I'm totally biased as a product of my time, but 2022 was aGreatyear to bea head of slippers. Not only were there more drug drops than we care to count (technically, we count them because we record themThe best drops every week.), but today's tennis climate offers something for everyone. Classic silhouettes from the '80s and '90s are experiencing a renaissance, as sneakers like the Air Max Penny 2 and New Balance 550 find new audiences.
Meanwhile, Jordan fans enjoy reprises of iconic colorways and new collaborations on top-tier silhouettes (Jordan I-V). The often derided era of Y2K sneakers has found fans (Nike Shox, anyone?) . We even have a new show to celebrate this year: Uproxx.nice couple.
Sneakers have never been dull in 2022 and to celebrate one of the strongest tennis years since the pandemic, we've listed the 20 best new arrivals of the year and where to find them. This will ensure you are armed with the best kicks possible for 2023. Here's to next year!
But first... a quick word about Yeezys
You won't find any Yeezys on this list, though week after week much of the first half of 2022 has been dominated by some seriously flying Yeezy releases. That said, the omission might come as a surprise... unless you haven't been paying attention to the crazy words that have been coming out of Ye's mouth lately. I thought it would be a challenge to be on this list and ignore the brand, but you know what? Was not. Like I said, 2022 was a big year for sneakers, and while Ye released great sneakers in the first half of the year, he spent the rest of the year doing weird things like wearing them.Camisetas de White Lives Matter, as folialiteral nazis, and spits out all sorts of misinformationanti-Semitic shit.
In his arrogance, Ye said, "The thing between Adidas and me is... I can literally say anti-Semitic things, and they can't let me," then he repeated to himself for dramatic effect (and why he didn't). actually has something substantial to say) "I could say anti-Semitic things and Adidas can't let me, now what?" Only to, you know, get dumped by Adidas, a brand that was literally launched by card.Member of the German NSDAP. So... I think they showed him.
Period, hate and divisiveness simply have no place in streetwear and Uproxx does not celebrate a brand/line of someone who actively promotes it. Yes, Ye used to make good music and great sneakers, but that's not a good excuse for her nonsense, and streetwear has enough problems to begin with.quantity and wasteproduced by the fashion industry, shady labor practices and Nike's handling of supply chains in China related to the forced labor of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region (according to theNew York Times, Nike claims that it no longer buys products from Xinjiang and that its suppliers do not use locally sourced fabrics or yarns, butstronger auditsis needed). So yeah, we skipped Ye.
As streetwear fans, we need to remain open and critical of the brands that make our favorite sneakers. Streetwear is far from perfect, but by talking openly and often about its flaws, we consumers can point our favorite brands in the right direction.
That's a bigger conversation that deserves an article of its own, now let's talk about the best sneakers of the year.
JJJJound x New Balance 990v3 Made in USA Olive, febrero de 2022
While 2022 was a strong year for tennis, it started off at a snail's pace. It was a full two months before we got our first notable release of the year in the Justin Saunders JJJJound x New Balance 990v3. Based on the third iteration of the 990 silhouette (arguably the best yet), this shoe features a dark olive green colorway atop a mesh midsole with pigskin suede overlays.
By using just three colors, Saunders managed to create a harmonious design that combined earthy green tones with reflective silver accents and a black "N" logo to tie it all together.
Find the JJJJound x New Balance 990v3 Made in USA Olive in your favoriteafter-sales website.
Union LA x Nike Dunk Low Pistazie, February
Union LA has been one of Nike's strongest collaborators and 2022 has only cemented that reputation. Released as one of Union's three "Passport Pack" colorways, the Pistachio Dunk Low featured a semi-translucent detachable upper in neutral gray tones with a pistachio-like inner sheen that revealed a navy-and-green-hued leather base once. spent.
The entire Passport package was inspired by rare early 2000s sneakers from around the world, and with 2022 being the year Y2K-2, these retro sneakers have resonated strongly with modern tennis culture. Even now, ten months later, they still look great.
Find the Union LA x Nike Dunk Low Pistachio in your favoriteafter-sales website.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 9060 Penny Cookie Pink March 2022
Chicago designer Joe Freshgoods is a name you'll see a lot throughout this article, and for good reason, he's one of the biggest designers in the game right now. Midway through the year, its 9060 collab with New Balance brought plenty of vibrant color to a brand known for being a bit drab and understated.
Released as part of Freshgoods' Inside Voices bundle, the Penny Cookie Pink 9060 featured a pink mesh upper with peach suede overlays on an ABZROB midsole. The 9060 itself was a hybrid silhouette that took elements of the 990 and infused it with cues from New Balance's 2000-era running shoes. The result is simply one of the best silhouettes New Balance has ever produced.
