Matt Halfhill's Top 10 Sneakers of 2011

Matt says: "Taka and the Vans Vault team have linked up for a number of great shoes, but none rank as high to me as his reinterpretation of the Sk8-Hi. From the ground up, the shoes sported a new outsole, a mixture of treated textile and ostrich skin upper, finished off with leather laces."

Matt says: "Ronnie has gotten busy for the past four years on ASICS sneakers, but his first go round on the GT-II showed to many that he knows a thing or two about sneakers that don't have a split tongue."

Matt says: "Frank knows his kicks, period. The high top Forum has not been seen since the days when the hustlers in his hometown were rocking this beast. Frank unearthed the shoes from the grave and put together a set of three that are to be celebrated. Great materials, timeless colors, and the original 'Hustler's Crest.' They may be a remake, but many will say these are kicks made for an OG."

Matt says: "Concepts has no shortage of great releases on their résumé, but the 'Kennedy' 999s definitely rank high on the list. Concepts helped bring back this vaunted silhouette with a bang, and they were the official pair to rock last summer with a polo and shorts."

Matt says: "Maybe I'm a little biased about how much I like the shoe, but the materials and quality that New Balance executed make this my favorite project to date. Don't let the photos fool you — hit these with the flash and you will see that these aren't your grandpa's grey New Balances."

Matt says: "We have seen countless Foamposite drops in the past couple of years, but nothing touches the OG."

Matt says: "The 100-foot dunk commercial was yet another unforgettable commercial put together by Wieden + Kennedy for the Air Jordan franchise, but MJ and team busting doors down and finishing 72-10 is something that can't be matched. Look past the great design of the Jordan 11 and look at what MJ accomplished en route to his 4th ring — Jordan 11s are historic."

Matt says: "The Air Jordan 3 was an iconic shoe in and of itself in terms of design, but coupling that with what Michael Jordan accomplished on the court in the 1987-88 season makes this shoe one of the most incredible sneakers of all time."

Matt says: "Sure, sneakers get referenced in hip-hop all the time, but no shoe or brand was put center stage quite like adidas was by the legendary RUN DMC. adidas Originals held nothing back for this release with the finest quality leathers, black reflective stripes, gold rope chain lace dubray, and nods to the 25th anniversary of the track."

Matt says: "Everything about this project was legendary. The years of grassroots efforts to build awareness of the demand and love for this shoe by fans of the movie and sneakers paid off as Nike used the opportunity to bring out the McFly to raise awareness and millions of dollars for Parkinson's research."