-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.