The 10 Best New Sneakers of 2014

Check out Sole Collector;s picks for the top 10 sneakers of 2014.

We've been taking a look back at the best sneakers that 2014 had to offer over the past few weeks,  Readers weighed in and staff offered our own picks. But, we saved the most important category for last.. Retros are important, but every retro was a stand-out new sneaker at one point. And that's exactly what we're looking at today. The following 10 sneakers are all models which debuted in 2014.  Here are Sole Collector's rankings of the best new sneakers of the year.

 

 

Rank:10

Shoe: adidas Rick Owens Tech Runner

Price: $700

Released: July

For his second season with adidas, Rick Owens produced the improbable: a sneaker that presented a slimmed down silhouette and challenges preconceptions about sole units. The jutting, squared heel abruptly ruptureed tradition. Meanwhile, the neoprene toe box fits neatly in the current vogue for unstructured casual footwear. Perhaps, it remained too advanced for most. So be it. Owens isn't for everyone. However, one thing is undeniable — there's no sophomore slump here. 

 

Rank: 9

Shoe: Nike Flyknit Trainer Chukka FSB

Price: $200

Released: February

It isn't surprising that the jewel of the winter Olympics was Nike's winterization of Flyknit ,for wear during podium presentation. Thankfully, the silhouette hasn't died in memory. Resuscitated late in the year by the emerging Nike Lab, the Nike Flyknit Trainer Chukka FSB was reinvigorated with monochrome colorways and subdued combos. 

 

Rank: 8

Shoe: Nike Zoom Hypercross

Price: $140           

Released: October

Nike Training, now under the design direction of Nate VanHook, introduced a new era in cross trainers with the Hypercross. The sneaker became the category’s first sneaker to feature Hexagonal Zoom Air, when it dropped in conjunction with the LeBron 12. The shoe didn’t just introduce a new technology, it proved to be much more. With a wide array of colorways, the Zoom Hypercross has quickly become a fan-favorite.

 

Rank: 7

Shoe: Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low

Price: $200

Released: April

The Nike Kobe 9 Elite was one of the more polarizing Nike Basketball designs in recent years. Some celebrated the high top Flyknit hoops shoe for its daring silhouette, while others felt it pushed things too far and ended up not that wearable. Many members of both camps hoped that a lower take would eventually show up, and their prayers were indeed answered with the Kobe 9 Elite Low. The model released out of nowhere via a set of HTM versions exclusive to Milan, and kept things moving from there with flavorful colorways like the "Beethoven" and "Moonwalker." Don't forget the frenzy the NIKEiD version caused on the regular with its multicolor options.

 

Rank: 6

Shoe: Nike Free Orbit II

Price: $200

Released: April

When it comes to Nate VanHook designs in 2014, none were more talked about than the Red Octobers. Yet, while the sneaker world was busy hyping his old work, his new designs were quietly becoming some of the year’s most impressive. While the Zoom Hypercross innovated on the performance front in a casual-friendly package, the Free Orbit II was a pure lifestyle play. It managed to be technical, without the pretense of performance.

 

Rank: 5

Shoe: adidas Tubular Runner

Price: $120

Released: November

There wasn't a more democratizing sneaker debut for adidas this year than the Tubular Runner. Resurrecting a vintage tech buried deep in the adidas archives, the silhouette was a marriage of old and new that satisfied both the hardcore sneakerhead and the #menswear enthusiast who's just casually into sneakers. Although the Tubular sole was first seen (again) in the Y-3 Qasa, the Tubular Runner's $110 versus the Racer's $350 price tag made a big difference in the sneaker's popularity.

 

Rank: 4

Shoe: adidas Pure Boost

Price: $120

Released: May

There's no denying that Boost was one of adidas' most dominant technologies in 2014, branching out into basketball and even baseball cleats. The Pure Boost was the brand's first sneakers that gave the innovative sole a stylish look. The beauty of the silhouette is in its simplicity - a thick Boost midsole over a minimal upper. Its sleek enough to throw on with anything, and comfortable enough for Kanye West to play basketball in.   

 

Rank: 3

Shoe: Air Jordan XX9

Price: $225

Released: September

The Air Jordan XX8 marked a new era in basketball performance. Zoom Air was the benchmark for many years in cushioning, But, it was rendered second best thanks to the innovation of Flight Plate. Granted, the technology still uses Zoom Air as an integral part of the experience, but Zoom Air doesn’t cut in anymore when it comes to talking about the absolute best. The Air Jordan XX9 addressed the previous model's durability issues with a beefed up construction and further innovated with the introduction of a performance woven upper. 

 

Rank: 2

Shoe: Air Jordan Future

Price: starting at $150

Released: March

For many years, Jordan Brand has leaned heavily on retro product when it comes to lifestyle sneakers. It’s easy to see why. The back catalog of Air Jordans is arguably the most impressive in sneaker history, and demand remains strong. Where the Future succeeded was utilizing the brand’s retro DNA (specifically the tooling of the Air Jordan 11), but packaging it in a way that was new and unexpected. The Future wasn’t simply a second-rate Air Jordan 11, but a true off-court silhouette of its own, that carried the same interest as a retro.

 

Rank: 1

Shoe: adidas ZX Flux

Price: starting at $85

Released: February

Adidas struck a huge blow for visibility by looking to its past and bringing the Stan Smith out of the archive. The brand also looked to its future and scooped up designers and collaborators (Kanye West, Pharrell, Marc Dolce, etc.) that will help shape it direction of the brand in years to come. But what about the present? Adidas handled that with the ZX Flux — a sleek rethinking of the ZX 8000 runner that could go low key with mesh options, or over the top with detailed photo prints. The model hit the spotlight in the miZXFLUX app, which let users apply their own spin onto the uppers, single-handedly reviving adidas' miADIDAS custom platform. The adidas ZX Flux made a huge impact this year for adidas, and helped the brand see a revival in the realm of modern lifestyle designs.