Ranking This Year's Reebok Instapump Fury Collabs From Worst to Best

The Reebok Instapump Fury is 20 years old, and it's an oddity in Reebok's retro running line. Its cut-out silhouette, Pump, and split midsole was way ahead of its time. So much so, that even two decades later, it still gets attention when it hits the street. To celebrate the sneaker's anniversary, Reebok promised a ton of collaborations on the Instapump—27 to be exact—and it actually over delivered. With so many Instapump collabs on the market, we, naturally, had to think that some were better than others. But we also got to see one silhouette recreated by a bunch of different artists, sneaker boutiques, and clothing brands.

The Instapump Fury, however, is no stranger to being reworked via collaborators. Chanel put its double C branding on the sneaker before, and last year saw the likes of A Bathing Ape and Sneakersnstuff release their own collabs as well. To be fair, we only included collaborations that aren't continuing partnerships with Reebok (Garbstore, Stash, etc.) and, instead, are actual collaborations. So for fans of the Instapump, they were presented with more options than they could possibly pick from. If they had to choose, though, this is how they might see things. Here's Ranking This Year's Reebok Instapump Fury Collabs From Worst to Best.

If these were Kukinis, which they look close enough to, they’d be great. Sadly, they’re not.

Metallic just doesn’t look good on a lot of sneakers, and the Instapump is already a very busy-looking sneaker. Add the smooth blue leather, and this collab just didn’t fulfill itself properly.

Stars, a multi-color splatter, and X-Girl's branding on the heel might have been too much for some on the Instapump Fury. Still, it's designed by a streetwear brand with roots in the '90s, and the rendition is appropriate to the era that the Instapump was birthed in.

The Charlotte Hornets are officially back, and Social Status, which has a location in Charlotte, had a Hornets-themed Instapump this year. The sneaker not only had a honeycomb print on it, but it has a few hornets spread out on the upper—not to mention the sneaker is purple, teal, and black. It's odd to see a basketball PE colorway on a runner, but it surely reps for SS's hometown.

The Kasina x Reebok Instapump was one of the last ones released, and, if you look at the materials used, there was probably a reason behind it. Donegal leather and brown leather aren’t made for the summer. So save these until late fall.

What Milkfed, a Japanese brand, did with the Instapump Fury may not be the loudest collaboration this year, but it's surely the most colorful. It takes the right person to wear a print that resembles Liberty's fabrics, but if you keep your outfit simple, the Milkfed Furys are an eye-catcher.

There's a mythical creature, the Rougarou, lurking somewhere down in the Louisiana bayou, and there's also a pretty spectacular sneaker boutique down there, too. Sneaker Politics is new to the collab game (this is the shop's first), but it used local lore to create a furry, menacing Instapump Fury. It's tough for some to get into hairy footwear, but Sneaker Politic's use of darker colors makes for a wearable option.

United Arrows has had memorable collabs before—it worked on the New Balance 997.5—and its offshoot label, Beauty & Youth (which has also done its own collabs), got in on the Instapump Collabs. With a fashion-forward focus, the Instapump wasn't given any flashy materials or patent leather. To be honest, it was pretty dull, but it was put together effectively with a gunmetal suede upper and just a pop of color on the toe and Hexalite unit.

If done right, floral print can be great on a running sneaker. The Invincible collab exemplifies this thinking, and that’s because it was subdued and didn’t go over the top. Note to future collaborators: Not everything needs to be done to the max. It's also a slight nod to the past "Hawaiian" color schemes the Instapump has seen in the past.

Dropping out of nowhere, Frank the Butcher’s clothing brand, BAU, had an Instapump that was a two-part collab which included two sneakers. Using the “Father and Daughter” concept, the pack came in unisex sizing with one pair in black and pink and the other in black and tan. There was also a really light print that nearly hid into the black upper.

Like a lot of the Instapumps seen in 2014, they start with basic colorblocking and add one defining detail. This was the case when Limited Edt. and Hypethetic linked up. The black, blue, and grey colorway was solid, and it allowed for a speckled print to be splattered all over the the toe box, which keep the balance of the sneaker in check.

For those paying attention, Boston Bodega’s aesthetic has been getting more and more abstract. Its Instapump collab was no different as it featured a multitude of different materials and prints. Through the right lens, the quality of this sneaker shined, and its out-of-the-box style made it notable within the bevy of releases.

Some sneakers have bigger secrets than others. At first glance, Crossover’s Instapump is black, pink, and has a subtle camo print, but the tiger camo actually glows in the dark. Too bad it wasn’t easy to find these in the States.

The award for the Instapump with the hairiest suede goes to London’s Footpatrol. The sneaker’s excitement wasn't just with the materials, though, as it took simple navy-and-tan color scheme and split it across the right and left portion of each sneaker—​while the Footpatrol logo branded with “The Pump” on the heel pieced the collab together.

