Top 6 sneaker releases of 2015 so far: Find out if any of your favorites made the cut.
The past six months have been quite a ride for sneakerheads given that the resell market has not been more saturated and the current trend is focused on sneakers as a whole, rather than on a particular brand or silhouette.
So the brands have adjusted their strategies accordingly to feed the sneaker hype and drive people to bid for/buy/beg/borrow/steal nearly every single release. Some of these strategies include reviving popular retros, seeking out collaborators, creative campaigning and roping celebrities in to front or even design shoes for their brand. Celebrating the anniversary of the launch of individual silhouettes in a major way seems to be another popular tactic; just think the 30th Anniversary for the Air Max 1 and Jordan Brand or the 25th Anniversary of the Air Max 90, Reebok Ventilator and the ASICS Tiger GEL-LYTE III.
With this as context, we made our selection of the top 6 sneaker releases of the year so far. In no particular order, here they are:
The Air Jordan 1 OG “Chicago” has not been re-issued since 1994 so its re-release in late May was highly anticipated, and those who didn’t manage to cop were left duly disappointed. That its release was timed to coincide with the Jordan Brand’s 30th anniversary made it extra special. Then there was all that talk about its remastered treatment – giving it the OG touch by featuring the Nike Air logo instead of the Jumpman logo, making this easily the greatest release thus far, and foreseeably of the year.
adidas has been nothing short of genius for bringing Kanye on board their team. It’s safe to say that whatever Kanye wears becomes the hype; every shoe that graces his feet sky-rockets in resell value and gets sold out almost immediately. Despite how polarizing the Yeezi 750 has been, we’ve included it in this list for it represents the power of influence one man can have on a growing culture.
Fieg’s trip to Tokyo inspired him so much, he came up with the Sakura Pack and it turned out to be a hit. Everything from the unique colors used on this low-key silhouette to the packaging and the pop-up store in Tokyo only attest to Fieg’s determination to constantly break boundaries as a designer.
It’s not often that Saucony releases a sneaker that makes you want to take the day off to camp out for it and the “Righteous One” is one of these exceptions. It appears that Saucony has released one outstanding model per year; in 2013 it was “Only in Soho” and last year it was “The Burger”. We predict that “Righteous One” will take home the award for Saucony of the Year this year. The concept is unique, the fish scale, “Hamsa” and the “Eye of Conscience” symbols are well thought through and the materials used are superior.
image by Mellowedhigh
For the past six months, ASICS has been releasing a GEL-LYTE III every month as part of the 25th Anniversary of the silhouette. It’s no surprise that the Concepts collab pair is a strong contender for best collab of the lineup thus far. Known for its unique collaborative launches (including the “Luxury Goods” and “8 Ball” releases last year), Concepts put its magic touch on the “Boston Tea Party” by setting up an installation inspired by the events of 1773, where Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty refused to give in to the British Parliament, before boarding their ships in the Boston harbor and throwing 342 chests of tea overboard. The shoe is emblazoned with the colors of the American flag on buttery suede, a nod to the collab’s source of inspiration – a significant moment in American history. Thumbs up for the concept and execution.
Thanks to Fragment Design’s Hiroshi Fujiwara, the Nike Sock Dart made its first official appearance last year in December; subsequent drops have taken place since. As the name suggests, the Sock Dart was inspired by a sock and looked in no way ordinary. Release was limited due to its collaboration with Fragment and people were not quite sure what to make of it when it was first launched. What we know for sure is that the shoe is light and comfortable and possesses some groundbreaking technology. Set against a backdrop of OGs, re-releases, and anniversary pairs, the Sock Dart, to some, is a breath of fresh air.