Juicemanji's Top 15 Releases of 2012 So Far

So now that 2012 is halfway over and many of the year's major sneaker releases have come and gone, I thought I'd share with you what I believe to be the 15 best shoes of the year so far. This post is based strictly on my opinion. I personally think a great shoe combines style, quality, comfort, good pricing, and attainability.

15. Nike Lunar Flow Woven QS

This shoe was the first shoe featured on my weekly "Quality Cop" post. The woven upper on this shoe makes it very wearable, but far from plain. The classic Air Flow upper sits on a lunarlon platform, making this shoe exceptionally comfortable. Despite being a quickstrike, these can still be copped in several boutiques as well as some Nike stores. With a price tag of $135 retail, this shoe is a pretty solid value given the quality of the materials. This is just an all around dope shoe.

14. Ronnie Fieg x New Balance 999 "Steel Blue"

I've never been crazy about Ronnie Fieg's work because I've always thought that plenty of sneakerheads could come up with equally dope designs if given a dope silhouette and premium materials. However, most 'heads don't have the hustle to even be in the position to collab with Asics, New Balance, Sebago, etc. But I do love this shoe. The 999 is one of my favorite NB models and I like how Fieg was able to capture the spirit of the 1300 and recreate it with premium materials on the 999. While the colorway is very simple, less is more in this case. So with that said, salute to Mr. Fieg. 

13. Air Jordan 2012 Deluxe "Jordan Brand Classic East"

The Air Jordan 2012 has been slept on by most sneakerheads. Whether it's the high price point ($180-$223), or the unconventional look, most sneaker lovers have found an excuse to not cop this shoe and I'm okay with that. I love this shoe and was able to cop for half price. The quality on these puts Jordan retros to shame. It's upsetting that JB puts so much quality and innovation into the Jordan signature line, but they cut every corner possible with the retro line. In any case, I'm happy with the way these came out. Incredibly comfy, loud, different, and easily copped. I fucks with it.

12. LeBron 9 Elite "Miami Vice"

I'm a big fan of the LeBron 9 Elite. The silhouette is my favorite of the three LeBron 9 styles. This colorway was destined to cause a shit show in the sneaker world. Since the success of the "South Beach" LeBron 8, pink and teal have found their way onto other shoes, custom sneakers, and anything even remotely related to kicks. Hats off to Nike Basketball for designing a worthy sequel to the "South Beach" 8 despite the fact that the colorway has been played out for months. I personally like the shoe very much, but I didn't feel like it was worth the $250 price tag and the trouble. Luckily, I was able to cop at a House of Hoops restock a couple weeks after the initial release. Patience and networking go a long way towards getting the tough releases on a consistent basis.

11. Nike SB Dunk Low Premium "Premier/Petoskey"

This Nike SB collab with Premier Skateshop in Michigan is my favorite SB of the year. I really enjoyed seeing university blue and an icy blue sole, two features usually reserved for Jordans, on an SB dunk low. The upper features a stone-like pebbled leather meant to resemble the petoskey stone found in Lake Michigan. In my opinion, Quickstrike SBs will always be one of the best values when it comes to sneakers due to their dope concepts, quality materials, and reasonable price points. This shoe can still be had for a decent price. I highly recommend copping a pair.

10. Air Jordan IV White/Cement

When one of the greatest Jordans ever retros for the first time since 1999, you don't whine about the quality. Just cop and be happy, or pass and shut the entire fuck up so those who copped their first pair can enjoy without your trollin' ass bringing down the vibe, brother.

9. New Balance MT 580 x Burn Rubber "White Collar"

The Burn Rubber "Workforce Pack" featured two MT 580s, one of which was this "White Collar" colorway. High quality, black suede and light grey mesh make up the upper. The sock liner is made of the same material as a white dress shirt to maintain the theme, while khaki highlights set off the white collar look. I look for any excuse to cop from independent shops and boutiques like Burn Rubber and they make it very easy when they're putting out collabs of this quality.

