Last year, we compiled a list of our favorite sneakers that had never received a retro/re-release. Since then, most of the legendary kicks on that list got retro’d by mid-2021. Classics like the Kobe 6 “Grinch,” Air Max 90 “Bacon,” and the Air Jordan 1 High “Neutral Grey” finally hit (primarily digital) shelves after years of waiting.
With another year nearly halfway through, we decided to revisit the topic and see what other sneakers desperately need the retro treatment sooner rather than later. We consulted our SoleSavy community and staff to figure out a new batch of must-have retros that could be in the pipeline. To qualify for our list, the shoes must have never been re-released in any form before. For example, while it’s been nearly ten years since we’ve seen Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” with “Nike Air” on the heels, that was a retro of the original 1988 release, thus disqualifying them.
Now onto our picks.
adidas Yeezy Boost 750 OG (2015)
Image via Reuters/Lucas Jackson
This is the only entry from our original list to make a repeat visit on our 2021 update and is still a grail for both diehard and newer Kanye fans alike.
Although the QNTMs can be considered spiritual successors as they both take inspiration from high-top basketball sneakers for their silhouette, we think it’s about time the original adidas Yeezy makes its return.
It would be great if the 750s could get the same kind of technology upgrade as the 350s while maintaining the general aesthetics of the originals. The original 350s and 750s simply aren’t as comfortable as recent Yeezy models. While the 2015/16 Yeezys still had full-length Boost midsoles, but it wasn’t until the 350V2 that adidas nailed the construction. The outer portion of the outsole, now done in translucent rubbers rather than hard, plastic shells are much more durable.
We’ll keep this energy out there until we see a retro.
Air Jordan 1 High “Celtic” (2009)
Image via Stadium Goods
This Boston Celtics-inspired colorway of the AJ1 High originally dropped in 2009 in the Defining Moments 60+ Points Pack alongside another AJ1 High “Bred.” While the “Bred” has seen many reincarnations, its counterpart has never seen a retro. Others have come close, like the “Pine Green” and women’s exclusive “Lucky Green”, but never the OG. Whether you’re a Boston Celtics fan or not, a “Black Toe” inspired Jordan 1 will always be a smash hit. In good company with the likes of the Fragments, Unions, and Best Hand In The Game pack, the “Celtic” colorway is a must-have for many. Despite having a Jumpman on the heel – a faux-pas for the more puritanical Jordan Brand stan – this is how the shoe debuted. If the shoe dropped with or without Jumpman heel embellishment, these would still be a hit in the present day.
The original DMP pack drop commemorated a famous 63-point performance by Michael Jordan against his long-time rival team, the Boston Celtics. Nowadays, Jordan Brand holds serious Celtic firepower of their own with rising superstar Jayson Tatum and 4x NBA All-Star Kemba Walker on the roster. The marketing potential alone would make this retro a home run. The various other “Green” Jordan 1s can only scratch that itch for so long.
Spike Lee x Air Jordan 3 “Do The Right Thing” (2007)
Image via Nike
It is a crime that it took until 2017 for Spike Lee to win his first Oscar. Here we have one of the most critically acclaimed and popular living directors, with multiple films in critics’ “Best Film of All-Time” lists, being shunned by the Academy after 3+ decades in the game. We’re glad that wrong is finally righted.
Since then, Lee has only continued to release great work, both with Jordan Brand and in his own film career. Beyond getting his own retro colorways, the visionary director – and most recently his son, Jackson – have gotten their own signature models such as the Son of Mars, Mars 270, and the Spizike series, proving the brand’s confidence and trust in the Lee x Jordan brand. While we wouldn’t mind something like a Da 5 Bloods Air Jordan 5, we’d love to see the “Do The Right Thing” Air Jordan 3 Retro. Not to be confused with the 1989 “White Cement” Jordan 4s from that one scene in the film, the DTRT 3’s wild colorway is instead inspired by the original film poster. Worn by the likes of Drake when they first dropped, the sheer nostalgia factor behind this lesser-known Spike collab makes this ripe for the picking.
That being said, considering the film’s 30th anniversary came and went in 2019, we wouldn’t mind another first time retro of say, his AJ4 “Fire Red Mars Blackmon,” his ultra-rare AJ1 High, or even a public release of the Metallic Gold AJ3 PEs Lee wore to the Oscars?
Who knows? Lee and Jordan Brand could be cooking up something completely new as we speak.
Air Jordan 5 “Wolf Grey” (2011)
Image via Stadium Goods
Unlike other picks on our list, the Air Jordan 5 “Wolf Grey” doesn’t have any particular storytelling or history behind it. For a non-OG colorway from 2011, the shoe was still popular enough to sell out. However, its status as a must-have retro came years later. With the Last Dance effect reigniting hype in MJ’s first 14 signatures, a strikingly similar colorway dropping in the form of an Off-White collab, and vintage/moodboard Instagram accounts taking over the timeline with their earth-toned Dunks and Js, people need these expeditiously.
atmos x Nike Air Max 1 B “Viotech” (2003)
Image via Stadium Goods
Few brands have as many highly-coveted collabs and exclusive colorways with the Swoosh as atmos. The Japanese label/sneaker boutique has been representative of Japan’s long-standing and passionate sneaker culture since its inception in 2000. For many, the Air Max 1 “Elephant” is their #1 atmos collab, to which those fans’ prayers were answered with a retro in 2017. For others, nothing tops the elusive 1-of-100 atmos x Nike Air Max 1 B “Viotech.” Released exclusively in-store for the anniversary of a shop called “Grey One,” all 100 pairs had individually numbered and signed shoeboxes designed by artist Dez Einswell.
