Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s got more kicks than a Bruce Lee flick—sneakers that is. For more than a century, athletic shoes have been basically the same. Yet every year, such companies as Nike and adidas produce thousands more designs. We teamed up with Sneaker Freaker, one of the world’s foremost shoe magazines, to bring you the top 25 sneakers of 2009.
Nike Air Yeezy
Riding a tidal wave of hype, Kanye West’s signature kicks were the most sought-after sneakers of the year. Love ‘em or hate ‘em—and many shoe lovers did both—no look back on 2009 could possibly leave out the Yeezy. Thank goodness Nike limited the shoe to a one-off experiment.
New Balance Sneaker Freaker 850 Skippy
Featuring supple kangaroo leather directly from the Aussie Outback, the Skippy has a backstory that complements its outrageous color blocking. Who would have thought a vivid tan toe and a midsole the color of oatmeal would sit so serenely on a conventional runner? Well, Sneaker Freaker—the Skippy is a collaboration between the magazine and New Balance.
Nike Air Jordan V Raging Bull
Taking inspiration from the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, these sneakers have a questionable premise, but the results are anything but. Packaged in a faux-wood box, these Jordans were one of the year’s most sought-after releases.
The Reebok Pump 20
Arriving 20 years to the day after the original Pump was unleashed in November 1989, 20 different versions designed by 20 retailers dropped simultaneously. A Berlin store called Solebox designed a pair with glowing lights behind the Pump logo, which inflates air chambers in the shoe for cushioning and stability when pumped—a clever stunt for a shoe with one of the greatest gimmicks of all time.
Adidas, Hypebeast, and Solebox Zeitfrei
With the fixed-gear bike trend maintaining momentum, this trio of shoe company adidas, streetwear blog Hypebeast, and retail store Solebox created the cycling-influenced Zeitfreis. The plimsoll-inspired kicks feature reflective 3M (MMM) material on the heel and sides, and a neoprene tongue pocket that safely stashes its laces. Only 50 pairs hit retail stores.
Converse Auckland Racer
The Auckland Racer takes its design cues from 1970s runners but is obviously modern. Made from reflective TPU and nylon mesh, the sneaker is one of the inaugural First String releases for Converse. This one hit the nail smack on the head—retro and futuro at the same time.
Nike Dizzee Rascal Air Max 90
A collaboration between British rapper Dizzee Rascal and Nike, these sneakers have a smooth combo of chalky soft leather and luxury suede. Rascal personalized them with a reflective heel logo and the words “tongue” on one tongue and “cheek” on the other. They were sold only at Nike’s 1948 store in London, which boosted their exclusivity.
Gourmet
Gourmet’s unusual kicks straddle the line between shoe, sneaker, and avant garde footwear. By infusing innovative details into the shoes in the collection, such as full-length airbeds, asymmetrical lacing systems, and fresh mixes of fabrics, the company has proven it’s possible to design a nonsports shoe line that is both stylish and conservative.
Nike Patta Air Max
This shoe, a joint venture by Nike and Patta, an Amsterdam sneaker store, is a new take on the classic Air Max shoe. The simple approach, with its globs of green over the shoe’s traditional gray base, inspires many a second glance.
Adidas Kazuki ObyO Collection
Japan’s Kazuki Kuraishi had worked for style dons such as clothing line A Bathing Ape and Fragment Design, a design house that has collaborated with such heavyweights as Rolex and Disney (DIS:US), but it was his adidas line that brought him international recognition. The line’s KBALL mid-tops in rich black leather with eggplant laces are understated. Also, the slender Kazuki branding on the tongue is a tip-top top-off.
Reebok Proper Dual Pump Runner
This pair of kicks represents the joint efforts of Reebok and Proper, a boutique in Long Beach, Calif. With PlayDry lining, memory foam, and a 100% synthetic upper, they are one of the world’s first vegan runners. Even the glue was free of animal innards.
Nike ACG Ashiko Boot
Named after a ninja’s favorite weapon, the ACG Ashiko boot is made with Flywire, Nike’s proprietary lightweight yet sturdy thread. Sneaker Freaker’s editors were so impressed with the shoe after taking a pair hiking, they quickly plastered it on the magazine’s cover.
