Our Favorite Sneakers of 2020

At last, a list that cannot be argued. Our team spent much of the holiday season debating the merits of 2020's best sneakers, fighting over their rankings internally and then defending them externally when we had the energy. We did that because we love the game. At the end of that painful process we're going through a final cathartic step by putting together one last list that is totally immune to complaints from sniveling cowards on the internet.

These are our favorite sneakers of 2020. We're not saying they're the best, most historically important, or guaranteed to garner the most interaction on your timeline. The list is self-indulgent and rather long, but no love letter should be miserly with the details. These are the shoes we liked and wore on a purely personal level. Don't at us.

Mike DeStefano

Off-White x Air Jordan 5

If you ask me, this is Virgil Abloh's best work since the original "The Ten" release in 2017. I'll admit, I wasn't initially the biggest fan of this shoe when it first leaked on the net many months ago. But as more product shots and on-foot photos trickled onto my social media feed, they grew on me. Like most Off-White x Nike projects, I knew I wasn't going to be getting these off of SNKRS. Luckily a few weeks after they dropped, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a pair after letting go of another one of the year's biggest releases. But that's a story for another day. The "Muslin" Off-White x Air Jordan 5 is a perfect example of how collaboration can make something old feel new again. I've worn them a handful of times. I swapped in the white laces, the way nature intended. Maybe one day I'll cut out some of the holes too as Abloh intended, but I haven't quite been able to talk myself into it yet. My reasoning not convincing enough? Read what the man himself has to say.

Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 992

New Balance won 2020. Admittedly, I'm far from a New Balance purist. But I loved a lot of the projects they did this year and I bought a handful of them. None were better than Joe Freshgoods' 992 collab, though. I've caped for this shoe a crazy amount in Zoom meetings this year to make sure we rank it properly on lists, not just because I own it, but because I felt it deserved the recognition. Photos of the shoe do it justice, but my true appreciation came from speaking with Joe about the pop-up he brought to NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago to release it. I saw firsthand how important the Freshgoods name is in the WIndy City. I saw a line stretch down a snow-covered block on a day that was one of the coldest I've ever experienced. I saw people wear a $260 shoe covered in suede out of the store into slushy and salty streets. I wasn't lucky enough to purchase these that weekend. Thankfully, I copped mine before resell prices started to hover around the $1,000 mark.

Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550 "Green"

I spend an unhealthy amount of money on Aimé Leon Dore clothing. It's something I need to work on in 2021 probably. But they put out a ton of great products, this New Balance 550 being one of them. This marks one of the few times I can recall successfully winning a raffle in this calendar year, so that's a victory to celebrate in and of itself, but I would have been finding a way to add these to the collection regardless. Of the four colorways that dropped, the green is the best of the bunch to me. As good as a New Balance 990 series collab is, it's always refreshing to see brands tap into other sections of the NB archive, and Teddy Santis bringing back a seldomly known basketball shoe from the '80s was cool to see. It isn't one of those pairs you meticulously pick and choose when to pull out, it's perfect to wear for the weekend grocery store trip or a morning coffee run without worrying about keeping them completely pristine. This is one that I plan to keep in the rotation for a while.

Reebok Question Mid "Suede Red Toe"

Simply put, Allen Iverson is my favorite athlete of all time. Growing up in close proximity to Philadelphia in the late '90s and early 2000s, Iverson was my hero. I owned every color Sixers jersey they sold. I went to games at the First Union Center with my dad hoping for an autograph (as I grew older I realized how crazy that hope was). My first real "cool" pair of shoes was a black pair of Answer 5s. I genuinely wouldn't like basketball without Iverson. So his Reebok signature line has always been a special one to me. The "Red Toe" Questions debuted in 1996. I was only a year old at the time. It's a shoe I've always wanted but never owned. So I knew when Reebok was bringing it back to celebrate its 25th anniversary, it was one I needed to have.

