The 25 Best Sneakers of 2012 (So Far)

Released: February

A more aggressive take on the Free Run 2 upper design, the Air Max 2012 is a lightweight runner with cushioning to spare. The full-length visible sole looks dope paired with almost any colorway, but the LiveSTRONG yellow and black really makes it pop.

Released: April

Gotta give adi credit for repurposing soccer shoes for skate, and none turned out better than the Samba-esque Busenitz Pro. The extended tongue, suede upper, and sub-$100 price tag makes them tough to pass on.

Released: April 14th

Missoni and Converse have been partnering up for a while now, and the classic textile brand's take on the timeless All Star is always a banger. People who would ordinarily never wear Chucks cop these.

Released: May 11th

Collabs on iconic models is a risk, the outcome can either be detrimental to the history of the shoe or a fresh breath to an aging sneaker. When CLOT teamed up with the heads at Beaverton they created a slick silver upper and the attention to details to scuff up the court classic played perfect off the "Museum" moniker.

Released: May

Not quite the UNDFTD Jordan IVs — and no official connection to the Cali kings — but still an impressive look for KD's latest. Still keeping things under $100, Nike took the military influence and gave the scoring champ something serious.

Released: April 28th

adidas has been putting out Rod Lavers since before you could even velcro your own kicks, and after so many years in the game they have yet to exhaust great concepts for the model. This past spring they teamed up with Japan's mita sneakers to produce a Samba-inspired pair featuring a smooth black suede upper and gum sole that was well worth the $150 price tag.

Released: May

Poor Craig Ehlo — "The Shot" was damn near 25 years ago, and Michael Jordan just can't leave him alone. Known as the "Knicks" Air Jordan IV before the backstory was revealed, this IV is part of a long line of retros meant to assert MJ's dominance over his one-time foes. Jeez, we get it.

Released: February

Some might call the Flight ’89 the poor man’s Jordan IV (although it wasn't that way when they first dropped) and that is exactly why we love them. With a MSRP nearly half of the Jordan's, and the sneaker hitting sale shelves, this became a go-to sneaker to rock without buggin’ out over someone stepping on them or scuffing ‘em up.

Released: May 24th

At just 9.5 ounces, you might catch these in the 400 during the Olympic Games in London. adidas has done an incredible job in re-establishing themselves as a force in basketball shoes with innovation and design equally. The highlighter yellow "Electricity" Crazy Light 2s get the nod for our favorites so far this year.

Released: February

Reebok teamed up with a whole mess of collaborators for the 25th Anniversary of a Reebok classic and, London's Foot Patrol cooked up a grey suede upper and gum sole that was perfect for the treadmill or tracksuits (mobster style, not mall walkers). Improving a classic is never easy, but they hit it out of the park.

Released: June 4th

It used to be a decade before we saw a shoe come back around and now it can happen in a matter of years. We're not mad — with sneaker culture growing at an alarming rate, Jordan Brand decided to release one of its finest back into the wild before the Yeezy II craze went into full effect. And canvas Jordan 1s in the summertime? No brainer.

Released:June 2nd

If not outshined by the Yeezy IIs, the latest "South Beach" inspired LeBron sneaker might have taken the crown for the most-hyped release of 2012. It shut down sites in seconds, had people camping on sidewalks, and left those who missed out scrambling for a pair or face $600+ reseller prices.

Released: April

The quickstrike Lunar Flow Wovens could possibly be the most slept-on shoe of 2012. With everyone stackin' up cash for Jordans, Brons, and Yeezys, the Flow Wovens didn't get enough love. And on the wearable tip, these could take you from the crib to the airport to the club in perfect comfort and style.

Released: May

Put Jason Dill and Anthony Van Engelen together with Vans Syndicate, and you get... this. Part of an entire pack worked up by the skate legends, the leopard-print Old Skool '92 Pro was the section-ending banger.

Released: June

Nike Sportswear used a suede upper and copious amounts of leather trim to convert the ephemeral Mayfly runner into a lightweight piece of elegance. The basket weave on the side gave it the look of a high-end dress shoe without the high-end price.

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.

Released: April 28th

Nike Basketball took a different approach on LeBron's postseason shoe this year — instead of just lightening it up, they converted his 82-game Murcielagos into playoff Aventadors. The $250 P.S. Elite utilized Flywire, carbon fiber and Zoom/Max in what might have to be declared a whole new category. Supershoes?

Released: April 20th

2012 is the 30th anniversary of the Air Force 1, and somehow Nike keeps coming up with new schemes. In this case they mixed the new (VacTech and Max Air) with the old (camo) to drop one of the best AF1 Lows since the white-on-whites.

Released: February 24th

Love them or hate them, the "Galaxy" Foamposite release is historic for the fuckery that went down at so many of the midnight releases and the insane resale prices — someone put up their car for a pair before they even dropped. But still, the shoe was dope and the "Galaxy" package might be one of Nike's best concepts in a while. (Not to mention it opened the door for "all-over print" Foams. Who knows what's next?)

Released: May 25th

The Reebok Question had re-released before, but never with quite the reception they got this year. Maybe it took Allen Iverson's absence from the NBA for people to realize what they were missing — whatever the case, it was good to see an absolute basketball classic finally get its due.

Released: January

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.

Released: January

Typically a denim-on-denim look might get you a frowny face in your Instagram comments, but once again Jeremy Scott breaks all the rules. It's what he does.

Released: February 18th

They're not $108 with tax anymore (word to Buggin' Out), but the white/cement Air Jordan IV is still an all-time classic 20-odd years on. People who weren't born when the first RETRO of these hit still rock these hard, and that's just further proof that some shoes become larger than life.

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 dead 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.

Released: March

Really, Gary Warnett said it best here. The Roshe Run might not have had people frantic to get a pair, or resale prices 10 times the retail value — but it's not about that. The sneaker is exactly what a sneaker should be: It looks good on foot, it's affordable, obtainable, and you're easily getting your moneys worth. Sometimes a great sneaker is exactly that. No more, no less.