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Complex Presents: Sneaker of the Year: The Best Since '85
In 1985, Nike released Michael Jordan’s first sneaker, the Air Jordan 1, and sneaker culture was born. With vibrant photographs and illustrations throughout, as well as input from some of the sneaker world’s most important voices, Complex Sneaker of the Year is a must-have for hypebeasts and sneakerheads everywhere.
Foreword by Marc Eckō
Contribution by Joe La Puma
Sneaker of the Year explores the past 35 years of sneaker culture with the expertise, authority, and passion that only Complex can offer.
Now, thousands of people wait in line at Supreme, and companies throw millions of dollars at LeBron James to keep him in their marketing plans. The trend that saw steady growth for decades with the emergence of sports, hip-hop, and sportswear advertising has exploded into a phenomenon. And no one has watched that phenomenon more closely than Complex. Highlights Fashion designer Marc Ecko says in his foreword, “The players who attached their names to iconic sneakers became icons themselves, figures whose personalities could shape multinational companies from the boardroom down. Jordan—and Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson, and dozens more—rose to the level that had once been off limits to athletes. . . . What began with Jordan wearing a pair of sneakers culminated in a moment of economic and social justice. It’s a power shift we have never seen again in any industry—and something we may not witness again”
Whether you owned them back in the day or collect them now, this is a full-color trip down memory lane for sneakerheads.
Foreword by Marc Eckō
Contribution by Joe La Puma
Sneaker of the Year explores the past 35 years of sneaker culture with the expertise, authority, and passion that only Complex can offer.
Now, thousands of people wait in line at Supreme, and companies throw millions of dollars at LeBron James to keep him in their marketing plans. The trend that saw steady growth for decades with the emergence of sports, hip-hop, and sportswear advertising has exploded into a phenomenon. And no one has watched that phenomenon more closely than Complex. Highlights Fashion designer Marc Ecko says in his foreword, “The players who attached their names to iconic sneakers became icons themselves, figures whose personalities could shape multinational companies from the boardroom down. Jordan—and Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson, and dozens more—rose to the level that had once been off limits to athletes. . . . What began with Jordan wearing a pair of sneakers culminated in a moment of economic and social justice. It’s a power shift we have never seen again in any industry—and something we may not witness again”
Whether you owned them back in the day or collect them now, this is a full-color trip down memory lane for sneakerheads.
- GenresFashion
336 pages, Hardcover
Published October 20, 2020
21 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 23, 2023
On the surface the Air Jordan, Michael Jordan's inaugural signature model, was a commercial vehicle for fans to connect to the talent whose name the sneaker bore. But the 1985 release wasn't a landmark thanks only to Jordan's play, Nike's design, or the colors it wore. It changed an entire industry because, unlike any shoe that preceded it, it proposed sport as culture, with Jordan as the symbol of this convergence. The silhouette quickly moved beyond basketball, immortalizing the player and creating a new, wildly lucrative lane for companies and athletes alike.
In the thirty-five years that followed, brands would repeat this formula hundreds of times, often to great success. But something else happened; the players who attached their names to iconic sneakers became icons themselves, figures whose personalities could shape multinational companies from the boardroom down. Jordan- and Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson, and dozens more-rose to a level that had once been off limits to athletes.
At the same time, for people like me, sneakers offered a gateway to a career in design. And for streetwear designers who collaborated with brands like NIKE AND Adidas ON HIGH-PROFILE RELEASES, THEY BECAME A PATH TO MAINSTREAM LEGITAMACY , a Trojan horse that carried creators like Virgil Abloh from an overlooked corner of the exclusionary fashion industry to runways at Paris Fashion Week.
What began with Jordan wearing a pair of sneakers culminated in a moment of economic and social justice. It's a power shift we have never seen in any industry- and something we may not witness again.
-BY MARK ECKo~
In the thirty-five years that followed, brands would repeat this formula hundreds of times, often to great success. But something else happened; the players who attached their names to iconic sneakers became icons themselves, figures whose personalities could shape multinational companies from the boardroom down. Jordan- and Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson, and dozens more-rose to a level that had once been off limits to athletes.
At the same time, for people like me, sneakers offered a gateway to a career in design. And for streetwear designers who collaborated with brands like NIKE AND Adidas ON HIGH-PROFILE RELEASES, THEY BECAME A PATH TO MAINSTREAM LEGITAMACY , a Trojan horse that carried creators like Virgil Abloh from an overlooked corner of the exclusionary fashion industry to runways at Paris Fashion Week.
What began with Jordan wearing a pair of sneakers culminated in a moment of economic and social justice. It's a power shift we have never seen in any industry- and something we may not witness again.
-BY MARK ECKo~
May 20, 2021
Definitely a light read and an interesting read if you’re into sneakers. However if you’re not it’s a nice light read and informative on how sneaker culture has evolved since 1985. It would help understand why people are into sneakers now and understand the logic. Personally I am a sneaker head and I enjoyed the book because it does dive in deeper into sneakers than I thought it would.
August 3, 2021
I read most of the entries. Good background on sneakers and what they’ve meant to the culture since ‘85. I don’t agree with all the choices and it’s not as definitive as the Sneaker Freaker book, but it’s a good read for sneakerheads.
January 18, 2023
Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty entries were the best ones I’ve read
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews