ADIDAS EQT ELEVATION

Kobe Bryant is considered one of the best players of all time, but in 1997 he was an untested rookie. Adidas brought him in as a new signature player. 

1997 all star weekend. The dunk competition. Featuring stiff competition from players like Ray allen and Chris Carr, Kobe Bryant would have to be great. Wearing the purple Adidas Equipment Elevation, Kobe threw down his first two dunks to limited fanfare. His last dunk would have to be amazing. He dribbled up and made a high-flying between the legs dunk. The dunk was legendary. It was the turning point for his career.

Kobe Bryant brought the EQT Elevation to the history books with him when he made that dunk. The Zig Zag pattern on the midsole, and the deep purple on the upper were representations of what Kobe was. Kobe was young, new, and had the potential to be a legend. He was part of a dynasty, The Lakers became titans with Kobe on the roster. 

A living legend, Kobe’s rookie year is remembered with that dunk, and on his feet, the EQT Elevation.

NIKE FLYKNIT

The most radical sneaker technology of 2012 was pioneered by the HTM team in the Nike Innovation Kitchen. The team, that is comprised of Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker, came up with the radical Idea of knitting a shoe to create a sock like feel. This has been a goal of Nike since the famous Sock racer.

The Flyknit Trainer and Racer were a result of the innovation that exploded  during the summer of 2012. Flyknits leapt from shelves, sought after for their comfort and their aesthetics. 

Flyknit has the power to reduce emissions for production, and revolutionize the performance sneaker market. From sweaters to the feet of olympians, knitting has come a long way.

?UESTLOVE AF1s

?uestlove is the critically acclaimed drummer of the band The Roots with a passion for music and a unique sound that is instantly recognizable. His iconic afro is synonymous with his image and it graces one of the greatest Air force 1s of all time. The green elephant print, red leather, and gold swoosh became a part of ?uestlove’s legacy. 

The shoe was an extension of his personality as he strove to make “a very loud statement, a sneaker that sort of has 12 exclamation points behind it.” The combination of materials and colors made a huge statement, and gained popular support among many sneaker fanatics.

He succeeded in creating icon. This sneaker cemented itself into Air Force history and continues to be one of the all time greats, taking ?uestlove into the sneaker history books with it.

LEBRON X EXT CORK

In the history of sneakers a plethora of materials have been used on performance shoes to represent a historical event. Cork, however, on the most technologically advanced basketball sneaker of 2013 is unprecedented. The Lebron X EXT CORK is a shoe that commemorates the first championship win of Lebron James.

It was a hugely sought after release that made it into the hands of few, and was deemed one of the best Lebrons to date. 

It features a premium cork upper with a leather liner and tongue. The cork material transfers beautifully onto the Lebron 10 and is reminiscent of a champagne cork, its inspiration. 

Lebron’s first championship win will be remembered fondly by fans of Lebron James as well as sneakers fans for a long time, and with it the cork Lebron X will stand along side it.

YEEZY 2

Kanye West. Egomaniac, rapper, producer, father, and designer. His place in the sneaker world as an influencer came to a height in the summer of 2012 with the release of his second signature shoe, The Air Yeezy 2. It came in Two colorways, pure platinum, and black/solar red. Built on the sole of the Air tech challenge 2, the sneaker is a clash of retro sneaker elements alongside modern high fashion components. 

Starting from the back, is a matte molded piece that is made to resemble spikes. It meets a brightly colored inner liner that leads to a leather midsole that is emblazoned with the Egyptian God Horus, a theme that continues throughout the sneaker. Underneath the insole lies a secret message that shows the letters, KWNVAHDVVAAGJLAW. 

The upper carries a leather that is cut to look like python skin, with a raised nike swoosh. on the forefoot and toe box it carries a mesh. On the toe a lush suede sweeps along the front of the shoe. The strap along the mid is composed of a matte plastic with raised ridges and a raised NIKE.

The tongue carries another Horus and completes the theme of the egyptian god. 

Its materials, theme, limited release, and maker contribute to the hyped nature of the shoe, and its grail status for many collectors.