The Best Retro Sneakers of 2014 (So Far)

Original Year Released: 1984
2014 Release: June

One of the first hustler sneakers, the Gucci Tennis 84 was the epitome of drug dealer chic in the mid-'80s. It's since became a piece of hip-hop lore, and it retroed in 2014 for its 30th anniversary. The mainly white version, with hits of Gucci's red and green, is what people were after and it sold out right away. If the name "Gucci Tennis 84" doesn't ring bells, just take a look at the silhouette: It's the sneaker Jay Z based his signature model with Reebok off of.

Original Year Released: 1991
2014 Release: January

The New Balance 997 hadn't seen a retro since it originally came out in 1991. Most people are familiar with the 998 and its lesser-known counterpart, the 997.5, but the 997 was long overdue to be reintroduced to the market. For those familiar with how New Balance operates, it likes to recreate its past hits with the same quality that they first featured. This meant the 997 was going to be Made in USA, be put out in grey and navy suede, and boast a $200 price tag. That's OK, though. The 997 definitely lived up to its hype, if it's possible to assign that to a grey pair of NBs.

Original Year Released: 1991
2014 Release: April

There are lightweight runners and there are racing sneakers. The adidas EQT Racing is an oddity of design—it doesn't have a tongue—and the mesh is much airier than the average running sneaker. It was an unforeseen retro, and that's why it's so interesting in 2014. It feels like every retro that releases is something that people have been asking and asking for year after year. The EQT Racing, instead, has a much more niche audience. But it still delivers the early-'90s adidas energy with its microsuede upper and punches of green.

Original Year Released: 1987
2014 Release: January

2014 has been a big year thus far for the adidas ZX series. The retro runners have been a huge part of the brand recapturing its lost cool, and although the ZX 710 isn't storied in history like other bring back models, it found a receptive home this year. Maybe it was the Kanye West co-sign, but the ZX 710, in its O.G. white and green colorway, was hunted down by those who previously weren't introduced to the sneaker. That's the purpose a good retro serves. It gives older heads a chance to relive their past, and it makes the sneaker feel new to a younger audience. It also didn't hurt that the ZX 710 looked pretty accurate to its original production.

Original Year Released: 1986
2014 Release: March

For Nike, its Free technology has taken hold of the brand's progression and its current innovative arch. The first version of the Nike Free was released in 2004, but there's a sneaker that predates the brand's lightweight and minimal view on runners, the Sock Racer. Literally a sock-like mesh upper with two buckles for foot security, the Sock Racer made a comeback in 2012 with a Free sole. But 2014 saw it return with its original tooling, which, at this point, is a little chunkier and not as flexible as the Free. Its yellow-and-black design feels just as fun, though.

Original Year Released: 1991
2014 Release: February

"White/Infrared" Air Jordan VIs are grails to some. They first released in 1991 and were only retroed in the "Infrared" Air Jordan VI pack in 2010 in very limited numbers. They're the ultimate summer sneaker with a white leather upper that's broken up by hits of bright Infrared on the midsole. Purchasing the sneaker became much more convenient as they came out during All-Star Weekend and were widely available (they even saw multiple restocks). But if you're a die-hard Jordan fan, as in MJ, the VI is the sneaker that Mike wore in the 1990-1991 season, the year he won his first ring.

Original Year Released: 1992
2014 Release: January

The word "Huarache" draws excitement in 'heads. It often gets associated with runners or the basketball sneaker worn by the Fab 5. Andre Agassi also had a Huarache model in his signature line, and it came back in 2014. With Agassi signing back to Nike in 2013, it was only right for a strong push of his sneaker history. The "Tour Yellow" Air Tech Challenge Huarache, a higher-cut tennis sneaker than most are used to, came back on the scene. If it doesn't strike you as a tennis sneaker, you're not alone. The public was skeptical of the design at first, too. But, thankfully, things have changed.

