Sneaker Freaker’s 2023 Staff Picks
Brands have been digging deep for the next big thing in 2023, faced with a never-ending criticism of a lack of innovation. We saw continue their steady rise in popularity, headed by their fresh silhouette that often received top-notch colabs, including , , and . We also saw what we hope is the peak of silly shoes, of course led by and their penchant for . AI art is on the rise, along with 3D printing and Y2K mesh runners. resident bad boy, the , celebrated its 25th birthday with a slew of both retro releases and new designs hitting shelves, and the has been receiving more attention than usual with a steady release of fresh colourways.
The Sneaker Freaker team witnessed it all, so strap yourselves in for the staff favourites of 2023!
Woody – Undefeated x Nike Air Terra Humara 'Archaeo Brown'
Forget for a moment allegations of recency bias, but my favourite shoe of 2023 is the . These tough mudders literally just arrived fresh from FEDEX. At some point I’ll deflower them with a suburban road trip, but for now, I’m just happy they’re sitting on my desk and not relegated to the L files.
I still have my OG in black and orange. They’re beat to death of course and the crumble is settling in, but they’re a reminder of an era that produced so many ACG gems, most of which came from the mind of Peter Fogg. Humara, Terra Humara, Terra Albis, Terra Sertig – those were the days! But that was then and this is now, and the hype world we all currently reside in has marginalised eccentric curiosities in favour of bland predictableness. If it ain't a , or maybe a 99x, good f#%&ing luck! Flippers and resellers are thinking twice before biting, and the side effects will be keenly felt over the next year as brands scramble to revise production numbers.
That degenerative process dramatically narrows the boundaries of what is commercially sensible. Smart bets are one thing – and the Swoosh make plenty – but The Game demands newness, even if it’s a regurgitated trail runner from 1997. Nike have, of course, persevered with the Humara (including the recent Buff Gold), but not even could launch the trail runner into orbit. The Terra Humara on the other hand, has never been given the chance to shine on the big colab stage, until now.
Credit where credit is due. took a big risk and nailed every aspect of the campaign. The all-black edition is a rugged no-brainer, but for me, the snow-camo-ish ensemble is bang on the money. The mix of materials made full force of Fogg’s brilliant composition. Pebbled leather, 3M reflective, ballistic mesh, hairy suede and white nubuck were masterfully worked into a supremely balanced package. Tongue tags, heel tabs, footbeds and woven patches added mini-branding in all the right places, letting the original AF colour scheme in cool grey, cyan blue and ‘Archaeo Brown’ make the big statement. This was a bold, inspired choice, with full flavour and maximum creativity. The box was pretty cool too… Bravo!
RUNNER UP
Having spent the year immersed in the exotic history of the as I wrote , it would be remiss not to mention a few TNs from this year. The , which combined a trio of retro hits, popped hard and totally shaded the ‘eerily similar’ . As usual, looked after the W with some of the tightest colourways, in particular the striking 'Luminous Green' with pastel yellow veins. Good luck finding a 12, I’m still hustling hard! The 'Volcano' came back to mild acclaim, but its sibling in 'Light Year Blue' – a total winner on-foot – was inexplicably slept on. 'Deadpools', 'Black Orange Camo' (which wasn’t camo at all) and rounded out a year of black midsole staunchness, but it was the colab in cobalt (or House Blue to be more correct) that took home my top gong. The initial white and black pairs flopped like monochrome mud bricks, but first sight of the all-blue banger immediately activated my FOMO nerve, especially after peeping them IRL at Paris Fashion Week back in June. The debossed one-piece leather upper was way sleeker in hand than it appeared on screen, and I would have happily anointed them my overall numero uno de la sneaker if it wasn’t for Nike’s outrageously poor QC. The sloppy painting on the midsole really detracted from this minimalist masterpiece… and that was a shame!
Seb – Nike Air Max Plus 'Rainbow'
I rack my brain for my favourite shoe of the year every time we do these Staff Picks at Sneaker Freaker. I sit there contemplating: do I go for my most worn pair? Do I choose the sneaker I think dominated that year? Should I just choose something funny for a cheap laugh? I usually think a little too hard and end up regretting my choice as soon as the copy editor hits publish.
But in 2023, I knew exactly what I was picking: the . The past twelve months at SF have been heavily skewed towards Tuned, as our book debuted, plenty of crisp colourways released, and the 25th anniversary celebrations kicked off! I’ve always had an affinity for Nike’s Air Max Plus, especially in my teen years, but as I got older I slowly drifted away from the aggressive silhouette. Having TNs cross my desk on a daily basis this year reignited my passion. When I secured the ‘Rainbow’ retro, I wore them for two weeks straight. It’s also cool that this colourway originally debuted in 1999, which is the same year I was born.
Lucas – Palace x New Balance 991
My goal for 2023 was to curb my sneaker spending habits completely, and while only a few bargains I couldn’t possibly ignore may have slipped through the cracks, there’s one pack that I haven’t been able to shake from my wanting mind: the . These solemates arrived out of nowhere, equipped with retro gorp flair and knockout smacks of purple – It’s like they were made just for Lucas Blackman. Good thing I don’t have the same goal in 2024!
