Kicksologists Presents: Top 10 Kicks of 2011

With another year coming to a close it's time to look back at all the things we appreciated over the last twelve months. On a site that is completely obsessed with shoes it makes sense to look back and select some of our favorite kicks of the year.

After careful consideration here's Kicksologists' top 10 sneakers of 2011.

10. Jordan Fly Wade 2 Varsity Red/White Editions

The latest signature shoes for Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade feature a sharp red and white colorway. The Wade logo on the tongue and Jordan's Jumpman logo on the side are also in white. The white sits on the red beautifully, and makes this shoe a stand out.

 

9. Nike5 Street Gato CR7

The Street Gato features pyramid traction and raised geometric design throughout.  The color, "Light Bone," is not a reference to a business card from American Psycho, but is meant to match the RMCF jersey.

 

8. Nike Huarache Free 2012 Basketball

Nike has taken their barefoot-mimicking sole technology (as seen in the Nike Free Run 2) and stuffed it into their latest basketball shoe.  This is the first sneaker in their basketball line to offer this super-light sole material.

 

7. Nike Dunk High "Watch the Throne" Customs

This custom by ROM, was inspired by Jay-Z and Kanye West's latest record "Watch the Throne".  It comes in all black with this season's ever-so-popular gold accents.

 

6. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star ‘Double Collar’

Often times retreads into the Converse classic's territory are ho-hum and a bit tired, but every once and a while they get it right and find a subtle way to innovate. This is the case with the All Star 'Double Collar', which adds in some much needed heel cushion.

 

5. Jordan Spizike “Bordeaux”

Borrowing heavily from an Air Jordan VII OG colorway, its coloring features hints of Jordan's most notable teams, the Chicago Bulls and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

 

4. Kevin Durant KDIV Nerf Kicks

Nike's Kevin Durant Nerf shoes hit stores late in 2011 and come with a Nerf hoop and ball. They're some of the coolest kicks released this year, and were more unique than almost every other sneaker seen in 2011.

 

3. Nike Air Yeezy 2

The interwebs were ablaze with talk of Kanye West sporting what appears to be the Air Yeezy 2 at the Victoria's Secret fashion show. It looks to feature some sort of reptile print, signature markings, and yes, glow in the dark soles.

 

2. Oregon Pit Crew Air Jordan III

As a former Oregon Duck anything that reps the green and yellow is intriguing to me. These limited edition Pit Crew kicks had all of Eugene buzzing. A significant departure from the typical AJ is the replacement of the Jumpman logo with the Oregon O on the tongue of the shoe, and duck feet on the rear.

 

1. Nike MAG - Marty McFly - Back to the Future Edition

If you consider yourself any kind of movie aficionado, you have to have watched the Back to the Future trilogy and have a measure of appreciation for the films. For all sneakerheads, the Nike kicks that Michael J. Fox's character, Marty McFly, straps on upon arriving in the future were undoubtedly a mega treat to behold. As soon as Marty inserted his feet into the boot, the laces automatically locked down onto his feet and the NIKE logo lit up on the upper strap.

But really, was it ever a question that these would top the list?  The McFly was without question the biggest sneaker story of the year, and could be seen headlining every major news outlet in the States upon their release.  Oh, and they raised $5,695,190.53 to help fight Parkinson's disease, which is nothing to sneeze at either.

Special thanks to Thomas Kramer for helping out with this list.

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