By Scott Frederick
Here we are yet again, its the end of the year and that means time for some reflection. This year in particular was one filled with tons of good releases and lots of deals to be had. With the amount of heat that released this year it was next to impossible to limit this list to a 25 so 50 it is. If this is your first time to the site then welcome and please note: Shoes on the list weren’t ranked solely on how limited or how valuable they are. When coming up with these rankings I look at lots of factors such as if its a retro shoe for example, when was the last time they released? Was quality on point? Did it have the message boards lit up? From there on out value, availability, legacy etc. is factored in. Take a look at DeFY New Yorks top 50 sneaker releases of 2013 below.
#50 Under Armour Anatomix Spawn
Respect to Under Armour. Year after year they continuously carve out their own identity in a market dominated by a select few. Last year their BB Charge landed in the top ten partly due to its radical design but also because the shoe was comfy. This year their Anatomix Spawn basketball shoe makes the list. Reviews have been mostly positive on the court, but off the court there’s no denying this shoes freshness factor as being through the roof.
#49 Asics Gel Lyte III “Copperhead” Extra Butter NY
Extra Butter’s Gel Lyte III Copperhead is one of five shoes inspired by Kill Bill‘s Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Sexy blue suede uppers coupled with hits of snakeskin and white stripes on the midsole that represent snake markings for that final pop (not to mention the Gel Lyte III’s consistency of nice cushioning) make for a quality release all around (anti-venom not included).
#48 Puma Disc Blaze OG Snorkle
Image Via Packershoes
If you’re tired of Pumping up or trying to look through your air units to amuse yourself then you need some Disc in your life. Introduced in late 1991 early 1992 the Puma Disc system gives the wearer an option of customizing the fit of the shoe with a turn of the closure unit. While I’d love to see the Disc Blaze take a back seat to the Trinomic Plus for a change, this release featured typical Puma quality with enough OG for your vintage cravings.
#47 Asics Gel Kayano 93
Brands are finding it increasingly difficult to tap into Nike’s choke hold on today’s youth. Sure, they will come for your three limited edition retro’s you drop during the year but that’s not going to keep the lights on. Enter, the Gel Kayno 20th Anniversary pack. When they dropped your thought process probably went something like this: “The Gel Kayano’s 1993 shoe is back?! Yay! “The only way to get it is to buy it as part of a pack that costs 300 bucks?” “$#@&!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Yup, Asics is no fool. In order to get your hands on the stunning 1993 retro you had to buy the them as part of a pack which included the latest version (the Kayano 20). As slightly underhanded as this is, it forced anyone that wanted that 93 retro (and whom may not otherwise ever buy a newer model Asics shoe) into at least paying attention to a new Gel Kayano shoe even if its for a moment before they try to dump them on eBay. It didn’t hurt that both shoes were on point and it renewed hope that we will see more dope retro’s from their back catalog.
#46 Nike Air Max 90 Laser Blue VTG
The first retro of this colorway back in 2008 (we are talking laser blue) was exclusively through JD Sports in the UK. Though the JD Sports release had a black air unit (which wasn’t true to the original) it was really the closest thing to the OG’s you could get at the time. Fast forward to 2010 and Nike finally gave us the laser blue’s in all their original glory (minus the blue tongue liner), or so we thought. Is it laser blue? Why does it look like freshwater when the light hits it? Real talk, it was strange. Still, color issues aside, it was close enough. For 2013 Nike FINALLY hit us with TRULY the closest thing to the OG we’ve received thus far. This time with mesh just like the originals, no color issues, and the blue tongue liner it felt like it was 1990 all over again.
#45 FILA x Concepts
During the 80’s FILA tennis shoes were commanding $100+ and people were getting shot over them. Over the years however, FILA has seen some ups and downs and a shoe that was once highly sought after is now borderline budget. Thankfully, FILA teamed up with Concepts to show what this shoes capable of and restore some respect to a model with some serious history in the shoe game.
