Category: News

There may not be a better time of year to sip on a dram of whiskey than this week. Even if you don’t have a tree in the house and aren’t mainlining eggnog, having a good bourbon on hand for a little letting loose as 2020 winds down certainly isn’t a bad thing. We could all use a drink after this (very) long year.

That’s why — in a season filled with bourbon — we’re going back to the literal and metaphorical well to call out the best bourbons for Christmas. There’s no real preamble necessary here, beyond that we like the way these bourbon whiskeys taste. Expect a lot of “vanilla” and “baking spices” flavor notes in line with the holiday, but we also sought out a fair bit of variation, to account for differing palates.

With the government only kicking $600 in assistance everyone’s way, we also decided to focus on accessibility. The most expensive bottle below is only $60. The cheapest is close to $20. Clearly, you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy these picks over the next week or two.

Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon

ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Pinhook Bourbon made a pretty big splash this year with a deep bench of well-made bourbons and ryes. The shingle brings a wine sommelier’s sense to the world of Kentucky whiskey and the results are worth tracking down.

This particular juice is a fairly low-rye mash bill (only 15 percent) bourbon from Castle & Key Distillery.

Tasting Notes:

Clear notes of pecan pie with hints of orange oils and dark spices greet you. The palate builds on those notes, with whispers of juicy tropical fruits, salted caramel, and a pinch of marzipan. The end is short and sweet.

Bottom Line:

This is a very young bourbon that’s only going to get better in the years to come. For now, it makes a great candidate for cocktails, highballs, and sipping on the rocks.

Woodinville Whiskey Straight Bourbon

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $42

The Whiskey:

While we’ve been raving about the Woodinville Port Cask a lot this year (it was our favorite bourbon of 2020), their entry-point bourbon is also a winner. The whiskey is a true grain-to-glass experience with the corn, rye, and barley all coming from a local farm in Washington State. The juice is barreled and stored on the leeward side of the Cascade Mountains, where temperatures vary more drastically, adding to the maturation process.

Tasting Notes:

There’s vanilla pudding with caramelized sugar up top plus a hint of barrel char and bitterness on the nose. A matrix of Christmas spices arrives on the palate — with a bit of soft cedar and more of that caramel and vanilla. A little water reveals a dark chocolate character with a clear note of orchard fruitiness. The end is long and full of spices, vanilla, and caramel.

Bottom Line:

This is a pleasant surprise. While the price sort of says, “Hey, you can use me as a mixer,” the actual juice works as a nice sipper with a rock or little water.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

Woodford Reserve is already matured in heavily-charred oak, giving the juice a lot of depth. This expression ups the ante by transferring the whiskey to twice-toasted barrels with a low char for additional nine-months of finishing. The result is a damn fine example of Woodford.

Tasting Notes:

That classic hint of fruit-meets-caramel from Woodford is there on the nose, with a drop of honey next to marzipan. The palate embraces the fruit and gets a little dry while Christmas spices, candied fruit, vanilla, and fatty nuts build on the tongue. The sip has a nice linger that feels rounded and warm but never hot. A little water brings out a spiced caramel apple nature that just works.

Bottom Line:

This is a fine sipper with a little ice or water. It also works really well in eggnog.

Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

This throwback was another of our favorite bourbons of the year. The juice used to only be available in half-bottles at the distillery in Louisville. This year, Jim Beam took in nationwide with a limited release.

The juice is classic Jim Beam that’s only cut down to 50% (100 proof) and bottled with no chill filtration. In essence, you’re getting more of the beauty that’s in the barrel with little to no fuss.

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla, cornmeal, caramel, sweet honey, and a woodpile of freshly chopped wood greet you. That vanilla takes hold and hints of caramel kettle corn comingle with apples stewed in brown sugar and plenty of spice, along with an oaky edge. The end is long-ish and carries a sense of minerality as dark chocolate oranges arrive when a bit of water is added.

Bottom Line:

This really has no business costing $20. It’s also a workhorse that’ll make a fine cocktail, highball, or sipper on the rocks. You can’t beat that.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This much-beloved bourbon from Heaven Hill is an easy whiskey to get into. The whiskey is small-batched from 200 barrels in the eight to 12-year range. The idea is to dial-in the bourbon notes from those barrels into a final, sippable product.

