Complex Back in the Day: The Best of 1989

COMPLEX’S TOP 10 SNEAKERS OF 1989

#10: NEW BALANCE 577
There aren’t many shoes designed for dads that a self-respecting cool kid would wear, but this was one of them. They also accommodated various girths—just like your mom!

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#9: BRITISH KNIGHTS
BK brawlers! Well, kind of. More like the Kix of sneakers—playground tested, mother approved.

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#8: VISION STREET WEAR
For $30, there wasn’t a cooler skate shoe on the market. Mark “Gator” Rogowksi was on Vision, and that was damn cool—until he became a rapist and murderer.

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#7: ADIDAS ZX9000
Yeah they’re hot now, and a dope retro, but let’s get real. No one was like, “Ah man, I got to get the new ZX’s.” They got these because they cost $30 less than Jordans. Today people will tell you they were all on it, but we know the deal.

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#6: NIKE AIR MAGS (FROM BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II)
There are only two pair of these puppies still in existence, so while they’re awesome, everyone is unfortunately going to have to get over it. Like Canada and Parkinson’s, Michael J. Fox put these on the map.

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#5: ETNIES NATAS
Natas Kaupas’s signature shoe didn’t have the same kind of longevity as Steve Caballero’s Vans Half Cab, but technically it beats it out as the first pro model skate shoe ever. And it’s not nearly as evil your mom thought. (Note: Natas backwards spells SATAN!!!)

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#4: NIKE AIR TECH CHALLENGE
Believe it or not, Andre Agassi used to be the Kanye of tennis—loud colors, shameless self-promotion, and cultural ubiquity. Then he wifed up Amber Rose Brooke Shields and we knew he wasn’t gay.

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#3: VANS HALF CAB
Twenty years after its debut, Steve Caballero is still king when he rolls up to a skate event. Half Cabs = classic. The Full Cab, however, was mustier than a love sock.

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#2: REEBOK PUMP
These were full of hot air (in a good way). Don’t pump ‘em too quickly or they’ll bust all over your feet.

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#1: NIKE AIR JORDAN IV
A lot of us claim to remember when the first J’s hit, but it wasn’t until the IVs came out that we were really old enough to annoy our mothers about getting them. Now, 20 years in, we’re still annoying our mothers, but that’s just because we have three colorways of these and it makes her sick that sneakers can cost more than $60.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF OUR 1989 LISTS: