The 25 Most Surprising Things In Sneakers Of 2012

Over the last few years, sneakerheads have become accustomed to knowing anything and everything there is to know about upcoming releases. And not just releases, either — signings, commercials, even what athletes are gonna wear in any given game. To some it's good to be in the know, to others, it's a reminder of how much things have changed. Nevertheless, there were a number of surprises in 2012 — everything doesn't leak. Take a look at The 25 Most Surprising Things In Sneakers Of 2012.

Link: Spotted: Teyana Taylor

There is no doubt that Teyana Taylor's sneaker game is on point, but considering the diversity of her footwork, we would have never guessed she'd get the chance to design her own sneaker for adidas Originals. The Harlem GLC even has dudes lookin' to cop, whether it's thirst or not, we'll leave that for you to decide.

Link: Judge Judy Handles Yeezy Debate

Yeah, as a sneakerhead we know the resale game is serious business, but this year it was taken to a new level. When the clip of Judge Judy playing babysitter over a couple of kids fighting over Yeezys, it put sneakerheads and the secondary market in front of millions of people who never knew. Unfortunately, 'heads like the kids in the video make all of us look bad. Don't be a lame sneakerhead.

Link: Nike Announces Zoom Revis Trainer

When was the last time an NFL cornerback had his own signature sneaker? Yup, that's the guy. Nike gave Jets All-Pro defensive back Darrelle Revis his own signature and it's already been seen on the feet of people like LeBron James. Well played.

Link: Blake Griffin Joins Jordan Brand

It may seem like an obvious fit to have Blake Griffin on Jordan Brand, but after a number of PE Hyperdunk releases — including one that dropped just after Blake was officially welcomed by Jordan Brand — the news still came as a surprise. But here's no better place for a Slam Dunk Contest champ than in a pair of Jordans.

Link: Jordan Spiz'ike Comes to NIKEiD

Plenty of sneakers have been available through Nike's custom program, NIKEiD, but in June, the retro-inspired Jordan Spiz'ike launched. Never before has the temptation to combine South Beach colorways and elephant print been so hard to resist.

Link: Rajon Rondo Unveils "Fighter Jet Camo" Foamposites On Court

Rajon Rondo has had a few decent PEs over the course of his career while jumping from brand to brand, but this season the Celtics point guard has taken his sneaker game to new heights. Rondo was one of the first players to wear the Polarized Pink Foamposites, the Stealth Foamposites and the Fighter Jet Camo Foamposites in our coverage of the Best Sneakers in the NBA.

Link: Nike Flyknit HTM NRG is the #1 Sneaker of the Year

Forget incremental steps, Nike is best when they're pushing the envelope as hard as they can. Think Foamposite, which was a complete game-changer back in 1997. The same can be said for Flyknit, which minimized both waste and excess weight, using an old technique for the next generation of sneakers. The future is wide open.

Link: adidas Presents The Return of Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose didn't actually return in 2012 - sorry, Bulls fans - but adidas Basketball certainly made lemonade from the injury lemon, crafting an impressive campaign around their injured superstar. Which is a good thing, since the Rose 3 was a fantastic sneaker that deserved every bit of shine it could get.

Link: Self Made: Mache Customs 10 Greatest Custom Sneakers

Hate it or love it, customized sneakers are a huge part of sneakers now. If proof was needed, LeBron James himself tweeted a picture saying that he needed a pair of custom LeBron Xs that had been done by Mache Customs. It doesn't get much bigger than that.

Link: Supreme x Nike Air Force 11 "Camo" is the #4 Sneaker of the Year

Supreme is no stranger to collaborations with Nike but up until this year, the partnership was strictly with Nike SB. 2012 saw the partnership of Nike Sportswear and Supreme for the first time and after seeing the results of the Supreme x Air Force 1 releases that dropped in November, let's hope this partnership continues in the future.

