-1 Air Jordan XII(12) White/Red

Throughout the making of this list I couldn't stress enough my obsession with the Air Jordan 12. Not only have I been waiting on this shoe for most of the year but I've been waiting on this shoe since 97'. The beautiful part about this is that its not really selling out, which I can only attribute to the amount of hype surrounding the "Space Jams", meaning I can go pick up another pair or two as soon as my tax money comes...LOL

-2 Air Jordan XI(11) "Space jam"

It seememed as if the day would never come considering we've known the "Space Jams" were coming every since the beginning of the year. JB sure let the anticipation build this time with blatent diregard for the bootleggers. Now that the day has come and gone, it was everything I expected plus a few headaches. i was literally a day late and a dollar short but in the end it all worked out for the best. With a much better fit than last year's countdown XI(11) there's sure to be many more happy campers (literally).

-3 Nike Air Max Lebron 7

The Lebron 7 is just what the game's been missing. I truly expect that this shoe will be one that leads the sneaker culture into another golden era, reminiscent of the 90s, where hype didn't influence every purchase and it was about what actually looked good. Jason Petrie, in true Tinker like fashion, has managed you capture the perfect balance of style and function.

-4 Nike Foamposite "Eggplant"

As if a cosign from one of the hottest young up and coming rappers in the game, Wale, wasn't enough to sway you judgement of the Foamposite. Nike gave you even more reason to love the shoe by adding an Eggplant paint job, made famous by the Foamposite's first cousin, the Flightposite. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and we really are headed back to how it was.

-5 Patta x Nike Air Max 1 Series

The store thats consistantly loyal to the culture celebrated five years in 2009. What better way to celebrate than to put together a beautiful collaboration for the people. What more can I say the colors, the materials, the silhouette everything is on point.

-6 Air Jordan III(3) White/True Blue

For many sneakerheads across the globe the Air Jordan III(30)True Blue would be considered a grail, so its no surprise that the blogosphere went nuts when word dropped that there was possibly a re-release on the horizon. At the end of the day these kicks never made it across the pond. They were an Europe only release, but if you were lucky and your local sneaker shop put in some extra legwork you may have gotten your hands on a pair.

-7 Nike Air Yeezy

It would be hard to argue that any other single person had more of an impact on culture, whether it be fashion, hip-hop, or pop, over the past 2 years than Kanye West. But in 2009 he made a particular splash in the ever growing sneaker culture. As he performed on each leg of his tour and even at the Grammy's wearing a mysterious shoe that seemed to be glowing the chatter started. The rumors continued to grow until Kanye himself, as only he can, spilled the beans about his secret collaboration with Nike. Shortly thereafter the three styles were released in limited retailers worldwide and marked one of the first time a major athletic company collaborated with a non-athlete on a signature shoe.

-8 Air Jordan XII(12) "Flu Game"

Adding to my obsession with the Jordan 12, in November Jordan Brand released the Jordan 12 "Flu Game" obviously to commemorate MJ's epic Game 5 performance in the 97' NBA Finals where he led his team from behind to defeat the Utah Jazz all while suffering from a stomach virus and wearing these Jordan 12s. Though JB added a nubuck upper which I could do without, I still felt that these should stand alone on the list.

-9 Nike Hypermax "Tennis Ball"

The above photo is the actual first photo that I saw of the Nike Hypermax "Tennis Ball", and i must admit it was an instant infatuation. This picture was originally posted with pictures of the, now infamous, McFly Hypermax. Though the latter never hit retailers stateside sneakerheads were given a treat when the "Tennis Balls" were still released, and the best part is that they were released in a city near just about everyone.

-10 Reebok Pump 20 Collection

Though Reebok may be seen to many as a dead brand, I don't think anyone would rush to discredit the impact their Pump Technology had on the game and as a result, the sneaker culture. If there were one Reebok that created a cult-like following it would have to be the Reebok Pump. So 20 years later Reebok took that very piece of information and decided to go all in. They teamed up with 20 of the most popular and influential sneaker stores in the world and let them create their very own Reebok Pump. Though they released in quantities of only 31 pairs per, many sneakerheads still decided to pull out the camping gear in hopes of becoming one of the lucky few to get their hands on a pair.

-11 CLOT x Nike Air Force One/ Mayor Bespoke Air Force One "Nesquik"

Ok I had to bend the rules a bit in order to fit these on the list. Though I'm not a huge fan of the Air Force One the fact should not be ignored that these 2 pairs are the most beautifully crafted AF1s I've laid eyes on this year if not ever. The appeal of the CLOT AF1(top) is that the foil material can be pealed to customize the shoe to your liking. The appeal of Mayor's Bespoke (bottom) is the brilliant choice of color and material combination and how it was so beautifully executed.

-12 Eddie Cruz x Nike Air Force One "West"

For this particular shoe Nike teamed up with Eddie Cruz, co-owner of UNDFTD, to bring us a finely crafted piece of art as part of the EAST vs WEST pack. Though I might be a little bias considering I'm a Lakers fan, I must admit that there was an instant attraction with this shoe. I'm personally not a big fan of the Air Force 1 but this particular make-up definitely does it for me.

-13 DJ Clark Kent x Nike Dunk "East"

God's favorite DJ also happens to be a MAJOR player in the sneaker game. Here DJ Clark Kent teamed up with Nike for a Dunk that took the overly used Gucci colorway and somehow gave it a nostalgic energy.

-14 Nylon Magazine x Nike Dunk Pack

For some reason I have a thing for Nylon Dunks, so naturally when i saw these I was very excited. I must add that I was a bit frustrated with all the confusion about if these would be released or not all the way up until they were released only at Urban Outfitters in select colors.

-15 UNDFTD x Puma "24K" Pack

Though we should never expect to be disappointed by any collaboration that involves UNDFTD, this particular release would definitely take the cake for most jaw dropping. Earlier this year when UNDFTD and PUMA joined forces the outcome was GOLDEN literally! Four styles of the Puma 24K Series Mid were released at a very select few retailers, while one very special style was released, with only 72 pairs, only at UNDFTD retailer stores.

-16 Air Jordan XII (12) Black/University Blue & Rising Sun

The Jordan 12 is hands down my favorite Jordan so therefore these had to make the list. Back in 2003 I worked at Athletes Foot and we got the Black/University Blue 12s, but we only got sizes 11.5 and up to a size 14. I wear a size 10.5 so obviously I was cut out but I still bought the 11.5 because i was in the 9th grade and figured I would fit them one day. Well, long story short, I'm still a 10.5 so it warmed my soul to see that these were being re-released. As for the "Rising Sun" I just thought this was a beautiful twist on an already beautiful silhouette.

-17 Air Jordan V (5) "Toro Bravo" Pack

In early 2009 pictures surfaced of an all red suede and an all 3M version of the Air Jordan V(5) together. Shortly after pics surfaced buzz started to build so much that there were several nicknames floating around including, the "Defining Moments 2" and the "Raging Bull". For me it was love at first sight. And on May 23, 2009 the wait was over. The "Toro Bravo" Pack checks in at number 17.

-18 Nice Kicks x David Z x Asics Gel Lyte 3

Earlier this year Nice Kicks teamed up with David Z and Asics bringing to life the Nice Kicks x Asics Gel Lyte 3, which would prove to be one of the most anticipated releases of the fall season. The collaboration, which was released in limited quantities at David Z retailers and the David Z online store, was the cause of an October uproar in the sneaker community.

-19 Nike Foamposite Lite "Kryptonate'

On February 14, 2009 many of us were locked in to what ended up being an epic slam dunk battle between the undersized Nate Robinson and the over sized Dwight Howard. Though I was personally in favor of Nate taking the crown, he was clearly the underdog considering Dwight was much taller and a fan favorite. But in true David vs Goliath fashion Nate conquered Superman draped in Kryptonite green with a striking pair of mysterious green, glowing shoes. This Foamposite Lite was later fittingly nicknamed the Kryptonate to commemorate the night and was later released in limited quantities causing many sneakerheads to get out the camping gear.

-20 Kobe IV (4)

Though this shoe seems to be built more for function than style I'm sure no one would hesitate to agree that this shoe is an example of Nike revolutionising the game once again. And though I'm not a huge fan of lowtop shoes I am, in fact, a huge fan of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Therefore its no surprise that the shoe of choice for many Lakers and various players across the league is the same shoe that I've grown to love. The Zoom Kobe IV is checking in at number 20.

-21 Spiz'ike Winterized Boot

In 2009 Jordan Brand came with a solution for all the people out there, like me, who rock kicks rain, sleep, or snow by producing a shoe equipped for just that.

-22 Griffey Max 1

In the era before performance enhancing drugs were prominent in baseball and when many of us were blowing into our Super Nintendo cartridges to make them work, Ken Griffey Jr. was the man. In 96' his Nike legacy truly began when he was granted his first signature shoe and in 2009 Nike finally answered the call with the re-release of the Air Griffey Max 1.

-23 Nike 1/2 Cent

For all the people out there who have a fondness for Penny's and the Foamposite One, this is the hybrid that gives you all the bang for your buck.

-24 Nike Livestrong Pack

I'll start the list with a set of sneakers that could have made it strictly based on it's cause. The Livestrong Series was released earlier this year to commemorate and help support the fight against cancer.

-Shoe Game Year In Review

This great year is finally coming to an end and since its been a while since I've updated I figured it's only right to close out the last 24 hours of the decade in dramatic fashion. So I will be counting down MY top 24 sneaker releases of the year, posting one per hour up until the new year. So buckle up and take a look at my honorable mentions that just barely missed the list... Leave Your 2Cents!