Toe to Toe: Sneaker of the Year - Winter '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.

So far, our Toe to Toe series has been an eventful ride, with plenty of high-heat sneaker releases and collaborations making the list. We’re now fully immersed in the process, and are ready to take a look at the final three months of 2022. Arguably the most important quarter of the year in terms of sneaker releases, it’s certainly been a red-hot few months in the sneaker industry, so without further ado, let’s look at the hottest sneakers from Q4 2022!

The first sneaker to make our list comes in the form of a collaborative project between A Ma Maniére and Jordan Brand. The duo have teamed up previously to work on the Air Jordan 1 and the Air Jordan 3, although this November the powerhouses turned their attention to the AJ4. Arguably the hottest silhouette in the world right now, an AMM Air Jordan 4 release was always going to go down a treat with footwear fanatics. Add premium build fabrics, special-edition details and an eye-catching purple hue into the mix and you have a strong contender for SOTY. Launching in extremely-limited numbers, only a select few sneakerheads managed to add this grail-status pair to their collections.

Boston-based sneaker retailer Concepts holds a long and successful collaborative history, although none of its other projects have ever come close to the ongoing “Lobster” series, in partnership with Nike SB. Acting as the fifth instalment to the pack, the Concepts x Nike SB Dunk Low “Orange Lobster” launched on the 7th December. Coming complete with rubber bands wrapped around the shoe’s toe boxes, the kicks also boasted a tartan-patterned lining and blacked-out midsoles. While the hype behind SB releases is seemingly faltering, this pair sparked interest amongst sneaker fans new and old alike, proving that the Dunk continues to dominate the footwear market.

The third addition to our list is somewhat of a legendary sneaker, although not like we’ve ever seen it before. The Air Jordan 1 High OG “Lost & Found” is a faithful recreation of 1985’s AJ1 High OG “Chicago”, and it’s beautifully pre-aged as if the pair had literally been lost in a stockroom for 37 years. Coming complete in a retro-style box and with a printed “cash receipt”, these kicks were hugely in-demand when they finally dropped on the 19th November. While stock numbers were well above the usual amount for a hyped drop, demand still outweighed supply. So with this AJ1 taking the crown for Q4, that leaves us to cover one final instalment of Toe to Toe 2022, where our four quarterly winners will be battling it out for the year’s overall top spot. Stay tuned for the next episode and be sure to check out the rest of our site for all the latest sneaker news and updates!