Converse UNDFTD Poorman’s Weapon
Los Angeles store Undefeated has consistently styled sneakers with panache using a touch of military flavor. Released as part of its War Is Business campaign, the Poorman’s Weapon featured a flight-jacket nylon upper, property tags, and removable Velcro logo patches. The black edition sold out in minutes, and the green wasn’t around much longer.
Nike Presto
The ‘09 Presto remained true to its stylish roots, with the plastic-spined lace system once again taking center stage. Unlike its eye-popping, multitoned predecessors, the shoe’s solid color schemes caught people’s attention this go-around.
Adidas Jeremy Scott Collection
Sometimes the sneaker lovin’ community lacks humor, but no one would say that about designer Jeremy Scott. His collaboration with adidas this year (one in a long history) is a stunning four-model ensemble of lunacy and silliness. One shoe has three tongues; another, giant golden wings, while others have tassles, studs, and snakeskin.
Vans HUF Old Skool LX
Too often, classic is just another word for boring in the sneaker world. These kicks avoid that rap. Although the shoes are plain, intriguing details such as bricolage canvas, a suede upper, an embroidered Vans stripe, and repeating triangles on the foxing made the Old Skool one of the year’s best.
Nike Supreme Bruin
After previously working with Nike on some successful, high-profile collaborations, New York-based retailer Supreme put its spin on the Bruin, Nike’s first low-top basketball shoe, which debuted in 1972. The line comes in four basic colors, but the ultra-white model with metallic red pops is the one that ascends to the top 25.
Louis Vuitton Kanye West Signatures
At the very same time Nike dropped the Yeezy with Kanye West, another footwear project arose—this time matching West with designer Louis Vuitton. Surprisingly, the shoes deftly mix the styles of both. The $1,000 price seems outrageous, of course, but not to collectors who routinely spend four figures on exclusives and rarities.
Adidas Ransom The Never Ending Path
Canadian retailer Ransom hooked up with adidas to create this footwear collection born and bred for the outdoors. The ruggedly handsome exteriors are composed of sleek suede and lack adidas’ iconic triple stripes. With the original sneaker generation growing up and out of their training wheels, these mature kicks found an eager audience.
Nike ACG Salbis
This Nike sneaker boot had been set for a fall release but has yet to hit shelves. Sneaker Freaker cries out, “C’mon Nike, free the Salbis!” Still, based on photos alone, it makes this year’s top 25. A waterproof Gortex upper and Trail Frame sockliner, which adds cushioning and support, should make these sneaks tough enough for the trails.
Adidas House of Pain Campus 80
Danny Boy O’Connor, a member of hip-hop’s House of Pain, contributed design concepts to the classic Campus 80. Elegant touches such as the gold lettering on the side and green and orange heel flourishes reflect adidas’ handiwork, and the emerald green suede and clovered tongue patch were typical House of Pain-style Irish tributes.
Vans Taka Hayashi Collection
Vans’ collaborations this year brought much fanfare, but its partnership with Japanese-American Taka Hayashi was the collection that really caught the eye of aficionados. Adopting American-Indian stylings is hardly new, but Hayashi delivered a fresh tweak to some old classics, riffing on the Akat, Velocita, and No Quarter models.
Puma Solebox R698 Light Ups
A modern twist on the classic R698 runners, these kicks feature Puma’s bouncy Trinomic soles and light-up laces that blink when you start moving à la LA Gears from the 1980s. The light blue and pink touches are also 1980s send-ups.
Saucony Shadow 6000 Varsity
The Saucony Shadow 6000 may not get proper respect from sneaker lovers—it lacks the decades of heritage marketing of other classic shoes—but to some that only enhances the appeal. Saucony’s grid cushioning system makes these shoes especially comfortable, and the simple color schemes are a minimalist’s dream.
Supra Skytop II
The original Skytops were so popular, the sequels had a lot to live up to. Sneaker fans weren’t disappointed. The updates have a fancier level of paneling, a super-tall tongue, and a stunning gradient color scheme.
