Every year, there's a certain excitement in the air for the panel talk held at ComplexCon: The Sneaker of the Year awards gather an international audience both online and in person. We had the pleasure of attending in person.
The venue hummed with anticipation. It wasn’t just the fall air settling over Las Vegas or the glow of the perimeter lights. Inside the auditorium of ComplexCon, the kind of gathering where design, history, and streetwear converge for a moment where belief systems about footwear were laid bare, debated, and ultimately ranked.
The panel opened not with pomp, but with question: What makes a sneaker matter today? Moderated by Joe La Puma, joined by voices like Matt Welty, Brendan Dunne and others, the discussion zoomed in on relevance, craftsmanship, cultural pull, and how a silhouette lives after the drop.
From the outset, it was clear this wasn’t just about the flashiest release or the loudest marketing. The panelists spoke of longevity, dialogue, and context: a shoe that sells out isn’t necessarily a shoe that shapes culture. The audience formed by collectors, insiders, and enthusiasts felt that question in every segment.
There were a few topics that resonated throughout the entire talk:
- Legacy vs. Innovation: Several panelists stressed that heritage models reborn can carry power, but only if they’re executed with intention. Re-releases count, but if they’re simply colorways without narrative, their impact fades.
- Community and Story: It wasn’t just about what the sneaker looked like, it was about who wore it, how it was worn, where it lived. The depth of story was as important as the drop.
- Transparency of Process: Designers shared glimpses of material choices, manufacturing strategy, and collaborations, reminding us that every sneaker has an origin & consequence.
- Subjectivity in Evaluation: The panel didn’t shy away from admitting bias and opinion. One moment remarked, “This list is what we believe matters this year,” acknowledging that no ranking will be universal.
This is where the panel landed:
10. Converse Shai 001 "Butter"
9. Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 Low "Beach"
8. Lil Yachty x Nike Air Force 1 Low "Lucky Green"
7. Air Jordan 5 "Black Metallic"
6. Levi’s x Nike Air Max 95 "Obsidian"
5. Awake x Air Jordan 5 "Arctic Pink"
4. Pharrell x Adidas Adistar Jellyfish "Orange"
3. Nike Air Max 95 "Neon"
2. Undefeated x Air Jordan 4
1. Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 "Brick by Brick"
When the votes were cast and the rankings revealed, what stood out wasn’t simply which sneakers made the list, it was more about the why. The panel reminded everyone present that these shoes are cultural touchpoints: they signal moments, movements, and memories. The ceremony becomes less about who won, and more about what this year in sneakers actually meant.
Sneaker culture is living, breathing and full of ideas, critique, iteration. The panel at ComplexCon didn’t wrap it into neat boxes. It opened them. It asked questions. It left the audience thinking, not just buying.
Because for us at Noirfonce, that’s the heart of what we do: we don’t just curate sneakers. We connect to their stories, their people, their pulses. And this panel confirmed: the best sneakers are the ones that start conversations long after they’re worn.
