With the holiday season almost upon us, sneaker companies are gearing up for their big fourth quarter releases to capitalize on the spending spree that inevitably comes with the falling of the leaves and chilling of the air. Some of the most sought after shoe releases of each year are saved for the final months, and this year is no different. However, most “sneakerheads” have been busy collecting kicks all year, so rather than looking ahead to the holiday releases, I’m instead going to reflect on my five favorite personal pick-ups of 2012.
5. Nike Air Max 90 Volt
The Nike Air Max 90 is one of my favorite shoes of all time. Extremely comfortable and versatile, this shoe can be worn year round, and the black-grey-white-neon green Volt colorway is eye-catching.
4. Nike LeBron 9 Low “Summit Lake Hornets”
The 9 is one of the nicer models of LeBron’s signature shoe, both in appearance and comfort. These bright teal and purple “Summit Lake Hornet” edition pay homage to James’ old AAU squad, and makes for a solid, albeit bright, summer shoe. It is worth noting that the ‘9’ is the shoe in which LeBron finally broke through and took home his first NBA title, adding an extra level of meaning to these kicks.
3. Air Jordan 4 Retro “Fire Red”
Any time you can get your hand on a pair of kicks that Michael actually sported on the hardwood, you know you’ve got something special. With the oversaturation of SE’s, collaborations, and Retro’s these days, finding a pair that is virtually unaltered (in appearance, quality is another story) from the way you saw them on MJ’s feet is a rarity, and these Fire Red 4’s are some of the coolest.
The 4 is a clean model as it is, as it looks equally nice on the court or casually, and the Bulls-themed color scheme put this pair over the top.
2. Air Jordan Son of Mars “Club Purple”
This pair is the direct result of the oversaturation of Special Editions and Collaborations that I referenced in the previous paragraph, but these are just too dope to deny. A sequel to the popular “Spizike”, these SOM drew inspiration from several previous Jordan models, but like its predecessor. Pieces from each the Jordan 5 & 6 are noticeable and give the shoe a sort of cool, historical feel if you know enough to pick up on the similarities to the classics. A solid mid-year release from the Jordan brand.
1. Nike Air Penny V Orlando
The Nike Air Penny V Orlando is probably the release I was most excited about all year, and they didn’t disappoint. The main source of excitement with these shoes stemmed from their similarity from the Air Penny 2, one of my favorite shoes of all time, and a pair that I fondly remembering playing ball in as a kid. Penny’s years in Orlando were explosive and exciting, and as a young kid just beginning to get fully emerged into the world of the NBA, it was impossible not to be draw to him. Throw in the cool color scheme of mid-90’s Magic uni’s, which Nike has done an excellent job of capturing in both the Penny 2 and 5, and it was over.
The Air Penny V appears largely like an updated version of the 2, which to be honest is exactly what I wanted. This shoe fits in line with the previous Penny models perfectly, as you could almost picture Penny himself wearing them in a game. Hard to believe its been over a decade since the last signature Penny shoe was released. Usually things don’t turn out well when sneaker companies try to resurrect old lines, but that was not the case this time, as Nike nailed this attempt to bring the popular Penny series back to life.
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