SNEAKERS: THE COMPLETE LIMITED EDITIONS GUIDE

Speaking as someone who was personally involved in both this and the first book, when the previous installment (‘Sneakers: The Complete Collectors’ Guide’, first published in 2005) of this series came out, the main problem was working out which shoes to include – and which to leave out. It went as well as it could have done, but it also meant that a lot of the early limited and collaborative shoes got missed out in the process: there weren’t enough significant releases at the time to give them more presence. When Thames & Hudson approached the guys at U-Dox for a follow-up publication, the agency’s response to do a volume focused purely on limited edition models was a great idea – and has resulted in one of the most interesting books on footwear yet.

As you’d expect, the range of brands mentioned within is extensive, covering all of your favourites – and a few less obvious options too. Flicking through the pages and you’re instantly refreshed with many rarely-seen projects or simply those that came and went so swiftly that they’re now consigned to sporadic eBay auctions. Old favourites, such as the adidas Superstar 35th Anniversary series (2005) or the Nike Air Max 90 DQM co-lab (2004), sit alongside the Alife Reebok Pumps (2006) and Vans x Brooks project from 2010. Many of the expected UK retail collaborations are in there (Crooked Tongues, Size?, Foot Patrol, Hanon), which resonates particularly well with us here at The Drop Date: the shoes from our own shores are amongst the best in the book. Many more recent projects, such as the Mita Air Max 95s (2013) or Ronnie Fieg releases (New Balance, Puma and Asics), are in here as well, making for a well-rounded look at the collaborative scene across a wide period of time.

One of the most interesting things to notice when comparing this book to its predecessor is how things have switched up in terms of brand dominance. Back in 2005, there were only a handful of models from some of the smaller brands that seemed of interest to people on the high street. This new edition features a multitude of shoes from Asics, Le Coq Sportif and many other brands who’ve made serious progress in non-athletic circles since then.

The design follows on nicely from the previous book, but the photography is where things have really been progressed: the styling from the U-Dox team (and the photography from Phil Aylen in particular) makes this one of the best-looking books out there. The typography and layout is clean, concise and easy-to-read throughout.

In short, it’s an essential purchase for anyone remotely interested in trainers (or sneakers, to use a more globally-accepted term). We’ve heard rumours that there will be an accompanying app that will feature many more models, so keep your eyes open for that too. You can check out the accompanying website (where you’ll be able to register for updates) here: www.completesneakers.com and see the final promotional film below, with words from a number of people involved in the project and feedback from a couple of familiar faces too.

SNEAKERS: THE COMPLETE LIMITED EDITIONS GUIDE – designed by U-DOX and published by THAMES & HUDSON – is available now and can access via the link-through below.