Sneaker of the Year: The Best Since '85

In 1985, Nike released Michael Jordan’s first sneaker, the Air Jordan 1, and sneaker culture was born. With vibrant photographs and illustrations throughout, as well as input from some of the sneaker world’s most important voices, this compilation is a must-have for hypebeasts and sneakerheads everywhere.

Now, thousands of people wait in line at Supreme, and companies throw millions of dollars at LeBron James to keep him in their marketing plans. The trend that saw steady growth for decades with the emergence of sports, hip-hop, and sportswear advertising has exploded into a phenomenon. And no one has watched that phenomenon more closely than Complex. Highlights include:

• Converse Weapon (1986)
• Vans Half Cab (1992)
• Reebok Instapump Fury (1994)
• Nike Zoom LeBron 3 (2005)
• Supra Skytop (2007)
• Balenciaga Arena (2013)
• Nike React Element 87 (2018)