Tasting Notes:

The dram greets you with hints of classic bourbon vanilla next to ripe stonefruits and a very distant hint of fresh mint (more so when water is added). The Christmas spices kick in right away as the fruit, caramel, and vanilla marry to a sense of nuts and charred wood. The end lasts as the sweetness fades to spicy warmth, and is accented by a mild billow of smoke.

Bottom Line:

This bourbon probably doesn’t get as much love as it deserves. It’s really tasty and very easy drinking, which makes it a winner for us.

Legent Bourbon

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Japan meets Kentucky in this collab bottle from Beam Suntory. The juice is made in Kentucky under the watchful eye of legendary Master Distiller Fred Noe and is made up of Beam that’s aged for five years. The whiskey then goes into California red wine casks and sherry casks for a finishing touch.

Finally, the whiskey is blended by Suntory’s legendary Master Blender Shinji Fukuyo.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with hints of orchard and stone fruits and a slight vinous nature next to classic bourbon vanilla and caramel. Those last two notes thicken on the tongue as vanilla pudding creaminess arrives with a toffee-meets-plummy-nutty underbelly. The finish is just long enough, with a little bitterness next to spicy warmth, oak, and more sweet fruit.

Bottom Line:

This on the rocks is a win every time you pour it. Take your time and let the water open it up. You won’t be disappointed.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Buffalo Trace’s Eagle Rare 17 grabs a lot of the spotlight when it comes to this line. That’s fine. It’s a damn fine whiskey, albeit a very hard to find one. On the other hand, Eagle Rare 10 is both easy to find and damn delicious while also being affordable. That makes this a very good whiskey to track down.

Tasting Notes:

The age shows on the nose with a hint of musty oak and worn leather that counterpoints the rich toffee, vanilla, and honey. The palate is subtle with a marzipan roundness next to a little Christmas spice, orange oils, and dark chocolate. The end lasts as it fades through all those notes again, leaving you with a warm Kentucky hug.

Bottom Line:

One rock, one pour. Take your time and really let this one bloom in the glass.

Maker’s Mark 46

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

This amped up juice from Maker’s Mark makes for an interesting sip of whiskey. The wheated whiskey is aged like a classic Maker’s. Then, ten seared virgin French oak staves are put into the barrels for the last nine weeks of maturation.

The result is a unique whiskey that deserves a moment of attention as the year winds down.

Tasting Notes:

Toasted wood, rich caramel, and sweet fruits greet you. That wood really makes its voice heard, with a lumberyard vibe as big hits of caramel sweetness are met with plenty of vanilla and a wisp of smoke. The end holds onto the toasted wood as a hint of spice meets fruit on the finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice departure from the usual vanilla-caramel-fruit bourbons at this price point. If you’re into the woody and sweet bourbons, this will be your jam.

Weller Special Reserve

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This wheated bourbon is the originator of the acclaimed Pappy Van Winkle line of wheated bourbons. The juice in the bottle is an entry-point bourbon for those looking to get into wheated bourbon with real accessibility.

Tasting Notes:

Sweet fruits meet caramel on the nose. The palate basks in notes of buttery toffee next to honey and a hint of soft wood. There’s a floral note near the end that feels like an orange blossom as the sip fades away at a medium pace.

Bottom Line:

This is a really great cocktail base that works as a sipper in a pinch. It’s also probably going to be the hardest to find on the list. Good luck out there!

Bulleit Bourbon Blenders’ Select

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $62

The Whiskey:

Part of this year’s course correction for Diageo’s Bulleit Bourbon was to highlight the BIPOC women running the show and making the whiskey at Bulleit. Case in point, this new release is Master Blender Eboni Major’s first limited release.

Major hand-selected three minimum nine-year-old bourbons available at Bulleit to create this signature blend — needless to say, we’re big fans.

Tasting Notes:

Salted peanuts coated in sugar mingles with oily vanilla, cedarwood, and Christmas spices. The palate delivers on those notes while adding rich toffee and spicy tobacco next to worn leather and wood. The end is velvety and long with plenty of spice, wood, and toffee.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the most solid sippers on the list. Add a little water or an ice cube and take your time with it.