Nike LeBron 7 "MVP"

If Allen Iverson is 1A, then LeBron James is 1B for me when it comes to favorite athletes. If you ask me, he's the GOAT, but that's also a discussion for another day. You know how people say they buy all the Air Jordans they couldn't afford as a kid when they get older? This is one of those shoes for me. When the "MVP" LeBron 7 originally dropped back in 2010, my job as a Chili's busboy wasn't exactly providing "buy myself expensive sneakers" money. Plus, they were super limited anyway, but that's beside the point. I was obsessed with this shoe, though. The gray fleece panels and chenille Swoosh were so unique. The fact it commemorated his second-straight MVP award made it even better. When I saw Nike was bringing them back this year, there was no question I was going to cop. I haven't found the right time to wear them yet, but it's not even about that really. This is just a pair I needed to own. To me, the "MVP" 7 is one of the best LeBrons ever.

Zac Dubasik

J Balvin x Air Jordan 1 High

I do think the J Balvin x Air Jordan 1 looks cool. It's a wild shoe, and it's not necessarily my style, but it was well executed and that slightly pink sole really sets it off. That said, it's not as much what it looks like it is as what it represents (and how well it represents it) that landed the shoe on my list. I'd never heard of J Balvin when he appeared on Sneaker Shopping in early 2017, but I immediately became a fan and checked out his music, which I also became a fan of. Fast-forward just a few months, and "Mi Gente" was on its way to billions of YouTube views. J Balvin's profile has only grown in the years since, and he's done it in a way that's impossible not to root for. The shoe personifies everything he's about, from his colorful style, to his importance to Latinx culture, to his positive attitude. This sneaker is J Balvin in sneaker form, and that's what landed it on my favorite sneakers list the same way Colores landed on my favorite albums list.

Nike Dunk High "Michigan State"

I actually prefer Dunks to Air Jordan 1s, despite there being two of the latter on this list. This pick really could have been any one of about five different pairs that dropped this year, but I went with the "Michigan State" colorway mainly because it's the easiest to wear. As much as I was a fan of the "Pink Box" SB era, there are few sneakers more timeless to me than those with simple, two-tone "Be True To Your School" Dunk color blocking. Along with these, I also unsuccessfully tried to acquire Kentucky and Brazil Lows, and Iowa and Michigan Highs. It's hard to believe I had an easier time copping "Unkle" Dunks from a retailer back at the height of the original SB craze than what are essentially team colorways of these returning GR Dunks, but I can still appreciate what good releases they were even though I came up empty on each one.

Dior x Air Jordan 1 High

Had I "won the opportunity" to pay $2,200 for a pair of Dior x Air Jordan 1 Highs, make no mistake about it: I would have immediately sold them on StockX. As much as I like them, I don't like them more than the sky-high prices they've been reselling for. But I would have been disappointed about it, because I think it's a beautiful shoe that's surprisingly low-key for all its excesses. Details like the painted edges and tonal print on the tongue work perfectly to elevate the sneaker without making it unwearable. Kim Jones' reign as creative director for Dior has featured plenty of familiar moves from the collaborative streetwear-meets-fashion playbook, but it's also been very successful at revitalizing the French luxury brand, as well as producing some memorable products. It's hard to imagine that any of them will have the lasting impact, though, of the world's most famous sneaker finally getting a full, high-fashion makeover.

Air Jordan 4 "Fire Red"

As much as I do like Air Jordans, I don't necessarily think of myself as a big "Jordan guy"—although this list would imply otherwise. The new models are typically my shoe of choice each year to hoop in (more on that later), but so many of the classic retros have been back multiple times at this point that it's easy to figure I'll just get it next time. There's not enough urgency to go through the hassle of fighting against bots to cop online or to call in a favor for shoes that likely won't even resell for much over retail. An exception to that thought process is the "Fire Red" 4s. That was one I had to have. I had a poster of MJ wearing the 1s as a kid, and even remember seeing the OG 3s in the back of a sporting goods store, but those "Fire Red" 4s were the first Air Jordans I truly coveted. And even though I'm not typically bothered by details like the Jumpman in place of the Nike Air logo, returning in true OG form made it that much easier to actually make the effort for.

