Toe to Toe: Sneaker of the Year - Summer '22

As we steam further into the final month of the year, it’s only right that different outlets in the sneaker industry are beginning to launch their SOTY (Sneaker of the Year) roundups. Here at The Sole Supplier we’re doing things a little differently this year, so let us introduce you to Toe to Toe: 2022’s SOTY list that breaks the contenders down into quarterly chunks. By looking at the year in three month periods, it’s easy to recognise all of 2022’s key releases, meaning we can look back and remember the pairs that mattered the most.

After an action-packed look at Q1 in which the Air Jordan 4 “Red Thunder” proved victorious, now it’s time to set our sights on Q2. As the weather starts to get warmer and summer begins to creep in, brands notoriously drop some of the highest-heat they have planned for the year, meaning we’ve got some top tier releases to look at this time around. So read on and join us to find out what was the most popular sneaker release of Q2 2022!

First on our list and one of our mighty runners up for Q2 is the Wales Bonner x adidas Samba “Cream Green”. Piggybacking off the ongoing blokecore trend, the Samba has proved itself to be one of the most popular silhouettes of 2022, enjoying a widespread revival that has included collaborations with the likes of Human Race and IRAK. This time around joining forces with the British fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, the 3-Stripe brand decked the sneaker out in shades of off-white and green, with retro-styled details and branding sealing the deal.

Now it was only a matter of time before Houston-based rapper Travis Scott made an appearance on this list with one of his highly-desirable Swoosh collaborations. You’ll be pleased to hear that the Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 Cactus Jack “Baroque Brown” has taken our second runner-up position for Q2. Showcasing Scott’s signature reversed-Swoosh logo atop of a brown, white and red colourway, the kicks acted as one of several collaborations that spearheaded the AM1 back into the limelight. A clouded Air unit and rope-style laces complete the look here, making these a pair that sneakerheads went crazy to cop when they launched back in May.

Closing off our additions for Q2 and also acting as our stand-out winner is none other than the Air Jordan 4 “Military Black”, another prestigious release from back in May ‘22. Tinker Hatfield’s iconic 1989 silhouette is draped in a subtle white and black colourway, letting the classic design traits do all the talking here. Gaining an immense 248,000 views on The Sole Supplier site since its release, this pair is without a doubt one of the most popular sneakers of the year so far. Eagle-eyed readers will have also noticed that Q1’s most popular sneaker was also an Air Jordan 4, meaning it was clearly a big year for the silhouette - could there be a pattern beginning to form here? Join us in the next edition of Toe to Toe to find out!