By now we're sure you've read, and voiced your opinion on, our highly controversial (relax broskis, there's more to life than sneaker debates) Top 100 Sneakers of the 2000's list. After looking at your very constructive comments pertaining to the styles that didn't make the cut, we wanted to give our reasoning for not including certain sneakers on the massive countdown. See, we listen to you guys, and value your opinions (thanks for clicking). Read on to learn why shoes like the Cool Grey XI, Jordan VI/XI DMP Pack, and New Balance x SoleBox Purple Devil didn't get the nod. Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments, just don't tell us to kill ourselves like commenter "Qof" did.
SNEAKER:Air Jordan Cool Grey XI
YEAR RELEASED: 2001
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: Sure these were sick and solidified the "cool grey" colorway as an awesome go-to for Jordan as well as other brands, but in the interest of not getting too Jordan-heavy with the list, we left off re-issues of original silhouettes (besides special make-ups.) Think of all the sick IVs, VIs, and VIIIs that dropped in the past nine years. The whole front-end of the list could've been Jordans. What fun would have that been?
SNEAKER:Jordan Defining Moments Package
YEAR RELEASED: 2006
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: This Black/Gold package VI/XI combo had people going crazy when it came out, but the staying power of the sneakers has diminished significantly since its release. Now that Jordan brand is doing even more DMP's and the packages aren't a one-off (people thought they may be back in 2006), don't be surprised to see more powerful pairings than the first drop in the future that will make you forget about the O.G.s
SNEAKER: adidas Gazelle Skate
YEAR RELEASED: 2007
WHY IT DIDN'T MAKE IT: The new take on a classic, timeless silo was good, but it hasn't picked up that much steam yet. Can the Gazelle ever do for adidas skate what the dunk did for Nike SB? We're hoping, but it didn't happen in time for this list.
SNEAKER: Nike Nylon Dunk
YEAR RELEASED: 2008
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: These made our top 50 Dunk list, but compared to the classic Dunks that made the Aughts list, these just aren't in the same league yet. If Nike continues to pump these out and keep the people excited, these might make our list in 2020.
SNEAKER: Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2k4
YEAR RELEASED: 2004
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: Commenters complained that these weren't on the list, but really, who wore these off-court? Not us or you, probably. For basketball they were great, but that's where it stopped. Plus the Huarache 2k5 > Huarache 2k4 and the Hyperdunk that was #32 on our list are better than both styles.
SNEAKER: Solebox x New Balance "Purple Devil"
YEAR RELEASED: 2006
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: This collab was one of the most critically-acclaimed New Balance releases, but it was one of those sneakers that no one knew where to get them in the United States—not even Flight Club has 'em. It's a great sneaker, but the sketchy distribution (only 300 made overseas) ruined it for us. If you scored a pair, you're probably like the coolest person we don't know.
SNEAKER: Nike Paris Opium 180
YEAR RELEASED: 2006
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: We got some heat about not including these Opium-designed 180s, but it's hard to debate that these were better than the Union 180s or the Nom de Guerre's special make-ups 180—both of which made the list. There was some hype behind these, but they didn't sell as well as expected, with some pairs even trickling into outlets in the U.S. after sitting on shelves
SNEAKER: Air Max Infrared 90s
YEAR RELEASED: 1990
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: Umm...to the two commenters who gave us shit for this, look at the name of the sneaker. These were made in 1990 and the re-issues that came later were exactly the same.
SNEAKER: Nike Air 'Eggplant' Foamposite
YEAR RELEASED: 2009
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: The Foamposite is a classic, and this colorway had people lining up this past year, but the sneaker was originally produced in 1997. If we put these on, we would have no argument for leaving all the Jordan re-issues off the list. Last time we'll say it.
SNEAKER: Vans x Hosoi Sk8-Hi
YEAR RELEASED: 2007
WHY THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT: In terms of the Sk8-Hi, this collabo with skater Christian Hosoi, is widely considered one of the best make-ups of the last few years. It was on our top 101, but got cut in the edit. True story.
RELATED: The Top 100 Sneakers of the 2000's
