Brendan Dunne 
2013 marked a major turning point in the Nike Foamposite line. For the first time since the sneakers’ initial release back in 1997 with the Nike Air Foamposite One, the lineup was dominated by printed pairs rather than solidly colored ones. Prescient sneakerheads saw this one coming; last year got us familiar with the idea of Foams featuring graphics across their uppers with the likes of the super limited, and subsequently super coveted, Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy” and Nike Air Foamposite One “ParaNorman” pairs. Both of those were massive sneaker stories in their own right, and their success meant that it was only a matter of time before the printed Foamposite look went a little more mainstream.
This year was the year that it happened: there were 11 pairs of Nike Air Foamposite Ones and Nike Air Foamposite Pros released since January and only three of them didn’t feature graphics across their uppers. Some of them maintained the instant sell-out precedent set by the likes of the aforementioned “Galaxy”, while others proved that the sneakerhead public wasn’t necessarily going to gobble up every graphic Foam fed to them. Today’s release of the Nike Air Foamposite One “Oregon” marks the end of the year for the Nike Foamposite lineup, so we figured now would be a good time to do a bit of reflecting on the best and the worst of the run that began with the “Fighter Jet” Foams back in February. Reflect on the trend of graphic Foams down in the comments and be sure to cast your vote to help us decide which were the best and worst Foamposites of 2013.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Fighter Jet”
The 2013 Foamposite onslaught was started off with a major bang thanks to the white/black/silver camouflage pair dubbed the “Fighter Jet”. This was the first Foamposite to feature an extra assortment of details like the dogtags and military fighter jet logos.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Whiteout”
Thought Nike was getting a bit out of hand with Foamposite colorways? The “Whiteout” erased all that chatter and offered up the cleanest Foams ever, proving that the brand hasn’t completely detoured from the tonal route.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Phoenix Suns”
One of the rare non-graphic Foams for 2013. The Nike Air Foamposite One in question one was one of a number of Nike/Jordan Brand releases this year that seemed to pay tribute to Phoenix’s favorite team.
Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Army Camo”
Nike returned to the military inspiration with the classic camouflage graphic on this Foamposite Pro. Volt-colored details and a gum outsole added some additional intrigue to this popular mid-year release.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Sport Royal”
This Sport Royal edition took an alternate spin on the original Dark Neon Royal Foams, changing things up with the brighter hue and further deviating from the OG with the grey tongue and eyelet strips.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Weatherman”
Kevin Durant’s “Weatherman” chapter never seems to close. Nike Sportswear took the shoe championed by KD’s DMV home region and outfitted it with some personal touches calling back to KD IV edition from 2011.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Thermal Map”
Another member of the NSW “Weatherman” Pack was this White/Red “Thermal Map” installment, which utilized thermo-graphic imagery to adorn the clean white upper and provide a new angle on the ongoing theme.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Doernbecher”
The annual Doernbecher collection raised the bar for its 10th Anniversary by adding one of the most popular retro silhouettes in the recent memory. Designed by Elijah Diggans, this Air Foamposite One release was inspired by the youngster’s favorite sport (baseball) and pro athlete (LeBron James).
Nike Air Foamposite One “Safari”
What was left for Nike to do to honor Tinker Hatfield’s iconic Safari print? How about putting it on the Air Foamposite One, and making it reflective. Just like the Weatherman release, the Safari Foams were paired with a matching Air Force 1 Low counterpart.
Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Asteroid”
Finishing off the year of wild Foamposite drops was the “Asteroid”, which clearly plays off the seemingly never-ending “Galaxy” theme. This Pro model travels through an asteroid cloud, pulling in some vibrant colors and patterns and even introduced the Foam’s first gradient outsole.
Nike Air Foamposite One “Oregon”
Another limited release closes out the year for the Foams-this one crafted for the Oregon Ducks and their as they head to the Alamo Bowl. Reflective, winged graphics covered the upper while UO mascot Puddles got some shoutouts via the Ducky embroidery and insignias.
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