Top 10 Sneaker Releases of 2011 By T. Larew
Top 10 Sneaker Releases of 2011 by Tim Larew of ATB & The Fresh Heir
Honorable Mention – Nike Air Mag aka Marty McFly
Yes, I created an honorable mention category specifically for the Air
Mags. I wasn’t about to include them in the Top 10 because unless you
had $5K to blow, there’s no chance you had a chance of getting a
pair. 1,500 of them were auctioned off in September – 150 a night for
ten nights in a row on eBay – and the lucky winners were people like
Wale, Kanye West, Tinie Tempah, etc. Not you or me. No matter what,
though, the Air Mags are an incredibly dope, iconic shoe, and the
proceeds went to a great cause – the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s
Foundation.
10. Nike Statue of Liberty SB
I’ve never really been an SB guy. A lot of that has to do with the
fact that I wasn’t really hardcore into sneakers until this time last
year, and prior to that the only shoes that I’ve known inside out all
my life have been Jordans. Lately I’ve started to expand my shoe
game, but even back when these dropped in February, I knew they would
be one of the hottest sneakers to drop all year. The “Statue of
Liberty” Dunk High SB features an incredible mint leather colorway,
Statue of Liberty detailing on the tongue and insole, and its most
unique element – its ability to shed an outer layer of paint,
revealing an old oxidized golden-brown finish that mimics that of New
York’s iconic landmark.
9. Jordan “Quai 54″ Retro 5
Unfortunately, these didn’t release stateside, and my current funds
don’t allow me to drop $350+ on a new pickup, but regardless, the
“Quai 54″ Retro 5s were one of the cleanest colorways and overall
best Js to drop in 2011. The leather on the Quai 54 5s is superb, and
the white/lime green color scheme is nuts.
8. Ronnie Fieg x Asic Gel-Lyte III “Salmon Toe”
Ronnie Fieg unveiled some crazy shoes this year, but my personal
favorites have to be the “Salmon Toe.” The color blocking on these
things is just beautiful, and the Navy/Salmon colorway is straight
fire. In terms of expanding my sneaker game beyond just Jordans, this
is probably the pair I most regret not picking up this year.
Definitely one of the best releases of 2011.
7. Jordan Retro 7 “Year of the Rabbit”
The YOTR 7s, which released in early May, are one of my personal
favorite pickups of the year. I was fortunate enough to get my hands
on a pair for retail, and they’ve become one of the standout shoes in
my collection. I’ve never been a huge fan of 7s, but these along with
the Hares (part of the 7/16 Countdown Pack), are one of the few
colorways that I really like. Lots of people were complaining that the
YOTRs were made to look too similar to the Hares, but I think the two
have plenty of distinct differences, and since I don’t have Hares,
these were an instant cop. The colorway is clean and the box is a
thing of beauty. I could probably get some money on eBay for the box
alone.
6. LeBron 8 V2 Low “Solar Red”
At the end of 2010 I vowed that no matter how much I liked a LeBron
sneaker, I would never cop because I hate the dude and everything he
stands for. Here I am at the end of 2011, four LeBron pickups later,
and I’m okay with saying as much as I can’t stand him, I love his
shoes. Between all the variations of the 8s, the low 8s, and the 9s,
there have been some crazy Bron releases this year, but my favorite of
all were the Solar Red lows. In fact, I might go as far as to say that
the Solar Reds are the most underrated sneaker of 2011. These kicks
are extraordinarily bright – they break necks everywhere I go with
them on – and the overall color scheme combining white and black and
matching “solar red” laces is amazing in its simplicity. Looks
aside, the V2 Lows are incredibly comfortable, and that’s one of the
many reasons the LeBron 8 “Solar Reds” are my #6 Sneaker Release of
2011.
5. Jordan Retro 1 “Banned”
Everything from the history behind the “Banned” 1s to the quality
of the sneakers to the bizarre outlet-release in June makes these one
of the best sneaker releases of 2011. This original colorway of the 1s
was banned by the NBA during MJ’s rookie year because it violated the
league dress code, and 16 years later the “Banned” 1s dropped at
Nike Outlets across America, without much prior notice, in June 2011
for a retail price of $110. The heel of the shoes feature “X’s”
covering the logos, the tongues read “Nike Air” like all the most
classic OG Jordans did, and the unique box included the words
“Imagine If…?” near the label, signifying the history behind the
shoe – what might’ve happened had the original colorway not been
“Banned.”
4. Nike Air Foamposite One “Royal”
2011 was a year that featured plenty Foam releases – both Ones and
Pros – but it’s hard to deny the OG Royal Blue colorway a spot in
any top ten list. The “Royals” which were worn by Penny Hardaway
retro’ed in 2007, but this year’s re-release provided a perfect
opportunity for those who weren’t in the sneaker game four years ago
to cop. Classic colorway, classic shoe.
3. Jordan 11 “Concord”
To be totally honest (and this may sound like blasphemy to some of you
Jordan heads), the Concords aren’t even a Top 3 “11″ colorway for
me. This is how it goes in my book: Columbias, Space Jams, Cool Greys,
Concords, Breds — and I would probably take a pair of Breds over a
pair of Concords if I had to pick one. Just my opinion. Nevertheless,
the Concords were one of the best releases of 2011, no question, and
they’re perhaps one of the most historic Jordans of all time.
Automatic top three.
2. Air Jordan 13 “Ray Allen” PE
For a Bostonian/Celtics fan/UConn basketball fan/basketball fan in
general, the shoes Ray wore to break the all time 3-point record are
iconic beyond measure. Combining the history behind the shoe, the
“Ray” signature on the tongue, and one of the cleanest colorways on
any Jordan 13, the Ray Allen 13s were without a doubt one of the best
sneaker releases of 2011.
1. Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”
I easily could have included White Cement and True Blue 3s somewhere
in this list, but I wanted to mix it up. Jordan Brand decided to drop
all kinds of 3s this year, and while I loved most, nothing beats the
Black Cements. They’re my favorite 3 and one of my overall favorite
sneakers of all time. There were some crazy new colorways in the
Jordan, LeBron, Kobe, KD, and Foamposite lines (as well as others)
that dropped this year, but when it’s all said and done, the classic
Black/Cement CW on the classic Jordan 3 is the best of the best. My
personal favorite pickup, and straight up, I’m already sad I didn’t
cop two.
