Can you recall every single sneaker that released in the past year? It would be quite a feat, given that brands are as cash-hungry as ever and increasingly more wont to pack weekends with releases. With 2017 concluding, only a handful of sneaker silhouettes and collaborations really mattered—the rest will fade into obscurity. But the "sneaker game," "sneaker culture"—whatever you want to call it—is about more than just footwear on shelves.
It's also about the brands that orchestrate those releases, the athletes that promote them, and the lasting impact they have on the scene. Here, as a supplement to the standard year-end lists flooding the internet marking the best sneakers of the year, Sole Collector has highlighted the most important stories of 2017. These are the moments that defined sports footwear in 2017.