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This expression from Buffalo Trace is crafted to be sipped. The bourbon is a small-batch blend of barrels that are hand-selected from Warehouse C (the one actually built by whiskey legend E.H. Taylor, Jr.) for their exactness and what they bring to the final product.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a real sense of a spicy caramel kettle corn dancing with hints of butterscotch on the nose. The palate carries on that path, adding in dark and peppery spices with a sweet tobacco vibe and a well-rounded nature. The end lingers and brings about a hint of licorice when you add water, which really plays well with the tobacco and sweetness.

Bottom Line:

Sip this whiskey slowly. This does work wonders in a Manhattan, but it really shines with a little water or ice and slow sipping.

Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon Whisky

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $30

The Whisky:

This whisky from Waco, Texas is one of the most unique picks on the list. The hot Texas Hill Country days and cold nights help this juice intensify as it rests in the barrels. The end result might not be for everyone but it’s certainly an outlier that’ll expand your whiskey palate.

Tasting Notes:

Saddle leather, toasted oak, kettle corn, and sweet apples greet your senses. The palate has a pecan pie edge with a vanilla whipped cream body that touches on more leather, apple, and oak. That soft vanilla carries onto the end with hints of sweet applewood smoke and a final note of tobacco spice.

Bottom Line:

This is a great sipper to pair with a pie after a big holiday dinner, especially if we’re talking about a pecan or apple pie.

Wild Turkey Longbranch

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Although this whiskey has been around for almost three years, it was really 2020 that it caught the attention of America. Part of that’s due to Matthew McConaughey (Wild Turkey’s Creative Director and co-creator of the expression) being everywhere in the news recently. The juice in this bottle is Kentucky meets Texas.

The end result is another unique whiskey, certainly worth giving a shot when you’re getting toasty over the break.

Tasting Notes:

Christmas spice, creamy vanilla, and rich caramel draw you into the sip. The palate has a matrix of orange oils, tart red berries, toasted oak, leather, and mild butterscotch. The sip lasts a while on the sense as that dark spice and creamy vanilla fade out with a final note of mesquite smoke gently billowing through at the very end.

Bottom Line:

This sip feels like a cold winter’s day next to an outdoor fire with a pile of vanilla sugar cookies for pairing.

Heaven’s Door Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Bob Dylan’s whiskey line from Nashville, Tennessee, is classic bourbon that works really well at this price point. The juice is a small-batched blend of around seven-year-old bourbons made in Tennessee. The blend is proofed with soft Tennessee spring water and bottled. The bottles are then adorned with a wrought-iron gate design, created by Dylan.

Tasting Notes:

Honey notes meet freshly baked bread with a buttery edge that leads toward butterscotch sweetness. There’s a little orchard fruit lurking in there, with hints of kettle corn covered in caramel and a whiff of dark spice. The end is medium-length and leaves you with a sweetness on the tongue and warmth in your chest.

Bottom Line:

This is a very sippable whiskey that also is a conversation starter given the cool look of the bottle and the legend behind the brand.

Belle Meade Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This revival from the Nelson brothers of Nelson Green Brier has become an almost instant classic. The juice is a high-rye bourbon that’s small-batched from only four barrels per bottling. The juice is then proofed with that soft Tennessee water and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Florals and citrus mix with light maple syrup and a sense of caramel. The palate carries on that caramel path and adds rich vanilla, plenty of sharp rye spice, and a nice dose of apricot. The finish is long and with a little water brings about dark candied cherries inside a spicy, rich, nutty, and plummy Christmas cake.

Bottom Line:

This really vibes with the season. Pour it in some eggnog or mulled wine or make Boulevardiers with it.

For most people, getting a coronavirus test entails heading out to a testing center and getting the thing shoved up your nose over there. There are at-home tests available, but they aren’t so easily accessible. Courtney Love has shared a post critical of this system, revealing in the process that she sometimes gives away at-home tests that she fortunately has access to.

