The 100 Best Sneakers of the Complex Decade

In the world of sneakers, a decade is more than just a pair of adidas — it's damn near a full generation. A lot has happened in the kicks game since Complex's founding in 2002, from the crest and ebb of the Nike SB craze, to the return of modern high-tech sneakers as streetwear, to the virtual rebirth of Air Jordan. So take a trip down memory lane with The 100 Best Sneakers of the Complex Decade.

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Related: The Best Sneakers of 2017

Year: 2011

It's highly unlikely that the word "subtle" can be found anywhere in Jeremy Scott's dictionary. And no doubt fans of his work with adidas Originals — people like Bjork, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, amongst many others — appreciate it. His $180 Bears, essentially furry Metro Attitudes with Teddy Ruxpins growing from the tongues, were early favorites that (whether you would wear them or not) got everyone wondering what he'd come up with next.

Year: 2003

Creative Recreation AKA Creative Rec pushed brands when it jumped on the scene in 2002, and the Cesario was the Bentley err, Chrysler 300 of the models they put out. The sneaker had a high-end look at a price you could afford. Thanks to its ability to blur the line of a sneaker and legit grown-man style, the Cesario was a shoe you could rock to the club without fear of getting bounced at the ropes.

Year: 2007

Puma Suedes were one of the signature shoes of early hip-hop, and in the late aughts Puma made that literal, turning out shoes to honor pioneers Ed Lover and Dr. Dre (no, the other one), MC Shan, Doug E. Fresh and Big Daddy Kane. The Kane shoe for U.S. soil was black, but we preferred the red Euro-only version, with that gold chain draped off the ankle collar. It's a Big Daddy thing.

Year: 2012

Noted Italian fabric house Missoni and Converse most notably (and predictably) combined forces on the venerable Chuck Taylor All Star, but their boldest project was the First String Auckland Racer, a 1970s runner converted into something else entirely by Missoni's eminently recognizable textiles. The initial 2011 releases were wild, but this toned-down 2012 version was more wearable.

Year: 2009

Taking the exposed tech look of the original Air Max runner to new heights, the Air Max 2009's Flywire support turned a functional element into an aesthetic one. The appearance was so striking and memorable, that Nike wasted no time retroing the shoe, bringing it back into the line just three years later.

Year: 2004

The Zoom Generations were LeBron's first Nike signature shoes, but the IIs were the first to feature his name on the box. With a lot of pressure on Team Swoosh to step it up for King James’ sophomore run, they came out with a triple-double for the most-anticipated basketball shoe of 2005. The stacked full-length Zoom Air units were a huge success comfort wise and the lasered details on the ballistic mesh-reinforced upper looked sick. The sneaker was also the introduction to Bron’s now-signature lion logo. The birthday LeBron IIs > Birthday Cake Oreos — and that’s a bold statement.

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When the sneaker world ODed on itself sometime in the late aughts, ultra minimalist designs took over in lieu of color-heavy collabs and retros. The Italian-made Achilles became a staple for fashion dorks and recovering cool guys alike. The $300+ price tag meant you could keep your cred and your Dior jeans, no compromise.

Year: 2010

One of the most successful independents of the new millenium, Clae combines sophisticated styling with a skate feel to turn out grown styles for the not-quite-ready-for-hardbottoms set. The Ellington evokes the result of a midnight tryst between a Vans Authentic and a classic laceup — a street-ready style that could easily pass at the office or the club.

Year: 2005

There are lots of good European New Balance partner projects out there. Crooked Tongues, SNS, Wood Wood and Norse Projects have all given some runners respectful remixes, but Berlin's Solebox mastered the late 1988 1500 model during the second half of the decade. The people of Europe love this model (way, way before the New Balance boom of recent years) and they particularly love the 1500 shape that was coming out the UK-based Flimby factory in the mid 2000s with its stealthy, angular silhouette. Solebox put out plenty of takes on this model, but the best ones, like the 1500GGB variation, slotted in perfectly with the original colorways from back in the day. Those that knew snapped up the meagre 150 shoe production run, from collectors to NYC-based 'Lo heads who understand this model's significance. Many of today's NB obsessives were snoozing or too fixated on lurid Dunks to notice these drop, but if they appeared today in this form, the hype might break the internet.

Year: 2007

adidas' EQT series is one of the greatest sneaker lines ever (complete with Peter Moore, the man behind the Jordan I on design duties), but for a while the series fell into a no-man's land between Originals and performance. After an early 2006 retro of the original colorway, this collaboration seemed to appear from nowhere. Graffiti collaborations are generally terrible — all drips, Brooklyn Kid style fonts and gaudy characters. This project brought the hardcore sensibility of the IRAK crew to the EQT, but jettisoned the obvious stuff. Whether any of the crew members ever boosted this expensive shoe the first time around is a mystery, but the colors and impossible to miss 'IRAK 2007' or 'IRAK 2008' on the forefoot just looked right, and those complaining about that brutal-looking branding were missing the point a little. While it's part of the Remix project of the time, how these shoes came to be (the ALIFE connection?) was never fully explained, but in a world so reliant on the preview, closer look and behind the scenes Vimeo, that ambiguity is refreshing.