The most notable feature on the Instapump Fury, besides its cut-out upper, is the Pump itself, which gives air to the rest of the sneaker. Washington DC’s Major took this metaphor to the next level and based its collab off of the oxygen masks found on planes. Pretty fly.

The shades of blue which graffiti artist Stash has become known for might be his defining contribution to sneaker culture, and this assortment has been placed on multiple silhouettes throughout his career. This year, Stash linked up with Packer Shoes to work on the Instapump together, and the idea still felt fresh.

There was something else that was major that happened in ’94 besides the release of the Instapump Fury, and it was the World Cup held in the USA. One of the highlights of that cup was Mexico keeper Jorge Campos’ custom jerseys. With this idea in mind, UK retailer—behind the minds of Gary Warnett and Mubi Ali—went tie-dye on the Instapump. Being that the World Cup took place this year, too, this motif came just in time.

The most unexpected collab on the Instapump was that Steven Alan, a menswear retailer, was invited to the party. But the shop didn’t disappoint. Instead, it blacked-out the Fury and left it with a white midsole. The premium suede also stuck out in the best way possible.

Mita had two Instapump collabs this year, the other being a co-collab with A Bathing Ape. This one, made from a cableknit sweater, was much more in line with the shop’s identity, though. No one is really going to wear a sweater in summer, but this collab is perfect for all the cozy boys who are still going strong once it gets colder.

There’s no denying that Hanon Shop is the best sneaker boutique in Scotland, and its Instapump collab further continued its legacy. This time around, Hanon went back to the basics and based its sneaker around what makes any pair great: the materials. Using a variety of colors, the result was a vibrant yet dreary color selection that boasted the Hanon logo on the Pump and the shop’s name embossed on the heel.

If 24 Kilates’ Instapump looked more fashion-forward than the rest, it might have been because it was in conjunction with menswear designer Boris Bidjan Saberi. And it fit right in with this season’s obsession with either white or black clothing, as it was mostly black with two white stripes through the sneaker. With so much going on with the majority of the other Instapumps, it was good to see a shop step back and keep it simple.

The O.G. Citron colorway of the Instapump is one of the best ever made, and atmos gave it a slight upgrade: a textile toe box and heel. If that’s not affirmation that this was a great sneaker, we don’t know what else is.

Remember when Sneakersnstuff collaborated with Reebok on the Question tilted “The Shoe About Nothing”? Well, the Sweden-based retailer took a similar colorway, put it on the Instapump fury, and called it “The Shoe About Something,” and it was just as good, if not better. The best part about the sneaker, besides its leather liner and buttery suede, was its fleece construction.

Solebox didn’t have the only camo-print Instapump this year, but its version used “Flecktarn,” which is used by the German army. And with Solebox being located in Berlin, this made complete sense. Topped off with the German flag popping out on the tongue, this collab was hard as hell — with in-store pairs coming in a metal, olive drab box.

End Clothing has become a trusted source for first releases on menswear and sneakers, but this Instapump was the Newcastle, England-based retailer’s first foray into the world of collaborations. End turnt up for this project, literally, as it used a wine theme based around Bordeaux, or what’s known as “Claret” in England. From the shades of maroon to the green glass bottle represented in the sneaker’s outsole, this concept was thoroughly executed.

When it came to coolest teasers of the Instapump, Australia’s Highs and Lows took the cake. Its design, based off of the “frogman” wetsuit, was placed on rocks next to the water and scuba gear—the inspiration for the sneaker. If that story isn’t your thing, you could always jive with this being a black, red, and grey sneaker, which is never a bad makeup.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and Burn Rubber proved that with its Instapump Fury this year. It’s a pretty boring sneaker to be honest, with its grey mesh upper, 3M toe hit, gum sole, and orange lining. But, somehow, all the pieces came together and made a solid sneaker—regardless if it was a high-profile collaboration or not. The Instapump is such a wild sneaker from its design aspect, and this makeup made it more palatable to the average person.

Believe it or not, the Instapump Fury designed by Titolo was the Swiss boutique’s first collaboration ever, and it knocked it out of the park. Why, you might ask? It didn’t do too much to the sneaker and kept it true to its original color story. Matter of fact, if you had told us that these black, lime green, and red sneakers (with a Titolo strap on the heel) had came out in 1994, we might actually believe you. And that’s the reason why these are so good.

Yes, A Bathing Ape already did an Instapump collab, and it was very similar to the one that released last year. But there’s an appetite for BAPE’s camo print, and it always feels good to see the streetwear brand involved in a quality partnership. Plus, does camo ever look awful on a sneaker? Not that often. Toss in the fact that mita was also included in this collab, and you have something that’s driving hype.

Versace print, unadulterated ignorance, and a collab with one of the world’s best sneaker boutiques and you have the Concepts x Reebok Instapump Fury. We should talk on and on about this sneaker, but you just need to see it on-foot to realize how good and ridiculous it is. That’s why it’s the best Instapump collab this year.