The Best New Sneakers of 2014 (So Far)

Released: May

The UK's size? can take a lot of credit in the bring back of the Nike Air Max 93. Last year, the retailer put out several quality collaborations with the silhouette. And with Nike doing an official retro of the sneaker this year, size? still had more 93s on deck. The Metals pack was size?'s first work with the 93 in 2014, and the hype on the release had sneakerheads doing their best Merlin impersonations. The teasers for the "Metals" pack had both of the 93s trapped in stone, and they came in a mostly grey color scheme and another makeup that was reminiscent of the "Bacon" Air Max 90. It's tough to go wrong with either option.

Released: February

A lot of sneaker releases make sneakerheads curse up and down that they missed out, but the Nike KD VI "Aunt Pearl" took that rage to a new level. Up to that point, the KD VI had been a sleeper sneaker. Then the "Aunt Pearls" released and sold out in what felt like less than a minute on Nike.com. We were about to leave the office that day, and then the released sparked outrage on Twitter. But that's because a floral-print KD VI looked that smooth. It proved that the right color way on any silhouette can make it sought after. It also took the "Aunt Pearl" KD story to another level. Just don't be the dude who looks like his mother's flower bed by wearing head-to-toe floral print with these kicks.

Released: April

Last year, Nike introduced a Nike Free with a Flyknit upper, and it didn't slow down on with the idea in 2014. One of the biggest complaints about last year's version was the sock-like upper that fit very, very tight. Nike eleviated some ankles when it dropped a Free Flyknit with a functioning tongue. The Free Flyknit 4.0 was a very minimal runner, and it also came in a multicolored upper which had been popular on other Flyknit models. Some ideas get over done, but, right now, we can't get enough of confetti-looking runners.

Released: June

Versace, Versace, Versace. Concepts' collaboration with Reebok on the Insta Pump Fury is surely the shop's loudest work to date. The print on the sneaker was so close to Versace's work that people thought Reebok had actually done a project with the Italian fashion house. Nope, it was just Concepts up to its old tricks and having fun with the sneakers it designs. But it wasn't just the print that stood out, the fabric of the sneaker looks like silk from far away. With the abundance of Insta Pump Fury collaborations this year, the Concepts version was able to climb above the rest. Sometimes you need a sneaker this wild and ignorant in your rotation.

Released: February

Nike and Kobe Bryant had big plans for the Kobe 9 Elite this season. It was Kobe's first high-cut sneaker since the Zoom Kobe III, and was a much-welcomed departure from Kobe's signature line. Kobe was coming back from a torn Achilles, and an extra high-cut sneaker made sense (even though designer Eric Avar said that's not why the sneaker was made that way). But then Kobe got injured again, and Nick Young ended up debuting the Kobe 9 on court. Either way, it was still the first Flyknit basketball sneaker and an important part of the direction that Nike is headed in. People had already purchased multicolor Flyknit Racers and Trainers, and they added the "Masterpiece" Kobe 9 Elite to their collections.

Released: June

The Lunarglide is the workman sneaker in the Nike Lunar series. Every season, it's a quality runner, but 'heads would rather grab versions that are a little more limited. This year, though, Nike did something special with the Lunarglide 6. Not only was the design made a little more futuristic, it also came in World Cup colorways. USA, England, France, and Holland all had makeups, but the GR version was also great. Nike took the Lunarglide 6 one step further and built limited-edition hype around it. For the Summer Solstice, NikeLab release white/black and black/white versions of the sneaker, and plucked the Lunarglide from its status as something that's seen on the shelves of mass-market retailers.

Released: June

The adidas Stan Smith might be the best retro sneaker of the year, but that's a different discussion. Adidas took the tennis silhouette and added its Primeknit technology to its upper. It looked just like the classic sneaker, but it was way more breathable thanks to the woven upper. Adidas had an interesting rollout plan for the Primeknit Stan Smith, which was introduced to European retailers: It was released at Solemart, a sneaker convention in Paris. Stan Smith, the man himself, said that his sneakers got so sweat-logged during a match that sweat squirted out of the sneaker's holes. This problem is totally avoided with the Primeknit version.

Released: June

A few months ago, Nike CEO Mark Parker was seen wearing a hybrid Nike Free/Flyknit sneaker that hadn't been released. We practically forgot about sneaker, too. Then, all of a sudden, it became available with the launch of Nike's NikeLab stores. The high-cut runner was once again designed by Mark Parker, Tinker Hatfield, and Hirsohi Fujiwara and showed that Nike was focused on creating new product, rather than only rehashing old concepts. With the World Cup taking place, it was fitting that Nike took the Mercurial Superfly soccer boot and transformed it into something that people could wear on the street. But the sneaker doesn't scream, "Hey, I'm wearing a soccer cleat," and only the most knowledgeable 'head would know the Mercurial Superfly's soccer roots.

