30 Best Sneakers of 2016

It’s been a solid year for sneakerheads worldwide. 2016 featured dope, exclusive releases from the biggest brands in footwear. With 2017 shaping up to be another one for the books when it comes to sneaker drops, XXL looks back at the last 12 months to highlight the best sneakers of 2016.

The biggest footwear companies in the business like Adidas, Nike, Jordan Brand, Reebok and more, delivered their fair share of quality product. Sneaker brands surely cashed in, making it one for the books and quite memorable. German sportswear company Adidas most certainly had a successful year in terms of sneaker drops with highly sought-after releases like the Adidas Yeezy Boost 750 Grey/Gum, the Adidas x Pharrell NMD Human Race HU, theAadidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 and more. The Three Stripes definitely had a successful year in terms of sales and trends.

Another brand to make a huge splash with its sneaker releases is Nike, who introduced a bunch of new, innovative silhouettes while also bringing back a few of their classic kicks. Michael Jordan’s brand didn’t fall short either with the releases, as the Jumpman provided a few highlights. Highly anticipated drops of the Air Jordan 12 Retro Flu Game, the Air Jordan 1 Retro Banned and Air Jordan Retro 4 Cement are just a few that kept sneakerheads talking.

Now, as folks get ready to head into a new sneaker year with 2017 just around the corner, XXL presents the best sneaker drops of 2016. Check them out in the gallery above. Then head over to see which rappers were the most fashionable this year and who had the best clothing collabos.

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