Sharing a photo of a COVID-19 test, Love wrote about how these tests should be more widely available:

“I’m posting my Covid ( and antibody both. ) test because I’ve never been great at this 1 percenter sh*t. I love myself some fine living , but in the end I bleed liberal, I wish I didn’t sometimes, maybe it’s not liberal, maybe it’s humanist… I have and many of my wealthy friends have had access to Covid test kits, for over 6 months. Every time I give people without the same money or access as me a box of 20 I get furious that these are not available at every Tesco and at every 7/11 in both of my countries ( and globally too ) for 5 bucks or even 20. With this new strain of Covid-19, 70 percent more ‘catchy’ than the last, we all need this testing capacity more than ever. ALL OF US. ALL OF US!!! If testing ( the above tests for antibodies too. ) especially the newer tests ( roche ) that can detect covid antigen in you within 15 minutes, were made available and cheap, people would still make tons of money and ? This sh*t would be curbed. Billions and maybe trillions in world economy could be saved. So … maybe I’ll get tossed out of the ‘club’ for posting this . But I’ve never been all that comfortable with my own elitism, especially in the area of public health. You ALL DESERVE TO HAVE A BOX OF TESTS IN YOUR FRIDGE! I keep asking why the f*ck you dont ?
That’s all I have to say on it now.
I feel less dirty and my conscience more clear to post this. Though I’m scared to as well. Love .x c.”

Check out Love’s post below.

The Witcher doesn’t grin too much. Only in the rarest of scripted moments can Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia be seen showing the tiniest sliver of a smile, like when “humble bard” Jaskier (Joey Batey) manages to soften him up a little bit with a tribute of a tune. Most of the time, though, Geralt walks around feeling unappreciated (and justifiably so) by villagers for all the good he does across the continent, vanquishing monsters. Well, look for Geralt to finally lighten up — although in a non-canon manner — in a Netflix-released video full of bloopers.

Yes, it’s a gift to celebrate Witchmas. Enjoy Henry giggling and chuckling and feeling highly uncomfortable whilst “feeling like a greased pig” (how glamorous). Watch his co-stars flub lines. And yes, watch Geralt’s horse, Roach, while he flagrantly decides not to cooperate with the very serious scene that’s being filmed. “The horse is s*itting in the background” is exactly the type of blooper that fans of this series need to see. It’s really too bad they couldn’t have left it in the show, though. It totally would have fit the vibe.

Tellingly, there are no bloopers here that include Jaskier. On the one hand, that’s quite horrible, but on the other, it’s appropriate because he’s always bringing the positive vibes around on the show. Don’t worry, though. More Witchmas goodies from last week treated fans to what looks like the bard’s outdoor glamour shots.

Also, here’s a new logo for the anime movie, Nightmare of the Wolf, from the franchise. Hopefully, we’ll hear about a release date soon, too. Merry Witchmas!

Not long after Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington released their first album as Darkside, 2013’s Psychic, the duo announced that they were calling it quits, although there has always been hope for a reunion between the two. Even in the post announcing that news, they noted they were just coming to an end “for now.” Then, a few weeks ago, there was a sign that Darkside was at least on Jaar and Harrington’s minds when they dropped a Darkside live album. Now, it’s happening: Darkside is back and the duo has announced they are following up their critically acclaimed debut album with a second one, Spiral.

They didn’t reveal much info about Spiral, aside from its approximate release window of this upcoming spring (via Matador), and that it was mixed by Rashad Becker and mastered by Heba Kadry. Press materials also note that Jaar and Harrington “quietly reconvened in 2018 to begin writing new music.” Alongside the news, the pair shared “Liberty Bell,” the first single from the album that is propelled forward by a driving beat.

The band shared a note about the single and album, writing, “In 2018 we met for the first time in five years to make new music. In December 2019, we finished the followup to our first album Psychic. It’s called Spiral and it was mixed by Rashad Becker, mastered by Heba Kadry, and will come out on Matador Records in spring 2021. Liberty Bell is the first single. Talk soon.”

Listen to “Liberty Bell” above.

Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that Donald Trump has discussed naming Sidney Powell to “a special counsel overseeing an investigation of voter fraud.” That’s the same Sidney Powell — an attorney by day, a conspiracy theorist by night… and day — who was dumped by the Trump administration for being even kookier than Rudy Giuliani, a man who holds press conferences next to sex shops. But now she’s back! Powell met with the president on Friday, along with former-national security adviser Michael Flynn, who “pushed for Mr. Trump to impose martial law and deploy the military to ‘rerun’ the election. At one point in the meeting on Friday, Mr. Trump asked about that idea,” according to the Times. Nothing like a coup to end 2020.

