Hypebeast 2008 Year End Review | Hypebeast

Sneakers

Kevin Ma’s take on sneakers for 2008 (Editor-in-Chief)
With the whole “sneaker culture” hitting lows in 2007 due to the oversaturation of inferior products, 2008 left the door wide open for independent and smaller labels to be ushered in. So-called hyped sneakers from the big athletics companies were sitting on shelves a little longer as people looked to brands such as Visvim, Common Projects, CLAE and Pointer to occupy the real estate on their feet. It seemed as though the aforementioned brands despite sometimes higher pricetags were being sought on both aesthetics and quality. However, brands such as Converse and Vans with lower price points also seemed to enjoy great success. Despite having a very simple look to them, these continued to be a hot commodity as people would look to present themselves on much simpler terms relative to previous years. Thanks to the marketing prowess of one Kanye West as well as Lil’ Wayne, the high-top sneaker enjoyed a massive renaissance which as a by-product propelled Supra’s Skytop to the top of the charts, nevertheless this trend is not something I anticipate to hold its weight through 2009. Some of the stand-out releases for this year included Nike’s 1World Air Force project, the adidas Originals by Originals (although releasing in 2009) and the fan-favorite Proper x Vans holiday collection. Among the few pairs of shoes I bought this year, the Visvim Kiefers were the one that seemed to receive the most airplay for its easy to match demeanor. Having taken a downturn in 2007 only to see a revival in 2008, this sets up 2009 as what we feel will be a great year for the footwear industry.

Eugene Kan’s take on sneakers for 2008 (Managing Editor)
In what was sort of touched upon in the introduction, this year presented itself as a decent year for footwear in my eyes. Although the initial thoughts of hybrids left a weird taste in the mouth like many, evidently if you continually put out product after product with a hybrid theme you’re bound to hit some decent shoes; However I still felt the bad outweighed the good. To me the Air Max Current was the pinnacle of hybrids as it combined one of the most recognizable profiles and aesthetics for sneakers out there with a new updated outsole which brought together both a great look and performance to boot. The aZX project from adidas was something I thought had the chance to turn uglywith so many releases at each turn, but perhaps chalk it up to the relatively unfamiliar nature of many of the ZX shoes, the final result was great and provided a new retro favorite for me with the ZX 7000 – 9000. Not to leave out a big player, Converse had a strong year as well showing that despite having 100 years of releases behind them, they still had the ability to put forth solid products and looked to the right people for collaborative ventures. Beyond the big players, Visvim once again pushed the boundaries and took things to all new heights. Their Folk series was undoubtedly the first taste of retail footwear north of $350 USD for some and I feel disappointed few. Without the flashes of technical brand name fabrics, Hiroki Nakamura was able to source out natural materials to put forth some prized footwear. Deserving a mention was the ways in which designer sneakers from high fashion houses were received. Despite being priced well out of the budget of many, the allure of seeing them on the feet of their favorite stars seemed to be enough to incite a great deal of interest. Last year saw an expansion of classics as many branched out beyond their retro sneakers to look into a number of traditional staples. Most people who have been paying attention know that the likes of Red Wings, Danner, Clarks, Russell etc have all enjoyed a much harder look then previous years.

Luis Ruano’s take on sneakers for 2008 (Editor)
2008 brought to light another spectrum of the sneaker world that I hadn’t seen in sometime. Gone were the days of tongue stuffed wallet killers. As trends shifted to a more conservative manner, numerous companies set their foot down with a multitude of creative designs. One of my favorite footwear choices of the year came from legendary Converse. Although not the most comfortable of sneakers, a classic pair of all-stars were the remedy for an ailing budget. Projects from the (Red) campaign to the Century project showcased some of they’re more innovative ideas in years. Musicians such as Lupe Fiasco, designers John Varvatos and Thom Browne, shops like Undefeated and colette, labels Wood Wood and Staple, and even awesome designers in Jeff Hamada and Dr. Romanelli were in on the action full force. Nike’s implementation of their cutting edge Flywire technology cemented the brands elite status when it comes to sportswear innovation. Plus, the Marty McFly’s were bananas.