The shoe itself keeps that OG Air Max 1 shape with the larger Air unit window in the heel and other extra details like embroidered, golden mini-Swooshes on the lateral toe and heels. Various brown earth tones are used for the shoe’s leather and suede upper, while a “Viotech” purple Swoosh cements the signature look of the Japan-exclusive release. atmos has shown us time and time again they’re not shy about bringing back the classics; let’s see the “Viotech” get the same treatment soon, please.
Nike Air International Triax 1 (1998)
Image via @airmaxarchives/SoleSavy
When we partnered with Nike fan page extraordinaire @NikeStories, back in March, readers voted the 1998 Air International Triax 1 as the Air Max that most deserves a first-time retro. While the non-mainline Air Max series did not achieve mass popularity, this is the only shoe from that list that the majority of folks said they would want retro’d. They may not be exactly grail status for many, and other strikingly similar Air Max silhouettes have been retro’d this year alone, but there’s an undeniable charm to this era of Nike Running’s forward-thinking designs.
With the vintage craze only growing more each week, we could see these winding up in many hardcore sneaker enthusiasts’ closets. If you’re pining for a pair and can’t take your chances waiting for a retro, then it might be time to hit up the thrift, online auction, or your fellow SoleSavy members.
Nike HTM Lunar Flyknit NRG (2012)
Image via Stadium Goods
Almost anything from the gone but not forgotten Nike HTM sublime could end up here, but our pick would have to go the HTM Lunar Flyknit NRG. When these first dropped, the hype was at a fever pitch. Flyknit was still an all-new technology and not nearly as widespread as it is today. Combined with the then-futuristic Lunarlon cushioning tech (effectively replaced by React foam) and the stamp of approval from its namesakes Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker, these were nuclear. It even landed the top spot at a few Sneaker of the Year lists from the likes of Complex and Sneaker Freaker. While an onslaught of Flyknit runners have released over the years, the extremely limited HTM colorways are top-tier grails for fans of that exciting, early 2010s period of sneaker culture.
Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Kay Yow” / “Think Pink” (2011)
Image via Nike
Initially released in August of 2011 as a partnership with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, these Kobe 6s dropped as part of a breast cancer awareness initiative and were limited even upon initial release. Donning a loud makeup akin to the “Grinch,” these kicks opt for hot pink, faux reptile textured upper and matching tongues, sock liners, and outsole accents. The white heel counter features a pink and black Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon, as we would hope a retro would as well.
While Protro PEs of these have already been made, only time will tell if the public will get a chance at these. Some may find that a tad too optimistic considering the dissolution of Kobe and Nike’s brand deal, but it hasn’t stopped other unofficially announced Kobe colorways from popping up online.
Nike Lebron 6 “Stewie” PE (2009)
Image via Bill Baptist
Effectively marrying sneaker and pop culture, the Family Guy inspired Nike Lebron 6 “Stewie” is ‘the one that got away’ for many ‘heads. They could have been retro’d earlier this year when they appeared in Nike SNKRS’ Vote Back contest, but, controversially, that honor went to the Lebron 6 “Ring Ceremony.” Through the use of bright, primary colors and an array of thick, black outlining, the shoe achieves a trompe l’oeil effect where the shoe appears to live in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional space. Based on the Family Guy character, Stewie Griffin, the kicks quite literally pop like nothing else. “Cartoon” custom Air Force 1s were all the rage just a few years ago, but these official PEs are still the cream of the crop.
Nike SB Dunk Low “Heineken” (2003)
Image via SoleSavy member Sean Go
In 2003, Nike SB infamously released this pair of Dunk Lows inspired by Heineken beer, complete with the brand’s star logo on the heel, without consulting with the beer titan. When Heineken caught wind of this, they forced Nike to pull pairs from stores and halt production or face a copyright infringement case. With only ~4,000 pairs rumored to have been produced by then, the shoe has reached legendary status (and after-market prices). It’s time to bury the hatchet.
Nike has proven they’re ready to leave drama in the past. They were once the focus of Supreme’s ire with a 2001 “Fuck Nike” t-shirt, only to begin a decades-long partnership a few years later. And most recently, Nike managed to reach an agreement with the USPS after pulling a “Heineken” of their own, lifting USPS’ branding for an upcoming Air Force 1 Experimental colorway. Supreme once ripped off Louis Vuitton’s monogram logo for a collection in 2000 and was immediately hit with a Cease & Desist order. The two brands then turned the streetwear/luxury fashion world on its head with their massive 2017 collaboration. If these institutions were able to squash the beef, anything is possible. We could see a Heineken Dunk one day.
