If you know anything about the local streetwear scene, you’d know this brand is tops.
Go to any sneaker or streetwear convention, or check out their shop during collection drop days and you'll find throngs of people lined up in the hopes of copping their latest merch. With their colorful designs and catchy, inspiring motto—"Dream Big, Start Small"—brand founders and brothers Emil and Vince Javier have brought Don't Blame The Kids (DBTK) to the forefront of street fashion, causing many streetwear aficionados to sit up and take notice. Through the years, the siblings have built a cult following composed of diehard, primarily Gen Z fans. These fans believe that, by way of supporting the brand, nothing is impossible if you're determined to achieve it.
So how does this homegrown brand’s first offering in the sneaker world—the DBTK Spark—measure up? Is it a firecracker or a dud?
Materials
Not bad...not bad at all. The leather for this green colorway is smooth; not buttery soft but pretty good for its price point. The stitching on the leather appears nice and even, and there are no visible defects all around. The tongue and collar are both made of a canvas textured cloth, and don’t feel cheap. Overall, I'd say it’s a pretty well made sneaker: decent materials, good quality control. Nothing to complain about here.
Rating: A-
Design
Theres great storytelling in this release. The two stars on the side of the shoe represent the "dream big, start small" motto, with the name "Spark" itself a starting point to one’s passion and dream. The colorway of this release is fantastic—dark forest green highlighted by a lighter shade on the sides, with white and sail accents all over the leather and midsole that just meld together beautifully.
This colorway dropped alongside two other colors, a black one and a beige one, but this stands out in my opinion. However, the look reminds one of a design released by footwear giant Nike - so minus points for that. Some might say it looks more like a custom sneaker than a shoe released by an up and coming brand. But hey, nothing wrong with that.
Rating: B
Wearability
Its tech is nothing new but thanks to that incredible insole, it wont hurt your feet too much. As the design is pretty classic, and not too loud, this'll pretty much go with anything—from the loudest hypebeast outfit to smart preppy casual. I’m not sure yet how this holds up to creases and stains but it shouldn’t fare too bad.
Rating: A-
Pricing
Local brand sneakers are generally priced lower than their international counterparts. DBTK, however, took aim at the big boys by retailing the Spark at PHP5,495, which is the same price point as a general release Nike Dunk. The result? Well, the sneaker totally sold out several days after its release from DBTK stores. A quick check on the secondary market however shows resale prices currently hovering just above retail figure.
Rating: B
Final Word
Rhobeelicious would rate these as being somewhat tasty - say, Delimondo Corned Beef, preferably Garlic and Chili flavor. Yum, and comparable to the best out there...but with very little difference from the top brand. Does that make it a bad thing? No but I wish the DBTK boys put in more of their own flavoring. Looking forward to the next scrumptious item the kitchen pumps out!
[An old school sneaker enthusiast, Rhobee Pilares enjoys street fashion, toys, cars, food and the excitement of busy, bustling cities. You can often catch him at coffee shops reading on the latest media trends. IG @rhobeelicious.]
Photos by Rhobee Pilares