Released: February

Nike outfitted the U.S. Olympians at the 2012 Summer Olympics with Flyknit sneakers, and the event helped launch the popularity of the new technology. When the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia rolled around, Nike unveiled the newest iteration of Flyknit. Not only did Nike bring out a new silhouette—the Flyknit Chukka FSB, a rugged-soled take on the already popular Flyknit Chukka—it also upgraded the Flyknit material and made it ready for winter temperatures. One of the biggest complaints against Flyknit was that it was only ideal for warmer seasons. But Nike addressed that problem by integrating wool into its woven fibers.

Released: June

Hiroshi Fujiwara is literally a god when it comes to sneaker collaborations. But his work throughout the years hasn't been as obvious as you'd expect it to be. It's all about manipulating sneakers to his own liking. He decided to work on the Nike KD VI Elite this year, and it surprised most of us. Hiroshi is no stranger to working on performance product, but no one saw the KD coming—and that's exactly the way it was released. After seeing random samples online, the sneaker suddenly became available at Nike's new NikeLab retail stores. It featured a buttery suede upper, leather lining, and Fragment's signature lightning bolts on the tongue. The best KD VI this year was one that wasn't even meant to see the court, but that's the genius of Hiroshi.

Released: February

Remember the "Diamond" Dunk from 2005, that little old collab with Diamond Supply Co. and Nike SB? Well, Nick Tershay, the founder of Diamond Supply Co., came back with a high-top version of the same sneaker. Even though Nike SB no longer has the same cache it once had almost a decade ago, the "Diamond" Hi Dunk caused hype to ensue. There were false reports from Tershay himself that kids were camping out more than a week in advance, and some shops were making people prove their skateboard legitimacy to cop the sneakers. When they finally released on Nike.com, they instantly sold out. And the resale prices skyrocketed. Who would have that a Dunk would have this much power in 2014?

Released: June

World Cup fever has swept America, and sneakerheads have gotten a taste of the Cup thanks to special collections put out by Nike, adidas, and Puma. But the collection that resonated the most wasn't designed by a big brand at all—it came from Ronnie Fieg. After much build up, Fieg took a trip down to São Paulo, Brazil and opened a pop-up shop to slang a variety of goods and accessories. But, most importantly, two pairs of ASICS. Once again, we saw the New York City sneaker maven design a gold Gel Lyte III, but this one was molded after the U.S. Men's National Team's pursuit of glory in Brazil. And the other pair, a GT-II, was dedicated to the host country, Brazil, and came with a pigskin suede upper. Luckily, these sneakers dropped in the U.S., too.

Released: March

Riccardo Tisci has been a fan of the white-on-white Air Force 1 for quite a while, so it made sense that he designed an AF1 collection for Nike. Tisci is also the creative director of Givenchy, so the collection took on a high-fashion slant. The sneaker, which first made its debut in 1982, took on premium leathers and even got turned into a knee-high boot. But we prefer the hi-top cut of Tisci's AF1 collection, even though it deviates from the regular AF1 Hi silhouette. This collection saw plenty of release dates at various boutiques, and it had people scrambling to find out where they could pick up their pairs at. It also showed that high-fashion and sneaker culture could successfully intersect without qualms from either side.

Released: February

If you refer to these as "ninja shoes," then you're not the only one. The Qasa Racer showed that Y-3 and adidas weren't playing around this year with their plans to dominate the high-end market. Of course, Kanye wore the Qasa Racer while he looked miserable at a youth basketball game, but the sneaker was much more than a Kanye-cosigned model. It was an A+ runner with a design that separated itself from other silhouettes that payed homage to running's history. It was the future of running (or, at least what it could look like, if we were all super-stylish athletes)

Released: June

If anyone had guessed that J.Crew and New Balance's 998 "Independence Day" was going to sell out, they better have a good poker face. That's not because it wasn't a solid collaboration, but the majority of J.Crew and New Balance's past exclusive product sat on shelves for seasons. When the sneaker was practically sold out at 7 a.m. on the day it dropped, we all knew J.Crew was on to something. It had mastered the sneaker collaboration at the level of hype-driven boutiques and artists. Its 998 was clean, too, and tied to the upcoming July 4th holiday. If there's a way to get all patriotic without feeling corny, this sneaker is the shining example.

Released: April

Not everyone is aware that Nathan VanHook is the Nike designer responsible for the Air Yeezy II. He also designed the Nike Free Orbit II SP, a high-end sneaker which took cues from another piece of footwear he designed, the LunarTerra Arktos boot. The sneaker had a higher retail price than we normally associate with Nike Frees at $200, and it still sold out very quickly at the first release. VanHook's design ditched the Free's laces for a side zipper. Only two colors of the Orbit have released so far, so only time will tell if Nike plans to keep it as edited of a collection as the Yeezy II or not.

Released: April

Hypebeasts everywhere went apeshit when we first got word of a Supreme x Nike collab. But when hundreds of people showed up to Supreme's NYC location on release day, NYPD shut it down, forcing Supreme to release them online the next day. At first, this collaboration didn't seem real. Supreme had worked with Nike more than a handful of times in the past. But a skate shop designing a basketball sneaker? We weren't sure if it was going to happen. It was very real, though. And might be one of the craziest releases we'll see all year.

