The 2010s were an interesting time for sneakers.
Prior to the turn of the decade, Jordan Brand was the driving force within the Nike umbrella. The Countdown Packs, as well as the launch of the Air Jordan 23, placed JB in a great place ahead of the 2010s. Jordan Brand followed the 2008 Countdown Packs with one of the most polarizing efforts by the brand ever- the Fusion Air Jordan Line. This collection left the sneaker space divided and unsure about what was next in sneakers.
Of course, the release of the 2009 Space Jam allowed the brand some momentum, but the early 2010s were a time of dominance for Nike as a whole. Way before Travis Scott made Nike SB cool again, Nike’s Skateboarding imprint was enjoying an era of high demand. To this day, the 2010 Skunk Dunk remains in the upper echelon of Nike SB Grails. The turn of the decade also saw the arrival of the Nike Air Yeezy line- which would forever change partnerships between artist and sneaker brands.
By the end of 2011, things were brewing. The hype behind Nike’s efforts could not be ignored. Suddenly, sneakers were once again a commodity to everyone in the vacinity of pop-culture. In December of 2011, Jordan Brand released the Concord 11s- to much fan fair and demand. Two months later, though, Nike Basketball would forever change the direction of sneakers as a interest and hobby.
The 2012 NBA All Star Weekend was to be held in Orlando. This granted Nike Basketball a unique opportunity to celebrate an Orlando Magic Legend. The Foamposite had a dedicated fanbase, with flashy colors and design, there was no missing a foamposite when spotted in public. Nike’s approach to celebrating Penny Hardaway and the Foamposite would result in the creation of one of the most coveted sneakers ever- The Galaxy Foamposite One.
The Galaxy Foamposite changed everything. Yes, the hype was already at the cusp, but the Galaxay Foamposite tipped it over and broke the glass. The Concord drop the year prior was headline news- as sneaker heads and resellers alike stood in line for the sneaker. The Galaxy Foamposite took that to another level.
Reports of over 3,000 people showing up to one mall in Orlando is nothing to bat an eye at, but it was among the tamest of stories from the time. New York’s 21 Mercer Nike Store had a line that went for blocks and had to shut down the store after wristbands were handed out. Over 100 police offers were placed at a Florida mall to stop a riot that was quickly unravelling.
The situation got so bad, Footlocker’s across Florida had to completely cancel their planned releases: “Due to safety concerns, we are canceling the All-Star releases this weekend (product list below) at the following Foot Locker House of Hoops stores: Florida Mall, Pembroke Mall, University Mall in Tampa, Southlake Mall and PG Plaza. Our priority is the safety of the community. Thank you for your understanding”.
Obviously, all of this meant the sneaker was essentially impossible to pick up at retail. Given their limited nature, and the amount of hype and controversy surrounding the release, the shoe was fetching a pretty penny. At a time where sneakers selling for thousands was not common, the Galaxy Foamposite essentially broke the secondary market. Stores were fighting for the oppurtunity to have the sneakers in their shop. Reselling sneakers was not as common, or as relevant, as it is in today’s era of sneakers. So when people put out crazy claims like offering to trade their cats, or “favors” for a pair of Galaxy Foamposites- it was automatically seen as a joke. Before memes were what they are today, a Craigslist post looking to trade a 1996 Chevy Cavalier for the Galaxy Foamposites made the rounds across sneaker forums. That Cavalier would come with a full tank of gas, of course.
All the frivolous details aside, the Galaxy Foamposite was more than one of the most viral sneaker releases ever. They marked a time where the sneaker hobby was rapidly changing. As stated earlier, the wrinkles were already there. The Galaxy Foamposite made them impossible to ignore, though.
Nike Basketball was in the midst of it’s most impactful run since the 1990s. The KD 4 and Nike Elite-Sock combo was born off of the back of the success of the Galaxy Foamposite. Those shoes had their merits, of course, but the Galaxies were the punctuation mark of the era. Nike performance basketball sneakers had gone mainstream. Sneakers in general had gone mainstream.
Though today sneaker releases commonly occur via raffles- that was not the case back when the Galaxy Foamposites released. In fact, their release, as well as the yearly Holiday Air Jordan 11 release, helped us reach this era of raffle releases that we see today. For better or for worse.
13 years is a very long time. Though a lot has changed since the Galaxy Foampostites originally released in 2012, it’s place as one of the most important sneakers to ever release holds strong. Though sometimes taking a backseat to other performance models, the Foamposite has remained a strong presence within the Nike Basketball release schedule.
The even flows between roll out, to release to the secondary market and beyond are always changing, but the Galaxy Foamposites seem immune to the sneaker lull we are currently in.
Nike’s successful Cult Classics series is bringing us back Galaxy Foamposites. This will be the first time the sneaker ever returns.
Though this release will go down significantly smoother (famous last words), the legacy remains the same. We will be granted a rare opportunity to grab one of the most important sneakers ever. A sneaker that defined an era. A sneaker that changed the world of sneaker collecting forever.
The Galaxy Foamposite One returns on February 21st via SNKRS and other Nike retailers.
Stay up to date on this release and more via the SoleSavy DROPS app. There you can find the latest news details as well as release info and raffle management.