Original Year Released: 1994
2014 Release: February

This isn't the first time the Jordan Brand re-issued the Air Jordan X, but it is the first time it brought back the University of North Carolina-inspired "Powder Blue" colorway. Originally released while the G.O.A.T. was on his first retirement, the colorway was rocked by the likes of Jerry Stackhouse back in his UNC days and returned this past February. It goes to show that not every retro J has to come in red, black, and white to be memorable.

Original Year Released: 1993
2014 Release: May

The Puma R698 caught people's attention when it was used in a collaboration with Brooklyn We Go Hard in 2013, but Puma brought back the sneaker's O.G. colorway this year. What's great about the original version is—while the collaborations have seen the R698 take on muted tones—it's bright and representative of the era it was born in, the early-'90s. The pink splatter on the heel is the perfect color placement against the sneaker's mostly black upper. And one can't have enough black-and-pink sneakers.

Original Year Released: 1994
2014 Release: February

Reebok has 27 collaborations planned in 2014 for the Insta Pump Fury, but it brought back the sneaker in its original colorway, too. The Pump Fury, from a design standpoint, is a loud sneaker. And its original colorway, "Citron," doesn't do any service to tone it down. It's also a color combination that atmos decided to pay tribute to with its collaboration, and something that Jackie Chan wore back in the day. Here's to not wearing laces this year.

Original Year Released: 1985
2014 Release: March

When 'heads last saw the AJ1 KO four years ago, Nike took all the fun out of beating up the shoes by releasing them with an already-yellowed midsole. The 2014 re-issue saw a pristine white midsole, below a crispy canvas upper. With the myriad of Air Jordan retros that dropped in the past six months, the AJKO 1 was definitely one that many slept on, but is definitely one of the best Air Jordans of the year so far.

Original Year Released: 1993
2014 Release: June

Size? played a big part in the Nike Air Max 93 making a return in 2013. In 2014, the UK retailer was also one of the first shops to carry the "Menthol" version of the 93 that made a come back. The last time the original 93 hit shelves was in the History of Air pack in 2006, and it feels good to have it back at big-chain retailers like Finish Line. It's also been in the headlines this year and not because of high-profile collaborations. But thanks to emails sent by Tinker Hatfield discussing why he loves the sneaker so much.

Original Year Released: 1989
2014 Release: January

Andre Agassi infamously wore the Nike Air Tech Challenge II "Hot Lava" in the 1990 French Open. His outfit even inspired a "French Open" ATCII release in 2014. But the retroed version of the sneaker, with its white upper splattered with pink on the heel and front of the sneaker, isn't exactly the version that Agassi wore on the court. (His PE pair didn't have an Air unit.) When the Tech Challenge returns in its original colorways, though, there's a segment of 'heads who view it as a must-cop—even if they have their pairs from the prior release.

Original Year Released: 1991
2014 Release: May

Earlier Air Jordans are regarded as the line's best, but Jordan didn't win a championship in any of the sneakers until he wore the VI. And one of the most beloved VIs, the "Carmine," didn't see its first retro until 2008, but it was released in a Countdown Pack with an all-black XVII. This year, though, the "Carmine" VI was released for the first by itself since it dropped 23 years ago. While the rest of the O.G. VIs have just splashes of color on the midsole, the "Carmine" has a colorblocked upper and still elicits big reactions when it gets re-released—and that's with Jordan Brand putting out VI, after VI, after VI this year.

Original Year Released: 1973
2014 Release: January

The Stan Smith wasn't supposed to be one of the most popular sneakers of the year, it just kind of happened. Yes, adidas had a big rollout planned for the '70s tennis sneaker, including collaborations and premium versions, but 2014 was just the right year for the Stan Smith. Pharrell had been wearing custom pairs and even Kanye West got in on the Stan Smith fun, but the mass-market version of the Stan Smith, not the luxed-up makeup that was sold at Barneys, quickly flew off the shelves from retailers such as J.Crew. The Stan Smith hadn't changed much. It was still a white-and-green, flat-soled sneaker, and Stan was back on the tongue after making a departure in the 2000s. The re-release of the Stan Smith proved that some sneakers are, no matter how frivolously the term gets tossed around, classics.