<\/a><\/p>\nAs 2008 comes to a close, we bring you a special edition of Staff Picks. It was a great year for kicks from b-ball shoes to runners, and there were a lot of releases that definitely cemented (no pun intended) their place in history. It was definitely tough with all the solid drops this year, but we all came up with our own “Top 5 of 2008” lists.<\/p>\n
Take a look after the jump and we’ll see you in the 09.<\/p>\n
Have a good new year’s and be safe.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Matt Halfhill<\/strong><\/p>\n\nAir Jordan XX3 Premier “Titanium”<\/em>\n<\/p>\nWhat a way to finish a legacy. The Air Jordan XX3 was just like the “last shot” going out with an incredible finish.<\/p>\n
\nNike Hyperdunk<\/em>\n<\/p>\nWhere do I start, how do I finish? This shoe helped spark new interest in shoes for me. Yes, I was bored with shoes for a while. The Hyperdunk’s Flywire and Lunar Foam are just a little spark in the new bang of a new sneaker Renaissance.<\/p>\n
\nNew Balance MT580<\/em>\n<\/p>\nAt last, the MT580 comes to the US without going through Japan or consignment resale shops. Hands down the best $85 I have spent all year was for these shoes.<\/p>\n
\nSupra Skytop Red Patent<\/em>\n<\/p>\nSupra had an incredible year again with some insane colorups, but none hold a candle to the red patent Skytops.<\/p>\n
\nNike Air Penny II<\/em>\n<\/p>\nI couldn’t convince my parents to throw down for the Penny II when I was in middle school, but there was no way I was missing out on the second chance.<\/p>\n
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George Kiel<\/strong><\/p>\n\nAir Jordan XI CDP \n<\/em>\n<\/p>\nIn my opinion, this is the greatest Jordan sneaker of all time. This selection is a no-brainer for me. If this sneaker came out every year, I would pick it again and again and again.<\/p>\n
\nNike Hyperdunk<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThis was another no-brainer for me. There has not been a more revolutionary basketball sneaker like this in a long time. Very basketball-friendly.<\/p>\n
\nNike Air Penny II<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThis is one of the more comfortable sneakers I have ever owned. Penny’s signature line will always be classic and in my opinion this sneaker was the best one from it.<\/p>\n
\nAir Jordan CDP IV “Bred”<\/em>\n<\/p>\nBesides, the Air Jordan 11, this is one of my favorite Jordan sneakers ever. For me, it was a close call between the Air Jordan 3 and the Air Jordan 4, but I am going to go with the latter.<\/p>\n
\nAir Jordan XX3 “Finale”<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThe Air Jordan 23 grew on me as the year continued. With that said, in my opinion JB saved the best for last by dropping this in late December. If Jordan was still playing today, could you see him rocking these?<\/p>\n
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Nick Engvall<\/strong><\/p>\n\nAir Jordan IV CDP \n<\/em>\n<\/p>\nNot many can argue, the “Bred” IV colorway is one of the greatest of all time, I’ve wanted to get my hands on these since I was a little kid, but why would I want a pair of 19’s?<\/p>\n
\nAir Jordan III CDP \n<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThe Jordan 3 is right up there with the Jordan 4 as one of my favorite sneakers of all time. OG colorways like this will always be at the top of my list. If Jordan Brand wanted to retro an OG 3 colorway every year, I wouldn’t ask for anything more.<\/p>\n
\nFila Ninety6 (Grant Hill 2) \n<\/em>\n<\/p>\nI never stepped outside of the Nike box as a youngster, mainly because I could only get one pair of shoes per school year, so I never copped these originals. Once I saw them on Tupac’s All Eyez on Me album insert, I had to have them, I’m glad to see this OG colorway return so I can finally grab a pair. RIP Tupac.<\/p>\n
\nDJ Clark Kent Nike 112 Pack<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThis pack was just dope! The neon and elephant print is a killer combination. I wasn’t able to cop any but you can bet the Air Max 1’s and the Trainer’s will be on my watch list until I get them.<\/p>\n
