You’ll see the hottest releases in his frequent #outfitgrid posts, but which shoes was Dennis Todisco really feeling in 2013? Modern Notoriety recently sat down with the industry leader to discuss his Top Ten of the year. Though many know him as the father of the #outfitgrid community, Dennis’ impact on marketing and social media goes deeper than that–he spent close to 5 years as Director of Lifestyle Marketing for Karmaloop and moved on to become the Director of Social Media and Marketing for Diamond Supply Co. These days, he’s taking the game to a whole new level with his own consulting firm, Hand Over Fist, where he’s the brains behind some of the most creative and effective marketing strategies in the industry today. Keep reading to see which shoes were worthy of making the cut!
10. Bape x UNFTD x Adidas ZX5000 – To start my list, I have to acknowledge the monster three-way collab between Bape, UNDFTD, and Adidas. The ZX5000 was easily one of the most anticipated shoes of the year – gracing magazine covers all the way back in 2012 – over half a year before they finally were released in April. The combination of classic Americana represented by the three stripes paired with Japan’s classic Bape camouflage, and all tied together neatly in the athletic silhouette of Germany’s Adidas – made this the international collab of the year and number 10 on my list.
9. Concepts x New Balance 998 C-Note – My good friends at Concepts chef up classics on the regs – especially with New Balance. The C-Note is a perfect example of great execution and story-telling by transcribing the new 100 dollar bills into a minimal and wearable shoe. Subtle reflective, gold, and blue hits play off of the supple off-white and olive suede – really bringing the shoe together perfectly. Photo @ahboongdee
8. Air Jordan IV “Toro” – Jordan IV’s are one of my favorite sneakers of all-time. While OG colorways will always hold a special place in my heart – Jordan did it right with these Toro Bravo’s. The crisp fire red leaps off the nubuck and contrasts nicely with the black and grey accents. While not as luxurious as the 2009 Toro V’s suede, the quality on these were on par with my favorite shoe of 2012 – the Bred IV’s.
7. Size? x Nike Air Max 93 – Size? in the UK is no stranger to creating amazing projects with Nike. This double pack of Air Max 93’s and Huarache’s stays true to that fact. Since I can only pick one, I’m going with the Air Max 93. Let’s be clear, this shoe is just beautiful. Dipped in the most gorgeous Azure blue and purple accenting, paired with the comfort of the 93 – this shoe was a must-have for 2013.
6. Burn Rubber x New Balance 577 Joe Louis – Detroit-based boutique Burn Rubber continues to kill it with their special projects and this collaboration with New Balance was no exception. This pair of 577’s tells the story of Michigan hero and boxing legend Joe Louis. The rich black and brown leathers represents the of vintage Boxing gloves, and the “sneaker box” tells the tale of how Joe had to smuggle his boxing gloves into his violin case when his mom thought he was going to take music lessons instead of heading to the gym. My favorite pair of New Balances of the year.
5. Stussy x Timberland – Yes, I know Timbs aren’t “sneakers” – but in my closet, living on the East Coast – they might as well be. Stussy collaborated with Timberland to produce these 6″ boots. Yes, these are the exact same colorway as my favorite classic anti-fatigue Wheats – but the subtle improvements – such as the side gold zip, matching gold hardware, and Stussy branding on the tongue – flipped the classic workwear pair and turned them into luxury Timbs.Photo @sneakerpolitics