When asked about the report on Monday’s Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto, CNN’s John Harwood did not hold back. “The president is surrounding himself with 30 days left in his presidency having been defeated by Joe Biden, being psychologically unable to accept that defeat, to accept the brand of a loser,” he said, via Mediaite. “He is holed up in the White House, not doing his job, spinning out lies about how he won the election and it was stolen from him. And bringing crazy people in to talk about crazy idea.” Harwood called the accusations of voter fraud and threats of martial law “absolutely lunatic stuff,” adding, “The reason that is talked about in the White House is that the president himself is a kook, and he cannot handle his situation.”

Trump is out of the White House in a month, whether he likes it or not, and “we’re all going to have to live with it for 30 days,” Harwood said. “While he does nothing about it or tries to do something, in which case he’ll be stopped… It’s continued trauma for the country.”

You can watch the clip here.

(Via Mediaite)

The Milwaukee Bucks had quite the 2020 offseason. Looming over everything was the question of whether Giannis Antetokounmpo would sign his supermax extension prior to the December 21 deadline (which, of course, he eventually did), and that guided the aggressiveness of the Bucks front office in trying to retool the roster after another disappointing early playoff exit.

The first move they made was trading Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and a bevy of first-round picks to New Orleans for Jrue Holiday, adding another All-Star to the roster and, hopefully, give themselves another weapon come playoff time who can raise their profile. Their second move was a failed one, as they jumped the gun on a sign-and-trade deal with the Kings to land swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Bodganovic, of course, is now with the Atlanta Hawks after we learned he never actually agreed to the deal and the Bucks had to recalibrate their offseason plans accordingly. Given that the news of that deal broke days before the opening of free agency, there were plenty of questions about how that came about and whether the league would look into tampering, even with the deal falling through. The answer is yes, and the Bucks are now short a 2022 second round pick because of it, as the league announced its results from the tampering investigation.

To be clear, this was as blatant a tampering violation as you’ll see, with a deal being reported as done days before it was allowed to be. At the same time, tampering is a constant, and we know this because players agree to and sign deals at the exact moment free agency opens every year and the league turns a blind eye to how that could possibly happen without tampering. Basically, the Bucks tampered and did so so flagrantly that even a league that actively looks the other way on this stuff couldn’t feign ignorance in this situation, and as such the already short on picks Bucks will be even shorter.

After months of tense negotiations that, at one point, looked like it had ceased altogether, Congress reached an agreement on a second stimulus package that will provide some form of aid to Americans who have been struggling since the start of the pandemic. While the new package will include “enhanced” unemployment protections that were set to expire at the end of December, which is a major help for Americans who lost their jobs due to lockdowns and poor economic conditions, people are zeroing in on the amount of the second round of stimulus checks, which is much lower this time around.

When the first checks went out, the amounts were $1200 for each adult, and $500 for each dependent up to 18 years of age. For this latest package, Congress went with only $600 per adult, but also matched the same amount for dependent. While that’s $2,400 for a family of four, it is less than the first round of checks and really shouldn’t be touted as the highlight here. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Nancy Pelosi did when she described the $600 checks as “significant” to working families. Twitter was quick to latch onto the remarks and note the terrible optics of a millionaire telling low income families that the paltry checks will be a huge boon to their finances.

While Pelosi’s statement was poorly-worded, not everyone was dragging her on social media. Others noted that Pelosi did the best she could while negotiating with Republicans like Mitch McConnell who were content with not passing a stimulus packages and would’ve gladly let unemployment benefits expire. However, with Twitter being Twitter, these voices were few and far between.

This summer, Taylor Swift’s album Folklore and its hit single “Cardigan” put her in the history books: Both debuted at No. 1 on their respective Billboard charts during the same week, which made her the first artist to ever pull that off. She followed up Folklore recently with Evermore, and now she has managed to repeat that astounding feat: It was revealed over the weekend that Evermore debuted atop the Billboard 200, and now “Willow” has officially debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart dated December 26.

Naturally, this makes Swift the first person to pull off the aforementioned chart feat twice. Additionally, “Willow” is Swift’s second No. 1 single of the year and seventh overall. Swift has now joined a multi-way tie for the artist with the second-most songs to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100: She, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Drake, and Travis Scott all have three, while Ariana Grande has five. Swift’s other single to debut at No. 1 was “Shake It Off.”