Air Jordan 35

Dating back to the Air Jordan 2010, almost every new Air Jordan model (with the exception of the Air Jordan 33, which I never got to play in because I'd lost interest by the time I finally was able to find a pair in my size) has been among the very best of the year in terms of on-court performance. The 28 had been the gold standard for me, but the 34 actually came close. So I was excited when I saw that the 35 appeared to keep much of what made the 34 so good intact, and optimistic that with some subtle changes it could be even closer to the benchmarks set by the 28. The result is a shoe that isn't drastically different, but the improvements to comfort and fit added up enough that I have no reservations calling the 35 the better version. It's hard to say if I like it more than the 28, but due to that model's abysmal durability, it's much easier to recommend the 35. It's also a shoe I'll be buying another pair of whenever some random colorway ends up on sale.

Brendan Dunne

Thisisneverthat x New Balance 2002R

After a long, hard year spent over-intellectualizing sneakers, coming up with detailed explanations why some are good and others are bad, and generally digging up every relevant detail on them before judging them, I have come to a point of just wanting to like a sneaker for the simple point of it looking good to me. This is that. There were a lot of good New Balances this year, and I have all of them, but I wore this collab version of the 2002R more than any. I don't need any more justification than that for putting it on this list.

Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next%

You don't know how hard I fought for this sneaker. You don't know how much I had to campaign against my co-workers to explain why it deserved a slot on our Best Sneakers of 2020 list. You don't know how disheartening it was for me to cede to their inferior taste and settle for putting it in the last spot on that list. I'm a fan of Nike runners, and this is the epitome of them right now. It's a historical sneaker that matters way beyond the still somewhat niche world of sneaker collectors. It's a functional piece of footwear, something that we overlook too often in the world of hype-wear.

La Haine x Reebok Classic Leather

As soon as I saw a photo of this sneaker online it was one of my favorites of 2020. The shoe celebrates the 25th anniversary of the classic French film La Haine. The three leads sported Reebok in the movie, so it's one of those product tie-ins that has a real historical tale to it. My appreciation for the shoes deepened through my conversation with Mathieu Kassovitz, the film's director, for a typically long piece about the collaboration. His views on the root and path of "sneaker culture" are required reading for anyone looking to be critical in the world of sports footwear.

Off-White x Air Jordan 5

Virgil Abloh wrote on Instagram in October that he could go on forever about this shoe. I feel the same way, but was dismayed when he never opened my direct message offering to set up an hour-long talk about it. It's the smartest sneaker design of 2020. It's a sneaker that's aware it's a sneaker; postmodern in its relationship with the wearer. It's an important marker of this moment where consumers are empowered to interact with product on a deeper level, although, I admit, I haven't cut the holes out of mine yet. It's classic Air Jordan DNA that's mutated and time-warped into the future. I could go on, but this is but a blurb, so I'll instead encourage you to read my chapter on the shoe in Complex's Sneaker of the Year book for more. I'll also encourage you to secure a pair, swap the white laces in, and enjoy the feeling of this year's best shoe.

IRAK x Adidas ZX 8000

Like a lot of the shoes on this list, my appreciation for these crystallized during the conversation I had with their creator, Kunle Martins, founder of the IRAK graffiti crew. It's a shoe that feels a bit like a time capsule, recalling to some extent the glory days of Alife, where Martins worked in the 2000s. It's not overly nostalgic, though, and still feels techy thanks to the Gore-Tex paneling and reflective sections. It's also the Adidas sneaker that I've worn the most this year by a large margin. In fact, it's one of the shoes I’ve worn the most out of any brands. The black pair is the best, with the icy friends and family version coming in second place.