Link: Everything You Need To Know About the Big Sean adidas Originals Pro Model II

From Almost Famous to one of the biggest names in hip hop over just a handful of years, Big Sean has been putting in work. adidas Originals reworked one of his favorite sneakers of all time for his December 1st show, and then Sean hinted in our interview that he's excited about some of his other sneakers that are on the way. Well deserved.

Link: Russell Westbrook Unveils Air Jordan XX8

Filling the shoes of the greatest basketball player of all time is a difficult task, just ask Dwyane Wade. After D-Wade opted to partner with Li-Ning, Jordan Brand quickly swooped in on one of the league's brightest young stars, Russell Westbrook. Westbrook unveiled the Air Jordan XX8 and has become the new focal point of performance for Jordan Brand.

Link: Converse Pro Leather

When it comes to Converse, the Pro Leather has remained fairly true to its roots when it comes to colorways. Most of the creative materials and color makeups are applied to the Chuck Taylor All Star but this year all of that changed. The Converse Pro Leather became the blank canvas for the minds of many collaborators — from Bodega to Stüssy to Footpatrol — who gave new life to the classic basketball sneaker.

Link: Nike Air Penny V

Penny Hardaway is no stranger to sneakerheads, in fact he's arguably the most-loved athlete to ever wear a pair of sneakers that donned his name. Even with 1/2 Cents and Zoom Rookies carrying pieces of Penny's signature line from Nike Basketball, it was surprising to see Nike release the Air Penny V, considering Hardaway's time in the league is a few years passed. It was even more surprisiing to see it become a huge hit.

Link: Video: Supreme x Vans Half Cab 20th Anniversary

Imagine one of the greatest athletes of a sport, showing up to recreate hand-crafted sneakers 20 years after they originally released. In your dreams, right? In January, Supreme made those dreams come true for just 20 Steve Caballero fans who were able to grab the "Duct Tape" version of the cut-down original Caballero. Collection centerpiece material.

Link: Interview: Dwyane Wade Talks Signing With Li-Ning, Leaving Jordan, And What Comes Next

Who walks away from free Jordans? Dwyane Wade, that's who. D-Wade took is talents to China and partnered up with Li-Ning this year. The news took many people by surprise but "CEO Wade" has a nice ring to it and the future looks bright for D-Wade and Li-Ning.

Link: Interview: David Falk and David Goldberg on the Re-Launch of Ewing Athletics

Patrick Ewing's sneakers had been a series of mysterious tales for youngsters that were too young to experience them during the early '90s but with the help of the biggest Ewing collector David Goldberg and legendary agent David Falk, the return of the Ewing Athletics brand couldn't have been done any better.

Link: Zen and the Art of the Nike Sportswear Roshe Run

There are countless sneakers that release in the $60-90 price range that never get any attention and find their way to discount retailers. However, the Nike Roshe Run became one of the most popular sneakers of the year, with people scooping up colors left and right. Rightfully so, as the Roshe Run is in most debates for 'most comfortable sneaker ever' from those that own a pair.

Link: New Yorker Wants To Trade Car For Galaxy Foams

The Galaxy Foams become one of the most-hyped releases of the year, possibly of all time, but people took things to a new level trying to get their hands on a pair. From sex to cars, if you had the right size — Foams, that is, you could score big.

Link: Air Jordan IV "Black/Red" is the #2 Sneaker of the Year

There is nothing surprising about the Air Jordan IV being released as a retro — we've come to anticipate Jordan retros. However, to have the black and red colorway come in such high quality was one of the best surprises of the year. It even pushed the classic sneaker into the No. 2 spot in our Top 10 Sneakers of the Year.

Link: Nike Air Yeezy II "Cement"

Once the rumors of a third Yeezy II colorway exploded, we took the liberty of creating 10 Colorways of the Yeezy II We'd Like to See. Never would we expect that shortly thereafter, a sample colorway of the Yeezy II would hit the web. But will it (or any other) hit shelves?