“Willow” reaching the top 10 also moves her past Carey and Stevie Wonder on the all-time list of artists with the most songs in the top 10, with 29. She sits behind Michael Jackson (30), Rihanna (31), The Beatles (34), Madonna (38), and Drake (42).

Check out our review of Evermore here.

A running joke on Twitter has turned into a series of hilarious posts from the funniest rappers on the platform. When a COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory tweet went viral earlier this month, the dead-serious user accidentally helped spark a deeply unserious meme that found Black Twitter in high spirits about receiving superpowers on December 21 as a result of the coincidence of the winter solstice and the so-called “Great Conjunction” in which Jupiter and Saturn would nearly overlap in the night sky.

Of course, the planets are the planets and don’t really have any sort of an effect on us here on Earth (they only look to be lined up from our perspective due to their relative positions in space) but that hasn’t stopped the cheeky tweets from spreading like wildfire. Naturally, plenty of our favorite hip-hop artists have joined the fun, as the “Negro Solstice” granted them the “superpower” of continuing to crack us all up with their antics.

Naturally, some of the most active users of social media are the main ones playing along, but there are some iconic legends in the mix as well. Chika joked that the solstice “brought me the gift of ass,” while Guapdad 4000 gave fans a demonstration of his newfound super-strength (while wearing his “Dragonball Durag,” naturally). Meanwhile, the original hip-hop Afrofuturist, Missy Elliott, reminded fans that she’s been a superhero all along. Some others, like Buddy, lamented that their powers never kicked in. Check out their posts and others below — and stay tuned for more updates.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

COVID-19 had a profound effect on literally every segment of American life this year. But it still couldn’t stop the seemingly unending flow of sneakers dropping from brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Off-White, Reebok, and PUMA, among others. A lot of shoes came out this year — trust us, we wrote about them every single week. That’s 52 weeks. 52 articles each consisting of the week’s best sneakers, no repeats.

That’s. Over. 260. Sneakers. This. Year. Alone.

Are we satiated? Definitely. Is that going to stop us from doing the same thing in 2021? Not a chance. And considering you’re here, you probably feel the same way.

2020 was always going to be a big year for sneakers, it’s the first year of a new decade. Whether we know it or not, some of the sneakers that came out this year will go on to define the next 10 years of footwear. You may have copped a pair of footwear history mid-quarantine, and never even gotten to wear them.

In celebration of all of the great kicks to drop over the past 365, we’ve collected a rundown of our 20 favorites. Everyone else seems to have dropped their lists by now. That’s fine, ours is the best.

Comme des Garçons Nike Air Max 95, January 18th, 2020

2020 proved that the influence of Virgil Abloh’s ’10s output continued to dominate trends in the new decade. What would Comme des Garçons Nike Air Max 95 look like without Abloh? For starters, it probably wouldn’t have a distressed and worn upper.

The CDG Air Max 95 dropped early in the year and presents itself like a “greatest hits” of trends from the past decade. Mixed mesh uppers, distressed detailing, 3M reflective accents, and a ‘90s silhouette. But it doesn’t feel like a rehash, it feels like a victory lap.

Off-White Jordan 5 Black/Muslin-Fire Red, February 15th, 2020

When Virgil Abloh dropped his first iteration of an Air Jordan 5 the sneaker world absolutely exploded. It’s undeniable that Abloh is the most exciting designer in footwear right now, and with the Off-White Jordan 5 — his first sneaker of 2020 — Virgil didn’t disappoint.

Abloh’s deconstructed aesthetic takes a different shape here, looking less obviously broken down but still doing what his style does best: stripping layers away to present the essence of a famous silhouette.

Jordan 3 Retro Fire Red Cement (Nike Chi), February 22nd, 2020

The Cement colorway is Air Jordan royalty and rather than dipping into the vaults and delivering a straight refresh, Nike gave us something special this year: A Chicago inspired AJ3 in Fire Red Cement.

The latest sneaker in the Cement line looks like something Miles Morales would rock. Which decidedly means it’s fire.

Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack, February 29th, 2020

The release of Travis Scott’s Nike SB Dunk came with so much hype that it literally crashed Nike’s website on drop date. That, of course, resulted in a lot of people missing out on the chance to cop a pair, forcing them to turn to the aftermarket. While these Dunks are certainly not our favorite Cactus Jack piece, they are probably one of the most popular and would kick off a year that was largely dominated by Travis Scott, despite the fact that he didn’t release an album.

