure and comfortable – the buyer has a direct communication line with the seller. That way there’s no chance of buying something fake, since the seller has their reputation on the line here. It’s quite surprising nobody has thought of this before, but I’m glad I get the chance to be innovative.”