Sneaker Trend of the Year: Neutral Colorways
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By Stadium Goods |Sneaker Trend of the Year: Neutral Colorways
No color trend was more prominent in the sneaker world in 2021 than neutral tones, and these are the finest examples of the movement.
Matt DeSciora
Sneaker trends are always on the move. One minute maximalism is the wave—think patent leather BAPE Stas in Skittles colors. The next minute monochromatic colorways are dictating what people wear—no sneaker was more influential than the Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” in the early 2010s. This year, the pendulum got stuck somewhere in the middle. Instead of choosing between shoes with hard-to-miss colors or one solid color, sneaker culture embraced a movement that maybe isn’t even a trend at all, rather an antidote to trend fatigue itself. In 2021, no theme was more prevalent than neutral colorways.
Rolled out in early 2021 by Jordan Brand with the Air Jordan 1 High ‘85 “Neutral Grey” and by adidas on the Yeezy 450 “Cloud White,” and many other sneakers since, neutral-colored sneakers in cream, white, grey, and tan tones were everywhere this year.
Just throw on something in a neutral colorway that is almost guaranteed to mesh with whatever you’re wearing at the moment, and get on with your life. There was a reason why Steve Jobs used to have a pair of New Balance 992s in grey on his feet at all times.
These are our selections for the Best “Neutral” Sneakers of 2021, in no particular order.
A Ma Maniére x Women’s Air Jordan 3 “Raised By Women”
Almost everybody would agree that A Ma Maniére’s Air Jordan 3 is one of the best sneaker releases of 2021. But why is that? It’s not only James Whitner’s great backstory for the design—celebration of black women—but also the impeccable execution in premium materials and, yes, neutral tones.
Sacai x Fragment x Nike LDWaffle “Grey”
Neutral doesn’t mean watered down. And it certainly doesn’t mean boring, either. Take one look at the Sacai x Fragment x Nike LDWaffle in “Grey” and tell us otherwise.
Women’s Nike Dunk High “Football Grey”
A two-tone, white-and-greyish-blue color scheme gives the Women’s Nike Dunk High “Football Grey” a neutral vibe that looks as great in the spring and summer as it does in the fall and even winter, too. If you’re digging this style for the Dunk, check out other colorways like the “Pure Platinum,” “Grey Fog,” and “Photon Dust.” Each style features the same classic two-tone appearance in subtle shades.
Sacai x Nike Blazer Low “Iron Grey”
The best of the best sneaker collaborations adopted a neutral look this year, led by Sacai’s Nike Blazer Low in “Iron Grey.” Even with Sacai’s avant-garde styling, the vintage basketball shoe is still incredibly versatile and wearable in a clean black-and-white colorway.
Women’s Air Jordan 4 “Shimmer”
All praise to Hender Scheme and its lead designer Ryo Kashiwazaki for conceptualizing an Air Jordan 4 back in the day, because without that replica of Michael Jordan’s fourth signature shoe, we wouldn’t have the Women’s Air Jordan 4 “Shimmer.” The sleeper release is highly reminiscent of Kashiwazaki’s limited edition version, and one of the best neutral colorways of the year.
adidas Yeezy 450 “Cloud White”
Yeah, remember what we said about neutral not being boring? There’s nothing about the adidas Yeezy 450 “Cloud White’s” design that’ll make someone yawn. The “Cloud White” honors Kanye West’s appreciation for a good monochromatic shoe in a neutral colorway that takes a little of the boldness out of the 450’s progressive stance.
The adidas Yeezy Slide was one of the biggest footwear trends of the year, and four of the six colorways offered so far are in neutral tones. Coincidence? We think not.
Like the Dunk, the Air Jordan 1 Mid looks exceptionally well put together in neutral colors. The two old school basketball shoes were both designed by Peter Moore way back when, and when either appears in a two-tone color block that pairs a white leather base with neutral leather overlays, as the “Tan/Gum” does here, it’s a vibe… that goes with everything!
Paperboy x New Balance 992 “Fried Egg”
Would any list of the best neutral-colored sneakers be a list without a New Balance shoe? A dizzying amount of great New Balance sneakers in neutral colors were released just this year alone, including the 991 “20th Anniversary” and the Levi’s x New Balance 990 V3, but we’re going with Paperboy’s “Fried Egg” version of the New Balance 992 for its tongue-in-cheek creativity.