I wanted to take a step back and attempt to recreate the ‘sneaker of the year’ from something subjective to something a bit more tangible…so…’importance’…as in…what shoe actually changes things? And why? And how? This idea is lifted directly from @shea.serrano and his ‘most important rap song of the year’ from The Rap Yearbook - these are not necessarily songs that he likes, but they are songs that moved the needle in some way.
So I been spent too much time on this and I think it’s because I just take so much umbrage with the idea that the ‘sneaker of the year’ seems to drive the conversation. Obviously, it’s subjective. Always. And the idea is a list, although fun, is unequivocally biased, no matter what. My ‘sneaker of the year’ isn’t on this list for a variety of reasons, but that’s because I can recognize its importance is mostly personal.
But what happens when we take the ‘preference’ out of the conversation? Are we left with anything of substance?
I’ve already re-created my ‘most important sneaker of the year’ for 2014-2024 and put it against @complexsneakers list, but I’m still trying to figure out what to put for 2025…and these are my contenders. Two of them - for me - are very strong, but I wanted to see what yall thought first.
Feel free to tell me to go to hell!