Ben Felderstein

Adidas Yeezy Foam RNNR

Is this shoe a sneaker? To be honest I'm really not even sure, but when I think of Kanye West sneaker designs in 2020, this is the very first shoe that comes to mind. Sure, maybe it is the crazy uncle to the Croc family, but it is truly unlike any other "hyped" design out there.

Nike Dunk Low "Syracuse"

This one really comes down to my love for the color orange. Everyone in the Slack channel knows that I have a special place in my heart for pretty much any orange sneaker, and this was easily the best one of 2020. Nike really leaned into the Dunk this year, reviving a number of colorways from its "Be True To Your School" collection as well as introducing new variations.

Ben & Jerry's x Nike SB Dunk Low "Chunky Dunky"

As someone who runs multiple sneaker Instagram accounts, this was the sneaker that I saw the most in 2020. Every single person was talking about this shoe at one point or another, and odds are, even your mother knows what the "ice cream shoes" are." As Conceited said in the ComplexLand Sneaker of the Year panel, "That shoe, as far as embodying something, did no wrong." It was perfectly executed—from the faux cow fur, to the melting Swoosh, to the special ice cream carton friends and family packaging, the Ben & Jerry's x Nike SB Dunk knows exactly what it is and makes no mistakes about it. Easily the SB Dunk of the year in my opinion, in a field pretty loaded with stout competition.

Dior x Air Jordan 1

All year in the Slack channel it seemed like it was Zac and me vs. the world when it came to the Dior Jordans. Zac and I were big fans, but no one else seemed to be, and that confused us. Sure, I will almost certainly never own a pair of Dior x Air Jordan 1s, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate them for what they are. Kim Jones and his team at Dior found a way to masterfully fuse the esteemed luxury of Dior with the timeless icon that is the Jordan 1, at least in my eyes. Combine that with an Instagram reveal from Travis Scott, and you have yourself a sneaker worthy of inclusion on any end of the year list.

Salomon XT-6 Adv "Vanilla Ice/Racing Red"

Unofficially, 2019 was the year of Salomon's XT-6 Adv silhouette, but it didn't become a personal favorite of mine until the latter half of 2020. The shoe had been intriguing to me for a while, but I really wasn't sure why; it was unlike anything I had really been into before, and now I can't get enough of it. I finally pulled the trigger on a 30% off sale at Notre and I can happily say that it might have been my best purchase of the year. Of course a Salomon sneaker is going to be designed with performance in mind, but the XT-6 is the perfect blend of sport and style, as its overall aesthetic is akin to what a lot of the more traditional brands you find on lists like these are doing. Salomon won me over big time in 2020, as I've gone on to purchase a pair of XT-Quest Advs and the recently released Better x Shelter CS WPs as well.

Riley Jones

Patta x New Balance 920

New Balance had a lot of special sneakers in 2020 (the JJJJound x 992 almost took this spot), but it's Patta's greenish-brown 920 that does it for me. Everyone's making retro-inspired new models, but it's another thing to make one that's actually good. The 920 is exactly that, and this Patta collaboration (the Amsterdam brand's first with New Balance) was the best execution of the sneaker. A heavy helping of reflective 3M, the carbon fiber-embedded sole of the 990v3, and an excellent color combination took this one over the top.

Nike Dunk Low "Champ Colors"

I've been wearing Dunks since the early 2000s, but it wasn't until this year that I felt this connected to the model. The "Champ Colors" Dunk Low was inspired by the (still) reigning NCAA men's basketball champions, my hometown Virginia Cavaliers. Over the years, I always appreciated the numerous "Be True To Your School" college-themed Dunks, but part of me felt funny going super hard for another school. Although UVA's been killing it for awhile, it's rare that Nike shows the university love in the form of footwear, so these were a must and ended up being my most worn pair of the year.