#44 Nike Lebron X Cork
The Lebron X is a dope design and the concept of making the entire shoe out of cork (representing champagne bottles) to celebrate Lebron’s championship win was genius. The only downside to these is that the cork material isn’t very durable so their strictly for special occasions.
#43 Nike Diamond Turf Oregon
Deions sig shoe gets worked over for the Oregon Ducks. Complete with the blinged out “O” you could pretend this retail release was the Oregon IV’s for slightly over 100 bucks. Now THATS how you ball on a budget.
#42 Pony M100
The M100 was Pony’s tech basketball shoe from 1988. They retro’d in 2003 with very little hype surrounding them but fast forward 10 years later and there is much more interest in them this go around. Fit and finish are on point and its one of those shoes that brings you back to the days where a black and white shoe wouldn’t look like part of a McDonalds uniform.
#41 Nike Tech Challenge II 3/4 Wimbledon
The Nike Tech Challenge II retro’d for the first time in 2008. Following up on the failure of the Tech Challenge III retro, shops were hesitant to buy the Tech II’s. So what happened? The Tech II was carried by mainly large stores like Finishline. OG heads scooped quick but the masses didn’t flock……YET. No, the Tech II (while selling better than the Tech III) went on to be another deeply discounted shoe. Pairs eventually disappeared and well, then the Yeezy 2 happened. During this time period the Tech II saw a slow increase in price on eBay before finally hitting the 250-400 range. Couple that with the re-signing of Andre Agassi back to Nike and that brings us to the Wimbledon release. Showing up at select stores in Europe first, unannounced and in an extremely clean white and green colorway, this release officially lit a fire of interest for one of the greatest designs from Nike EVER. The use of premium leather and hits of 3M round out a shoe that will get you so hyped you’ll want to grow a mullet and play tennis with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
#40 Reebok Omni Zone Solebox
Solebox is no stranger to Reebok collaborations having several SOLID releases under their belt already. In particular, they have shown love to a model that has received very little attention, the Reebok Omni Zone Pump. While 2011 and 2012’s Omni Zone lit up with the press of a button, Solebox did things a little different this time around. Following a growing trend in sneakers that glow in the dark, this Omni Zone’s sole does just that, glow in the dark. Grey nubuck uppers and 3m bring the entire shoe together for another solid collab shoe from Reebok and Solebox.
#39 Nike Air Jordan XXVIII Thermal Camo
If you look up ‘love hate’ in Google a photo of the Jordan XX8 should show up. Some people complained about being unable to fully zipper the stretched textile sleeve, some just disliked the way it looked. Brand Jordan would eventually release the XX8 SE which ditched the sleeve, but the Thermal Camo edition made converts out of a lot of the early haters.
#38 Nike Air Jordan IV Toro Bravo
A Jordan IV with a bright red upper and solid color blocking. The internet saw, they loved, they bought. CLASSIC.
#37 Reebok Packer Shoes Question
Packer shoes has been in the game 100 years strong so its safe to say they know a thing or two about sneakers. What they came to the table with was two PE versions of the Reebok Question for two players currently signed to Nike (Kobe Bryant and Lebron James), GANGSTA.
#36 Reebok Question Bait
The Reebok Bait Question is what you hope for in a collab shoe, take a classic and make it stand out amongst the pack. Snakeskin, patent leather and perforated suede on paper may leave you scratching your head but the finished product turned out amazing. Add to the fact that the midsole and Hexalite both glow in the dark and you have one hell of a shoe.
#35 Nike Air Pegasus 92 Olympic
Via Hanon
The Nike Air Pegasus 92 hasn’t received the retro treatment all to much but of all the releases thus far, this pair is certainly top two. They were part of the “OG Pack” and paid homage to the 1992 Barcelona Olypmics. Throw them on with a vintage Olympic Champion sweatshirt and shut #$%^ down.
#34 Adidas Mastermind Rivalry
Outside of limited availability and a skull and cross bones can anyone justify the 700 dollar resale price? The fact that this is the first year of the Rivalry’s return coupled with the fact that the shoe features more black than the OG colorway (and lets face it looks pretty bad ass) landed these at number 34.
