This decade has been a huge one for sneakers, if not the biggest time of advancement for sneakers in general. I understand the shoes listed below make up a very small percentage of the total shoes sold by companies annually. However, I choose each shoe not only for how they looked but also considering the history they drew upon and the impact they made on the culture at that time and up to now. Secondary marketplaces such as StockX and GOAT make it easier than ever to quantify the demand for a shoe, but I tried to stay away from pure numerical metrics as much as possible. Next to each shoe, I listed the year of release and official retail price of the shoe. At some point, I’ll have to make a list of my top 10 ever, which will definitely include at least three sneakers from this list. Without further ado, here are my top 10.
1. Nike Air Yeezy 2 Red October (2014, $245)
Often imitated, never duplicated. These ultra-hyped shoes were teased on Instagram by Kim Kardashian, mentioned on Kanye’s sixth studio album Yeezus, and worn by Kanye during a live performance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and his Yeezus tour. Then, Kanye started trash talking Mark Parker, CEO of Nike, which did not bode well for the shoe until the sudden online drop which sold out in minutes. Nothing has been the same. The follow up to the Air Yeezy 1, the Air Yeezy 2, went above and beyond with its attention to detail and bold tonal colorway. Kanye West designed these shoes, a hybrid of the Air Trainer 1, Air Foamposite One, and the Air Tech Challenge II. The details are the highlight of the shoe: the mesh appearing on the front, the suede on the mudguard, the scales on the back panel, the reptile-like ridges on the heel. These were Kanye’s last collaboration with Nike before he moved on to work with adidas and marked the end of a legendary era. No adidas Yeezy will ever compare with the air Yeezy lineup, especially the Red Octobers. The bright red colorway is its most distinctive feature and has withstood the test of time. DJ Khaled’s all-red Jordan 3 is one of many that tries to live up to the hype of these. The Air Yeezy 2 silhouette released before in Solar Red and Pure Platinum colorways but the Red Octobers are the shoes that cemented Kanye’s status as a trendsetter and in the pantheon of all-time great creatives.
2. Nike Air MAG Back To The Future (2016, N/A)
Released on October 4, 2016, only 89 pairs exist in the world. These also differ from the Nike Air MAGs released in 2011 in that the 2016 ones have self-lacing abilities. One of the few shoes that lies at the intersection of pop culture and sneakers, it successfully captured the imagination of fans around the world. These futuristic shoes are the closest you can be to becoming Marty McFly from Back to the Future II when he time travelled to October 21, 2015. On that same day in real life, 30 years after the release of the film, Michael J. Fox wore the very first pair of the 2016 Air MAG sneakers and the rest is history. All the money raised through eBay auctions and raffles went to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease. The Air MAG looks almost identical to the 1989 film version with accents that light up on the sole, heel, and ankle. The actual movie prop (just the left shoe, which is crumbling!) was auctioned and sold for a staggering $92,100. The Hyperadapt 1.0 and the Adapt BB models are the next generation shoes that continue the technological legacy of the Air MAG. This one’s a keeper.
3. Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White Chicago (2017, $190)
Hard to believe these only dropped in late 2017 as part of “The 10” collection. I recognized an instant classic when I first saw these deconstructed shoes. More than 30 years later, the design of the Air Jordan 1 still looks amazing and comfortable. The first Air Jordan 1 was released in 1985 as Michael Jordan’s signature shoe but it inspired an entire generation of creatives and designers, including fellow Chicago resident Virgil Abloh. The Jordan 1 is the pinnacle of the best Jordan Brand has to offer and Virgil somehow made it better. Further increasing the hype was the fact that Virgil distributed the extremely limited sneaker to select celebrities such as Drake, Wiz Khalifa, and Ian Connor. At this point in time, Virgil and Nike have already released White and University Blue colorways but the red, white, and black Chicago colorway pays homage to Michael Jordan’s hometown and team base for the Chicago Bulls. The success of this shoe most likely gave rise to Travis Scott, Union LA, CDG putting their own spins on the shoe, further contributing to the GOAT’s legacy.
4. NikeCraft Mars Yard Shoe Tom Sachs Space Camp (2017, $200)
The first version of this shoe dropped on May 16, 2012. You may be more familiar with the second iteration of this shoe, which dropped on June 8, 2017. Regardless, this model is unique among sneakers for its creator (an artist who gained fame as a sculptor and now works with a variety of media) and updated material design, including more breathable polyester mesh, inverted outsole tread, and two insoles. This is the closest you will be to being in space, as materials normally used for NASA astronauts were put into this shoe. The release method was unique as well. The shoe was only available after completing an hour-long circuit called Space Camp on New York’s Governors Island that challenged would-be wearers with mental and physical tests. Of course, Nike kept it going with a boot-like Mars Yard Overshoe release this year and rumors indicate that there will be a third version of the Mars Yard shoe releasing in Spring 2020.
5. Jordan 4 Retro Eminem Carhartt (2015, N/A)
Yes, you read that correctly. Eminem the rapper and Carhartt the workwear company together with Nike released the shoe in November 23, 2015. The sneaker was created to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Eminem’s Shady Records label and the ‘Marshall Mathers LP’. Besides the pairs allotted for friends and family, only 10 other pairs were released through an eBay auction. The auction raised a total of $227,552 to benefit Michigan State University’s Literacy Through Songwriting program. You do the math, but hey, at least it was for a good cause. He released another shoe in blue called the Jordan 4 Retro Eminem Encore in December 14, 2017 in blue. Eminem has a long history with Nike, releasing very exclusive models of classic shoes: Air Max 1, Air Max 90, Air Max 97, Air Force 1, Jordan 2. However, the first Jordan 4 takes the cake.