Nike Air Max 90 "Infrared"

This is one of those sneakers where it doesn't matter how many times Nike retros it, it's still going to be a classic. This wasn't just another retro, though—many purists will tell you this is the most accurate "Infrared" since the OG. Silly nomenclature aside (the model was officially named Air Max 3 "Radiant Red"), this Air Max 90 capped off a hell of a 30th anniversary run for one of Tinker Hatfield's most important designs.

Commonwealth x Adidas Response CL

It was a strong year for Virginia-related sneakers. Norfolk and DC streetwear mainstay Commonwealth got in on the action, dropping what is, in my opinion, the best Adidas shoe of 2020 and perhaps the best collaboration of the store's 16-year run. The Adidas Response CL also achieves the difficult task of communicating retro design language on a brand-new model. Commonwealth's version is deceptive, appearing as a mostly white and cream sneaker on its outer side before breaking into a mix of earth tones on the medial. Product aside, I appreciated the sneaker's rollout, which focused less on celebrity seeding and more on highlighting the community.

Air Jordan 4 "Fire Red"

This was the toughest choice for me. The "Black Cat" 4 was probably my most worn Jordan of the year. The Off-White x Air Jordan 5 was my favorite collab (I prefer the "Sail" colorway). But nostalgia trumps both with this "Fire Red" retro. The 2006 Mars Blackmon-imprinted release was the sneaker that really took my obsession to another level. That particular 2006 version is infamous for its plastic-like leather and crack-prone paint, and it also lacked original Nike Air branding—something I didn't really understand the significance of at the time. This year, they finally did right by the "Fire Red" with the first-ever OG-styled retro since the shoe's 1989 debut.

Joe La Puma

Nike ACG Zoom Air AO

I love these ACGs because I must have clocked 300-plus miles in them during the summer walking around the neighborhood I grew up in. These sneakers were put on my radar from a John Elliott lookbook and I immediately hit my colleagues in the Sole Collector/Complex Sneakers Slack to identify them. The best part of a sneaker like this is you have absolutely no hesitation in beating the hell out of it. They're tough, comfortable, and will last straight summers into the winter. The other best part? They're on sale right now on Nike.com for under $100.

Air Jordan 4 "Black Cat"

Anyone who knows me knows that this is a top-five Jordan for me. I love this sneaker so much I put it up there with the "Black/Cement" Jordan 4 colorway. I still have my pair from 2006, and although they're beaters now, I'll never part with them. When the 2020 release came around I had to grab multiple pairs. This year, I wore them on numerous Sneaker Shopping episodes and even tried a white lace swap for a couple of weeks on them. A bit nerdy? Sure. But you'll never find a year these drop and don't make my top five.

New Balance 992 "Purple"

New Balance had a huge 2020, and the 992 model was a big part of it. There were a handful of standout collabs that we all loved, but for me this in-line release was the best colorway of the year. When photos surfaced online you weren't quite sure if it was maroon, purple, or cabernet-esque. In person they're the best shade of all three. I love when general releases make my top-five year-end lists, and I think these are only going to get better with time.

Union x Air Jordan 4 "Off Noir"

So happy I was on record from the jump that these were a top-tier release of the year. You know how this game goes: photos leak, people hate on them prematurely, and then as time goes by they grow on people. Anytime a sneaker looks semi-deconstructed, I'm all in. But on a Jordan 4? No-brainer. I loved how Chris Gibbs from Union described the design process on the Complex Sneakers Podcast to us (go listen to that episode). Everyone is encouraging me to rip the tongues apart, but I'm going to keep them how Gibbs intended them, just how they came in the box. Great shoe, great collaboration.

Off-White x Air Jordan 5

It's been three years since Virgil Abloh's "The Ten" project and he continues to prove his staying power in the sneaker design space year-over-year. Full transparency: the Jordan 5 isn't even in my top three to five Jordan models of all time, but this collab was special. Abloh's knack for taking a classic, deconstructing it, and doing it justice should be applauded. He did away with some of the heft and bulkiness of the original Air Jordan 5 and added what I think was the best part of this sneaker: the baked-in yellowing of the sole. No. 1 in Complex's Sneaker of the Year Book, No. 1 in the ComplexLand panel, No. 1 for me.