#33 Nike Solarsoft Moccasin Floral
If you were looking for the perfect kicks for your next tropical vacation then look no further. Complete with lightweight engineered Mesh, Hyperfuse upper, encapsulated air cushioning and topped off with a Floral print, its the only tech shoe that should have come with a pina colada.
#32 Reebok DMX 10
Can’t stop wont stop, Reebok is on their Puffy tip for 2013. This late 90’s running shoe always came across as Reebok’s interpretation of the Air Max 95 but that was fine. What we ended up with was a comfortable good looking shoe that left a lasting legacy. Reebok did right by these.
#31 Nike Air Max 180 Olympic Runner
Originally released back in 1991, Nike was ordered to destroy the remaining originals due to a patent infringement involving Avia’s Cantilever patent. Avia won and even the idea of a retro was squashed back in the early 2000’s. Eventually we would see several retro’s (so obviously there were ways around using the actual technology) but never the rare Olympic colorway. For 2013 that changed. Quite possibly the only reason this colorway was retro’d is because there are photo’s of Michael Jordan wearing them. Guess what, that’s fine.
#30 Nike Air Jordan V Doernbecher Glow In The Dark
This release is one for the ages. Taken from NikeInc “Nike and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital paid tribute to 2012 Doernbecher Freestyle Program patient Isaac Arzate and his family with a limited edition release of the Doernbecher Air Jordan 5 Retro. “Isaac Arzate was a talented young athlete who pitched a no-hitter in baseball and savored an undefeated season in basketball. In January 2012 Isaac suffered a cardiac arrest at basketball practice and was sent from Salem to OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered a previously undetected abnormality that is one of the most common causes for heart attacks in young people. After recovering from open-heart surgery, Isaac was invited by OHSU Doernbecher to be part of the 2012 Freestyle program. During his rehabilitation from surgery, he began sketching designs for an Air Jordan 5 Retro, highlighting his interests and experiences. He also became well enough to don his jersey and watch his basketball team from the bleachers, occasionally getting to shoot around during breaks in the game. Then in April 2012, 12-year-old Isaac tragically suffered a second heart attack, and did not survive. Deeply saddened by his tragic passing but inspired by his passion and spirit, Nike and OHSU Doernbecher invited Isaac’s family to work together to finish the design that Isaac had started. Using Isaac’s original sketches as a guide and some more his parents found, they created a design reflecting Isaac’s vision and incorporating design elements that represented the things that mattered most to him in his life: Isaac’s jersey numbers, 9 for baseball on the upper of the left shoe and 31 for basketball on the right.” Besides being a constant reminder to live your life to the fullest doing what you love and to value your health, this glow in the dark Jordan V is a work of art that’s truly one for the ages.
#29 Nike Lunar Fly 306 QS
The Nike Lunar Fly 306 QS featured Nike’s slogan in large font over the mid foot of the shoe and came in some clean dope colorways. If you needed needed motivation in the gym then look no further.
#28 Vans Classic Van Doren
Made from reissued prints and patterns from the Vans archives (complete with the OG Van Doren heel tab) this low top skate shoe provokes memories of a time where the term “social media” would lead you to your local park to show your skills in front of actual people. Remember? Remember those days? Yea, probably not.
#27 Reebok Kamikaze II Sonics
This year was filled with firsts for Reebok including this retro. For the first time since 1995 you could walk into a store and purchase Sean Kemps iconic basketball shoe. With only very very minor differences between the original and the retro these were a must. Lace yourself up and pretend to dunk over Leonardo DiCaprio in your driveway.
#26 Nike Air Jordan I White black red
Not counting the 2003 patent leather version, this colorway hasn’t seen a release since the first retro back in 1994. They would have broken the top ten had they sported the Nike Air branding (which for some reason was on the black red, black blue and non og colorways but not their most iconic colorway, go figure) but aside from that they were still a solid release that provided enough nostalgia to satisfy your thirst.
