Author: Mike Sykes, Lei Takanashi

The sneaker of the year conversation rarely leaves anyone happy. Every publication and pundit has their own criteria. Some emphasise data, others pick based on vibes. Others just pick their personal favourites. Sometimes a consensus sneaker emerges, like in 2017, when Virgil Abloh’s “The Ten” Air Jordan 1 was crowned an instant classic by Complex, Hypebeast and others. Then there’s this year. Pharrell’s Adidas Jellyfish won Shoe of the Year at the Footwear News awards. Meanwhile, Complex went with Nigel Sylvester’s all-red “Brick by Brick” Air Jordan 4. The publication got blowback online for putting out a list deemed too…