Year: 2003

Most collaborators get given the Illustrator file and proceed to hurl the entire Pantone book at the shoe until it begs for mercy. That's why most collaborations fail. ALIFE knew exactly what makes classic adidas models work, because rather than live their lives behind monitors the team has extensive real-world knowledge of sneaker culture in NYC. Part of a trio that included a Top Ten and a far bolder Metro Attitude, this Grand Slam makeup's white mesh, gold stripes and red lining was mirrored in those pegs on the midsole, bringing out the best in this court icon. This even got the nod from notoriously fickle European adidas fanatics, because it's a textbook display of restraint and expertise on the dual-label front. Future partners on sneaker projects should study this to see how a collaboration should be done.

Year: 2012

The Air Max has come a long way since Tinker Hatfield's original Centre Pompidieu-inspired design back in 1987. The latest iteration utilizes a massive 360 Air bag for cushioning, and a minimalist mesh upper with tendon-like overlays to provide support where it's needed most. The red and neon colorway just looks cool.

Year: 2011

The phrase gets thrown around a lot, but Dennis Busenitz really is your favorite skater’s favorite skater. The 2011 Tampa Pro Champion was born in the U.S. but grew up in Germany, the home of the Three Stripes. The Busentiz signature shoe is one part heritage footy boot, one part innovative skate shoe, and all around awesome.

Year: 2008

Sometimes simplicity is the best way to make a statement. For his 1HUND(RED) Artists Chuck Taylor All Star, Hiroshi Fujiwara (the "H" in Nike's HTM) took the basic canvas Chuck Taylor OX, and turned nearly everything red — the toe cap, the eyelets, the laces, the tongue tag, the foxing stripe. And, for a finishing touch, Hiroshi's fragment design logo embroidered on the heel. Nothing fancy, just exactly what the project called for.

Year: 2008

Visvim was some mythical ish stateside, a Japanese brand that worked with premium materials to turn out modern takes on Native American style footwear at extraterrestrial prices. Leave it to L.A.'s UNDFTD to team up and bring in some exclusive exclusives so the Hollywood set could see what the hype was all about. Not everyone could pull off a fringed running moccasin, but for those who could, this was the only choice.

Year: 2011

Consider this the pinnacle of the heritage Americana trend. J. Crew as a sneaker collaborator was unthinkable at the onset of the Complex decade, and it even raised eyebrows when these beauties dropped. With simple single color suede uppers, the silhouette of the 1400 is honored properly and prepared in a way that satisfied true sneakerheads and weekend warriors alike.

Year: 2011

The decade's focus on retrospective sneakers seemed to prove harmful in terms of progression, but there were slim pickings in terms of future classics. Did we consumers and fans take our eyes off the ball, or were the brands just making ugly shoes? Nike Free's 2004 debut with the original 5.0 and Free Trails (contenders for this rundown) was strong, but the Free Run+ 2 is the finest Free moment to date. The first iteration was incredible, but the sequel's tendon-like cutaways, asymmetric lacing and flex was a necessity. In a world where pre-2000 shoes rule the streets, to see these on feet of those in the know from city to city was a sign that things were evolving and that technical runners are the connoisseurs' choice.

Year: 2010

It’s hard for a sneaker to stand out during the All-Star Game, but Bron-Bron’s VIIs did just that. When he rocked these chlorine bangers for the East in the 2010 All-Star Game it was the shoe everyone was talking about. The best part? Function met fashion, as these were a sneaker you could rock on and off the court and be winning.

Year: 2008

Grey and neon has been a go-to colorup for runners since Sergio Lozano's original Nike Air Max 95, but in 2008, Tokyo's VA utilized the familiar in an utterly new way. With two-tone sweatshirt material upper offset by black velour stripes with neon highlights and matching laces, this adidas ZX 9000 was the highlight of the A to ZX project.

Year: 2009

When adidas announced they would be teaming up with one of major sports biggest fashion icons you knew the end product was going to live up to the hype — especially since they enlisted UNDFTD's James Bond to work on the project. The Three Stripe brand took things back to the basics and dropped revamped classics in numerous colorways and materials but the neon yellow joints were the pair that had you calling adidas Originals relentlessly trying to scoop a pair.

Year: 2002

Harbingers of things to come, the Air Woven was a crude predecessor of the infinitely more refined FlyKnit. And, like its eventual descendant, the Air Woven was reworked by the HTM (Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, Mark Parker) crew, most notably in this desert boot form. The best designs don't always scream the loudest.