#25 Missoni x Converse Auckland Racer
When Missoni teamed up with Converse expectations were high. Missoni, which is known for its high end Italian clothing and iconic multi-stitch fabric took an already clean looking shoe and turned it into a masterpiece. Whether you like to stand out and picked up the multi-color Racer or needed a shoe to match up with most of your wardrobe and went for the grayscale gradient version, you still ended up with one of the years best.
#24 Nike KD VI
The sixth installment of the Kevin Durant signature line is a banga. Coming in a bunch of flavorful colorways and exotic prints this shoe is destined to be some kids future grail.
#23 Reebok GL 6000 OG
Images Via asphaltgold
When the initial GL 6000 retro hit shelves those in the know knew Reebok was finally listening to our crying and whining about not enough releases from their back catalog. Pretty much every colorway was dope, but for the purists something was missing. Reebok knew and hit us with the GL 6000 even truer to original form than the earlier retro for this year, naming the latest releases the “GL 6000 OG.” Complete with the original large REEBOK font, slightly yellowed midsoles and in an OG colorway, for the shoe community, it was peanut butter jelly time.
#22 Adidas Rivalry Black White
Image Via Eukicks
The Adidas Rivalry Hi has never seen a retro up until 2013. Worn by Patrick Ewing on the court, they were sported by everyone from Kenny G to New Kids On The Block to Anthrax off the court. Quality is on point and colorway’s were kept simple, good job Adidas.
#21 Nike Air Jordan V Laney
Image Via SoleCollector
The original Laney V released back in 2000 way before rarity a lone drove people to consume massive amounts of sneakers. They featured MJ’s Laney highschool colors, nice tumbled leather uppers and Nike’s original Air Units before converting over to more environmentally friendly Air Units (originals were a little more comfy). Guess what? They sold miserably. For several years the Laney V’s could have been picked up for 30-75 bucks. Like a lot of shoe releases however, they disappeared and started to grow on people. More years would pass and prices climbed to the 350+ range. For 2013 Brand Jordan finally re-issued the Laney V staying true to the first release but a tad less comfortable. Still, it beats paying 450 for a shoe that may or may not be wearable.
#20 FILA 96 All Star & Peacoat/Red
Re-named the FILA 96, this was originally named the Fila GH II (Grant Hill’s signature shoe). It’s unfortunate that Grant Hill couldn’t be down with this release, but lucky for us there wasn’t much in the way of visible logo’s on the original shoes release anyway. With the previous retro about 5 years removed the demand was there for another go around, and go around it did. FILA dropped a bunch of dope colorways featuring nice materials and plenty in the comfort department to round out a positive release for a brand trying to re-introduce itself to a new generation.
#19 Nike Air Huarache Le white/sport turquoise/university gold, and white/game royal/dynamic pink
In terms of Huarache LE releases in OG colorways we were in the middle of a drought. The Scream Green’s haven’t seen a retro release in 13 years and the turquoise/university gold and game royal/ dynamic pinks hadn’t seen a re-release ever. Like Flex, Nike dropped the bomb on us and gave us not one but two OG colorway’s.
#18 Nike Trainer SC OG White Orange
“I love the Bo Jackson the orange and blue.” We feel you Nore. The original white orange concord colorway could release every year and sell out and luckily for us we’ve been seeing more OG Bo Jackson love. For 2013, Nike decided to release these closer to the original than its 2009 predecessor. We could have done without the glossy painted midsoles but outside of that, another must have.
#17 Ewing 33 Hi Purple
In the words of Dave Chappelle “mmmmm its purple.” The 33 Hi could be done in just about any colorway and work, but the combinations of this timeless silhoutte, the color of royalty and rich suede uppers just makes you say MORE PLEASE.
#16 Nike Air Jordan I Black Blue
Image Via Yamaotoko
If you were to young to own the first retro of this colorway, to poor, or just didn’t know they released the first time then you were probably happy to see them return for 2013. Complete with our beloved Nike Air branding its a retro done right.
