{"id":355272,"date":"2013-12-24T10:58:34","date_gmt":"2013-12-24T16:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=355272"},"modified":"2022-09-16T19:12:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-17T00:12:54","slug":"nk50-the-top-50-sneakers-of-2013-honorable-mentions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/nk50-the-top-50-sneakers-of-2013-honorable-mentions\/","title":{"rendered":"#NK50: The Top 50 Sneakers of 2013 – Honorable Mentions"},"content":{"rendered":"
This Friday, we will unveil our picks for the 50 best sneaker releases of 2013. In a year that seemingly saw 50 releases a month, narrowing down the list was tough, but also fun. Before we launch this year\u2019s installment of the #NK50<\/strong>, we highlight, in no particular order, 20 pairs that didn\u2019t make the list but deserve extra recognition in their own right. Enjoy.<\/p>\n Air Jordan 5 “Bel-Air”<\/p>\n Love or hate the “Bel-Air” 5s, the attention to detail and composition of this retro impresses. Fresh Prince flavor proved a perfect fit on the Air Jordan 5, and even took well to performance models from Jordan Brand. Will “Seinfeld” 6s or “Martin” 11s follow in 2014? All jokes aside, if the quality and colorway were this good we’d tune in.<\/p>\n Big Sean x adidas Originals Pro Model II “All-Black”<\/p>\n Need more fire? Following the red-hot release of the “Detroit Player” Pro Models in 2012, Sean Don and the Three Stripes followed up their successful debut with this “All-Black” installment. Far more available than the first run of red Pro Models, this Detroit tough take released to rave reviews and sold strong nationwide.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nike Dunk Low SP “Viotec”<\/p>\n Remember? The Nike Dunk Low SP “Viotec” still registers as one of the strangest releases of 2013. Next to no shops scored this pair Stateside and they seemed to sell out in a matter of seconds on Nike Store. Nevertheless, the randomness and niche interest in the “Viotec” Dunk retro offered an interesting commentary on the state of the sneaker culture 12 years after their first drop.<\/p>\n Packer Shoes x Reebok Question “For Player Use Only” Pack<\/p>\n Really, who does this? Packer Shoes knocked down the doors and cut all the red tape by retroing unreleased player exclusives for the two biggest names in basketball who just happen to be endorsed by other brands. The LeBron and Kobe colorways hit home with hoops fans and made for the year’s top offerings on one of the best signature shoes in basketball history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eason Chan x Jeremy Scott x adidas Originals Wings<\/p>\n Jeremy Scott goes to extremes. His resume with adidas sees some of the loudest, wildest, most talked about takes the Three Stripes have ever seen. This duet with Cantonese pop-star Eason Chan sees Scott keeping it classy with out toning it down. The combination of color, embroidery and culture made for a beautiful sneaker that registered within the sneaker realm and impressed those outside of it.<\/p>\n Nike Lunar Flyknit Chukka<\/a><\/p>\n The Nike Lunar Flyknit Chukka won over many a wearer in 2013. Next level design and space age comfort proved more practical than sport utility or tongue tucking ability as sneakerheads and fashion forward individuals bought these up in bunches. Finding an HTM makeup of these is still tough, but fans ultimately flocked to the majority of inline launches.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n DEFCON x Vans Syndicate Pack<\/p>\n 2013 saw so much camo that all the releases began to blend together. Looking back at the year, the DEFCON x Vans Syndicate Sk8-Hi proves a standout, blocking the beloved silo in brown suede and a smart digi-camo print straight from the Navy. The end result was a sweet skate shoe that looked more like a nod to the troops than a fashion play, ultimately making for one of the strongest camo colorways of the year.<\/p>\n Nike Kobe 8 “Mambacurial”<\/p>\n Kobe knows soccer. While we’ve known this for a while, the Swoosh served up the best genre-bending release of the year with the Nike Kobe 8 “Mambacurial.” Still built for basketball, the Kobe 8 upper took to the styling of the Mercurial soccer boot in both branding and coloway. A grass green outsole only made things sweeter on this limited launch, while an assortment of sick customs also wore this theme.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n DJ Clark Kent x Primitive x Nike SB Dunk Low “112”<\/p>\n Remember when AF1 afficiandos like Clark Kent and Mayor were converting their favorite Dunk colorways into Air Force form? DJCK paid it forward to the public this year by dropping his often imitated “112” color code on a Nike SB Dunk Low. Much like the also awesome “Concord” Dunk Lows, this showed a premier color code can still shine on the SB favorite.<\/p>\n Air Jordan 11 Low GS “Pink Snakeskin”<\/p>\n Girls received one of the best retro releases of 2013 all for themselves. The Air Jordan 11 Low GS “Pink Snakeskin” saw the return of an adored colorway in a year where animal print reigned. They looked amazing in person and in some ways out shined a strong dude’s drop of the same silo. Many men would’ve been shopping in the ladies department if these launched in larger sizes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse “Independence Day” Pack<\/p>\n Any sneaker scientist wanting to explore the actual impact of the “Kanye Effect” can look no further than the Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse “Independence Day” Pack. These tonal takes on the updated AM90 proved far more popular than their theme sporting contemporaries, making the move from well-liked wall shoe to eBay saved search after Mr. West rocked them.<\/p>\n Ewing 33 Hi “Purple Suede”<\/p>\n After coming out of the woodwork in 2012, could Ewing Athletics maintain their buzz for all of 2013? The answer proved to be a resounding ‘yes’ as Pat’s project proved more profitable and popular than anyone could have imagined. The strength of a signature series and a city squashed all skeptics as the Guard and Focus found their way onto sneakerheads nationwide. Still, the 33 Hi ranks as the standout, shining brightest in this “Purple Suede” styling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nAir Jordan 5 “Bel-Air”<\/h2>\n
Big Sean x adidas Originals Pro Model II “All-Black”<\/h2>\n
Nike Dunk Low SP “Viotec”<\/h2>\n
Packer Shoes x Reebok Question “For Player Use Only” Pack<\/h2>\n
Eason Chan x Jeremy Scott x adidas Originals Wings<\/h2>\n
Nike Lunar Flyknit Chukka<\/h2>\n
Defcon x Vans Syndicate Sk8-Hi<\/h2>\n
Nike Kobe 8 “Mambacurial”<\/h2>\n
DJ Clark Kent x Primitive x Nike SB Dunk Low “112”<\/h2>\n
Air Jordan 11 Low GS “Pink Snakeskin”<\/h2>\n
Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse “Independence Day” Pack<\/h2>\n
Ewing 33 Hi “Purple Suede”<\/h2>\n
FILA 96 “Olympic”<\/h2>\n