Year: 2004

Nike welcomed Kobe Bryant with open arms and immediately got in the Innovation Kitchen to hook the NBA’s most competitive player with a pair of shoes that could stand the test of his versatile game. With a little help from an old Tinker classic design the 2K4s were ahead of their time performance wise, keeping them relevant even in today's game. The shoe was the epitome of lightweight performance in the pre-Flywire era. And while it wasn't technically a Kobe signature shoe, the lasered version pictured made it quite clear whose model it was.

Year: 2006

Nigo and KAWS connect.

Year: 2005

Probably the greatest 180 runner ever. Hat tip to the NYC style mavens for mixing colors others hadn't thought to pair.

Year: 2006

Back when Vans first introduced their custom shoes program, you were welcome to do anything. Bring in your own material? Fine. Make the left shoe entirely different from the right? No problem. With their 2006 collaboration, Supreme brought some of that spirit back, mixing every checkered pattern you could think of on one shoe. It worked.

Year: 2010

In 2010, Nike made sure to get their share of your holiday cash by all means necessary. On Christmas Day, the Lakers and Heat squared off and both superstars in the game had their own holiday kicks cooked up just for the match. Bron’s red 8s were cool but it was Kobe’s VI “Grinch” kicks that stole the show. Sneaker fans burnt up Nike’s servers on that last-minute Christmas gift for themselves, but if they missed out they were handing out pairs to courtside ticket customers — whose seats only cost 20 times the MSRP of the shoes.

Year: 2006

These released online, and if you were a fan of Jordan IVs (who isn’t?) and stunting with eye-catching colorways, you probably did whatever you could to get a pair. Yellow isn’t a normal go-to for JB, but they took a risk on these and they proved to be one of the standout IVs of the last 10 years.

Year: 2011

When Eric Koston made the late-career jump from Lakai to Nike, skate nerds around the world held their breath waiting for this release — and for good reason. Turns out the Lunarlon-infused Eric Koston 1 is not only one of the most skateable shoes in recent history, but it’s a clean silhouette with ample potential for embellishment. And for Koston, a die-hard Lakers fan, the chance to collaborate with Kobe Bryant was an unmatched career highlight.

Year: 2009

Now, everybody's preoccupied with anything U.S.-made or/and bearing the 'N' — back in early 2009, people seemed to balk at the prices of these beautiful shoes. Nobody's going to admit that because they don't want to look like new-jacks though. ALIFE' s A.R.C. store opposite the Rivington Club celebrated sports luxury and performance, and these were a perfect collaboration that brought out the technical running aspect of the shoe while still commemorating the luxury side of the 1300 with its legacy of street level wear via characters who had the boosting skills or means to grab a pair at their original cost. These A.R.C. variations didn't come cheap either, but the materials, colors and details, down to the hangtags, plus the accompanying factory video amplified all that's great about New Balance.

Year: 2009

It's rare that a collaboration between a sneaker company and a shop results in an entirely new model, but that's exactly what happened when Denmark's Wood Wood teamed up with Nike to create the ACG Lunar Wood. A Lunarlon-equipped update of the classic Wildwood ACG, the Lunar Wood was designed not for casual trail hikes, but for urban graffiti missions. The rubber mudguard was functional, the spatter on the midsole was a fine tribute to original ACG footwear. Smartly, Nike found a place in the ACG line for the hybrid.

Year: 2007

The Campus is one of the greatest adidas shoes of all time and with London's rich culture of footwear imports and b-boy preoccupations, Footpatrol were the perfect choice to rework it for the debut of the 80s edition. But what do you do with something this simple? Shift from suede and the shoe's appeal is lost, but do too little and it's an opportunity wasted. That mustardy yellow, claret red and appropriately cloudy grey are untouchable colours, but the devil was in the details on this project — the snake-effect stripes on the medial side have been aped elsewhere, but here they upped the swagger of a shoe that used to carry serious bragging rights. Extra points for putting store manager Wes's face on the box in a Jabbar style too.

Year: 2007

Bobbito Garcia and Rasheed Wallace co-sign the Air Force 1 High, which is good enough for us. Bobbito went all boot with the '82 classic, serving up beef and broc and mac and cheese styles for those who wanted to rock Timbo style without the clunk. The canvas side panel was a nod to the OG's mesh, and with limited distro and those gum soles, the author of Where'd You Get Those? made sure you were gonna get asked the same question.

Year: 2002

This is where it all started with adidas and Jeremy Scott. The American designer turned out just 100 pairs of these currency-plastered Forums for a runway show, and when they went on sale afterwards, they were an immediate hit. adidas took notice, and a beautiful partnership was born.

Year: 2003

Originally released in 1993, the Air Huarache Light didn't make the same impact as the first Huarache runner — although the plastic speedlacing system may have made them a more supportive shoe. In 2003, Stüssy brought them back in lurid green and a (slightly) more sedate orange and grey. The primary difference was that the 2003s were produced with leather mudguards. A very small number were made for friends and family with the Stüssy logo embroidered on the uppers — good luck finding those.

