Every year, the biggest names in sneakers put out iconic colorways of their signature shoes, just in time for Halloween. Some may be a simple combination of black and orange while others feature ornate designs related to the annual day celebrating ghouls, goblins, and candy.
Here are our five favorite releases of the 2014 Halloween sneaker rush.
See also: 5 Best Stores for Sneakerheads in Metro Phoenix
5. Jordan Spizike - "Electric Orange"
This one's for all the kids and small-footed ladies out there, as this festive colorway of one of the most popular non-Air Jordan offerings from Jordan Brand is only available in sizes up to 7Y. That said, the futuristic design of the Spizike (named after filmmaker Spike Lee) combines flawlessly with the black and grey overall theme of the shoe. Accents like elephant print on the toe and heel, as well as a few touches of orange make these a shoe that we absolutely would've picked up if they'd released in men's sizes. They're still available for $125 with free shipping on Nike.com.
4. Back to the Future 2 Light Up Shoes
The original Nike Air Mag was originally made specifically for the second Back to the Future movie, with Marty McFly's pair being the only one in existence. In 2011, Nike released 1,500 on eBay to raise money for charity, and people paid up to $90,000 for the shoes (even though they didn't lace themselves like McFly's did). In September, Universal Studios allowed HalloweenCostumes.com to put out replicas of the shoes without any of the Nike branding. Despite the fact that they're presumably not very high-quality (they're made to be part of a Marty McFly costume), not actual Nike sneakers, and still cost $100, they sold out instantly. September's release is still available through resellers on eBay and such, but if you don't need them for Halloween, they'll be releasing in greater quantities throughout the rest of the year. You can check the shoes' page on HalloweenCostumes.com for updates. There's probably no truth to the rumors of Nike rereleasing the actual Air Mags in 2015, the year the shoes came from in the movie.
3. Reebok Blast - "Freaks of the Night"
The only bad thing about this Reebok release is that it doesn't drop until Halloween, so if you want to wear them that weekend, you'll have to go grab them in person. The sneakers feature a reptilian theme, with a creepy color combination of dark green, two shades of red and some black scales. The Blast has never been our favorite Reebok model, but they certainly work well with the four-color palette, where some sneakers might look cluttered or out of place. To be honest, we'll probably be wearing these long after Halloween. They should be plenty available at various major sneaker retailers and at Reebok.com when they drop.
2. Adidas Top Ten Hi - "Skeleton"
Adidas has seen a major revival in recent months, thanks largely in part to collaborations with huge sneaker influencers such as Ronnie Fieg and Pharrell. It shouldn't be much of a surprise that their Halloween sneaker for 2014 is significantly stronger than it has been in previous years. The Top Ten Hi has always been our favorite over-ankle model from Adidas, and the skeletal design on the side of it isn't overdone or gaudy, unlike skeletons we've seen on past sneakers. There's something to be said for a comfortable black sneaker with a relatively simple reflective design, and that's exactly what these are. They're available for $100 in nearly every size on the Adidas website.
1. Nike SB Dunk Mid - "Haunted Halloween"
Despite being Nike SB's most popular model, some of the most limited and sought-after Dunks don't receive announced release dates and just sporadically pop up on both Nike's website and the other SB retailers' websites. These black and orange sneakers were actually available at a couple of other SB retailers before they were seen on Nike's site, but they're now sold out at both. The plain style and high-quality leather mean that these shoes aren't just comfortable, but also wearable in most situations outside of Halloween. We're planning on keeping them in our rotation for quite some time, or at least until the awesome jack-o-lantern design wears off of the insoles. We'd keep an eye on other online Nike SB retailers (or possibly at Cowtown) to see if any become available in the coming weeks for their $93 retail price.
