It's that time of year again, when sneaker blogs, YouTube personalities and everyday sneaker collectors like myself, start to look back on the past year and try and decide what their favorite sneaker releases were.
Since last January, there have been hundreds upon hundreds of sneakers to release from many different brands, and I can easily say I may have fallen victim to the onslaught of great releases and bought maybe a few too many. But that is neither here nor there, lets get right into my top 10 sneaker releases of 2015. Enjoy!
10. Nike Kyrie 1 "All Star"
These released back on All-Star weekend in February, and as soon as I saw the initial launch pictures, I knew these were going to be insane in person. Sure enough, once I got them in hand, the details popped and the sneaker itself did just enough, without overdoing it and being too flashy.
This sneaker also performs great on the court and are wearable off the court, as well. With the price point only sitting at $130, this was a surefire buy for most sneaker heads.
All in all, Nike hit the ball out of the park with this release and really gave their newest athlete, Kyrie Irving, a fantastic first all star sneaker.
9. Air Jordan 4 "Oreo"
Originally releasing back in 1999, the sneaker world finally got what they've been asking for ever since. A re-release of one of the most popular and talked about Jordan 4s ever.
This sneaker was one of the first that Jordan Brand released in 2015 with the promised "remastered" materials. After the first look, I can say they held true to their promise. The leather was plush and tumbled and there weren't very many, if any, factory flaws.
With this release, sneaker enthusiasts of all ages got what they wanted, and Jordan Brand saw a very successful original color way fly off the shelves once again. The 16-year wait was well worth it.
Side note: Easily one of my most worn kicks of 2015.
8. Supreme x Air Jordan 5
It's not often Jordan Brand decides to collaborate with another brand to put together a sneaker.
However, this year they did it quite a few times, none more impressive than the Supreme x Air Jordan 5.
When two mammoth brands come together, you have to expect something great, and after the release, great is an understatement. All three color ways that released came out fantastic, and Supreme didn't overpower with their branding, simply adding the "Sup" in the side netting of each sneaker.
If you were lucky enough to grab any of these, you have not only one of this years best collaborations but also one of the best releases, hands down. I expect more great collaborations in the future.
7. LeBron 12 "What The"
As a huge LeBron collector I was a huge fan of these as soon as the first pictures leaked online.
However, there were many people in the industry who just weren't feeling them at all. Maybe it was the price point, $250, or the model itself, but these were a lot easier to buy than I initially expected. For me, the "23" on the side really set this shoe off.
Nike had said that the colors and patterns found on various parts of the sneakers would pay homage to some of LeBron's favorite Nike athletes of all time, such as Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi, Bo Jackson, Penny Hardaway and Roger Federer.
A very neat idea, and a very clean sneaker.
6. Air Jordan 6 "Maroon"
Seeing its first release since 1991, the Air Jordan 6 in the maroon color way garnered a ton of initial interest. As old school sneaker heads couldn't believe one of the oldest color ways ever was finally getting re-released with the original "Nike Air" branding on the back. However, Nike bumped the price point to $220, which scared off a few people and made the release a lot less hectic.
Nonetheless, the way the cream base contrasts with the subtle hints of maroon looks awesome, and this sneaker was easily one of the best Jordan releases of the year.
5. Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 "Turtle Dove"
All hail Yeezy, and his almighty powers. 2015 has been dubbed "The Year of The Yeezy" by many people in the industry, and for good reason. Kanye West left Nike to go to Adidas and this year marked the first year that his sneakers with Adidas have released. They've caused a frenzy on social media, and sneaker resellers are seeing the numbers jump, with almost all of the color ways going for more than $1K after market.
I chose to include my favorite color way of the bunch and also the first 350 to release, the Turtle Doves. These shoes are just about as impossible as it gets to grab on release day, and they have everyone going crazy trying to get them. It's safe to say Kanye West and Adidas had a year to remember, and 2016 should bring even more amazing releases.
4. Air Jordan 1 "UNC"
3. Asics x Wale x Villa Gel Lyte iii "Bottle Rocket"
This sneaker goes down as easily my biggest regret of the year. I missed out on these and regret it all the time. From the dope presentation and box to the addition of collector pins to the extremely clean sneaker itself, this release was one of the best, if not the best collaboration of the year.
I got to give it to Wale, Asics and Villa, they really put something special together here.
With a black base, hits of red white and blue, and stars and stripes, this sneaker easily goes down as one of my top 3 releases of 2015.
Side Note: Wale had an amazing year both in music, with his album "The Album about Nothing," and his two sneaker collaborations with Villa.
2. Air Jordan 1 "Chicago"
Another classic. Like the UNC 1s I mentioned above, this shoe is as clean and classic as they come. The Jordan 1 silhouette, with the Chicago Bulls colors gracing the leather, this sneaker was among one of the most anticipated of 2015. What else can you say?
Match these up with the UNC 1s, and you have, in my opinion, the two most iconic color ways of Michael Jordans playing career.
1. Air Jordan 11 "72-10"
Finally, we've reached the end of the list, and taking home this years top spot, is the Air Jordan 11 in the "72-10" color way. Every December, Jordan Brand releases a retro 11, they release one color way a year and this year they went the route of conjuring up a new, never before seen color way.
They dubbed it the "72-10" in honor of the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls team that went 72-10 and holds the record for wins in a season. This release was outstanding in my opinion, the quality on this sneaker was almost something never before seen on an 11, with the nice tumbled leather on the upper, and the sparkle induced patent leather to go along with the red embossed Jumpman logo and the milky white sole.
This sneaker was easily my favorite release of the year. I always look forward to the end of the year Jordan 11 release, and I have to say, this year's release goes down as one of my favorite, and it wasn't even an original color way.
Nice job Jordan Brand, I'll be waiting for my Space Jams next December.
This year was one of the better years in recent memory for the top brands like Nike and Adidas, but also for the lower tier brands such as Saucony, Asics and Under Armour. Some of their best releases were very close to making it into my top 10, and I cannot wait to see what 2016 has to offer from all of these brands.