Year: 2004

Eight years after its initial drop you can still find this shoe below retail, which is beyond absurd. Supreme took a sturdy mid-80s basketball shoe and flipped it in three semi-monochrome patterns, adding a spot of color with a single eyelet, extra cush with a boot-like ankle collar, and some flash with a reflective tongue. Admit it, you're still sleeping.

Year: 2010

Ronnie Fieg single-handedly gave ASICS the niche sneaker buzz it’s never really had. Colorway after colorway has dropped, but this “The Cove” model was perfect. Inspired by an amazing getaway spot in the Bahamas, Fieg created a new hue of blue and dressed it up in top-notch suede. He’s had a lot of collabs drop as of recently, but we think it’s his best to date.

Year: 2003

The redrum kicks were one of the only Dunk SBs to feature an all-leather tongue, and were also released in a more conservative reverse colorway. But if you were going for stunting status, you were rocking with the red joints, which earned the nickname "Maestros" — word to Scottie Pippen in the ’94 All-Star Game

Year: 2006

Originally the Spizike was going to be a one-time-only drop, but after Jordan Brand saw how well the hybrid did they decided to drop numerous colorways and release them all over. The sneaker borrows traits from six Jordan models: the Jordan III’s elephant print, the IV’s wings to hold the laces, the overall silhouette and eyelets of the V, the lace locks and tongue from the VI, the IX for the back tab, and the XX’s lasered graphics in the sockliner. The sidepanel mesh is from the IV or V, depending on the shoe. The best part is letting the tongue hang out like Mike.

Year: 2011

The Converse Jack Purcell first came into existence as a B.F. Goodrich shoe (in Canada, no less) in 1935, before the design was purchased by Converse in 1970. With its canvas upper, steel eyelets and signature "smile" on the rubber toecap, it has remained virtually unchanged since Jack Purcell himself designed it. This collaboration with Japanese brand Comme des Garcons leaves the classic design untouched, just adding the Play signature heart to the upper. The off-white version with the red heart is the pair to find.

Year: 2003

French painter Bernard Buffet is the man to thank for the Paree inspired kicks. Only 202 pairs of the shoes were ever made (each being unique), and although we live by the code rock ‘em if you cop ‘em, at an average price of $3,500 we understand if you just show them off as art in the crib. After all, "one to rock and one to stock" might be asking a bit much.

Year: 2004

Keith Hufnagel hails from San Francisco, and his Dunk SB High — made up of tie-dye canvas and distressed leather — reps his hometown hard. The orange and black colors pay tribute to the home team Giants, while the faded leather provides a proper vintage feel alongside the Haight & Ashbury tie-dye. Jerry Garcia would have approved.

Year: 2009

Kanye Louis the King Jr. owned 2009 when it came to the shoe game. Fresh off a collab with Nike you may have heard of, Kanye dropped news that he was teaming up with French powerhouse Louis Vuitton for a series of pop-luxury sneakers. The shoes were brilliantly designed, named after his friends, and only cost around a grand. The Jaspers, named after Yeezy’s childhood homie and current barber/style consultant Ibn Jasper, was the pair that got the most attention mainly due to the colorway using pink accents (and the fact that they were the most expensive of the set). Pink in 2009? You can’t tell him nothing.

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A companion release to the brilliant Disruptive Pattern Material book, maharishi's Bonsai camo stamp on the Terminator was an instant classic, limited to just 1,000 pairs worldwide. An even-more-limited friends and family run (36 pairs) featured "DPM" at the heel rather than the usual "NIKE". In short, these shoes are the fucking business.

Year: 2005

Paul Rodriguez never got his own Dunk SB, but we think this makeup of his first signature shoe more than made up for it. His P-Rod 1 was re-worked by none other than Tinker Hatfield, who not only liberally applied elephant print and the Air Jordan XIII's golf ball stitching, but added Jumpman logos on the tongue and the heels. Extremely limited and extremely sought after, the Elite P-Rod 1 remains one of a kind.

Year: 2006

Supreme and Vans have done their share of collaborations over the years, and both have paid homage to many a seminal band. Their Bad Brains collection was fantastic, but it was the Public Enemy line that truly killed it. Much like Chuck D, these Sk8-His took the message straight to your grill piece.

Year: 2009

Remember the movie Dune? Yeah — the padded flap on the back of the “Don” was inspired by that flick. The “Jaspers” got some looks from athletes and rappers on the red carper but the “Dons” had that everyday classic charm that anyone could rock with confidence. We know most people had to pass on the release thanks to the four-figure price tag, but the use of premium materials and that LV style — not much else is messing with them.

Year: 2009

When the Mariah PR was originally introduced in 1980, it was the first Nike runner to feature full-length Air. Nearly 30 years later it was re-interpreted with a Lunarlon sole and no-sew construction, flipping the ultralight original into a high-tech modern runner without losing any of the original's aesthetic impact. This is harder than it looks.

Year: 2005

Released in Tokyo for the T-19 skate team, like most Dunks we love these are tough to get your hands on. The blue upper features a mix of smooth and perforated leather, and the white midsole and tongue really sets these off. One of the simplest uses of color on a Nike SB — less is definitely more in this case.

