Nike Air Huarache Run “Matte Silver”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTakeaway:<\/strong>\u00a0Malls matter<\/p>\nShopping malls as ’80s babies grew up on may be shutting down in bunches, but the shoes we bought from them and the stores we bought them from then still have pull both in real life and online. Case in point? The Nike Air Huarache Run and its Ultra adaptations.<\/p>\n
To most on or ahead of trend, the Tinker Hatfield design from ’91 peaked in the lifestyle space a few years back as it capitalized off the cozy casual runner lane opened up by the Roshe and the appetite for nostalgia that’s drove sneaker culture every year but last. While readers of this site may have moved on from the Huarache Run seasons if not years ago, the design is still dope and the comfort is hard to argue, thus making it the perfect pair to sell in bunches at Champs, Foot Lockers and Finishlines all around the nation.<\/p>\n
4. Nike Roshe Run<\/h2>\nNike Roshe One “Calypso”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTakeaway:<\/strong>\u00a0But wait, shouldn’t these be NMDs?<\/p>\nThe Boost wave ran through sneaker culture so hard in 2016 that some collectors were selling off their orange box favorites\u00a0to make room for every tech-toting drop from adidas. On top of that, some would even say that the unofficial NMD Day was a much bigger event than the very official Air Max Day as lines formed around the countries at boutiques and big box stores alike for a chance to cop the new-new from adidas.<\/p>\n
Well, as big of a 2016 as the NMD had it still owes a lot of that success to the Nike Roshe Run. Seemingly designed to do nothing in and worn for everything by everyone just the same, the Sportswear standout revolutionized the sneaker space by selling comfort cheaply and colorfully. Yes, the Roshe changed the game.<\/p>\n
Taking to the same lane but splicing in trending tech and just a pinch of nostalgia, the NMD ate the Roshe Run culturally in 2016. However, a $25 difference in price and the actual speed of trends see the Four Pins dunce making a much bigger dent on nationwide sales in 2016.<\/p>\n
3. Converse Chuck Taylor Ox<\/h2>\nConverse Chuck Taylor 2016 Pride Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTakeaway:<\/strong>\u00a0Classics never fade<\/p>\nIf any shoe is a true classic its the Converse Chuck Taylor. Adopted by all walks of life and sold as such, the Chuck has proven more stable in sales than any other sneaker with similar tenure. While Nike’s divesting of other owned brands provided added attention to Converse and the\u00a0implementations of Lunar cushioning and lightened weight, the #3 spot of the Ox iteration proves that reliability, wearability and cost keep this canvas classic soaring after all these years.<\/p>\n
2. Air Jordan 12<\/h2>\nAir Jordan 12 “French Blue”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTakeaway:<\/strong>\u00a0Some things matter more in real life than they do on the internet<\/p>\nIn a year where retro basketball as most of us know it all but died, how did the Air Jordan 12 make it to the #2 spot on this list? More so, how did it make it over more coveted contemporaries of the culture like the 1, 3, 4 or 11?<\/p>\n
There’s a hoard of reasons, so let’s get started. First, let’s give JB props as the Air Jordan 12 had perhaps the best colorway rollout of any mass market retro we’ve ever seen. The OGs were great, the retro+ re-releases were right on time and new\u00a0colorways for guys, girls and kids were all good. From both a style\u00a0and allocation standpoint, Jordan Brand made a ton of 12s\u00a0and they almost all sold through at a whopping retail that peaked at $190 plus tax.<\/p>\n
As a reference mark, the 12 hits a sweet spot of being easily recognizable. Through OGs, retro releases and kids being grandfathered into Jordan loyalty, literally everyone knows this shoe. On top of that, they’re less risky than their contemporaries and they take well to outfits both athletic and contemporary.<\/p>\n
So, while lack of resale and the rise of Yeezy may have Jordan on the back burner online, they still matter a ton just about everywhere else. As the power shift of trend setting starts to shift in the digital age, it will be very interesting to see which MJs remain hot and which pairs fall out of retro rotation.<\/p>\n
1. adidas Superstar<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
Takeaway:<\/strong>\u00a0Girls matter, celebs matter, and yes, adidas won 2016<\/p>\nThere’s a lot to draw from the adidas Superstar being the highest selling sneaker of 2016 — especially with no Boost or Kanye endorsed models cracking the top ten. Where should we start?<\/p>\n
First off, as under appreciated and over pandered as women have been in the sneaker culture for years, it’s very clear that they matter more than anyone else and the Superstar success is living proof. While the unisex appeal rings timely in an era where gender matters less in both life and fashion, ladies have been keeping the Superstar relevant with one glance at a college campus, music festival or happening downtown area proving such.<\/p>\n
While the Superstar may not have a recognizable face like Kylie or Kanye directly attached to it, the former’s pull on modern female fashion and the latter’s attachment to adidas definitely have an impact on the cool cache of the Superstar. Yes, Kylie is on PUMA but her sportswear styling by Ian Connor makes the Superstar the best purchase this side of the Vans Old Skool to represent such modern steeze. And no, Kanye has never worn the Superstar, but his identity with adidas makes the model’s blunt branding much cooler than the muted Stan Smith or its familiar foe, the Air Force 1.<\/p>\n
While artists being the new athletes may have been a bolder statement in 2012 than 2017, it saw its validation in many ways in 2016 by adidas taking the cool crown<\/a>\u00a0and the $80 silo from the ’80s taking the sales title.<\/p>\nDo you agree with our takeaways or are we way off? Let us know on social and in the comments section. Thanks in addition to Matt Powell and Quartz for doing the heavy-lifting on the research.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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