8. Nike Air Foamposite One "Galaxy"

I've been a huge fan of the Foamposite since the OG released in 1997. I loved that Nike abandoned the lazy blue and red theme of past All Star weekends and went big with the Galaxy pack. I also can't be mad at Nike taking the opportunity to pay tribute to one of their most successful signature athletes ever, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. This shoe manages to apply design innovation to an all time classic. You can't ask for much more than that. 

While I did not attempt to cop the shoe during All Star Weekend, I managed to win a pair in a raffle with a group of sneakerhead friends and I couldn't be happier about it. I was beside myself for winning the raffle, but even more honored to be associated with such a dope group of sneakerheads. While this isn't my favorite shoe of 2012, this was my favorite pickup due to the sentimental value. Shouts to the Kicks-RX fam.

7. Nike Air More Uptempo "Olympic"

The Nike Air More Uptempo was an instant classic when it released in 1995 and the Olympic colorway, which debuted in 1996, is easily the most coveted colorway of this shoe. Scottie Pippen wore these in the Olympics while playing for Team USA's second Dream Team. The full length air unit along with the dope ass "AIR" design make this shoe unforgettable to lovers and haters alike. I hope Pippen gets some royalties off this shoe to help with his financial struggles. Broke ass Scottie.

6. Nike Air Safari NRG

The Nike Air Safari is back on the 25th anniversary of it's 1987 release. This is one of the most intriguing shoes ever. A runner with premium leather and a never before seen "safari" print. The shoe's boldness was fitting and ahead of its time all at once. As a longtime Safari admirer who has never owned a pair, I'm fucking ecstatic over this release. I can't wait to cop mine, so I can be on my "God's Must Be Crazy" flow. Shouts to 23Penny.

5. Nike Air Yeezy 2 NRG

If the disgusting hype for this shoe wasn't so overwhelming, the Yeezy 2 would absolutely be in my top 3. I think this shoe is awesome. I actually like it as much, if not more than I like the original Yeezy. I just can't get over the pain in the ass it was to get a pair, the bullshit ass prices, and the way this release was the nail in the coffin to many OG sneakerheads. I really wish Nike would have made these more available, but whatever. On to the next one. I'm sure I'll make a trade for them once the value drops a bit in a year or so. In any case, great shoe, bad energy surrounding it.

4. New Balance MT 580 x Burn Rubber "Blue Collar"

The other half of Burn Rubber's "Workforce Pack", the Blue Collar MT 580 is my favorite New Balance drop of the year. Gum sole, premium navy blue suede, and plenty of 3M make this shoe UNFUCKWITABLE. Not to mention the sock liner that is made of a fabric similar to a mechanic's shirt. Burn Rubber really got their creative flex on with this pack. I can't say enough about their efforts on this collab. Salute.

3. Air Jordan XII "Playoffs"

This is my favorite shoe of all time. I wore this shoe to my 6th grade graduation. While these are not as well crafted as the 2004 retro, I ain't complaining. I'm just glad I was able to cop my all time favorite shoe. However, if these still had the metal lace eyelets on top, they might be number one on my list. The chromed out plastic was a huge disappointment for me. Despite that, I still love this shoe.

2. Nike Roshe Run

Simple, stylish, affordable, and incredibly comfortable. The Roshe Run is everything a great shoe should be. These are the most comfortable shoe I own. I can't say enough about this shoe. Nike Sportswear killed it with this shoe. Instant classic. #TeamRoshe.

1. Nike Zoom Kobe 7 "Invisibility Cloak"

While the Kobe 7 is far from my favorite silhouette of the year, this colorway is undeniable. We've seen  shoes that were slightly iridescent before (Eggplant Foams, Pine Foams, etc) but never quite like this. Photos don't do this shoe justice. If you ask most 'heads who failed to cop these, they'll let you know how much they regret passing. This will be remembered as the greatest Kobe 7 colorway and one of the better Kobe releases ever. I also must mention how comfortable the Kobe 7 is. It's form fitting without being too tight. It was a tough call, but I had to pick the Invisibility Cloaks as my favorite shoe of 2012 so far.