Brandon Richard

Nice Kicks x Reebok Question "Bubba Chuck"

To be candid, Reebok is struggling to hit the mark on most Questions that aren't original colorways these days. The same could be said for the rest of its retro hoop product as well. It's not surprising that when you bring in someone like Frank Cooke, who knows how to tell a story and put together a wearable colorway, the result is something that makes "End of the Year" lists. The "Bubba Chuck" Question takes a subtle approach to storytelling, bypassing the obvious highlights from Allen Iverson's on-court career and acting more as a celebration of the man he is beyond basketball. His little-known hobby of fishing, which he and Question designer Scott Hewett were doing together when the model was first conceived, is communicated with an ACG-like colorway laid out over rugged suede and nylon panels reminiscent of windbreakers. The shoe also illuminates with glow-in-the-dark and blacklight features, depicting the atmosphere of night-fishing. On paper, the palette is something that doesn't sound like it'll work, but Cooke and the Reebok team delivered one of the best Question arrangements to date.

Reebok Shaqnosis "Year of the Rat"

The Shaqnosis is my favorite sneaker, so it would have been easy to put the black and white OG retro on this list. But another colorway I really enjoyed was the "Year of the Rat" pair, a celebratory makeup that commemorated the arrival of Chinese New Year. This version goes against everything that typically makes the Shaqnosis awesome, but still somehow works. There aren't any alternating, contrasting panels—instead, the shoe features a full grey suede upper, offset by an off-white outsole. It's simple, but effective. Perfect to throw on with a pair of sweats and head out for the day.

Nike Air Tech Challenge 2 "Black Lava"

Few shoes match an athlete as perfect as the Nike Air Tech Challenge 2 does Andre Agassi. This year, Nike finally delivered the alternate black-based version of his iconic "Lava" colorway, which seemed so obvious that it felt like it had been released before. That could be because a similar execution of the LeBron 16 dropped just last year. It's a reminder to companies that they don't have to overthink retro product—picking up a win can be as simple as freshening archive concepts while staying true to a sneaker's heritage and letting the nostalgia take hold.

Melody Ehsani x Women's Air Jordan OG

What I've always loved about the Women's Air Jordan is that it looks like it could have been the Air Jordan 13 or followed it in the series. It's a premium looking, gimmick-free model, built with the same attention to detail as other flagship models. It's also reminiscent of the WNBA's earliest days, which gave women a much-deserved platform to compete on the professional level. Ehsani celebrated the birth of the league, Women's History Month, and the 20th anniversary of the film Love & Basketball with her execution of the Women's Air Jordan. The bold black and infrared colorway looks like something that would have been right at home on the United Center hardwood, with cherry emblems added as symbols of abundance, fertility, and protection. A stark contrast to last year's ultra-colorful Air Jordan 1 Mid Fearless, Ehsani once again showed that she can shift between conventional and unconventional designs and yield strong results either way.

Denim Tears x Converse Chuck Taylor All Star

With everything that's happened this year, it's important to show some appreciation for a sneaker that represents the Black experience in America. Tremaine Emory, aka Denim Tears, draped the Afro-American flag on the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, a shoe as synonymous with America as apple pie, with the intention of celebrating the creations and contributions of Black artists. While people protested police brutality during the summer, Emory called a halt to his collab, asking Converse and its parent company, Nike, to take bold steps in support of efforts to uplift and empower the Black community before he moved forward. When the shoe eventually released, he donated proceeds from sales to various initiatives, including Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp, the Black Voters Matter Fund and For Freedoms, all in the name of the flag's creator, David Hammons. Sometimes it's bigger than sneakers, even when sneakers are involved.

