Welcome to another unofficial installment of “What to Cop” brought to you by ONE37pm. Today we are talking about what you can get from… FILA. Since its founding in 1911 (FILA has been around for well over a century), the company has established itself as one of the premier global sportswear brands with a recognizable imprint. While the brand’s roots are in Italy, you can’t deny the influence of the shoe in places like New York, where it was especially popular in the hip-hop and rap scene during the 1990s. To date, FILA remains a heavy hitter in the world of street and sportswear, with various new releases and collaborations. We’ve put together a roundup of some of the best FILA sneakers you can pick up just in time for the holidays, but before we start, we have to tell you why you should listen to us.
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The 11 Best FILA Sneakers to Cop Now
The Best FILA Sneakers at a Glance
Best FILA Collaboration - FILA Grant Hill 2 (Tupac Edition)
Best FILA Basketball Shoes - FILA Men’s Mb Black and Red
Best FILAs for Kids - FILA Little Kids' Mb Night Walk
FILAs for the Outdoors - FILA Men’s Oakmont Tr
A Pair for Springtime - FILA Men’s Original Fitness
Best Throwback Kicks - FILA Men’s Grant Hill 2 Scuba
Best Nighttime Sneakers - FILA Women’s MB Nightwalk
Luxury FILA Shoes - FILA Women’s Unit V2
Most Color Options - FILA Women's Disruptor 2 Exp
Most Technical - FILA Men’s Renno N-Generation Patched
Best Overall Design - FILA Men’s Mb Red
RELATED: FILA and Shakur Estate Launch Collection Honoring Tupac
How We Picked The Best FILA Sneakers
Similar to our PUMA article, our knowledge of some of the best FILAs comes from the relationship that we have established directly with the brand. Our picks were based on three things: style, versatility, and personal experiences with these shoes and the collections associated with them. FILA has had quite a few awesome releases this year with more to be expected as we approach the end of Q4 and Q1. Let’s get started shall we?
1. FILA Grant Hill 2 (Tupac Edition)
Best Collaboration
Everybody knows that FILA was Tupac’s favorite sneaker brand, so it was only right that the brand launched an official collection honoring the legend. One of the pieces in that collection was a new edition of the FILA Grant Hill 2, which were famously worn by Tupac in the iconic album artwork for “All Eyez on Me,” and were a staple in his daily wardrobe.
Of course, one of the personal items on display at the “Tupac Shakur: Wake Me When I’m Free” museum experience earlier this year were, in fact, Tupac’s Grant Hill 2 sneakers, and in addition to the Grant Hill 2 Low x 2PAC ‘96 Reissue in the original red/white/navy colorway, the collaboration also included a special Grant Hill 2 Low x 2PAC in a brown/white colorway. The shoes are still available for purchase on the FILA website.
2. FILA Men’s Mb Black and Red
Best Basketball Shoe
It’s not an official basketball shoe unless it’s got some variation of black and red included on it. That’s the rule. The black and red edition of the FILA Men’s MB is a tribute to one of the most memorable FILA’s to hit the scene in the 1990s. The color mixtures make for a clean, sick, fit look, and is the perfect gym shoe that can be paired with a number of the shorts, joggers, t-shirts, and hoodies that are featured on the website. What y’all think? These are “Illmatic” right?
3. FILA Little Kids' Mb Night Walk
Best For Kids
These are for the kiddos or the people like myself who can still manage to squeeze into kids sizes when desperate enough to get a shoe (don’t judge). This is a brand new arrival that just hit the FILA site not too long ago, and is a youthful sneaker that celebrates fun. I personally like this shoe because the color patterns remind me of waterparks in the summer, which is pretty cool.
There’s two colorways of the Night Walks available. You can go with the White Prince Blue Gecko, or you could rock with the Black Gold Fusion White which is a completely different look from the former. Lots of sizes and great pricing as well.
4. FILA Men’s Oakmont Tr
Best for Outdoors
This FILA sneaker is meant for the outdoors. A trail sneaker, these bad boys are beautifully designed and comfortable, which is important whenever you are embarking on nature-based activities. According to FILA, these shoes are designed to “POP,” with the standout feature being the embroidered logos on the tongue, quarter, toebox, and back counter, and the four unique colorway options to select from. If you are heavily into the trails, this is definitely the shoe for you.
5. FILA Men’s Original Fitness
Best Springtime Shoe
A different look from a design standpoint than what we are used to when it comes to FILA, but that’s one of the things that makes the company so diverse. This is another new arrival on the site, and the colorway, which is called Egret Aurora Gray Mist, may be a preview of what’s to come in terms of spring releases because this is very much a “springtime shoe.”
6. FILA Men’s Grant Hill 2 Scuba
Best Throwback Shoe
Basketball fans, does this sneaker not remind you of the 1990s Utah Jazz Squad? Like Jordan hitting that final shot in Game 6 at Utah (sorry for the painful memory Jazz fans)? The Scuba edition of the Grant Hill 2 very much has an old school NBA on NBC vibe, and that’s one of the reasons why we like them so much.
7. FILA Women’s MB Nightwalk
Best Nighttime Sneakers
We’re going to throw in a couple of FILA’s for the ladies starting with their edition of the MB Nightwalk which is sick. This colorway is called the Safety Yellow, which is appropriate due to its “glow in the dark” nature. These are definitely the safe reflective sneakers needed for people to see you at nighttime, and they also serve as an epic daytime shoe. Regardless of what time you wear them, the attention will be all on you.
8. FILA Women’s Unit V2
Best Luxury Shoe
Do these not look like Margiela? We need a FILA x Maison Margiela collaboration STAT! These chunky sneakers are a bold footwear cop needed for all of us that like to live on the wildside a little bit. This electric sneaker has a Pink Glo colorway in addition to the Safety Yellow, so it’s really up to you which ones you choose. We’re thinking we’ll go with the Pink Glo because it's very Valentino-esque.
9. FILA Women's Disruptor 2 Exp
Most Color Options
We’re thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day with these specific Disruptor 2s, which are called the Coral Blush Primrose Pink White, but there’s six other colorways available if another color is more your speed. The Disruptors are one of FILA’s standouts when it comes to their women’s selection, so there’s always tons of cool options to select from.
10. FILA Men’s Renno N-Generation Patched
Most Technical
Sometimes a simple of white and cream shoe is all you need. It’s a simple go-to that can go with just about anything in your closet. The Renno N-Generation Patched is that old school retro FILA sneaker, but with a new twist. These are constructed with advanced materials making the shoe more high-tech than before. Reasonably priced as well.
11. FILA Men’s Mb Red
Best Overall Design
How about we round this out with another edition with the Mb sneakers because why not? Look at these. The design is incredible and would light up any court whether you are hooping or just being a spectator. This is one of our favorites for sure.
Obviously there’s plenty more sneakers available on FILA, and the brand is always coming out with new shoes, so make sure you keep up with them for all of their newest updates and releases.