Toe to Toe: Sneaker of the Year - The Finale '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.

With festive celebrations and the new year just around the corner, the time has finally come to draw Toe to Toe to a close and announce The Sole Supplier’s Sneaker of the Year for 2022. It’s been an epic battle so far, with high-heat collaborations, limited-edition releases and even a few GR pairs thrown into the mix. For our final instalment, we’ll be setting up the top three winners from the year against each other, with one sneaker set to take home the victory. Read on for more and join us as we crown our winner!

Coming in with a solid third place is none other than the Air Jordan 4 “Red Thunder”, the most popular sneaker of Q1 2022. The kicks are closely modelled on 2012’s “Thunder” pair, although they swap out the yellow accents for a rich red instead. The kicks amassed a huge 140,000 views via The Sole Supplier’s website and it’s not exactly hard to see why, with AJ4s being so popular this year. Now available strictly via the secondary market, did you add this hyped release to your ever-growing sneaker collection this year?

After making several appearances on our quarterly roundups, it’s no surprise to anyone that one of Travis Scott’s eponymous sneaker releases has made it to the final round. Choosing to work on the popular Air Jordan 1 Low OG, the Astroworld star decked the silhouette out in a “Reverse Mocha” colourway, with details such as a reversed Swoosh logo and Cactus Jack branding making appearances. Receiving over 189,000 views on The Sole Supplier site, these AJ1s are awarded a well-deserved second place this year.

Proving even more so that 2022 was the year of the Air Jordan 4, the “Military Black” colourway comes through in clutch, taking the top spot as 2022’s Sneaker of the Year. The Tinker Hatfield-designed silhouette looks better than ever here, decked out in a simple monochromatic colourway. Dropping back in May ‘22 and also crowned as Q2’s best sneaker, the kicks amassed a whopping 250,000 page views via The Sole Supplier, and continue to be in-demand well after the release date has surpassed us.

If you’ve enjoyed joining us on this epic sneaker journey then be sure to stay locked in right here at The Sole Supplier, as we share all the latest sneaker and streetwear news as it happens, as well as keeping you up to date with all the latest release dates. Check out the rest of our site and here’s to more hyped drops next year!