Year: 2006

Amsterdam's Patta are masterful with the Air Max 90, and the "Homegrown" quickstrike stands as proof of that. The green sticky-icky upper utilizes different materials and textures to go deeper than the usual monochrome shoe, orange highlights offset (the colors were flipped on an even rarer hyperstrike version), and a gum outsole caps things off.

Year: 2007

The super-hightop was originally released in 2007, but the shoe was top-five in 2008 after a co-sign from Jay-Z. The sneaker took things back to a true high top cut, and the vulcanized sole appealed to skaters. Chad Muska's name didn't hurt, either. If you were deep into kicks in ’08 you grabbed these in at least a few colorways. The snakeskin joints with Tiffany/old-school Airwalk cues were extra dope.

Year: 2005

The Nike Air Stab's late 1980s debut was as part of Nike's greatest roll out of all time. If you ever looked longingly at this model alongside the Air Trainer SC/III and Air Max Light, you're not alone. In 2005, prayers were answered via Footpatrol's excellent colourway that debuted at the legendary London boutique before going global as a Quickstrike. See that subtle grey speckling and the wildcard use of yellow as a pop color? That's how you rework a shoe. That platform-like sole and fruity banana shape? That's not how you remake the Stab, but botched shape aside, these are a classic collaboration. It's worth noting that these were also featured on a Complex cover before they went on sale.

Year: 2011

One of the best releases of 2011, the colorway and concept was tough to beat. When shots of the shoe first surfaced, Nike got pressed by fans with little hope that a drop would even happen. A few weeks later the man himself, KD took to Twitter to announce the release and Nike even hooked it up with the matching hoop and ball too. No better way of reliving your childhood dreams than through this sneaker package.

Year: 2006

Sometimes the best way to approach luxury is self-parody. The Supreme Blazers incorporated snakeskin Swooshes, quilted leather uppers, and a canvas stripe and D-ring on the heel to convert the grandfather of all Nike basketball shoes into something for the next generation. Did they get skated in? Who cares? They were the epitome of fresh.

Year: 2005

Designed for Stüssy's 25th anniversary in 2005, this series of four suede Court Force Mids featured tons of little details that made them unique. Alligator print was used on the toes, ankle collars and Swooshes, Stüssy's signature lettering appeared on the upper and insoles, and each pair came with extra tri-color laces and XXV dubrays. The original Court Force was a midpriced shoe in the Force line, but championed by Hiroshi Fujiwara among others, it found new life as a piece of luxury sportswear.

Year: 2004

Reese Forbes got several Dunk SB models, and they were all bangers. The "Hunter" low used a mix of tree camo and burlap on the rough-stitched upper, and offset the natural-looking materials with an orange Swoosh and midsole, as well as a unique quilted orange lining.

Year: 2003

Artist sneakers should be fun. They should also be full of surprises. Geoff McFetridge hit the nail with his take on the Vandal. The tear-away pinstriped first layer was pioneering. The teeth on the heeltab were subtle. And while Vandal madness was short-lived, this makeup stands the test of time.

Year: 2011

Tinker back. In OG colorway, the Air Jordan 2011 is near unbeatable. With undeniable craft (these joints were individually hand buffed) and smooth style, the shoe kills on and off court. Tom Luedecke and Tinker reinvigorated the series and produced a future classic. And the interchangeable midsole system was a brilliant bit of tech genius that has come to define Air Jordans.

Year: 2010

Jeremy Scott is known for his left-of-center design aesthetic and every season it seems his collaborative sneakers with adidas get a little crazier. Whether it’s Teddy Bears, Pandas or just slick 3M make-ups, Scott’s sneakers have become the new go-to for streetwear and high-fashion fans alike. Expect more awesomeness for the next decade.

Year: 2007

Collabs that bring a relatively impossible-to-find brand to the masses are always a welcome addition to the shoe rack. W)Taps had a solid rep as a Japanese streetwear brand when this collection dropped, but it was still scarce in the States. Thanks to Vans, the coveted bones logo could be had by any kid within skating distance of Supreme.

Year: 2011

The story behind the success of this shoe was simple: Drop the sneaker that started it all in the most popular colorway of all time, hook the uppers up with lux leathers, and make everyone scramble for them at outlet-only retailers. When the “Banned” 1s dropped unexpectedy like bird shit last year, people were fiending to cop a pair and when walking brand man Kanye West rocked them at Fashion Week, the resellers got paid. X marks the spot.

Year: 2008

KAWS actually worked on two Air Max 90s in 2008, a white AM90 and this black AM90 Current, a then-new model that updated the classic with a Free-type sole and a more minimalist upper. Offset with his signature Original Fake "X"es in neon green, the Air Max 90 Current effortlessly transformed into something rarely seen — a futuristic classic.

