2008 - BEST OF THE BEST SNEAKERS

I’ve had more than a few people suggest that sneakers just aint as exciting as they used to be. Well I’ve been sitting here making a little list of shoes in my head that I thought were pretty neat this year and at about 50 I tapped out... and that was just the first three months! How many do you really need for a good year? I guess what I’m saying is that if you’re feeling a little ennui, it probably isn’t the shoes, it’s simply the result of too much of a good thing. Why not turn your computer off for a few months and take a breather from the hurly burly of the interweb?

Given the Sneaker Freaker PUMA shoe came out in 2008, it’s a monty to know which model I’ll be choosing as my best. From the Great White version to the Black Beast and the ultimate sharkskin edition, we made a trio of bold choices that will stand the test of time. It’s an absolute beauty and the best colab in a year with a lot of competition in that category, but I’m particularly proud to say that we had the balls to stand behind a new shoe.
This was also the year of the Supra Skytop. There is simply no denying the raw power this shoe commands. I got down in a pair of the black Supratuff Skytops pretty regularly and found out what all the fuss was about. With a lot of competition from ‘similar’ looking shoes, the Skytop’s popularity is an enigma of sorts, but it is an example of the perfect storm when all kinds of people get on board the train without quite knowing why. Kudos to the Supra designers for hitting a huge bullseye...
Whether you count hybrids or not is a moot point, but you can’t fault Nike for trying to bring a new game. The Zoom MVP earns my most surprising shoe of the year. Inspired by more than a few Nikes (Air Force 180 anyone?) the MVP is not perfect but it is close! Other clear winners are the Hyperdunk, Lunaracer, Max90 Current and the Rejuven8. Out of all of those I think the Current has the most potential, but the MVP is the least obvious. We shall see if any of these new models can develop a following and earn their keep.