I have to make my list of top ten sneakers released this year! Now making this list it is purely on what my favorite releases were this year. Some of these sneakers I own and some of these I do not. This is the least amount of shoes I’ve bought in the past couple years but it was still a great year for the sneaker community. Let’s get into it.
10.
Jae Tips x Grid Azura 2000
“Remember Who Fronted”
This sneaker is for sure the craziest looking one on the list. As it comes to being wearable this itself would be the main piece of an outfit. This is a debut collaboration from Jae Tips with Saucony. A great contributor to the fashion and music world, he set it off with his first sneaker. This project is packed with floral patterns, different textures, bold colors and more; this shoe has it all.
9.
J. Balvin x Air Jordan 3 Retro
“Medellin Sunset”
This sneaker was revealed by the man himself on foot at a public event. It was an authentic moment as nobody had even seen mock-ups before that. This collab comes with a mainly cream upper with details that compliment the colors on the back of the shoe. The fading colors on the heel tab with a version of classic elephant print makes this a great Jordan 3. DJ Khaled revealed the an alternate version of this sneaker on and Episode of “Sneaker Shopping” with Complex. This J. Balvin’s 3’rd Air Jordan Collaboration so it’s quite possible we’ll see more from him and the Jumpman.
8.
Jarritos x Dunk Low SB
This dunk made waves in the sneaker community. With a simple thoughtful design after a brand that is is well known and represented. Nike SB made sure to have a clean roll out to consumers at skate shops and small stock on SNKRS. With a tear away upper and multiple lace options, it’s easy to make this shoe personal to each consumer. Tear away uppers are a great plus in my book; as it shows a huge nod to the skateboarding community. This shoe is straight flames.
7.
Cactus Plant Flea Market x Air Flea 2
This sneaker is far from normal and definitely turns heads when you walk in the room. Cactus Plant Flea Market presents the Flea 2 which comes in two different colorways and personable details. Comes with removable swooshes and buttons to make your pair consistently unique. The shoes were debuted at Rolling Loud Music Festival in Miami and later released on select platforms & with a shock drop from SNKRS.
6.
Crenshaw Skate Club x Dunk Low SB
Nike SB Dunk Low Crenshaw Skate Club.-This Dunk was done by the Crenshaw Skate club. This was a Skate shop exclusive so it never saw a SNKRS release and was even harder to obtain. Tobey and his crew collected inspiration from Crenshaw and from where it all started. This thoughtful design was well executed and is a great contribution to the skateboarding community.
5.
April Skateboards x Dunk Low SB
‘Turbo Green’
This is a tribute to Shane O Neil’s brand and it is a huge contribution to the skateboarding community. The legend himself started the brand in 2019 after being a professional for the best brands in skateboarding for years. Since then he’s put together a super team and has some of the most interesting parts and products in skateboarding. The April dunk is a collaboration with Nike SB and comes in a crispy colorway that released exclusively to skate shops only.
4.
Tiffany & Co. x Air Force 1 Low ‘1837’
The Tiffany Air Force 1 release was a big one this year. This release was controversial for multiple reasons. The retail tag was a whopping $400 which is about 4 times the original price of Air Force 1’s. Tiffany & Co released a couple of accessories to pair with this sneaker as well. Nike release a couple apparel items with the shoe as well as even releasing a friends and family pair. This shoe shook the sneaker community and possibly brought more attention to it from luxury brands.
3.
Zoom Kobe 6 Protro
‘Reverse Grinch’
This sneaker needs to be on this list and everyone else’s top ten as well. The Iconic Kobe 6 Protro sneaker got a highly anticipated release, as the most coveted colorway gets reversed. The Reverse Grinch true banger that will be seen all around the world; on and off the court. Nike Basketball is slowly giving us more Kobe products to keep the Mamba Mentality strong for consumers, but this release was truly a gift.
2.
Air Jordan 3 Retro
‘White Cement Reimagined’
This retro is easily one of the most copped and awaited sneaker of the year. This reimagined pair isn’t too far off from the original retro Jordan we all wanted. Perfectly executed by Jordan brand. This shoe had plenty of stock and wasn’t reselling on the after market for too much more than retail at one point. Some pairs had some Quality Control issues; but that’s the price to pay if we’re getting a larger stock.
1.
Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 Retro SP
‘Pine Green’
The sneaker of the year!! Chosen by a lot of sneaker heads and blogs; this is the easy winner to a lot of people. A collaboration between Nike SB and Jordan brand to retool the Air Jordan 4 retro to be skateable. This shoe was being wear tested by Nike SB professionals for years before the official release. Releasing at skate shops and the Nike SNKRS app. This shoe rocked the internet and a lot of owners rave about how different the sneaker is from a regular Jordan 4. I have this pair, and being a sneakerhead that grew up skateboarding… it’s hard not to rank this number 1. Would you want to see even more collaborations from the two? Or should they keep this as one of a kind.