Year: 2003

It takes a strong hand to give the Uptown a proper L.A. twist. Cartoon lays down classic West Coast lettering and turned the iconic silhouette into perfect canvas for his trademark tattoo aesthetic. The Dodger colorway further solidifies the SoCal look, and the "Brown Pride" edition also hit the mark. If you weren't feeling laser designs on Nike models, this collaboration forced revised thought.

Year: 2004

The creativity behind the Dunk SB concept sneakers has always been king, and with the Luckys they kept the line going strong. You know the deal if you’ve shot dice with your boys at a party — need that lucky number 7. Look the part, play the part with the gold and green kicks, and if you somehow managed to lock down a pair for your sneaker rotation you WERE lucky.

Year: 2005

Everybody knows the best thing about the old Michael Chang Pumps was the neon pop color and tennis ball effect Pump valve on the tongue. ALIFE cranked that up a little for their 2005 'Ball Out' project and in doing so, created one of the decade's finest collaborations. These shoes aren't subtle, they're dirt magnets and they're too lurid to even attempt to downplay, but then again, Pump was never made to stay in the shadows. This is a big and bashy technology and a colorway that's probably visible from the moon, but the best sneakers are the ones that challenge the wearers. Some of the greats aren't for everyone.

Year: 2011

Concept sneakers (no pun) nowadays can be lame, but Frank The Butcher’s inspiration for this special New Balance 999 translated perfectly. Frank put a nautical spin on the 999, homaging the Massachusetts sailing community and made one of the cleanest sneakers of the last few years. In 2011, it made every Top 10 list and will go down as one of the best New Balance collabs of the decade.

Year: 2008

For the 2008 summer games in Bejing, Nike debuted Lunarlon — space foam for sneaker soles — and Flywire, both technologies which promised lighter, faster, more comfortable shoes. Whether or not these things won any medals is not nearly as important as how sick this ultra-minimalistic sneaker is. This shoe broke away from the running sneaker design status quo, and proved that there was life after Air Max.

Year: 2005

Lasering can either make or break a sneaker, and in this case it was a win. Sometimes brands ruin timeless silhouettes with excessive re-working, but JB’s spin on this IV was done perfectly. Notes to designers who are thinking of using lasering on their upcoming drops: Here’s how you do it right. Very rare, indeed.

Year: 2007

Who can argue with this color combination? Right, nobody. Speckled midsole? Killer. The joy of this collaboration is taking hackneyed elements and giving them fresh twist. Patta are true masters.

Year: 2005

Premium leather, pink highlights, gum soles — what's not to like? The Kidrobot Air Max 1 was designed to be sold exclusively at upscale NYC department store Barneys, with a pink "reverse" version made for friends and family. Designed after Kidrobot's Maserati Quattroporte, the AM1s also featured insoles designed by prominent artists. This was the complete package.

Year: 2003

For their second collaboration on the Dunk SB, Supreme took "understated" out back and shot it. Their Dunk Highs featured gator-print uppers with gold stars on the side panels, three sets of laces (shoe color, black, and white) and gold "SUPREME" dubrays. Allegedly limited to a thousand pairs per colorway, these marked the beginning of the "line up for SBs" days.

Year: 2006

The most radical Air Max 1 ever produced? Perhaps. Meant to pay tribute to traditional Chinese medicine, the linerless Air Max 1 featured radical features including a transparent vamp, snakeskin Swooshes and tongue, and an ostrich ankle collar. Pressure points are mapped out on the insole. A collaboration should tell a story — this one does that better than most.

Year: 2011

Our decade began with retro madness. Thanks to shoes like the Lunarspider R TZ, it has ended with a renewed interest in tech shoes as street classics. Released as a Tier Zero drop, the racing flat's camo was perfectly on trend and the mix of Flywire and Lunar equally powerful. Steve Prefontaine would have loved these.

Year: 2005

These cherry-blossom themed Japan exclusives featured intricate lasering on the bone-colored uppers, and a startling "watermelon" outsole that perfectly completed the cherry theme. The wooden presentation box was almost as beautifully designed as the shoes themselves, befitting a Tier Zero release.

Year: 2008

Ever since Back to the Future Part II released in ’89, sneaker enthusiasts and tech geeks have been crying out to Nike to make it happen — for real, a petition and everything was started. Almost 20 years after the film came out, The Swoosh tried appeasing fans with the Hyperdunk McFlys which featured a similar build and colorway. Kobe Bryant was even at UNDFTD signing autographs out of a DeLorean to help celebrate the release. Little did anyone know the whole time the geniuses at Nike had been patiently working on the real thing, this was just the antipasto. (The Hyperdunk, which was the official shoe of the '08 USA gold-medal Olympic team, wasn't too shabby in any form.)

Year: 2002

The introductory release from the all-star trio of Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker (hence the HTM) were a pair of subtly elegant Air Force 1 lows that relied on quality, not flash, to grab your attention. The leather was buttery soft, the stitching perfect, the drawer box entirely appropriate. The price tag was high for Uptowns, but these had strong downtown appeal.