Find the New Balance 9060 Penny Cookie Pink at your favoriteafter-sales website.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High '85 Georgetown, abril de 2022
For this roundup of the best sneakers of 2022, I've tried to stay away from plain color reruns in favor of all-new designs, but I couldn't cap 2022 without highlighting one of the year's best retro releases, the Jordan 1... High '85 Georgetown. Dressed in the navy blue and gray colors of the Georgetown Hoyas basketball team, this colorway was created to mark the 40th anniversary of Jordan's game-winning goal against the Hoyas in 1982, when he was a much less famous college player.
There's something creepy about commemorating that moment by wearing the school colors of the team that beat MJ, but given MJ's legendary status and the ridiculous way the color scheme is used in this classic design, they would complain.
Find the Air Jordan 1 Georgetown Retro High '85 in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 550 conversations between us April 2022
Two years ago, Aimé Leon Dore's Teddy Santis resurrected the 550 silhouette from the New Balance archive, and in 2022, Joe Freshgoods perfected the sneaker with this all-white pair from his Conversations Among Us collection. Each piece in the Conversations Collection is made in partnership with Black Soles, an initiative started at New Balance that aims to amplify the black voice in the footwear industry.
The sneaker featured a cream canvas upper with leather and suede accents and a cool twist on the 'N' logo that featured a contrasting black outline. This off-white beauty rests on a slightly aged sole that gives it a slightly vintage look. Still the best color combination to grace the 550 silhouette. This is the strength of Freshgoods!
Find Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 550 Amongst Us conversations in your favoriteafter-sales website.
Union LA x Air Jordan 2 Gray Fog, April 2022
In fact, there have been a lot of great collaborations with Union Nike this year, but we've had to narrow them down to the absolutely essential pairs, and this version of the Jordan 2 is one of them. Long forgotten despite being designed by Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore, fathers of some of Nike's finest silhouettes, the Jordan 2 finally earned the respect it deserved this year, 36 years after its original release, a series of Dope collaborations. who reinvented that earlier time design.
Chris Gibbs and the team at Union swapped the synthetic lizard skin upper for a textile construction with suede overlays and perforated details. With a combination of Fog Grey, Siren Red and Light Smokey Gray with Light Blue accents, this iteration of the Jordan 2 has taken a once-simple design and outfitted it with contrasting colorways and premium details.
Find the Union LA x Air Jordan 2 Gray Fog in your favoriteafter-sales website.
Supreme x Nike Shox Ride 2 Black, June 2022
If you came of age in the 2000s, you might look at a new pair of Nike Shox with utter horror, but if you're a relatively young shoe that's just burst onto the scene, you don't have a point of reference or a reason to hate this project. . . Despite being a design from twenty years ago, the Shox somehow manages to look futuristic.
The idea of Shox can be hard to swallow, which is why we created this pair from the streetwear kings Supreme, who released a four-color set of the shoe earlier this summer and the all-black pair was the best of the bunch. Featuring a mesh upper with leather overlays, Shox Ride 2 Sports Supreme branding and the iconic column heel that makes the design so polarizing.
Find the Supreme x Nike Shox Ride 2 Black in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba „Cream White Bold Green“, junho de 2022
Made in collaboration with British designer Wales Bonner, this simple update to the Adidas Samba is the best the silhouette has seen in a long time. The shoe features a cream nylon upper with a plush suede finish and faux crocodile three-stripes. This low-profile sneaker is mounted on a semi-translucent rubber sole and has green and cream-speckled laces that help tie the design together.
The Samba is an all-time great silhouette, but the design is a bit worn at this point, making its appearance on year-end lists a true rarity. Wales Bonner's impeccable design sense made this pair easy to pick.
Find the Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba 'Cream White Bold Green on your favoriteafter-sales website.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 2 Airness, junior 2022
I wasn't kidding when I said this is the year of the Jordan 2, and if the amount of drops wasn't enough, it should be proof enough to give A Ma Maniére a silhouette point. The Atlanta-based brand is one of Jordan Brand's strongest contributors and has given the Jordan 2 its elegant touch to create a shoe that lives up to the original vision Moore and Jordan pursued for this luxury shoe.
Featuring cracked leather uppers with burgundy piping and snakeskin accents, this iteration of the Airness exudes luxury in a way its designers could only dream of. It's great to see the vision finally come true, in an age where luxury streetwear isn't a dream, it's the norm.