6. Adidas Human Race NMD Pharrell x Chanel (2017, €1000 = $1160)
Only 500 pairs of these black and white shoes were released at the colette store in Paris for its closing after 20 fruitful years of business. Pharrell has a history of releasing special N*E*R*D and Friends and Family pairs in addition to being a prominent Chanel brand ambassador but the Chanel one was historic for bringing together the worlds of high fashion and sportswear. This sneaker was the first time the Chanel name appeared on a product made by another brand. A court bailiff presided over the raffle drawing, which more than 120,000 people entered. This year, Pharrell released his own Chanel capsule collection without the help of adidas, proving that he is a style icon in his own right. The White Multicolor sneaker in that collection retailed for $1600 and displayed messages proclaiming the power of women. Not to be outdone, adidas partnered with Prada this month to release only 700 Italy-produced bundles of a white Premium Superstar shoe and accompanying Bowling Bag retailing at around $3170, with plans to release another Premium adidas shoe next year.
7. Air Force 1 High VLONE Paris Fashion Week (2017, $250)
Hot after the release of the Air Force 1 Low VLONE at a Harlem pop-up, A$AP Mob co-founder and VLONE founder A$AP Bari turned heads with the debut of six different colorways of the Air Force 1 High at Paris Fashion Week 2017. The black tumbled leather upper and the ‘Every Living Creative Dies Alone’ tagline embroidered on the ankle strap make this sneaker a surefire hit. Aside from the Air Force 1, the black Vandal Highs and white Air Force 1 Lows with duct tape detailing were a highlight of the show. Only 20 pairs of the Air Force 1 High were raffled off at Nike Paris, with a wider release seemingly scheduled for the following year. Unfortunately, A$AP Bari’s sexual assault allegations (which he then plead guilty to one count of two sexual assault charges earlier this year), which were captured on video caused Nike to sever its relationship with VLONE just as VLONE was getting started to release its shoes with Nike to the masses. Consequently, the few pairs floating around the Internet are incredibly rare and valuable. The cancellation of the entire partnership demonstrated the consequences of sexual misconduct in the #MeToo era. Even though it is impossible to separate the artist from his work, these shoes are special.
8. Air Foamposite One NRG Galaxy (2012, $220)
Released during February’s All Star Weekend in Orlando, where Penny Hardaway played for most of his career, the latest take on his signature shoe soon took over the hype of the actual game. The glow-in-the-dark soles and accents with the outer shell decorated with visions of outer space caused a frenzy among sneakerheads. Although the Foamposite has fallen off in recent years, this shoe serves as a reminder of a great era, inspiring many iconic Foamposite colorways including Tianjin, ParaNorman, Quai54, Kryptonate, Supreme, Doernbecher, Big Bang, Lunar New Year. It all started with the Galaxy.
9. Jordan 1 Retro Fragment (2014, $185)
It was only right that the first original colorway for Jordan Brand ever was designed by Japanese streetwear legend Hiroshi Fujiwara, founder of fragment design. This Jordan 1 is clean and simple, combining the Black Toe colorway with royal blue accents and an embossed tonal fragment logo on the heel. The Friends and Family version’s lightning sign on the side is black. This shoe caps the legacy of Fujiwara, the man who was part of the trifecta of HTM: himself, Nike Vice President of Creative Concepts Tinker Hatfield, and former Nike President & CEO Mark Parker. Starting in 2002, the three-man superteam released 32 different shoes, delivering everything from aesthetic tweaks to new technology. On the other hand, Fujiwara’s imprint fragment design has collaborated with Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Supreme, Off-White, Levi’s, Stussy, Converse, Starbucks, and many more. In 2019 alone, fragment teamed up with BVLGARI, Beats by Dre, Dr. Martens, and Pokemon. This year, Fujiwara also teased a Jordan 3 Fragment that follows the same color scheme as the Jordan 1 but has said they will not release to the public.
10. Jordan 11 Retro Premium Derek Jeter (2017, N/A)
For the New York Yankee shortstop’s retirement, a pop-up shop outside Yankee Stadium raffled off 5 pairs of this premium navy blue suede shoe for free. Usually, the Jordan 11 comes with a patent leather upper but for Jeter, even the laces are suede. 20 years of playing led to this ultimate sign of “RE2PECT”. Luckily for fans, the Jordan 11 Retro Low released exactly a year after his retirement has all the same details as the high-top including the number 2 embroidered on each heel and milky outsole. Jordan Brand also honored the Captain with the Jordan 1 Retro High ‘Jeter’ featuring pinstripes and gold logos and other Jordan models such as the Flight Flex Trainer, Grind, and the Hydro 6. This Jordan 11 carries on the rich heritage of the Jordan 11 Retro Concord, Jordan 11 Retro Space Jam, and the Jordan 11 Retro Bred.
Honorable Mentions: Air Max 1 Parra Patta Cherrywood (2010), Jordan 4 Retro Doernbecher (2011), Jordan 5 Retro Tokyo T23 (2011), Nike Dunk SB Low Supreme Red (2012), Jordan 1 Just Don BHM Black (2013), Jordan 3 Retro Solefly Lotto (2014), Jordan 1 Retro Legends of Summer (2014), adidas Yeezy Boost 750 OG (2015), adidas Yeezy Boost 350 Turtle Dove (2016), Jordan 1 Retro Satin Banned (2016), Vans Era 95 Fear of God (2016), Jordan 4 Retro KAWS (2017), Air Max 1 Atmos Elephant (2017), adidas Futurecraft 4D Daniel Arsham (2018), sacai Nike LDWaffle (2019)
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