While Virgil Abloh might be the most popular designer in the sneaker world right now, Travis Scott is the most popular icon, ascending to a level that puts him in league with sneaker greats like Michael Jordan and Kanye West.

Dior Air Jordan 1, April, 6th, 2020

I’ll be straight up — I don’t like what these represent, on a personal level.

I do get it, they’re fresh. And insanely popular. Without looking, I’m willing to bet that this sneaker is popping up on every year-end sneaker list, from the snobbiest of Hypebeasts to the most basic GQ writers. I get it, it’s a cool look and a big name collab.

And that colorway that combines wolf grey and sail-photon dust white is just… “chef’s kiss” as they say.

But these things retailed for $2,000. They sell on the aftermarket for close to $10,000. And in a year of a global pandemic, where millions are struggling and out of work, it just feels representative of something gross. So yes, they’re on our “best” list, but they damn sure didn’t make our gift guide.

New Balance 327 Casablanca, April 4th, 2020

New Balance had a strong year, one that saw it competing on a regular basis with big brands like Nike and Adidas in our weekly sneaker column. And it all began here, with this New Balance collaboration with French streetwear brand Casablanca. The 327 takes its design cues from ‘70s runners, but adds some modern flare like the thick tread and chunky silhouette. Casablanca let the design of the 327 do all the heavy lifting here, presenting the sneaker in three non-distracting and simple colorways.

The all green is the most popular among the options, but this mixed orange and green model is the one that resonates most strongly with us.

Nike SB Dunk Low x Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Dunky, May 26th, 2020

Sneaker and food brand collaborations are generally trash. But the Chunky Dunky — made in collaboration with Ben & Jerrys, in what was probably the weirdest link-up of the year — really defied expectations. This sneaker was full of sort of details that sneakerheads go crazy over. Animal print uppers, this time as a long-hair cow-print; synergy between the collaborating parties, check out how the upper resembles Ben & Jerry’s iconic logo; and a cool variation on the ever-iconic Nike Swoosh, our least favorite detail about this one but still noteworthy.

This year belonged to the Nike Dunk and no iteration of the sneaker was as iconic as this one.

Adidas Yeezy Foam RNNR Ararat, June 26th, 2020

We had a lot of anguish about putting this one on the list. On the one hand, we sorta hate it. But on the other hand… it’s certainly something new. Innovation is in rare supply these days and we’re down to reward it.

The Foam RNNR definitely has its audience. We’re not it, but we can’t deny that it shows Kanye doing what he does best: pushing the envelope and creating new trends.

Jordan 6 Retro Hare, June 17th, 2020

The Easter-tinged “Hare” colorway is one of Jordan Brand’s best and most underrated. First debuting on the Air Jordan 7 as a tie in with Space Jam, the Retro Hare — so-called for legal reasons — has since popped up across a few pairs and we love it.

This year, the Air Jordan 6 got the Hare treatment — off-white leather with a noticeable pink undertone — and… we need more of this. ASAP. Hell, they could put Bugs Bunny in place of the Jumpman Logo like they did on the original and we’d still wear the sh*t out of these.

Nike Space Hippie 03, July 3rd, 2020

Mid-summer, Nike launched a brand new four sneaker line of shoes made from at least 45% recycled material by weight. The new collection, dubbed Space Hippie, didn’t have the most exciting names — each shoe was simply numbered, 01, 02, 03, and 04 — but it showed a positive step forward, offering a glimpse of a world where sustainable sneakers actually look pretty dope.

Grateful Dead Bears Nike SB Dunk, July 18th, 2020

“You’re not going to cover those Grateful Dead Nike Dunks?” Slacked my editor.

“Nah, feels like a lazy collaboration, doubt anyone will actually truly dig these,” I replied, full of sneakerhead confidence.

Boy, was I f*cking wrong. For whatever reason, the Grateful Dead has a stranglehold on the world of streetwear right now. I know for a fact half of the people who own these sneakers have never heard “Truckin’” in their lives, but does that matter? Apparently not.

These sneakers popped off harder than any collaboration this year. If you own an orange pair, you’re lucky to be holding on to a small fortune right now.