Find the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 2 Airness in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Reverse Mocha, July 2022
Travis Scott released a few sneaker collaborations with Nike this year, but nothing was quite as sensational as the low-cut Reverse Mocha Jordan 1. Featuring a brown suede upper with cool white leather overlays and the now-iconic reverse swoosh, the Reverse Mocha was , as the title suggests, a low-top version and a variant of the Jordan 1 Mocha 2019.
2021 has been a strong year for Travis Scott, with a string of falls dominating year-end lists everywhere. 2022 was a little different, but the big drop we got was easily one of La Flame's best. This is a milestone of the Travis Scott Cactus Jack Nike collaboration and all future releases will be compared to this Heat. Give me 2023.
Find the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Reverse Mocha in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Teddy Santis x New Balance 990v3 Made in USA Brute Amethyst
Teddy Santis is one of the main reasons why New Balance has become one of the most popular sneaker brands, even ranking above the mighty Swoosh in some streetwear circles. We have him to thank for reviving some of NB's strongest forgotten silhouettes, and his influence is so powerful that New Balance named him creative director of the prestigious Made in USA line. Arguably their best release this year was this Raw Amethyst version of 990v3.
From New Balance's Made in USA line (obviously), this 990 features a mesh upper with soft lavender pig suede overlays with a red and orange N logo and navy laces. It seems like the kind of colorway of the Miami/New York brand Stray Rats would match the kind of luxe minimalism that Santis' Aime Leon Dore brand is known for.
Find the Teddy Santis x New Balance 990v2 Made in USA Raw Amethyst in your favoriteafter-sales website.
Bad Bunny x Adidas Forum Tint Blue, August 2022
Now that Yeezys are a thing of the past, Bad Bunny has become Adidas' strongest contributor, and while Benito doesn't churn out new designs à la 'Ye, he still has a pretty solid track record when it comes to his Adidas collaborations. . Not only is the Bad Bunny's Blue Tint Forum the best Adidas release of the year, it's also the best Bad Bunny brand sneaker to date.
Showcasing a monochrome blue color influenced by the waters of Puerto Rico, this Blue Tint Forum features leather and suede uppers, a padded collar and a semi-sheer midsole. There's something relaxing about this pair of sneakers, it's not loud or flashy, it reflects an artist comfortable in his element, which makes sense given Benito's latest album.a summer without you, is one of the most played albums of the year. We're seeing an artist working at the top of his game and we're looking forward to seeing what he has in store for next year.
Find the Bad Bunny x Adidas Forum Blue Tint on your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Nike Air Max Penny 1 Orlando
Penny Hardaway's signature shoe, the Air Max Penny, is officially back. Both the Air Penny 1 and 2 have garnered a lot of attention this year through high-profile collaborations with Social Status, but hats off to this Orlando colorway, which serves as a retro reimagining of the sneaker's debut. 1995: the Color variant.
With a Black Nubuck upper with a chunky White midsole and True Blue accents, a huge spiral Swoosh and a Pylon midsole with an exposed Air unit, the Penny 1 Orlando looks amazing.
Find the Nike Air Max Penny 1 Orlando at your favoriteafter-sales website.
Status social x Nike Dunk Mid Chocolate Milk, setembro
Social Status's Air Penny collabs might not have made our list of the best sneakers, but this chocolate milk-inspired midi model from the brand's Free Lunch collection did. This Dunk features leather uppers in shades of brown, beige and cream and a light blue outsole with a large wraparound TPU swoosh in milky pink, an homage to the other colorway in the Free Lunch collection, Strawberry Milk.
It was a real toss-up between the Strawberry Milk and Chocolate Milk iterations of this shoe, but we'll have to leave it to chocolate, this fall color palette with light pastel accents offers a near-perfect color match.
Find Social Status x Nike Dunk Mid Chocolate Milk in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
J Balvin x Air Jordan 2, September 2022
Okay, yeah, we've been screaming Jordan 2s a lot this year, but I mean, look at this pair! How could we not show you some love? Made in collaboration with reggaeton star J Balvin, these sneakers feel like a direct response to Bad Bunny's Blue Tint forum, and considering the two artists are longtime friends and collaborators, it's almost as if the designs are two sides of the same thing. coin. . That might be a blasphemous statement in a world where it often seems to pledge allegiance to the Swoosh or the stripes, but if anyone can find harmony in the world of streetwear, it's J Balvin and Bad Bunny.
With a light blue ripstop upper with cloud blue overlays, a white midsole and a translucent blue outsole, these shoes look to the blue sky for inspiration. Whatever peaceful world Balvin and Benito live in, we want to be.
