The 6 Best Sneaker Drops of 2017 So Far
2017 has already been a stellar year for sneaker drops. From wild collabs to dope Nike retros to the continued Yeezy shitshow, we’re not even halfway through and we’re still picking up steam quickly. In fact, this year has been so good, we’ve already got a few sneaker of the year contenders. Let’s take a closer look as some of the fire 2017 has already produced.
Nike Kaws x Air Jordan 4
Easily the biggest Jordan collab in years, legendary street artist Brian “KAWS” Donnelly put his spin on the all-time classic Jordan 4 with a super clean dove grey suede treatment. Subtle pops like a green glow-in-the-dark outsole and varying textures of suede give this killer shoe just the right balance.
Adidas Ultra Boost 3.0 Triple Black/Triple White
Along with the NMD’s, few shoes did more to bring Adidas back to relevance than it’s insanely comfortable Ultraboost runner line. 2017 saw the most recent iteration, the 3.0, drop in two fresh new colorways, an icy AF tripe white and a super mean, all-black-everything version. Blurring the line between style and function drops like these continue to push the boundaries of where athletic shoes can go.
Nike Air Vapormax
Speaking of pushing the boundaries, the Vapormax does just that in an insane way. Dropped (naturally) as part of the 30th Anniversary Air Max Day celebrations for 2017, these part running shoe, part-moon boot, part who knows what proved that Nike still knows how to blow our minds with revolutionary sneaker designs.
Adidas Stan Smith Boost Primeknit
Ever since it became a massive success, Adidas has been slamming it’s spongy Boost sole on a litany of older silhouettes, with varying degrees of success. One that really worked though was the already-rehashed Primeknit version of the legendary court shoe, the Stan Smith. By combining the lighter, leaner silhouette of the Primeknit Stan with the modern Boost sole you got a clean, stylish white shoe with a dope, technical-looking twist.
Adidas Powerphase “Calabasas”
Say what you will about Ye’s influence on Adidas and his Yeezy line, but dude knows how to generate hype and excitement. Originally spotted on Kanye at Fashion Week months prior to their actual release, Kanye put his spin on an obscure, retro 80’s tennis shoe and dropped it as part of his Dad-heavy “Calabasas” collection. We’re still not sure what to make of it quite yet but it was as huge a drop as any this year simple for how weird it was. The creamy white, retro vibes didn’t hurt either.
Air Max 90 Ultra 2.0 Flyknit
Another product of Nike’s 30th Anniversary Air Max Day extravaganza this year, Nike evolved an already classic shoe one step further by mashing it’s lauded flyknit upper with the renowned 90’s running silhouette. The mix of technical material and the original OG colorway made for an insanely cool take and fitting tribute to one of the most iconic sneakers of all time.