In last week?s debut of #20Under20, we narrowed down the twenty best signature shoes from 1992 to 2012. Seeing as the past two decades have seen the boom and resurgence of icon-endorsed footwear, some heat didn?t quite crack the top 20. Check out ten signature shoes from the last twenty years that could?ve made our list.
Nike Air Yeezy
Athlete: Kanye West
Sport: None
Year: 2009
Why it could?ve made the list: When you talk about sneakers does his name get brought up? Absolutely. From Jordans to Balenciagas, Kanye?s unofficial endorsement is evident on everything he wears and the effect proved tenfold on his first signature, the Air Yeezy. The anticipation surrounding the wait for this release was reminiscent of the model that topped our last list, further amplified by uber-limited availability and exemplified by weeklong campouts nationwide. His performance in this model also coincided with arguably the peek of his popularity, worn during much of his Graduation/Glow in the Dark Tour/808s run.
Why it didn?t: There?s no doubting Kanye?s influence, but does his signature impact on the culture account for 10% of the last two decades, i.e., two spots? Not quite. The Yeezy 2 edges out the original thanks to a more advanced, less dated design.
