25 of the Best Sneaker Releases of 2017
For sneakerheads, 2017 has been a solid year full of dope new sneaker iterations, limited-edition collabs, high-end drops and re-releases. From Nike and Off-White's widely popular "The Ten" collection to Kanye West's introduction of the Adidas Yeezy Wave Runner 700 silhouette, the year has seen the release of a number of highly coveted sneakers in a slew of styles and colorways.
With known footwear companies like Jordan Brand, Nike, Adidas and Puma continuing their success in today's sneaker game, high-end label brands like Balenciaga, Gucci and Raf Simmons also capitalized off the sneaker craze. With the creation of innovative everyday lifestyle silhouettes that fit in with current trends, the sneaker business was at an all-time high in 2017 and only seems to get bigger with every year that passes.
Highlighted by a number of stand out releases, this year's most sought-after kicks include—the Off-White Air Jordan 1 Retro, Vans' Fear of God Era 95 DX, the Nike Air Max 97 Silver Bullet iteration, Balenciaga Speed Trainers, Gucci Ace Low Tops, Nike Air VaporMaxs and Nike Atmos Air Max 1.
The sneaker game was so crazy that even some of today's hottest rappers were responsible for major releases. Hip-hop superstar Future—with the help of Reebok—had sneakerheads going crazy this fall when he debuted his first signature shoe, the Furykaze. Kanye continued his fruitful partnership with the Three Stripes launching a number of Yeezy Boost 350 V2 iterations, including the widely popular Zebra model. Tyler, The Creator continued to thrive in the sneaker game as he transitioned his Golf Wang label from Vans to Converse in an unexpected move that made a number of headlines.
Now, with 2018 just around the corner, XXL rounds up the 25 best sneaker drops of the year, in no particular order. Check out the selections in the gallery below, and keep it locked with XXL for more info on future sneaker drops.