Sneakers

The 15 Best Black Friday Sneaker Releases of All Time

When the pandemonium begins.

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The craziest day of the year for shopping is back again, and historically plenty of heat has dropped on Black Friday (you got these today already, right?). C'mon, the sneaker gods wouldn't make you suffer and stand in line with your girl's mom at Lane Bryant all day, so they gave you a reason to hustle hard, too. We decided to take a look back at the best releases to bless us on this faux-shopping holiday. Check out The 15 Best Black Friday Sneaker Releases of All Time and let us know where they rank to you.

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Nike Zoom Huarache Trainer Superheroes Pack - The Green Hornet

15. Nike Zoom Huarache Trainer Superheroes Pack "The Green Hornet"

Year: 2010

Nike saw the opportunity to cash in on the resurgence of comic books with the films doing so well in the box office and decided to release a superhero-themed pack throughout 2010. The third release paid homage to The Green Hornet with a green and yellow Trainer that didn't require you to be a fan of the character (or the Packers, or Oregon) to cop.

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Hanon x adidas Originals Consortium Kegler Super

14. Hanon x adidas Originals Consortium Kegler Super

Year: 2010

We aren't sure Black Friday means quite as much to the homies at Hanon over in Scotland, but in 2010 they cooked up something that had people in the states fienin' like Tyrone Biggums. Hanon used a black upper with grey branding and vibrant yellow accents on the Consortium Kegler and with only 480 pairs available, these didn't sit on the shelves long.

Supreme X Vans Syndicate Zero Lo "S"

13. Supreme X Vans Syndicate Zero Lo “S”

Year: 2010

The original drop of the Supreme x Vans Syndicate Zero series dropped over the summer of 2010, but designer Luke Meier saved the toned-down blue version for the fall and winter—perfect for pairing with darker denims.

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Nike Air Moc Athletics Far East Collection

12. Nike Air Moc Athletics Far East Collection

Year: 2010

Typically an exclusive to Japan stores, Nike brought the Air Mocs Stateside, pairing the clog-like silhouette with a fashion-favorite camo hit (in ripstop nylon, no less). And they still got slept on.

Nike 6.0 Dunk "DeLorean"

11. Nike 6.0 Dunk "DeLorean"

Year: 2010

Before any of us had a clue that Nike and company would make our favorite fictional shoe a reality, they tried to keep us happy with some other Back to the Future inspired kicks. In 2010 they gave the rarely coveted 6.0 Dunk the bare metal feel of Doc's DeLorean, including a sole designed to emulate the taillights.

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Burn Rubber x New Balance MT580

10. Burn Rubber x New Balance MT580

Year: 2010

A new classic. Burn Rubber's use of a grey suede upper with the gum sole proved to be a good move. In 2010 the sneaker shops collab with New Balance on the MT580 quickly became one of the most hyped kicks of the holiday season.

Jordan VII Bin 23

9. Air Jordan VII Retro "Bin 23"

Year: 2010

With everyone whining that Jordan Brand had skimped a little when it came to quality, they decided to cook up a whole new breed of Jordan retros entitled the "Bin 23" collection. After it was announced that the VIIs would release on Black Friday 2010 it was the primary focus of most collectors during one of the craziest days of sneaker drops.

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Nike AF1 x Foam

8. Nike Air Force 1 Foamposite "Black"

Year: 2010

The AF1 was a classic basketball sneaker from the moment they first dropped in '82, and the Foams did the same thing about 15 years later. In 2010 Nike decided to mesh the timeless elements of both models for one of our favorite hybrid sneakers to date. (This year's look pretty good, too.)

UNDFTD x CONVERSE "Ballistic"

7. UNDFTD x Converse Academy Low "Ballistic"

Year: 2011

Last year UNDFTD and Converse did it again. UNDFTD blacked out a timeless Converse silhouette with a ballistic nylon upper and minimal branding (plus a vibrant orange outsole) to construct one of the cleanest must-haves of 2011.

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Concepts x NB 1500 Freedom Trail

6. Concepts x New Balance 1500 "Freedom Trail"

Year: 2009

Boston powerhouse Concepts teamed up with New Balance in '09 to pay homage to one of the city's many historic landmarks. The outdoor feel meshed with premium materials made this a shoe worth every penny if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a pair.

Jordan XIII Flint

5. Air Jordan XIII Retro "Flint"

Year: 2010

We were a little disappointed that the "Flint" XIIIs came back without the OG's 3M sidepanels but we weren't going to knock Jordan Brand for bringing back one of our favorite colorways. This one had true sneakerheads hyped from the jump.

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UNDFTD x Converse Poorman's Weapon "Grey"

4. UNDFTD x Converse Poorman's Weapon "Grey"

Year: 2010

Converse and UNDFTD have been holding down Black Friday shoppers for a minute, and they didn't disappoint two years ago when they released the classic Poorman Weapon in a clean grey colorway that was a perfect upgrade to the sneaker staples.

Jordan XII Flu Game

3. Air Jordan XII "Flu Game"

Year: 2009

You already know the story of Mike overcoming illness during Game 5 of the '97 Finals as he made Utah Jazz fans even sicker. To commemorate one of the most gutsy performances in history, Jordan Brand decided to use the playoff "Black/Red" XIIs as a base, flip the black to nubuck, and add the year, the 38 points Mike dropped in the game, and a little sickface emoticon on the heel.

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Nike Air Force 1 Black Friday

2. Nike Air Force 1 "Black Friday"

Year: 2008

When DJ Clark Kent's name is attached to a shoe, you can bet that the final product is going to get people hype. In 2008 he worked with Nike on an Air Force 1 designed specifically for Black Friday that featured, that's right, an all-black upper. The difference with Clark's kicks is he used a dope mix of upscale materials to get the internet going nuts. Yeah, that's black pony hair.

Jordan 3 Black Cement

1. Air Jordan III "Black/Cement"

Year: 2011

This shoe might be to blame for the sneakerhead takeover of 2012. Once word dropped these would be releasing post-Thanksgiving, sneaker enthusiasts counted their blessings and the shoe graced the feet of a new generation of Jordan collectors. The greatest shoe of all time did exactly what its purpose was in '88—Tinker wins again.

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