Image via Complex Original
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There are few joys in life greater than getting a pair of new shoes. But most of the sneakers that we buy today are only “new” in relation to how long ago they were produced, not designed. The industry is full of retro products: Air Force 1s, Air Jordan 1s, Stan Smiths, the list goes on. But there are also brand-new models made every year just like how it used to be in the ‘80s and ‘90s, when many of us first fell in love with our now-favorite sneakers. The Nike Air Max 1 was once a brand-new sneaker, same with the Air Jordan 3, and even the Yeezy Boost 350. We interacted differently with these models seeing them for the first time and had a different appreciation for them because of that.
In 2021, there are plenty of new shoe designs, but the idea of non-retro sneakers isn’t as popular as it used to be. But that doesn’t mean that innovation and new designs shouldn’t be rewarded. It’s what pushes everything forward––like a Nike sneaker designed to help people with disabilities wear sneakers like everyone else; or a high-tech running shoe that helps runners run faster; or even a lifestyle Yeezy that’s become the talk of the town, or at least the internet. These are Complex’s picks for the best new sneaker designs of 2021.
10.Stone Island x New Balance RC Elite v2
Release Date: October 7
Price: $250
It’s not every day that a brand chooses to make its highest performance shoes the center of one of its highest profile collaborations, but that’s exactly what New Balance did with the RC Elite 2 and its project with Stone Island. The brands first worked together in 2013 on two pairs of the 577, but they weren’t available outside of Europe and it’s difficult to track pairs down. This year marked a return of the partnership, and it was slowly rolled out on social media. It wasn’t clear what the model would be, but fans got the sense that it wouldn’t be another 990 or 992 collaboration. Instead, the brand utilized the RC Elite 2, its high-performance running shoe with a FuelCell midsole and a brash New Balance logo across the forefoot. The top-of-the-line running shoe would retail for $225, placing it in the upper echelon of sports footwear, and New Balance chose this model for its re-emergence with Stone Island. And it made sense. Stone Island is known as a brand that pushes technological innovation in the fabrics it uses on its jackets, from heat-reactive nylons to jackets covered in distinguished prints and dye processes. The sneaker, which had the New Balance and Stone Island logos on alternating feet breaking through the upper material, was designed in part by Yue Wu, the man behind New Balance’s Refined Future collection on the 2002R earlier in the year. The packaging on the shoe was reserved for a luxury product and the off-white and red colorway made it a little classy. And they’re a shoe you could actually run a marathon in. —Matt Welty
9.Sean Wotherspoon x Adidas Superturf Adventure
Release Date: September 25
Price: $160
It’s been a while since we’ve felt some energy from Sean Wotherspoon’s footwear collaborations. His most notable project was his Air Max 1/97 from 2017. Since then, people have been waiting for a sequel. In 2019, Wotherspoon confirmed that he’d no longer be working with Nike for the foreseeable future. In 2020, he released a corduroy Gel-Lyte 3 with ASICS and Atmos that generated some interest. He then partnered with Adidas, releasing a Superstar with long strings on the side, then a ZX 8000 that was a mishmash of materials that felt a little busy.
But it appears that Wotherspoon has found his sweet spot once again, this time on the Adidas Superturf Adventure. The shoe is a new version of the Superturf shoes that debuted in the Adidas Gardening Club collection in 2019, but with an updated upper that included a removable pouch on it. He once again used corduroy on the shoe, a familiar look for his fans. The initial release was also in collaboration with Disney and featured Jiminy Cricket on the tongue, the character from Pinocchio that’s found on the recycling cans at Disneyland, as sustainability is important to Wotherspoon. It’s good to see him work on an original silhouette with Adidas and bring back in some of his design DNA that inspired his fans from the start. —Matt Welty
8.Jordan Zion 1
Release Date: May 26
Price: $120
Zion Williamson was selected with the first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, yet as we stand in the waning days of 2021, he’s played a mere 85 professional games. While the pandemic played some role in that, injuries have played a bigger one, and he’s yet to take the court in the 2021-22 season. All that’s to say that his first signature sneaker hasn’t seen a ton of time on the hardwood. But despite that fact, it was a standout of the year based on its design, affordability, and playability. Its Z-shaped detailing allowed for both subtle and direct signature nods, depending on a given colorway’s blocking. From a performance perspective, it’s surprisingly light thanks to targeted areas of padding and a uniquely stitched upper. And at $120, the inclusion of a full-length Air Strobel unit with additional Zoom Air offer exceptional value for a modern hoops shoe. Hopefully Williamson’s recent medical clearing that allows him to return to full basketball activities means that we’ll soon see more on-court highlights to add to the shoe’s allure. —Zac Dubasik
7.Salehe Bembury x New Balance 574 Yurt
Release Date: October 22
Price: $150
The New Balance 574 is not a new sneaker design—far from it. It’s been around since the end of the 1980s and had a long life as a retro model. That so much of this shoe already existed before this year nearly disqualifies it from inclusion here, but Salehe Bembury’s irreverent upgrade (literally, look at the height on the stack) to this NB classic is enough to justify the nod. His New Balance 574 Yurt, which plants a whistle on the back of the shoe, adds some much needed levity to footwear collaborations, which are increasingly concerned with telling big, serious stories. The sneaker’s shrill song is a call for normalcy, a siren to lure us back outside after the long periods of hibernation mandated by the coronavirus pandemic. It also makes total sense for Bembury, a man whose social media is often dominated by recaps from his hikes. The New Balance 574 Yurt is not a proper trail sneaker, but it’s still a fun one that reminds us of the pleasure of the great outdoors. —Brendan Dunne
6.Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low
Release Date: February 11
Price: $180
The Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low didn’t start the outdoor sneaker trend—it’s not even the first iteration of the ACG Mountain Fly—but it did help perpetuate a style that’s become prevalent in the culture. It did so by being a great example of the genre it represents as well as being a great sneaker, period. The shoe’s aggressive styling is both modern and functional, but not as limiting as the original. The low-cut iteration of the Mountain Fly ditches the GORE-TEX upper and gaiter fit system of its predecessor in favor of a more traditional lacing setup, and gains casual wearability in the process. It does share the same tooling though, which means it still has a combination of React foam, Vaporfly tech, and a nubbed rubber outsole. Adding to the appeal were lifestyle friendly colorways and a black Haven-exclusive version that launched the shoe. In a year where gorpcore hit the mainstream, it’s only right that one of the godfathers of the movement, Nike’s ACG line, served up one of its best sneakers. —Zac Dubasik
5.Air Jordan 36
Release Date: August 16
Price: $185
The yearly Air Jordan court sneaker is always a special moment. This year’s Jordan 36 was derailed a bit by release date delays (a likely byproduct of the pandemic and supply chain issues), but that doesn’t take away from its impact as a new design. Over the last few years, the Air Jordan legacy model has gotten back on track in terms of looking and feeling like a true Jordan signature, and the 36 is no exception. Although I personally haven’t had a chance to play in it, I’d argue that its design is even better than its recent predecessors. It looks futuristic without looking corny, and there are also some references to the Air Jordan 6 peppered in to keep things true to the line’s heritage. There are some engineering breakthroughs at play too, like the Leno-Weave upper and a revamped cushioning setup. But my favorite part about the Air Jordan 36 might be its colorways, all of which have been strong. The purple “First Light” makeup looks exactly like what a new Air Jordan should look like in 2021. —Riley Jones
4.Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2
Release Date: February 28
Price: $250
There’s always a cult-like following when Nike releases new, state-of-the-art running shoes, and it’s no different from the ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 (say that four times fast). The shoe is the sequel to the wildly popular Vaporfly Next% from 2019, which is the next iteration of the Vaporfly shoe from 2017 that was designed for runner Eliud Kipchoge to attempt to run a marathon in under two hours. So fast-forward to 2021, and the Next% 2 is viewed as the cream of the crop for serious runners, especially with those who favor Nike products. The shoe is quite similar aesthetically to the original Next% and has a huge Swoosh across the forefoot of the model. It has ZoomX foam in the midsole, as well as a carbon-fiber plate that helps propel runners forward and has become popular across the board in elite running shoes. With all the technology in this model, it’s difficult to wear them as a casual sneaker, but that’s not the purpose (although it looks good and people still will wear them on the street). Runners swear by them, and that means something. It’s easier to obtain the Next% 2 than the original version, which would sell out within minutes like a traditional limited-edition sneaker, but that’s good. Runners don’t have to go to StockX or eBay to purchase their latest pair. —Matt Welty
3.Adidas Yeezy Knit Runner
Release Date: September 23
Price: $200
This is what sneakers feel like in the future. OK, so it looks more like a gardening glove than a typical piece of athletic footwear, but the important thing is this is not a typical piece of athletic footwear. Through designs like the Yeezy Knit Runner, Kanye West’s Yeezy line at Adidas remains committed to dreaming what the world could look like if we weren’t all so stuck on the same handful of retro sneakers. The laceless potato sack of a silhouette is reminiscent of the Nike ACG Air Moc, but is decades more advanced. The upper is totally seamless, with no visible stitching, and filled in with a bootie that aims to hug in the foot in lieu of lacing that would otherwise tighten the fit. Like the best of West’s footwear, it’s a sneaker that looks like a spaceship, a challenging design that’s been polarizing for nearly everyone who’s encountered it. If you ask us, though, it’s also one of this year’s best. —Brendan Dunne
2.Nike Go FlyEase
Release Date: February 15
Price: $120
The Go FlyEase is Nike’s latest development in making shoes easier to wear for people with disabilities. The shoe’s hinged upper is designed to slide on and off without using one’s hands, solving a problem for people with difficulties ranging from arthritis to paralysis. Touted as the brand’s first fully hands-free shoe, it is truly a feat in design. However, the shoe’s limited rollout came with a downside that previously hadn’t affected Nike’s FlyEase offerings: resellers flocked to it. What was initially a $120 sneaker at retail sold for over $1,000 on StockX in March, a month after its official release. The moral implications of profiting off a shoe specifically designed to help disabled people were brought to light after the situation went viral, and Nike later said it would release more pairs. The shoe’s mission to make accessibility mainstream hasn’t been realized yet, but it’s a big step in the right direction. —Riley Jones
1.Adidas Yeezy 450
Release Date: March 6
Price: $200
Year in and year out it seems like most of the sneaker industry zigs while Ye continues to zag. In a market oversaturated with collaborations and more of the same, the multi-hyphenate formerly known as Kanye West at least deserves credit for pushing the boundaries further each year. It seems like he finds his way atop this list each and every time we do it, and for good reason.
This year’s top offering, the Adidas Yeezy 450 is quite possibly his most unique original silhouette yet. You’ve seen the internet jokes likening the 450s to a soup dumpling, but you’ve also seen the world’s biggest stars, like Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, and James Harden stepping out in them. Of course any Ye-made shoe that drops in 2021 is going to be met with mixed reactions, but the truth of the matter is that the product always sells and more often than not it garners a hefty tag on the resale market. Love him or hate him, Ye will always be pushing the footwear envelope, and I for one am excited to see what Yeezy sneaker designs come in the following year. —Ben Felderstein