Sneaker News 
Did adidas have the most successful year among any brand? While Nike and Jordan Brand’s sales figures may refute that claim, there’s no contesting the three stripes owning the headlines thanks to the the riveting Kanye West. He provided Boost a hip flavor by making the cushion technology a mainstay in his footwear, while the Ultra Boost and Energy Boost running shoes that he freely wore suddenly became useful for more than performance. Alongside Kanye’s efforts were some dope achievements by the Originals, Hoops, and Skateboarding categories, which round out this list of the best adidas sneakers of 2015.
Stay tuned for the 20 Best Jordan Releases Of 2015 tomorrow.
adidas Yeezy 750 Boost
When Kanye switched to adidas, he brought with him the droves of worldwide fans who deem him a fashion god. Before the shoes even released, there was massive debate among several groups – sneakerheads, retailers, and industry experts – on whether or not Kanye’s name had true weight or was just smoke and mirros. It was too early to come to a conclusion, but in February, ‘Ye and adidas teamed up to steal the All-Star Weekend spotlight by releasing the first sneaker from their monumental partnership, the adidas Yeezy Boost 750. Sneaker fans, hip-hop junkies, and fashionistas worldwide were sent in a frenzy and although the shoes had its critics the first time around, the high-top Yeezy Boosts became the hottest item available on the market – and the re-sale numbers don’t lie.
adidas Yeezy 350 Boost
The Yeezy Boost 350, the follow-up to the Yeezy Boost 750, was arguably more popular than the trailblazing 750 high-top. Four colorways released throughout the year – “Turtle Dove”, “Pirate Black”, Moonrock”, and “Oxford Tan”. The casual, low-profile nature of the sneaker was the perfect fit for the current street-fashion trends while making it arguably a more tasteful sneaker than its more expensive compatriot, while the iconic Boost-laden midsole gave these Yeezys that striking visual cue. All four pairs were heavily sought after, quickly becoming adidas’ benchmark for the 2015 sneaker rotation. Raffles through social media were common and some shops went from local spots to global destinations simply from the exposure.
adidas Ultra Boost
This performance-running sneaker quietly released alongside the Yeezy Boost 750 during All-Star Weekend, but thanks to Kanye’s co-sign, the Ultra Boost running shoe became a ubiquitous sneaker option. The brand did well in re-releasing the striking all-white pair that Kanye himself wore on stage, but several other pairs became legends in their own right. The adidas Boost Collective, which featured unique Ultra Boost designs penned by a select group of creatives, also gave the sneaker an added flair, while the year-end collaboration with Hypebeast cemented these as the “it” shoe of 2015. It can even be argued that the Ultra Boost was the single best sneaker of the year.
Pharrell x adidas Supercolor Pack
Pharrell played a unique role with adidas this year, providing a level of calm to the brand that was working non-stop with their new innovations and products. His Supercolor collection, which featured an endless rainbow of colors on the Superstar, reflected the laid-back and cool-headed vibe that Pharrell effortlessly conveys, and the message was clear – we’re keeping it simple with this classic shoe, and you get to pick the color you want.
adidas NMD
When it comes to new developments and significant brand shifts, adidas was above any other brand in 2015. It all started with Kanye’s arrival back in February and ended with the announcement of NMD, a new campaign that combined their new innovations with ground-breaking ones from the past. A huge unveiling in New York City in early December had sneakerheads gearing their attention to adidas once again.
adidas Skateboarding Busenitz Scheinfeld
Dennis Busenitz’ pro model is to adidas as the Janoski is to Nike. The soccer-inspired skate shoe has been one adidas Skateboarding’s most popular sneakers ever, and like the Janoski, we’ve seen the shoe get released in a bevy of colorways – with the suede/gum combination being a surefire formula for success. To celebrate thirteen straight seasons of unprecedented success, adidas crafted the finest Busenitz ever – a premium leather version made exclusively at the Scheinfeld factory in Germany, the only adidas-owned shoe manufacturing factory in the world.
adidas EQT #/3F15 Collection
Ultra Boost and Yeezy may have hogged the headlines, but EQT shouldn’t go by unnoticed. adidas revived the EQT line with awesome re-issues of the EQT Guidance and Support, but what it all summed up to was a new generation of EQT created for lifestyle appeal. The nomenclature is a bit confusing, but one thing is clear – adidas knocked it out of the park with this revamped EQT capsule.
James Harden x adidas Crazylight Boost
No surprise here that another Boost sneaker makes the best-of-adidas list, but the adidas Hoops design team did an incredible job with this model. While there were some notable releases like the energetic “Neon” and the others that commemorated Andrew Wiggins’ achievements, this 1-of-100 release was easily the most memorable because it was the first issue that was centered around the brand’s newfound and now pinnacle American athlete in James Harden. The all-white look might’ve been following the trend, but The Beard has a thing for the angelic monotone look (his birthday party carried the same theme).
adidas Y-3 Retro Boost
Sneaker trends have evolved to a minimal and monochrome aesthetic and adidas’ high-end sub-brand Y-3 deserves a bulk of the credit. Silhouettes like the Tubular, Yeezy Boost, and Ultra Boost all have that Y-3 DNA whether the respective designers like to admit it or not. The best new model from the Y-3 camp is undoubtedly the Retro Boost, a sneaker that made full-length Boost cushioning look good while using the three-stripes logo in a unique way. Only a handful of colorways released in 2015, but each and every one of them were standouts.
adidas Palace Pro Boost
Palace Skateboards, based in the UK, holds a lot of weight in skate/street-wear circles so their collaboration with adidas was met with positive reactions across the board. The apparel collection was on point, as were the footwear options. The Palace Pro and its Boost-build sibling were spot on, while the year-end Copa Mundial was a pleasant nod to adidas’ reputation as a football powerhouse.