Released: June

Lance Mountain was one of many skateboarders to unofficially endorse the Air Jordan 1. In the '80s, people wore mismatched sneakers in order for them to last longer, and Nike linked up with Mountain and tipped its hat to this idea with a collaboration between Nike SB and Jordan Brand. The sneakers were a nightmare for hypebeasts—you actually have to wear these in order to reveal the real sneaker. But underneath were two grails: "Black/Red" Jordan 1s and "Royal" Jordan 1s.

Released: February

The adidas ZX Flux 8000 quickly was recognized as the brand's answer to the Nike Roshe Run. It's a running-inspired sneaker that isn't meant for logging serious miles, but still has the looks of a classic adidas ZX-series sneaker. The biggest difference is its deconstructed mesh upper. All of the leather panels were pulled away and out came a simple sneaker. But adidas didn't just stop there. It also added printed patterns, woven uppers, and the plans for technology that allows customers to transfer their own photography onto the sneakers. With this series of options, the Flux became an immediate hit. And at just $85, it wasn't breaking banks, either.

Released: May

The adidas Pure Boost was designed with the help of members of the brand's Y-3 team, but it also got a rendition from the man behind Y-3, Yohji Yamamoto. Some might argue that what Yohji designed is better than the mass-market version, and its $280 price tag made it much more coveted. There were also only 500 pairs made. With an upgraded upper and laces, the Yohji Boost was a high-fashion sneaker that still had a connection to the average sneaker consumer. It wasn't a leather high-top sneaker with an over-the-top design. It was a runner that had ascended to premium heights.

Released: April

Sometimes, the best releases are the ones that almost no one can get their hands on. Such is the case with the first wave of Kobe 9 Elite Lows designed by the HTM team of Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker. The Kobe 9 Elite Hi challenged sneakerheads in how they would pull off such a high-cut sneaker, but the low version was what they had been asking for all along. Only released in Milan in limited quantities, the HTM version of the Kobe 9 Elite Low came in three colorways. They were all straight money, but the white multi-colored pair with the gum sole is our personal favorite. A gum sole doesn't look bad on any sneaker, but it looked near perfect on the Kobe 9. Too bad we didn't get to see Kobe ball in these this season.

Released: February

What can't be said about the final color of the Nike Air Yeezy II, the Red October, that hasn't been said? We already dubbed it the "most talked about sneaker," and the biggest part of its history, besides its delayed release, is how it actually dropped. After all the drama with Kanye West and Nike had subsided, Nike decided to randomly release the Red Octobers on a Sunday morning in February. 'Heads joked around that people had to choose between "Jesus and Yeezus" if they wanted the final Yeezy. But it was true. The release caught everyone by surprise, and it could go down as the best all-red sneaker of all time. Even with Kanye West now signed to adidas, the Red Octobers can't escape the culture's attention. This technically isn't a new sneaker, and it was supposed to come out in 2013. But it came out in 2014, and that's something that can't be escaped. Even Kanye has a matching set for his family.

Released: March

Non-Air Jordan offerings from Jordan Brand get a rap. Often times, they're mash-ups of past Jordan models and don't offer anything new to the sneaker conversation. But the Jordan Future, a non-Air Jordan, was able to break the stereotype this year. It took the sole from the Air Jordan XI and the upper from a Footscape Woven. These unlikely elements made for a new silhouette that exuded the best lifestyle elements of Jordan Brand. The Jordan Future wasn't made for the court, although it was given out at the Jordan Brand Classic and Quai 54, but the XI outsole is so sought after that it was welcomed with open arms. The woven upper gave troubles with which pant choice was best for the Future, but once that was figured out, 'heads were ready to rock. The first few released version of the Future also had hits of 3M throughout the upper, which, if you ask a broad swath of sneakerheads, is never a bad thing. With what feels like a 100 pairs of Futures dropping this year, it's certain to be talked and blogged about far into 2015.

Released: May

Adidas had a lot of work to do in 2014 to catch up with Nike (at least in sneakerheads' minds), and it delivered a homerun with the Pure Boost. Enlisting help from its Y-3 designers, the Pure Boost was a stripped down sneaker that straddled the conversation between style and innovation. Yes, it had adidas' Boost midsole, which is the brand's codeword for super comfortable, but it also had hits of suede throughout the upper. Launched as a Foot Locker exclusive, the sneaker was virtually sold out by the time Kanye West decided to wear a pair in NYC. Adidas had found a new silhouette that excited consumers. It's $120 and didn't need to be camped out for. (adidas even introduced a limited version with a Primeknit upper.) For those complaining about brands relying too heavily on retros or creating new models that look awkward, the Pure Boost shut them up. Even as adidas expanded past the first initial offerings of this sneaker, all of the color schemes worked. And the Pure Boost shows no signs of falling out of favor for the rest of the year.