\nMajor x adidas ZX600<\/em>\n<\/p>\nI think the aXZ Project from Adidas was one of, if not the most creative projects to ever go down in the sneaker game. There were too many fresh kicks to choose from, but the Major x Adidas ZX600 in my opinion was on top, it’s a fresh colorway, and they had matching fitteds to go with the kicks. Now if I can just get my hands on them, I’ll be set.<\/p>\n
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Greg Grovey<\/strong><\/p>\n\nDJ Clark Kent x Nike “Black Friday” Air Force 1<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThis shoe released to hundreds of people who had been camped out for days for a shoe they had never seen, and to no surprise no one was disappointed. DJ Clark Kent went and created the perfect “Black Friday” shoe by using mostly black pony hair, and a metallic material on the back panel, swoosh, and tongue as well as an unmistakable mid-sole wrap made of black patent leather with a chameleon paint effect. All for a reasonable retail price of 150, definitely top 5 material!<\/p>\n
\nNike Air Force 1 White\/White<\/em>\n<\/p>\nYep, I picked a simple pair of $85 white on white lows as a top 5 shoe of the year. With this years fashion going every witch way, you are ALWAYS able to stay fresh with a nice pair of icy whites.<\/p>\n
\nAir Jordan XX3 “Stealth”<\/em>\n<\/p>\n Tinker, and JB left us on a high note with this shoe going down in history as being the last “numbered” Air Jordan to ever be released. The classic black,red, and stealth colorway ensured that the tales of the 23s will be cemented in the Jordan Brand history books for many decades to come. <\/p>\n
\nDJ Clark Kent Nike 112 Air Force 1<\/em>\n<\/p>\nOk, Ok, Ok, I just love AF1s in case you haven’t noticed. How could DJ Clark Kent go wrong with 3 timeless elements to dress an Air Force 1: reflective 3M, elephant print, and neon? He didn’t, so therefore I can’t tell you. That’s why these made my list.<\/p>\n
\nSupra Skytop “Timbo”<\/em>\n<\/p>\nSurprised its not an Air Force 1? Well don’t be, I like other brands too! After the disappointment of not being able to snag a pair of Black Friday AF1 my heart was quickly mended with the release of these flawless Supras on the same day. These Skytops are the perfect substitute for people in the south who like the look of “Timbs” without the weight.<\/p>\n
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Peter Sim<\/strong><\/p>\n\nNike “McFly” Hyperdunk <\/em>\n<\/p>\nThe Hyperdunk was an incredible release this year, but the McFlys were serious! The details were bonkers – from the flux capacitor to the pink laces to Kobe showing up in the Delorean. Nike did their thing and really put in some some work on this shoe.<\/p>\n
\nAir Jordan XX3<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThe Air Jordan XX3 was a magnificent shoe from the materials to the sleek design. It definitely made up for all the bootleg hybrids that dropped this year. Oh it’s timeless!<\/p>\n
\nDJ Clark Kent x Nike “112” Air Max 1<\/em>\n<\/p>\nClark Kent simply killed it with the entire 112 Pack, but I love Air Maxes, and these are butter. I mean he took every sneakerhead staple – neon, 3M, cement – and put them together like Voltron – just look at ’em!<\/p>\n
\nAir Jordan VII “Hares”<\/em>\n<\/p>\nThere were so many Jordan retros to choose from this year, but the Hare VIIs really took me back. The grey suede and the splashes of that zany Bugs Bunny color palette are so clean that they were definitely worth the wait.<\/p>\n
\n Undefeated x <\/em>adidas ZX8000<\/em>\n<\/p>\nNow, this is what I call a straight-up neckbreaker. I had EVERYONE staring at my feet from old grannies to newborns – Undefeated was on point with the simple and subtle design that just made that orange pop. All the pictures I’ve seen on the Web can’t even correctly portray how sick these look in person.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As 2008 comes to a close, we bring you a special edition of Staff Picks. It was a great year…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[742],"tags":[1225545],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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