Joey – Action Bronson x New Balance 990v6 'Baklava'
I’ve been a fan of since the first time I heard ‘Strictly 4 My Jeeps’ 10 years ago, and the fandom hasn’t slowed down since thanks to his eclectic taste and obscure rap references (shoutout ). From ‘F*ck That’s Delicious’ to wrestling on AEW, Bronsolino continues to do side quests in life that are fun to witness.
When the debuted in the launch ‘Grey’ colourway, I found the sneaker a bit underwhelming. That being said, I was looking forward to new colourways as the 990v6’s colour blocking looked to be primed for interesting and funky takes. So once Bam Bam teased photos of his , my ears perked. The rollout for the sneaker was cool to see, as Bronson debuted the NB collaboration during AEW Rampage, headlining the wrestling event. The bright greens and blues contrasting against the tobacco, and grey suede toed the perfect line of gaudy yet grounded. I was fortunate to get my hands on a pair and the sneaker will be a mainstay in the rotation until it falls apart. Looking forward to that !
Simon – Joe Freshgoods x New Balance Rainier Boot 'Beneath the Surface'
I love a colab, particularly when they partner with New Balance. The stayed true to their design aesthetic, making the silhouette bold enough to be a statement shoe while also keeping the colour palette neutral enough to make it an everyday beater. That’s a hard design tightrope to walk, but Freshgoods makes it look easy.
Georgie – GANNI x New Balance 1906R
I’ve definitely bought fewer sneakers this year (hello, cost-of-living crisis), but I have bought multiple pairs of the New Balance . I remember feeling really drawn to it at the back end of 2022, but this year’s colourways cemented it for me.
I wasn’t originally planning on picking up the until I came across them in the Soho store. At that point, I tripped and fell and ended up at the till. I bought the white pair, which isn’t exactly practical, but thankfully I’ve managed to break them out a couple of times. Continuing along the same theme, I also grabbed the that came out in October, but the weather hasn’t been good enough to wear those yet – they’re still box-fresh.
I feel like 2023 has actually been such a great year for women in sneakers. It’s refreshing to see brands collaborate with super-interesting female designers and womenswear labels, which I think has helped to push the boundaries of what makes a good women’s release. I’m honestly kicking myself for not going for the earlier this year, and I’m still regretting not grabbing a pair of , even though I can ’t seem to get on with the silhouette. Oh well, let’s keep it up in 2024, please!
Anthony – ASICS NOVALIS GEL-Teremoa 'Obsidian Black/Smoke Shadow'
I would forgive you if at first glance you thought the were another boring black fashion sneaker. Despite being a stan, these took a while to draw me in. It was only when I had them in my hands I could appreciate the finer intricate details. Some of my favourites are the ghostly figure logo protruding from the heel and stamped on the tongue (it reminds me of the Takashi Murakami designed ghosts on the cover of Kids See Ghosts album), the stamped ASICS NOVALIS logo on the upper that miraculously retains so much fidelity for a design that is so nebulous to begin with, and finally the trippy AF sole. I can't wait to see what the Kiko team release next year through .
Jess – Air Jordan 4 'Frozen Moments'
This was such a standout sneaker for me for two reasons. The first is that the AJ4 is my favourite silhouette in the Jordan line, mainly for its shape. It builds out the same classic and sleek design on the AJ1, but in a more sophisticated and dynamic way, with contrasting materials also adding to this look. The second reason is that the colourway is so perfectly subtle and yet eye-catching at the same time. The grey suede and leather contrasts with the chrome detailing before being balanced out with the white laces, sockliner and midsole. I really wanted these and nearly went for it, but I hesitated and ended up missing out. I regret it every day!
Kieron – DIZYGOTIC Project Alpha ‘Malice at the Palace’
I'm a recent addition to the Sneaker Freaker lineup, so it feels appropriate to pick a recent drop as my kicks of the year. The team here instantly learned I’m a massive hoops fan. I’m therefore, unsurprisingly, a retro Jordan head, so I do need to shout out this year's . However, my top pick for the year isn’t Jordan but the . I’m not traditionally a mismatch fan, but I think drops like the have inspired designers to up their game, delivering fresh spins on unlikely twins like PUMA's upcoming . It’s a new era for odd couple kicks, and Arizona/Oregon-based DIZYGOTIC have been specialising in them.
The ‘Malice at the Palace’ pair gets its name and design from an athlete vs spectators brawl that broke out at a 2004 NBA game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. The fight between players had almost been quelled when a spectator threw a cup at Ron Artest, turning it into an all-out brawl that involved spectators. Everything from this shoe’s construction, marketing, and unboxing experience is charming. DIZYGOTIC milk every detail with unique storytelling and care, and my favourite detail is the infamous blue cup that instigated the chaos flying across the Piston tongue, with beer spilling onto the Pacer tongue.
I love how niche this pair is, and it also helps that I scored a pair, so shouts to DIZYGOTIC. These 'Bad Boys' are a welcome addition to my collection, proving I do journey outside my Jordan comfort zone, from time to time.