Find the J Balvin x Air Jordan 2 in your favoriteafter-sales website.
Palace x New Balance 580 Gargoyle Pencil Blue, setembro de 2022
This year, the London skate brand produced its first collaboration with New Balance, the 580 Gargoyle Lapis Blue. With furry suede panels atop a mesh upper and speckled midsole, Palace's take on this forgotten '90s silhouette manages to embody New Balance and Palace heritage while bringing something new to the sneaker community. : urban fashion.
The 580 was a famous staple in the Japanese streetwear scene of the '90s and we have Palace to thank for helping enrich the design with the kind of embellishments that weren't popular in the era this shoe lived in to bring it back. to modern consciousness.
Find the Palace x New Balance 580 Gargoyle Lapis Blue in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Salehe Bembury x New Balance 990v2 Sand Be The Time, dezembro de 2022
Salehe Bembury spent a lot of time this year releasing new colorways from her Crocs collaboration, the Pollex Clog, and while we love this shoe, it would never be our best shoe of 2021. Not because we don't have any respect for Crocs, but because we've already highlighted the shoe in the last year and in 2021 it still has the silhouette's best colorways.
Luckily for all of us, Bembury has once again collaborated with New Balance to continue their "Sand Be The Time" line. This sneaker takes the second iteration of the 990 silhouette and dresses it in fuzzy pink suede over a salmon pink midsole with forest green, purple, and cement accents and a purple chenille N logo. This chenille logo is the icing on the cake of a really cute design.
Find the Salehe Bembury x New Balance 990v2 Sand Be The Time in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Jacquemus x Nike Women's Air Humara LX Pink Flash, December 2022
The Paris-based gang has created something truly unique with Nike in their ongoing collaboration with Air Humara, and while most people are looking for the white and brown color palette it released earlier this year, we're paving the way for this one. Pink Blitz exclusively for women. Air Humara LX.
This suede and furry mesh sneaker with a solid pink upper features a gold mini swoosh, stitched leather lace upper and a fabric-wrapped midsole over a dark brown lock-on rubber outsole. It lacks the minimal elegance of past color combinations, but it's impossible to ignore, and sometimes it's just what you need when you walk into a room.
Find the Jacquemus x Nike Women's Air Humara LX Pink Flash in your favoriteAftermarket-site web.
Cactus Plant Flohmarkt x Nike Dunk Tan Mossy Green
Every year in tennis we need a wacky design that will challenge tennis lovers everywhere and divide us into two camps. Polarizing in sneakers is always fun, and easily the most polarizing release this year was the recent Cactus Plant Flea Market release. Featuring a padded suede upper with an oversized white Swoosh and mismatched rainbow laces, insoles and soles, this version of Dunk feels truly random.
The asymmetrical branding, altered embroidered Swoosh logo, weird moss and mud-covered midsole, random yin yang logo on the side heel, it's the kind of shoe that will make you say out loud, "What the hell?" they. But you know what? This is fun. Let Cynthia Lu's Cactus Plant Flea Market keep us on our toes in this shoe that looks like it was minted on day six of a mid-'90s music festival.
This is a brand that never ceases to amaze and we are grateful for that.
Find the Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Dun Tan Mossy Green on your favoriteafter-sales website.
SHOE OF THE YEAR: A Ma Maniére x Jordan IV Violet Ore, November 2022
Like last year, we decided not to rank this list, but we didn't want to close our roundup without giving a shout out to what we consider to be the sneaker of the year. Ma Maniére is without a doubt one of the hottest brands operating in streetwear right now, and this minimalist and beautiful version of the Jordan 4, quite possibly the best Jordan ever made, is easily our favorite release of the year. Featuring a smooth and sleek purple nubuck upper with a woven tongue, padded collar and off-white cream midsole, this shoe is the perfect colorway any tennis aficionado could wish for.
That's not easy with a silhouette like the Jordan 4, there are a number of incredible interpretations from that show and yet this pair, released in 2022, 33 years after the original, ranks among the very best. It's a testament to A Ma Maniére's skills as a brand and the versatility of this design given to us by Tinker Hatfield. Printed on the inside heel tab of each pair are the words "It's not about the shoes... it's about where you go" and we can only agree. We love sneakers, but sneaker lovers sometimes get stuck picking up their shoes. There's nothing wrong with collecting, but owning a great pair of sneakers means wearing them, and the tag is the perfect reminder of that.
Encontre A Ma Maniére x Jordan IV Violet Ore no seu favoritoAftermarket-site web.