The 10 best sneakers of the decade 2010-2019

At midnight on January 1st we will enter 2020, leaving behind ten intense years for contemporary culture, marked by the definitive dependence on technology, social networks, the birth of new artists, musical genres and of course a new way of understanding fashion.

It’s difficult to establish in advance whether the '10s will be remembered as well as the "roaring 20th years" of the 20th century, for the world of fashion, however, what is about to end will be remembered as the decade of sneakers, as a part of the wider streetwear world, that started from from the streets and the remnants of youth countercultures of the 90s and 2000s managed to get to the catwalks of high fashion.

The last decade has seen the explosion of sneakers as a mass phenomenon, as a tool used by brands to gain visibility and increase the desire around their products, thanks to collaborations that have broken through barriers of gender and style.

In 10 years we have gone from the invention of a upper composed of a single ultralight yarn, to the trend of deconstructed shoes, passing through self-depressing technologies and ever-larger volumes.

 There is no doubt, December 31st, 2019 will end what we will remember as the decade of sneakers, so here is the ranking of the most significant models, from 2010 to the present.

[ranking:10]

Air Yeezy 2 Red October

That of the all-red sneakers has been a trend of this decade, thanks in part to the incredible success of the Air Yeezy 2 "Red October", first worn by Kanye West on Saturday Night Live in 2013. The wait for the release and the small amount of models signified an unprecedented success, which led the Red October to reach prices of more than ten thousand dollars, but also the end of the partnership between Ye and Nike.

[ranking:9]

PUMA Creepers Rihanna Fenty 

Symbol of the relaunch of PUMA thanks to the collaboration with an artist of the caliber of Rihanna, the first model of Creepers went sold out in three hours and in the following years drove the success of Fenty, who quickly became one of the main players of the Market. The sneaker will direct the market for women's sneakers, winning the Show of the Year in 2016.

[ranking:8]

Nike HyperAdapt 1.0

The HyperAdapt has been called the "manifesto of the unimaginable". After years of experiments Nike and Tinker Hatfield launch the first sneaker with self-lacing technology, projecting the engineering of footwear towards a possible scenario only in science fiction films. The HyperAdapt 1.0 is also the first sneaker that automatically adjusts according to the athlete's needs. A milestone for Nike. 

[ranking:7]

adidas Ozweego 2 Raf Simons

The first “ugly shoes” to be successful despite their price and the trend that favored ultralight running models. Besides, the collaboration between one of the most creative and significant designers of the decade and a sportswear brand was truly groundbreaking.

[ranking:6]

Nike Flyknit Racer

This sneaker represents the first real revolution in ultralight and durable materials. Launched for the London Olympics, the Flynit Racer is the first sneaker in which you no longer use leather or mesh, but a plastic yarn. The shoe is one of the first models designed for running to become a reference for streetwear culture, also consolidating the relationship between sport and fashion that in the last 10 years has represented more than just a possibility for brands.

[ranking:5]

adidas NMD R1

The first model of the NMD line is the symbol of a design that will give the go-ahead to high-level collaborations between streetwear giants such as BAPE, high brands such as Chanel and international artists such as Pharrell Williams. The main feature of this sneaker was precisely to make itself versatile reaching very high market ranges and then a wider audience.

[ranking:4]

adidas Ultraboost 1.0 OG

This adidas sneaker is the triumph of the Boost sole, coming out of the sport and becoming the perfect synthesis of innovation and style, causing a revolution both in running and streetwear, thanks also to the Primeknit upper. Kanye West wearing Ultraboost Triple White during his censored performance at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards remains one of the most significant moments of the decade for the world of streetwear and thus emphasizes the importance of this sneaker.

[ranking:3]

Balenciaga Triple S

The "Triple S" is one of many examples of how, especially in this decade, luxury brands have enteredthe sneaker market. After being greeted with skepticism, this sneaker was one of the best examples of trends that were difficult to ignore: that of ugly shoes, characterized by exaggerated volumes that distort the physicality of the body, radically changing the canons of beauty. 

[ranking:2]

Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White Chicago

"The Ten" were the result of the collaboration between Nike and Virgil Abloh - probably the designer of the decade for his communication skills and the way to exploit every artistic possibility - were among the most anticipated sneakers for the new generation of Hypebeast and sneakerhead. The Jordan 1 Chicago symbolically represents to perfection that idea of reworking history that follows the new trends and creates an almost unprecedented hype.

[ranking:1]

Air Yeezy Boost 350 Turtledove 

Although it’s the second piece coming from the collaboration between adidas and Kanye West, after the first 750 "Light brown", the Yeezy 350 Turtledove are the symbol of the explosion of the “limited edition” trend, that made raffles and the practice of resell integral aspects of the sneaker game. The Air Yeezy Boost 350 Turtledove had the merit of reinterpreting the Boost sole bringing a sneaker to the market levels of luxury brands, thanks to the limited number of models and the consequent resell prices. This sneaker has been the most replicated and copied over the last ten years, until Yeezy and adidas increased production, as well as the arrival of the V2, V3, 700 and 500 lines.