#15 Converse First String 70’s
For years 60’s and 70’s Chucks have been selling on ebay for hundreds of dollars with prices usually in the 200-450 range. The fear of dry rot is there but usually these classic Chucks from the days of Made In The U.S.A. hold up pretty well. They feature thick two ply canvas and a large black/blue heel tab as well as other small design characteristics that separate them from today’s release. The most noticeable difference however is the comfort. People wonder how NBA players were able to run around in these things and they question it mainly because they associate the card board cushioning of today to the releases of yester-years which is wrong. Japan took notice (as usual) and released an updated version of the 1960’s Chuck’s under their Addict line back in 2009,complete with Vibram Soles a special box and retro card detailing the specs. The US division of Converse finally woke up and did a limited run of the 70’s Chuck complete with the black licenese plate, thicker canvas and better cushioning. If you love Converse All Stars then these are a MUST.
#14 Reebok Shaqnosis
The Shaqnosis which originally released back in 1995 was part of Shaquille O’neals return home to Reebok. Complete with Shaq logo’s and relatively close to the original, it marked the end of an 18 years hiatus, provided for a lot of smiles, and had us hypnotized for more Shaq footwear.
#13 Adidas Mutombo
“No no no, not in my house.” How many times did you hear that for 2013? With their competition bringing back old athletes to re-introduce their iconic shoes to a new generation Adidas knew they had to step up and step up they did. With OG branding, color’s and quality that is second to few retro’s, the Mutombo retro will have you saying “yes yes yes” take my money.
#12 Nike Air Jordan I Black Gold
The Second re-issue of the black gold Jordan I is the one you want to have. In 2003, someone thought it was a good idea to make this shoe (that at one point was rumored to be so exclusive only one person owned a pair) into a 3/4 cut. For 2013, Brand Jordan came to their senses and released these as close to the OG as possible. This shoe taught you that dreams really can come true.
#11 Nike Zoom Glove Sole Collector
The Nike Zoom Glove always had a die hard following, and when the OG colorway of Gary Payton’s sig shoe dropped it was go time. Sole Collector and Nike though had more plans in store for Payton’s legendary shoe in the ways of a collaboration that would outshine its OG counterpart. Aside from the hype and limited availability they just look damn good. Sonic boom!
#10 Ewing Focus
Ewing Athletics return last year with the 33 Hi put them at number one on the DeFY. New York top 25 list for 2012. For 2013 the company introduced another shoe from their back catalog, the Focus. Twenty years since its initial release and the Focus hasn’t lost a step. Complete in its OG form once again, the Knicks colorway’s lead the pack but all of them are hot fiya!
#9 Converse Batman & Superman JP release
Why is it, that the Japanese have to validate an originally American released shoe before American’s re-issue it here? Come on mannnnn FUNK DAT!! Ok, so the last time the Batman Converse All Star Hi released was in 1989 while Converse was still making these in the U.S.A. and if you wanted a pair in a large size good luck. Since their initial release there have been versions that semi-resembled the original but were no where close. This year, Converse Japan teamed up with DC Comics and released the closest retro to date under their US Originators line. Since this release the US once again, has attempted to re-create the 80’s version but comes up short missing key details such as the print on the sole and the vintage Batman Patch on the tongue (check them out here and compare wit the photo above). For some its no biggie, but for purists its no me gusta. Converse Japan also nailed the Joker and Superman releases as well for a DC Comics shoe lineup second to none.
#8 Nike Lunar Flyknit 1+
No matter how dope a shoe looks, there has to be some function for it to become legendary and the Flyknit 1+ has plenty of that. Aside from its organic good looks, therein lies a great shoe for running or walking that’s both super lightweight and super comfy. Finally, a shoe you can bring home to mom.
