Most sneakers pick one idea and execute it neatly. This one does the opposite: it grabs a handful of ideas, throws them onto a single last, and then refuses to make the left and right shoes look alike. The result is a pair where the two shoes on your feet barely know each other. And that’s exactly the point.
Two shoes, one box
Look at the right shoe. Black-and-white elephant print across the toe, next to a golden-brown suede panel with speckles, followed by a cream-colored canvas panel in the middle. The Swoosh is iridescent, shifting from purple to blue to pink depending on where the light hits it. The heel is black with white speckles, topped by a rainbow gradient, while the heel label is green. The collar and laces are red. Beneath the white midsole: red at the toe and green under the heel.
The left shoe starts all over again. Yellow laces. A blue-red-and-white striped toe panel. Black with a white swirling motif, like a tattoo. A gray panel, a muted red panel, a brown corduroy tongue, blue around the collar, and a gum outsole underneath.
That isn’t a design error. It’s the SB Dunk Low in its What The edition: pieces of previous designs shuffled together into a single pair. Officially, it’s called “What The Paul”, after Paul Rodriguez, known in the sneaker world as P-Rod. We listed it under that nickname for a long time.
The numbers aren’t subtle
Of everything we’re currently listing, this is the most hyped shoe I’ve come across. Its Hypescore is 92, band ATOMIC, and in Grail or Bail, ninety-six percent of the votes go to Grail. Nearly 2,300 people vote Grail, compared with eighty-three who pass on it. That’s not a majority; it’s a consensus.
The downside shows up in the availability. We count eight listings, and not a single regular webshop is among them. Zero. This has become entirely a secondhand market, and you can see that in the asking prices: the lowest listing is around €380, while the highest is €1,250. For the same shoe, in the same condition, from the same box.
What that means if you want a pair
A difference of more than three times the price isn’t market dynamics anymore; it’s a lack of perspective. With a shoe that’s no longer available from regular retailers, there’s no retail price to anchor yourself to. The only reference you have is what the other sellers are asking. If you go by a single listing, you literally have no idea whether you’re getting a good deal or being ridiculous.
To be clear: this isn’t a pair you buy because it’s the smart choice. You buy it because you want it, and that’s a perfectly good reason. But even then, comparing the listings side by side can save you hundreds of euros.
You can do that on the What The Paul page: all eight listings in one place, sorted by price and filtered by your size. With a spread like this, that’s the difference between securing a grail and simply paying far too much for it.