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As summer comes to its unofficial end (Memorial to Labor Day) we decided to break down some of the best releases from a three-month period of heat that might be able to hold its own to a full calendar year of sneakers any other year. Thanks to the Olympic Games in London, the 20th anniversary of the Dream Team, and a bright colorway that found its way on at least a dozen sneakers, it was a hot summer. Check out The 25 Best Sneaker Releases of the Summer and let us know which pairs stood out the most to you.
AF1 Digi Camo
25. Nike Air Force 1 "Digi-Camo”
Released: June 24th
2012 is the 30th anniversary of the Air Force 1, and somehow Nike keeps coming up with new schemes. In this case they mixed 3M and digital camo to drop one of the most attention-grabbing AF1 Lows in a long, long time.
Supra S1W
24. Supra S1W "Dark Royal/Neon"
Released: July
Nike wasn't the only one killing the neon look. adidas actually may have had the upper hand with its "Electricity" take on a few basketball shoes in the spring and Supra joined in with some neon accents on the Stevie Williams signature S1W. For less than $100 and with Supra's reputation for having sneakers that can take a beating, these were actually one of the best deals this year.
Answer 4
23. Reebok Answer IV "White/Black"
Released: August 10th
It took a while but Reebok caught on and realized that it was time to get AI's sneaker legacy built up again. The Question release in May did better than expected and the IVs were on point too. Best known for Allen's infamous step-over of Tyronne Lue in the 2001 NBA Finals, the sleek and quick design was long overdue for a repeat.
Air Jordan IV White-Red-Black
22. Air Jordan Retro IV "White/Varsity Red-Black"
Released: August 4
A Jordan IV on the 4th — perfect timing. Whether you wore out your "Mars" IVs or were just waiting for a more true-to-the-OG pair, this was one not to miss.
Safari 87
21. Nike Air Safari '87
Released: June 30th
Biz Markie made them hot in the streets and 25 years later Nike brought back the classic Safari print that has been often imitated but rarely equalled. No worries abut any dramatic changes or lack of quality — Team Swoosh came correct and a lot of fans of one of the greatest sneakers of all-time got to re-up on a childhood favorite.
adidas ObO Clot Superstar 80s
20. adidas Originals by Originals Kazuki Kuraishi x CLOT “kzKLOT” Superstar 80s Royal Blue
Released: June 22
No, we're not going to type that entire name out again. Kazuki Kuraishi flipped the script with the classic adidas Superstar 80s, turning it out in mesh to deal with the sticky Hong Kong summers. Only the royal blue adi weren't just a regional hit, they popped worldwide.
Ronnie Fieg x New Balance 999
19. Ronnie Fieg x New Balance 999 "Steel Blue"
Released: June 22nd
Ronnie Fieg's name has became a staple in sneaker blog's "Best of" lists for the past few years and the king of Kith keeps it that way with his "Steel Blue" New Balance 999s. Inspired by the classic New Balance 1300, the 999s are pig suede perfection.
Nike LeBron 9 Elite "Miami Vice"
18. Nike LeBron 9 Elite "Miami Vice"
Released: June 2nd
LeBron's postseason shoe was sick enough in its initial gold-accented "home" and "away" white and black, but when word came of a "South Beach" inspired colorway — that was a wrap. Provoking lineups despite the $250 retail tag, these Elites hit their mark.
Nike Lunar Hyperdunk+
17. Nike Lunar Hyperdunk+ "USA"
Released: July 12th, 2012
During the 2008 games in Spain, Team USA debuted the Hyperdunk and its innovation would change the sneaker game forever. In 2012 they took it a step further with the Lunar Hyperdunk+. Imagine a sneaker measuring your vertical on your jumper, how many trips down the court you made, and looking pretty fly in the process. The price tag on the Nike+ model is a bit extreme, but we can think of worse ways to spend your money.
LeBron 9 Championship
16. Nike LeBron 9 P.S. Elite "NBA Finals"
Released: August 11th
The Swoosh continued to keep breaking out new colorways for its biggest star (sorry Kobe) on what felt like a nightly basis, but none as important as the "NBA Finals" player exclusives that had The King seeing red and finally showing no mercy at the right time. You had to buy a two-shoe pack to get them — and only in Miami — but these were worth the hunt.
Air More Uptempo
15. Nike Air More Uptempo "USA"
Released: July 1st
The More Uptempo was all about big — big Air bubbles, big AIR lettering, big moments. Scottie Pippen wore the More Uptempo as a member of Dream Team 3 in 1996, en route to one more gold medal. Big.
AF 180 Olympic
14. Nike Air Force 180 Low
Released: July 1st
Sir Charles rocked the 180s while he was throwing bows and easily becoming the de factor enforcer of USA Basketball (as well as the squad's leading scorer) in Barcelona. The shoe was welcomed with nothing but love when they were a part of the handful of Olympic retros this past month and with that 180 Air unit and midfoot strap we are good with Nike dropping these every four years, too.
adidas Puig
13. adidas Puig
Released: July
Lucas Puig's first model shoe for adidas came out pretty dope, further moving adidas Skateboarding line to an elite group in a sub-genre that is often overlooked in the sneaker game. The premium look and well constructed vulcanized sole make these a must to rock with a hoodie and jeans all fall and winter, trust us.