#7 Nike Air Python
Is it a Python Jordan II? Why does it have an Air Force II sole? Can I fly in them? Will they do my taxes? Why? What? Where? When? How much? This shoes existence has been riddled with questions for 26 years since its initial 1987 release. A fusion between the Nike Air Jordan II and Nike Air Force II, the possibility of a retro wasn’t even a thought of in a community that has increasingly expected all the classics to have at least one re-issue. Surprisingly, Nike re-issued the shoe for 2013 and knocked it out of the box with materials, shape, and comfort. Now, lets talk about that Nike Air Jordan II again……
#6 Vans Lampin x Supreme
Another iconic shoe made its return for 2013 but flew under the radar of the masses. A lot of people thought this shoe’s release with Supreme was weak and while the colorway’s weren’t the best, they certainly weren’t the worst. Last released in 1994/1995 while Van’s were still made in the U.S.A., the Lampin is an extremely under appreciated skate shoe that was famous for its quality two-tone suede uppers. Fingers crossed for more colorways in 2014.
#5 Nike Air Max 95 “OG”
Image Via Social Status
The AM 95 in the neon colorway is what we in the shoe community call, a neck-breaker. Unfortunately, the legacy of the shoe in this colorway had taken a hit due to poor quality releases. Over the years there had been a steady decline in the shape, color blocking and comfort (See for yourself here). The 2005 HOA release was the last time the Neon AM 95 was worth picking up (sorry to all those that took an L buying the releases thereafter) and for a time it seemed that all hope had been lost, that was, until 2013. While not on par with re-issues of the late 90’s it was the first time in 8 years they are a must have.
#4 Nike Air Max Plus Hyperblue & Pimento
Image Via SneakerFreaker
For our shoe head family overseas the Air Max Plus has never left your shelves, in the states we’ve had a drought. The last release of the Nike Air Max Plus in the US was 2006/2007 and the colorway’s were less than desirable. Still, the two most iconic colorway’s had yet to see a global release in a decade for the hyperblue’s and over 13 years for the Pimento’s. Nike and the Footaction/Footlocker/Eastbay/Champs family took care of all fans of the AM Plus for 2013 with retro’s of both colorways. First the pimento’s dropped in Europe/Asia (for now an exclusive there) and the hyperblue colorway recently returned for a global release (exclusive to Footaction, Footlocker, Eastbay and Champs). With the exception of complaints of visible glue under the toe guard (same issue with the originals),materials, fit and finish were all on point. Well done guys, well done.
#3 Nike Lebron XI
The Nike Lebron XI was almost the number one pick. As the latest installment of the best player in the leagues signature shoe, features include all of Nike’s latest technology put together in an absolutely stunning design. So what exactly kept it from being number one you ask? The fit. While it isn’t an issue for everyone it is for enough people to knock this shoe out of contention for the number one spot. Lebron himself complained of discomfort while wearing this shoe on the court and we all sympathized. An absurdly narrow toe box with little give after several wears forces you to go up in size but then provides to much room in the toe box and not that much more room in the width department. There were also complaints of visual blemishes from scuffs to mismatched colors. Award winning looks, some comfort some pain. Remember when buying sneakers wasn’t this complicated?
#2 Reebok Shaq Attaq
Last released in 1993 the streets and the forums have been begging and pleading with Reebok to retro this shoe. Rumors of the shoes return circulated for years but fear of Shaq not being on board and thus losing the defining logos of the original for one of Reebok’s most legendary shoes left most of us shook ones. Luckily Reebok did the right thing and brought back the big guy for what appears to be a series of Shaq releases including his legendary 1993 release, the Shaq Attaq. Complete with OG logos and colorways (not to mention very solid quality) and we have your second best release of the year.
#1 Nike Air Jordan III “88”
Those of you that follow DeFY. New York know that for years we’ve pushed for Jordan’s 1,3,4,5 & 6 to return with Nike Air Branding on the back. It started on Niketalk with many laughing at the idea that Brand Jordan would even consider bringing back Nike Air, from there we took the petition to YouTube before being picked up by sites like Sneakernews and Modernoteriety. A Facebook page dedicated to the “cause” was created in 2012 and by early 2013 we would finally see “Nike Air” back on one of the best Jordan’s in the series, you’re welcome ;).