Brittany Shelton – Social Media Strategist
10. Nike MAG
As a film lover and life-long sneaker collector, seeing these finally release was a dream come true. These fall at #10 for me simply due to the fact that they were not made to be worn and were not widely available, but I can?t say enough about the great way Nike went about releasing them and supporting the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Here?s hoping we see these return for the masses in 2015. They?ll be at the top of my list that year if they do.
9. Air Jordan 5 ?Wolf Grey?
I wasn?t completely sold on these when images were first released, but once I got my hands on a pair there was no turning back. Neutral Jordans are great because you can wear them with a multitude of outfits, and the 5 is one of my favorite models so these have already gotten a ton of use (but probably not as much use as George?s pair).
8. Nike SB Dunk High ?Liberty?
Yes, the Space Jam Lows were hype-worthy, but the ?Liberty? comes out on top in terms of SB releases from the Swoosh this year in my book. Scuffing your Dunks never looked so good. Hopefully we get to see more sneakers with the same type of layered treatment next year.
7. Nike Air Force 1 ?Year of the Rabbit?
I?ve never been a big AF1 collector, but the YOTRs definitely make the top ten in my year-end list. The contrast of leather and suede is perfect, and the translucent sole serves as the perfect foundation for this perfectly mismatched pair. Seeing Matt wear these into the office during the summer was always slightly painful.
6. Ronnie Fieg x Asics Gel-Lyte III ?Salmon Toes?
These were a long time coming from Ronnie, and were definitely well worth the wait. The premium materials, the way he blocked them?incredible.
5. Nike Zoom Kobe VI ?FC Barcelona? Away
As a big Bar?a fan, these will always be a grail and one of my favorite sneakers from 2011. I love the icy sole in contrast to the vibrant mango upper. At least we got a more attainable glimpse at the colorway on the ?BG32? Hyperdunks. Those are a favorite, too.
4. Air Jordan 11 ?Concord?
MJ and the Bulls went 72-10 when he wore these, but beyond that Tinker Hatfield designed a shoe that altered the way we all think about basketball sneakers, what they can look like, and possibly what we can do in them. Classic.
3. Nike Zoom KD IV ?Nerf?
The color-blocking, the mini hoop and Nerf basketball packaging, the exclusivity ? everything about this shoe made it great and incredibly hard to track down. The pictures didn?t even do the boldness of these proper justice, and seeing the Longhorn Basketball team wear them on the court with those all-gray uniforms was the cherry on top.
2. Nike Air Huarache Bball 2012 QS
One of my favorite Tinker-designed shoes got an updated QS comeback this year and I couldn?t be happier. I?m going to go watch the Fab 5 documentary again to celebrate. The runners are a must-cop as well.
1. Air Jordan 3 ?True Blue?
I know, I know, everybody loves the ?Concords? and I?m crazy for not putting those in the top spot, but ?True Blues? have (and probably always will be) my favorite 3 and one of my all-time favorite sneakers. Nothing beats the red Jumpman contrasting with the True Blue interior and accents, and the extra hint of Elephant Print near the laces puts these over the top. JB could retro these every year and I would be an infinitely happy sneakerhead.