Matt Welty

Adidas Lotherton SPZL

It's no secret that I love a flat-soled Adidas shoe in suede. They don't call me "Mr. Spezial" for nothing. 2020 has brought changes in my footwear choices, though. I'm not running to the store in a pair of suede sneakers. They've all stayed in their boxes, except for one pair that released over the summer. The Lotherton SPZL, which dropped back in June, was a must-have for me. It's easily one of the best SPZL shoes in recent years and gained comparisons to the Ardwick, the first limited SPZL release, which now resells for over $1,000. (That's if you can find someone willing to part with a pair.) I haven't worn these a bunch. Maybe twice. Once to meet up with an ex-girlfriend to eat Georgian khachapuri and drink orange wine, which was peak excitement for me during this pandemic.

A Bathing Ape x Adidas ZX 8000

Those that know me or watch Full Size Run are aware of my affinity toward the Adidas ZX series. It's been a big year for the line, with the brand releasing an A-ZX series. A lot of those releases weren't quite for me (and that's OK) but there's one shoe that spoke my language: A Bathing Ape and Undefeated's reworking of the ZX 8000, especially in the green colorway. For those keeping score, both brands worked on a ZX 5000 in 2013. That shoe is a grail for me, but I'm not willing to pay the enormous resale prices on it. So these will do for the time being. I imagine doing something fun with a large group of friends (maybe go cheer on the New York Red Bulls, who knows?) in these when everything is back to normal.

Nike Air Max 90 "Infrared"

I haven't always been an Adidas or New Balance fanatic. In fact, a period of my life revolved around Air Max and scouring for various models from the line. One of the shoes I cherished most was the Air Max 90 in its original “Infrared” colorway. I missed out on the HOA release from 2005, only scoring the Air 180s and Air Max 93s, and remember the “Infrareds” reselling for a lot on NikeTalk at the time. When the shoe re-released in 2010, I had to have a pair. I bought them the first day they came out, even though they'd eventually go on sale. In 2020, I wasn't checking for Air Max 90s anymore, but the good folks at 43einhalb in Germany sent a pair my way and reignited that feeling once again. The remake of the shoe this year was the best the brand has ever done: the shape, materials, branding, and packaging, all of it, felt like the sneaker was plucked out of 1990 and put into my life.

Nike Metcon 6 "What The"

One of the biggest changes over the past year or more has been prioritizing my physical health. I work out multiple times a day, stick to a fairly consistent diet (with glorious cheat days on Saturday), and drink way less alcohol. It feels great and gives me foundation in my life when the world is going to shit. When it comes to training, I like to mix in running with functional movements such as pullups and kettlebell work. For all of that, there's no better shoe than the Nike Metcon. When I saw that the brand was making up a special "What The" version of the sneaker for this year's CrossFit Games, I knew I had to have a pair. It gave me the same feeling of buying SB Dunks back in the day, except for a whole new purpose in my life. I haven't been in an actual gym since quarantine started (I stick to home workouts or going to the park), but I can't wait to take these to a CrossFit Box once we're all vaccinated.

Invincible x N.Hoolywood x New Balance 2002R

2020 has been New Balance's year. Anyone who says otherwise either hasn't been paying attention or doesn't want to give it up to the brand famous for its gray suede running shoes. The model that gained the most attention was the 992 and its plethora of collaborations from Joe Freshgoods to JJJJound, but the 2002R, a remake of the luxury running sneaker from a decade ago, also had some steam come its way. Most people paid attention to the Salehe Bembury pair, and it is great, but the one for me was Taiwan brand Invincible's collaboration with N.Hoolywood on the model. It's a gray shoe with hairy suede, mismatching tongues, and branding on the toe and laces. It's your dad's favorite lawn-mowing shoe turned up a notch. And they were quite limited, only releasing in Asia. I was lucky enough to secure a pair through one of our first guests who appeared on Full Size Run a lifetime ago. And I love them.