Is a Croc a sneaker? Well, technically, no. After its inaugural “Sail” release in July, the silhouette followed up with a “Clear Jade” iteration that hit the shelves in October, both of which sold out quickly despite a $500 USD price point. Down under, the sole unit features double-stacked Zoom Pods in the forefoot - a design reference to the popular Air Zoom AlphaFly NEXT% runner - as well as a hollowed out heel inspired by retro Nike Shox models. Base layers are constructed with that of knit-patched uppers, and come packaged with buckles, straps and rubber cage overlays. To simply put it, this is probably the wildest, most visually complex design that the Swoosh has ever launched to the public. However, if one were to identify the silhouette that sparked the most conversation, and quite frankly the most “What are those?!” reactions, it was the ISPA Road Warrior.Īs soon as this model surfaced on the Internet, folks were lightning quick to comment on its ultra-technical and conceptual shape. Nike’s ISPA sub-label enticed many a sneaker aficionado this year thanks to its output of several new futuristic footwear designs. They were simple updates for the silhouette, but they represented the perfect mix of New Balance’s athletic heritage and Casablanca’s pursuit of a new luxury. I want to create a new classic, and I think this shoe really encapsulated my idea of a new classic sneaker.” The two sneakers in the capsule featured an all-white base, with one adorned with bright orange touches inspired by Morocco while the second came with green overlays inspired by tennis uniforms. Speaking to HYPEBEAST to mark the launch back in April, Tajer said, “It’s the ultimate grandpa shoe - not a dad shoe but a grandpa shoe. Creative Director Charaf Tajer used the footwear to develop the label’s house codes of modern luxury. To launch the silhouette, New Balance partnered with rising label Casablanca for two colorways of the 327. The sneaker, inspired by ‘70s running shoes, has featured in numerous collaborations and arrived in a string of bold colorways this year, but arguably the best of all was its first release. In many ways, New Balance’s 327 silhouette could be on this list on its own merits. Heison Ho/Hypebeast Casablanca x New Balance 327 Pull on your favorite pair and let’s get right into it: there’s a lot of great sneakers from the past twelve months for us to discuss. Now, with the rollercoaster that was 2020 coming to a close, the HYPEBEAST footwear team has looked back across the entirety of the year to select its ten best sneakers and two honorable mentions. High fashion brands like Dior and Prada continued to fuse themselves to the world of sneakers - further blurring the lines between runway and street. Comfort-focused trends like mules supplied some of the year’s most interesting footwear options, ones that the public may very well bring with them to their daily lives when the globe conquers the pandemic. New sneaker silhouettes, bold technical innovations, rising collaborative partners, and rich storytelling were all present and accounted for. Sneakerheading from home became a necessity in these unprecedented - a word we’d honestly be cool with never hearing again after 2020 - times, but through the dark cloud cast by COVID-19, several unexpected bright spots shined through as well.
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