2016 was a wild year for sneakers.
Kanye West started it off with a diss track at Nike ("Facts"), where he talked about how Jordan Brand is nothing without Drake and Just Don, while Nike sucks without the likes of LeBron James.
Ye also spoke at how he, Nick Young and James Harden would "run up the budget" for Adidas in 2016. Was he right?
Let's take a look at what I think were the top 10 sneakers to release in 2016. Let us know what you think your favorites of the year were in the comments!
10. Nike LeBron Soldier 10
LeBron James rocked these throughout the NBA Finals, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers on a legendary 3-1 comeback versus the Golden State Warriors.
Game 7 will go down as one of the greatest games in NBA history, and the man who helped lead the team to victory was seen wearing these very shoes. The crazy part is that it wasn't even his signature shoe, as that was the Nike LeBron 13.
While it may only be seen as a basketball sneaker, I will have to say that these shoes can be worn casually much easier than the LeBron 13s ever could. Designer John Elliott even did his own spin on the Soldier 10s!
Definitely one of the top sneakers of the year, largely due to the history it is a part of now.
9. Air Jordan 4 Retro OG "White Cement"
It's one of the greatest Air Jordans of all time, and it was brought back in 2016 with its OG "Nike Air" branding on the back.
The shoe was relatively easy to grab on release day for those who really wanted a pair. I was able to get my hands on one, and it ended up being one of my most worn sneakers of the year.
Great execution and release here by Jordan Brand.
8. Adidas Yeezy 350 Boost V2
I personally was not a fan of these, but these sneakers had a huge impact on 2016.
The Adidas Yeezy 350 Boost V2 were definitely easier to obtain than last year's Yeezy releases, though they were still very difficult to cop. Personally, I was a bigger fan of the V1 Yeezy releases, but these were definitely pretty dope.
Kanye definitely made his mark on this year with these sneakers.
7. Air Jordan 2 x Just Don "Beach"
After releasing in a "Royal Blue" colorway last year, Kanye's right-hand man Don Crawley (aka Don C) collaborated with Jordan Brand again for another Air Jordan 2 x Just Don sneaker, this time in the "Beach" colorway.
The shoe came with a whopping retail price tag, but it was worth it with the premium materials used on the sneaker as well as the expensive hat that it came with. The overall packaging was superb on this release.
I am grateful enough to own these shoes, and it is probably one of the most high quality pairs of Jordans ever made. Don C definitely did his thing on these.
6. Nike Kobe 11 "Fade to Black"
This is probably the most famous sneaker from Nike's "Fade to Black" collection in honor of Kobe Bryant's final NBA season. This is also the sneaker the Black Mamba wore in his final game where he dropped 60 points.
In what ended up being one of the best sports moments of 2016, this shoe will forever be a part of that history, which is why I had to put them on the list.
So many other people wore this shoe in honor of Kobe. Heck, even LeBron James was seen rocking a pair!
These definitely had to be on the list. You can't go wrong with a black-and-gold sneaker.
5. Adidas Yeezy 750 Boost "Glow"
I think it's between these, the "Pirate Black" 350s and the "Turtle Dove" 350s as the best Adidas Yeezy of all time so far. Say what you want about Kanye, but I find this specific colorway of the 750s incredibly dope and appealing.
Resale is too crazy on these, so I had to opt for the "Chocolate" 750s instead—but man, these shoes are dope. Definitely the best colorway out of the Adidas 750s, and possibly out of all of Kanye's collaborations with the three-stripes.
I just wish these weren't so damn expensive.
4. Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG "Banned"
When you think of Air Jordans or Air Jordan 1s, this probably has to be one of the sneakers that first come to your mind. The shoe is an instant classic, and one of the greatest sneakers of all time in my opinion.
When it was announced that the "Banned/Bred" 1s would re-release, I had to cop a pair. The quality on these are just amazing, and you can never go wrong with a pair of Jordan 1s.
Excellent job by Jordan Brand on this release.
3. Air Jordan 11 Retro "Space Jam"
The annual Air Jordan 11 released by Nike and Jordan Brand at the end of the year always ends up being their biggest, most hyped and most sold out release. Despite the amount of pairs made, the "Space Jam" 11s still ended up selling out.
I am not surprised why. Jordan Brand promoted the hell out of these, as well as the whole "Space Jam" theme in general regarding the movie. It's one of my favorite movies from my childhood, and this shoe had to be copped for nostalgia purposes.
I was never able to get the 2009 pair, so when it was announced that it was making a return in 2016, it was a must-cop. Even the casual shoe lover wanted a pair of these.
It's why this sneaker ranks so high on the list.
2. Nike Hyperadapt
With the release of the Nike Air Mag being via raffle, there was a very slim chance that people were going to be able to cop a pair of those special sneakers.
The Nike Hyperadapt might be the closest one can get to feeling like Marty McFly. These self-lacing sneakers will cost you though, as the retail price is currently at $720.
Despite that, the shoe has ended up selling out. However, it has received great reviews from many Nike athletes. The white colorway is my favorite.
Hopefully more pairs start rolling out and more people are able to grab it. Nike has something revolutionary with this technology, and this is just the start of it all.
1. Nike Air Mag
With the Hyperadapt being No. 2 on the list, you definitely should have seen these coming at being No. 1. The Nike Air Mag easily has to be the best sneaker to release in 2016, even if it wasn't technically an official release.
Nike did a raffle where only a select few would be chosen to win the sneaker—but man, people from all over wanted a chance at getting the shoe.
No matter what their reason was for wanting to buy it (nostalgia, wearing them, stunting on Instagram, reselling, collectable, etc.), Nike was able to grab national and world attention with this sneaker.
Someone who probably knows absolutely nothing about shoes probably read about this sneaker being released. Everyone knows about the Air Mag, whether it's from the "Back to the Future" movies, Nike the brand, Michael J. Fox, etc.
The shoe reportedly resells for over about $30,000 on the after-market. It has played a big part Nike's new and innovating self-lacing technology that will likely be featured on their future sneakers.
It's the shoe that started it all, and that is why it's the best sneaker of 2016.