Year: 2002

The first Nike creation from graf artist Stash, the "Fat Caps" Air Force 1 High was later selected as the best Air Force 1 of all-time at Nike's 2007 1NightOnly in celebration of the shoe's 25th anniversary. The 2002 edition featured a translucent sole, mesh sidepanels, and came in a custom case. Separate Tokyo and NYC editions differed by the print under the sole as well as the color of the case. The "retro" versions produced in 2008 differed as they had "1NightOnly" tagging and metal eyelets.

Year: 2012

Being the president of Nike has its privileges. And for Mark Parker, who is also the "M" in the HTM trio (along with Hiroshi Fujiwara and Tinker Hatfield), that means cherrypicking Nike's newest technology for your exclusive projects. Nike is now able to literally knit running shoe uppers, which both eliminates waste and allows designers to fine-tune support and flexibility in every millimeter. The grand unveiling will come at London 2012, but Parker and his cohorts turned out HTM versions of the FlyKnit Trainer and FlyKnit Racer to give select consumers a small taste of the new project. We like.

Year: 2004

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the adidas Superstar in 2004, adidas Consortium produced (you got it) 35 versions of the Superstar. This matte black vintage Neighborhood take was perfect, right down to the skull and crossed swords on the heels and contrasting black stripes and heeltab.

Year: 2010

When the Dons of Amsterdam collaborate, big things go down. The shoe is a tour de force of texture‚ with suede, terry, and nylon given perfect accent touch by cheeky Dutch artist Parra. Bold subtlety at its finest.

Year: 2004

Word to Dagobah. Nike SB flipped this brown and green Dunk Low in honor of Jedi master Yoda and his home planet — but even not knowing that, these were dope from the neon laces down to the gum sole. Crave not, a Jedi warrior... you know what? Crave away.

Year: 2006

The fat caps "camo" Stash came up with for his initial Nike collaboration was fantastic, but it may have been trumped by the palette of blues and greys he used on most of his releases. The Air Max BW came first, and was followed in short order by an Air Force 1 Low and these Air Max 95s. The natural gradation on the 95s plus the speckled midsole made them an instant classic.

Year: 2005

One of the first rappers to really push sneaker culture into mainstream status it was only a matter of time before you started seeing N.E.R.D./Pharrell influenced footwear. Skateboard P did his thing with his Ice Cream Brand but the N.E.R.D. logo kicks (part of the Nike Artist's series from 2005) are the ones we need.

Year: 2004

You might not be aware who U.N.K.L.E. is (they haven't released an album since 2010), but we'll bet you recognize Futura. That's who designed these pink and black Dunks, and is a good part of the reason they're so desirable. It didn't help that they dropped right when SB fever was cresting, ensuring that they'd immediately sell out.

Year: 2004

Using a state flag as inspiration? Sure, why not? The Nike Dunk SB "Cali" perfectly mixed tumbled leather and suede, remixing the California flag right down to the embroidered red star near the top eyelets. Allegedly only 444 pairs were produced, so if you're still looking for a pair, maybe try and find the "Cali" P-Rod 2.5s instead.

Year: 2005

Putting pastels, neons, camo print, Safari print and fades all on one shoe sounded like a terrible idea in principle — especially if said shoe happened to be a high-tech '90s basketball shoe made famous by Charles Barkley. But Union, no strangers to accomplishing the impossible, did just that, creating a memorable (and colorful) one-off for the bold.

Year: 2004

Artist collaborations have been a staple of the Complex Decade. In 2004, Stephen Powers transformed the Air Force II into a tongue-in-cheek personal project and successfully provoked a mini trend of "invisible" footwear. Extra props are due for actually making us care about the Air Force II.

Year: 2012

Riots, resellers, and overall craziness ensued when these dropped earlier this year. The Foamposite craze has been gaining steam, but when this out-of-the-box color scheme with a glow-in-the-dark sole released, the hype reached its zenith. One eBay auction ran up to $70k, and still you can’t score a pair anywhere for under $1,500. There’s been rumblings of a restock so if you’re going nuts trying to find a pair, keep your eyes peeled.

Year: 2003

Heineken wasn’t exactly down with the unofficial collabo, requesting eBay users pull their name from the listings on these. Officially endorsed or not (the star on the heel was that added touch that meant so much), the name still reigns supreme in the sneaker culture as one of the illest SB Dunk drops of all-time. Need a pair? We do too — only seven Benjamins to stunt on Instagram. Pour out a little Heineken beer.

Year: 2003

Just atmos's second Nike collaboration, their Air Max 1 B earned the "Viotech" nickname due to the coloration on the Swoosh, but there was so much more. Primarily turned out in earth tones, the all leather and suede Air Max 1 was highlighted with gold branding on the tongue, heel and tongue tag, and finished off with a gum outsole. The brown suede mudguard gave the shoes a late-80s Escape feel, while the Viotech (the Solar Red of its time) was pure early-90s ACG. But make no mistake, this shoe was pure urban.