Roshe Run - Knicks
12. Nike Roshe Run "Dark Royal/Blue Team-Orange"
Released: July
The Nike Roshe Run is exactly what a sneaker should be: It looks good on foot, it's affordable, obtainable, and you're easily getting your money's worth. Sometimes a great sneaker is exactly that. No more, no less. The classic Knicks/Mets colorway didn't hurt, either.
adidas Campus 80s Snakeskin
11. adidas Campus 80s "Snakeskin"
Released: August
Don C made it a hot look on a cap, London's Foot Patrol did it on their own Campus 80s collabs, and Big Sean started to incorporate it on a few special one-of-ones from adidas. They took notice and moved the trend over to a wider release of the Campus 80s and giving a modern look to a vintage classic.
Lunarglide IV Volt
10. Nike Lunarglide+ IV "Volt"
Released: June
Volt was the rage of 2012, it looked good on every sneaker it touched. When Nike incorporated it on the sleek and smooth Lunarglide IV+ it easily became one of our favorite sneakers of the year. The 3M reflective meshed perfectly with the net-like upper, and Lunar soles are always welcome.
Concepts x New Balance 999 “Seal”
9. Concepts x New Balance 999 “Seal”
Released: August 18th
The Boston crew did it again with their collaboration on the timeless 999 model from New Balance. Inspired by boots worn by the Navy SEALs, the use of premium materials and grey and tan had sneakerheads trying to get a pair of these by any means necessary, and we can't blame them.
Olympic VIIs
8. Air Jordan Retro VII "Olympic"
Released: July 21st
After wrapping up back-to-back NBA titles with a decisive win over the Blazers and the greatest shrug pre-Kanye, Michael was the face of the USA “Dream Team” consisting of a who’s-who of future NBA Hall of Famers (and Christian Laettner) in Barcelona. The squad murked international competition by an average of almost 44 points en route to bringing home the gold. This was the third re-launch of the Air Jordan VIIs Mike wore in '92, and it's never ever enough.
Supreme Dunk
7. Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Low
Released: July 19th
Times have changed and although it was going to be damn near impossible for Nike (and Supreme) to have the same success as the first collab in 2002, the new red release was much better than people admitted. If you got a pair you definitely considered yourself lucky and if you missed out you were feverishly trying to snatch a pair somehow.
Ewing Athletics 33 High
6. Ewing Athletics 33 High
Released: August 31st
History repeats itself. Patrick Ewing's eponymous brand hit NYC hard when it first launched 20-odd years ago, and the NYC/NJ-only re-launch got the whole sneakerhead nation hyped for the return of the Ewing Athletic line, especially the all-red 33 Highs. Much more to come, but a superior start.
Jordan 6 Olympics
5. Air Jordan Retro VI "Olympics"
Released: July 7th
With sneaker purchases at an all-time high, Jordan Brand took full advantage by dropping a gang of retros around the Summer Olympic Games in London. One of the most hyped releases was the VIs that Ray Allen rocked in Sydney during the 2000 Games. They sold out everywhere in minutes, re-released Monday and sold out again, then re-stocked again a few days later with the same result.
Nike Vapor 9 Tour US Open
4. Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour "US Open"
Released: August
When Roger Federer isn't roaming the streets in Yeezy IIs he is collecting trophies and slaughtering opponents in his Zoom Vapor 9 Tour. Not since the days of Agassi and Sampras have we seen such a wearable tennis shoe off the courts — not bad for something Tinker Hatfield whipped up on his iPad. For the NYC event Nike hooked up its man with a pair unique for the biggest tournament in the states, well executed once again.
Hyperfuse Infrared 90s
3. Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse "Infrared"
Released: August 24th
Originally we thought these were only dropping over in Europe last year, but Nike must have heard the people talking and decide to bless the masses with the full-on Hyperfuse application with the classic AM90 colorway.
Yeezy II
2. Nike Air Yeezy II
Released: June 9th
No shoe gained as much attention from national media as the Air Yeezy IIs and after so much anticipation the release went off without too many issues — minus people crying over their NikeStore cart. You can make the argument that if this wasn't Kanye's sneaker no one would care... and you're wrong. The design and quality is unlike anything else and even with all the outlandish designs and colorways hitting these days, these would have still stood out.
Flyknit Racer Volt
1. Nike Flyknit Racer "Volt"
Released: July 27th
Are you seeing a common theme here? The "Volt" colorway bodied the summer of 2012. When Nike introduced the Flyknit runners to kick off the Olympics, we knew from the jump these were going to make a few top 25 lists before the year was over.