As of right now, it’s cold in New York. The forecast widget on my browser says it’s 35 degrees, with 40 as the expected high. That’s not freezing, or bitter. It’s a comfortable cold, at best. But after being slammed with blizzards and blistering wind chills through these winter months, I’m ready for summer.

That’s what these Nike Air Max 90s make me think about — summer. For me, the AM90s are a little more than just a good looking pair of shoes. They’re about a feeling. Nothing about the “Black Denim” styling makes me think these are appropriate shoes for winter days. They’re not even really good for cool spring days.

These sneakers are screaming to be worn with low ankle socks and cargo shorts on a weekend afternoon in lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City. It’s that visual in my heart.

On to the shoe. If you’ve never owned, or even worn, a pair of Air Max 90s, you’re missing out. Sneaker technology has changed so much that these aren’t ideal running shoes anymore. Nike’s manufactured lighter shoes with 360-degree air support on the sole for runners through the years.

At this point, the AM90 is a fashion sneaker. They’re comfortable for casual strolls, and diverse enough for multiple colorways and materials. Nike plays around with all different types of bases, experimenting with nubuck, premium leather, and mesh. “Black Denim” is unique, because it does exactly as the nickname suggests.

And since I’m always honest, there’s something I’m going to blurt out for you (which is likely the root of my summertime visuals): Denim sneakers look stupid with jeans. You know how dorky people look when they wear denim jackets that don’t match the color of their jeans? Yeah, it’s a lot like that in my eyes.

I spent a good amount of time talking about B grades in my “Freshwater Griffeys” gallery, and I need to revisit that here very briefly:

Listen, not every pair of shoes is delivered to the retailer with perfect cuts. There are always going to be stray pieces of fabric, or some stitching with strings that are too long (and weren’t cut closely enough). Sometimes you’ll find a random, microscopic dot somewhere in the white. It happens. Seriously, as long as the sole doesn’t pop out once you put them on, sneakerheads have to chalk it up as part of the game.

If you noticed in the pictures, the right sneaker has a random white string glued between the sole and the base. It bothers me because it looks like an irresponsible mistake — irresponsible by the person who put it together, and more irresponsible by whoever inspects the shoe for quality control before shipping.

Still looking forward to the summer, though. These are going to see work.