Year: 2005

Leave it to legendary NYC graffiti artist Futura to create a Nike SB so rare that people had to wonder whether it really existed at all. The FLOM (For Love of Money) Dunk High was made in a run of just 24 pairs, and the currency-printed upper is an approximation of how much you'd have to pay for a pair of these now. For those who missed out (i.e. everyone), Nike dropped a LIVESTRONG version in black and yellow that saw a bit wider release.

Year: 2010

When LeBron said he was taking his talents to South Beach it caused a lot of negative emotion in the sports world, but on the sneaker tip we knew we were about to get some greatness cooked up from Nike with LeBron transitioning to such a trendy city. The "Pre Heat" LeBron 8s are one of the sickest colorways in Nike history. The filament green mixed with the pink laces broke necks quicker than Peyton Manning in a flag football league.

Year: 2005

Who knew pigeons could cause this much trouble? When Jeff Staple flipped the ubiquitous NYC bird (er, so to speak) into a design for his Dunk SB and released just 30 pairs at his Reed Space retail shop, the ensuing chaos even made it on the news. But it's not just about rarity here — the subtle shades of grey mixed with that bright orange created a new NYC classic that was appreciated worldwide.

Year: 2004

Back in the days when DQM stood for Dave's Quality Meat, the theme was butchery. Meat hooks on the ceiling, t-shirts served up on saran-wrapped styrofoam trays. So their Air Max 90 collab should have come as a surprise to no one, made up of varying shades of pink, red and brown distressed leather to resemble a slab of bacon. The hyperstrike version with the "DQM" tag on the tongue was the one to get.

Year: 2002

The Dunk SB line is just as old as Complex, and during its inaugural year of SB releases Nike dropped some of its best sneakers of all time — not just SBs, all sneakers of all time (more on that later). The Reese Forbes Denim joints feature a dope use of frayed light and dark denims throughout the upper and the red trim on the outsole meshes perfectly. Like all hot SB releases these were limited in numbers and will cost you a rent check to get hooked up with a pair. Your Volvo is roomy enough, right?

Year: 2003

Where classics meet. There’s not a better camo pattern than BAPE’s motif and when it was placed atop an adidas Superstar the result was one of the best streetwear-meets-sneakers collaborations ever. A B-side version dropped in 2011, and as well done as they were, they didn’t compare to this OG version.

Year: 2009

Shortly after Yeezy pumped out 808's & Heartbreaks, he trumped his sonic masterpiece with something we are all fucking with aesthetically. It’s been just over three years since the Air Yeezys released, and some people are still smackin’ themselves with a palm full of baby powder for missing out on these. Is it the Jordan inspired sole, the glow-in-the-dark features, or the insane attention to detail and cut of the boot? The shoe was wildly over the top, which fit the artist perfectly. From the first moment we saw samples of the shoe to Kanye’s Grammy performance, you knew Mr. West had a hand in designing them. With the Yeezy IIs right around the corner you can expect them to be on 'Plex's best of 20 years list – we aren't going anywhere and with the IIIs already being worked on, it appears Kanye's line isn't either.

Year: 2003

It's hard to remember now in the era of all-elephant everything, but there was a time when Mars Blackmon's favorite print was kept under lock and key save for rare Air Jordan III releases. The mere thought of applying elephant to a non-Jordan sneaker bordered on the sacrilegious. So when Supreme's first Nike collab came to light, the Jordanesque skate shoes were immediately the most (Nike) Talked about sneaker on the planet. These didn't ride the wave of SB obsession as much as they created it.

Year: 2005

Chicks love the “robin egg blue” color of the Tiffany box, but when Nick Diamond applied this to an SB Dunk it created hysteria for sneakerheads. Part of the “Team Manager Series,” Diamond created a sneaker that lived up to the hype, something that’s rare nowadays in sneaker culture. One of the most anticipated dunks ever, if you were lucky enough to cop a pair, hold on to ‘em.

Year: 2011

Are you not entertained? The fact that Nike kept this under wraps and then spun its PR magic on it for a release just days later is one of the most incredible moves in sneaker history. Flying out some majors in the sneaker world for an introduction and then having Mr. Marty McFly himself talk about the shoe on the Letterman Show was the epitome of class. Let's not forget that all proceeds went to Michael J. Fox's charity for research and awareness of Parkinson's Disease. Even with all that being said to build the hype, throw in the fact that the limited release was on eBay just hours after Fox's announcement. People may not have had to line up for days to score a pair, but five-figure purchase prices on the regular, that's down for the cause.

Year: 2005

How do you remix one of the original Air Jordans and do it better? Impossible, right? Well, Eddie Cruz and UNDFTD did everything right with this oiled suede and flight satin project, which not only took the military as an influence, but was about as difficult to acquire as a nuclear weapon. Only 72 pairs exist — count yourself as extremely lucky if you have one. The best.