Off-White Jordan 4 Sail, July 25th, 2020

Virgil Abloh threw half of the sneaker buying audience into a rage when he dropped this woman’s only Air Jordan 4 in Sail. Not just because any large footed Off-White fans wouldn’t be able to cop a pair, but because this just so happened to be Abloh’s strongest sneaker drop of the entire year.

The design is clean, recalling the best of Abloh’s The Ten collection.

Nike CO.JP Jordan 3 Retro Fire Red Denim

Elephant print, denim detailing, Fire Red… what more proof do you need to realize that Nike’s Japanese wing, CO.JP, puts together the brand’s best colorways. Seriously. It’s no secret that the best Nikes in any given year usually have another collaborator attached, but Nike’s CO.JP comes from in-house, and it’s doing things leagues above anything else the brand produces.

Check out the Nike logo written with Japanese characters at the heel, easily our favorite detail.

Union Jordan 4 Guava Ice, August 29th, 2020

Los Angeles-based streetwear brand Union dropped a truly dope collection of Jordans this year, but the AJ4 in Guava Ice was easily the best. While many of the shoes on this list require descriptions for you to savvy out the references, that’s unneeded here.

Just look at these and you’ll get why they hit our list!

Aime Leon Dore New Balance 550, October 9th, 2020

This year, New York streetwear label Aimé Leon Dore resurrected New Balance’s forgotten 550 basketball sneaker and we couldn’t be more thankful. The 550 is a dope silhouette, and Aimé Leon Dore took it to the next level by filtering it through their old-world luxury aesthetic, resulting in an ultra-fresh pair of sneakers that is quickly becoming one of our favorite NB silhouettes.

Salehe Bembury New Balance 2002R, October 23rd, 2020

Easily one of the most hyped releases of the year, Salehe Bembury’s first collaborative sneaker silhouette was a certified hit. The ultra tactile New Balance 2002R featured a mixed suede, leather, and mesh upper with blue shearling detailing dressed in a rich earthy colorway, resulting in one of the most interesting looking designs of the whole year.

If Salehe Bembury is a new name to you, get used to it. You’re going to be hearing from him a lot this decade. The young designer cut his teeth designing at Yeezy and Cole Haan before landing the role of Vice President of Sneakers at Versace. It’s hard to believe this is the only sneaker collaboration to carry his name because it’s such a strong start.

If the 2010s belonged to Abloh, the ’20s might be the decade of Salehe Bembury.

Beyonce Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Dark Green Frozen Yellow, October 30th, 2020

In truth, we could’ve picked any one of Beyonce’s 9 Ivy Park Adidas for this list. There is nothing particularly special about the Nite Jogger, this is just the design that speaks to us the most right now.

Beyonce’s Ivy Park had its big debut this year, dropping two big collections of sneakers at the beginning and end of the year, bringing Adidas its biggest slice of hype since the launch of Yeezy. Ivy Park didn’t feature any brand new designs, so we’re hoping that next year brings something wholly original from Beyonce, but as it stands, the Ivy Park drops have been strong.

Sacai Nike Vaporwaffle Game Royal, November 13th, 2020

We’re all for forward-looking designs, and while personally, we don’t think we could convincingly rock this hybrid design from the mind of Chitose Abe, we appreciate the effort to bring something new to the Nike lineage. Full of weird features like dual tongue tags, double mid foot swooshes, and a lipped heel, the Vaporwaffle is aggressively deconstructed, offering a twisted vision of what the future of footwear might look like.

Nike Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lee Alternate, November 24th, 2020

This sneaker release was a bit bittersweet due to the untimely death of Kobe Bryant. What should’ve been a pair worthy of celebration will always be tinged with the sadness — a shame because this sneaker, which combines Kobe and Bruce Lee, sees two legends in their respective fields coming together to create something dope.

The black and yellow pair might’ve been the star of the show, but we really dig this white and black alternate colorway.

J. Balvin Jordan 1 Retro, December 8th, 2020

J. Balvin has made history as the first Latino to score a named Nike collaboration. For a Mexican kid who writes about sneakers on a weekly basis, that’s a huge deal to me! J. Balvin’s Jordan 1s are a perfect reflection of the artist — they’re wild, funky, psychedelic, and loud as hell.

Subtlety and Balvin don’t coexist in the same world, these sneakers grab you and never let you look away, whether you’re reacting in horror or glee. That’s power.