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Retro shoes cause campouts and bring back memories, but only on occasion do they shift culture. Though the past decade has been more or less dominated by footwear from yesteryear, many new designs have made a profound impact on the sneaker culture and the sneaker industry. Focusing on the new classics rather than the old, we spotlight ten shoes from the past ten years that helped define the decade.
Nike Air Zoom Generation
Released: 2003
This seems like an obvious pick with all the Jordan comparisons, but it’s pretty remarkable how good this shoe looks ten years later and how great LeBron and his line have become. The Nike Air Zoom Generation somehow manages to look modern and classic at the same time, without mirroring any shoe on the market. Ten years later, LeBron holds the number one spot in the NBA and in performance basketball footwear.
