There aren't many "firsts" left for Nike, but the Swoosh has a knack for making old shoes feel new. What else can you do when you've done it all? 

Nike's "React Leo" skate shoe was the first signature shoe for American skateboarder Leo Baker.

First released in 2023, the Nike SB React is entering a new, all-white era. Inspired by Baker's favorite skate sneaker, Nike’s Bruin High skate shoe, the React Leo features all types of skate-ready features — Swoosh style. 

This manifests as an ankle-protecting mid-cut, enhanced stitching at the ollie area at the upper sidewall, and Nike's "REACT" midsole, which supposedly gives the shoe enhanced cushioning and increased reactivity.

Basically, the React Leo is intended to have really good board feel and the looks to match.

Like its Nike skate shoe predecessors, the React Leo also wears simple paneling at the sides, but its light "Sail" colorway is what really sets this sneaker apart from its previous iterations. This all-white suede and leather composition brings a layer of freshness to the sturdy skate shoe, because nothing signals newness quite like a crisp white colorway. 

There's also something delightfully defiant about an all-white skate shoe. Traditionally, thrash-focused sneakers are designed to be worn within an inch of their lives, and this hard-wearing lifestyle is hardly conducive to light colorways. 

But that's what makes this light iteration of the React Leo, available on the Nike website for $80, the perfect embodiment of a genuinely rebellious skate shoe. 

Crisp and clean when you shouldn't be? What's more punk than that?

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