It’s that time of year again, ladies and gents! sneakHerbox.com brings you the premier list of the Top 10 sneaker moments for women and small footers in 2011.  To shake things up a bit this year, I decided to enlist the help of our readers, who gave their input on the most significant releases that were specific to women and small footers. That means that we didn’t fill the list with items that were released in a full family size range. Nuh un, not this time! That’s not to say we don’t have love for last year’s full family releases, we just wanted to make sure this list was unique to female sneaker heads. With that said, they’ll definitely be some easy predictions as well as surprises on the list, but as with last year, this line-up is purely about fun and appreciation for the women’s and gs exclusive colorways we liked and loved.

Now without further adieu, here is the Top 10 GS and WMNS Releases of 2011!

10. Reebok Chi-Kaze
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=2678

Surprised to see these here, ay? With all of the fanfare surrounding Reebok last year, it was hard to truly ignore their grind to gain relevancy in a retro-centered sneaker industry.  When we first got word of Swizz Beatz taking on the position of creative director for the brand, we weren’t sure what we’d get in the form of product.  He stunned us all with his re-working of the classic Kamikaze model.  Inevitably, the ladies felt left out.  Then in November, pictures of the new Chi-Kaze hit the web – a retooled, sleeker version of the Kamikaze made especially for the ladies.  Now, you may not have been a fan of this look, but there’s no denying how essential the development of a ladies-only model is.  Good move, Reebok.

-♥-

9. Air Jordan 3 GS Crimson
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=597
Written by: Eileen (@theSneakerette) of The Sneakerette blog

I’m a HUGE fan of Jordan 3′s, so I guess it shouldn’t be too big of a surprise why this was another pick up for me. I mean, what’s not to love about the elephant print, visible air unit, and super clean silhouette, right?! But anyway, setting aside the fact that the 3′s are one of my favorite models, I really liked this colorway. The white and neutral gray make this shoe extremely fresh and wearable, while the bright crimson sets off the other colors nicely, making this pair anything but boring. Oh, and did I mention the rainbow laces these kicks came with? They fit my style and personality perfectly, so I personally love them! It was a really good move on JB’s behalf to include rainbow laces that could be switched up, because I’d probably think twice about purchasing a pair of sneakers that had a rainbow ingrained into them. The eye-catching laces complement the pops of crimson on this shoe, and are a great way to change up the look of these already fun 3′s (:

-♥-

8. Nike Air Max Lebron 8 Spark GS
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=596
Written by: Me! (@sneakHerbox)

Considering all the hype surrounding the Nike Air Max Lebron 8 –  it was nice to finally get a release with little to no exhaustion. It was also great to know that while I’d see plenty of fellas in the various colorways that dropped throughout the year, I’d see no big foot boys in these! Ladies who loved pink really appreciated this one.

-♥-

7. Converse x Marimekko 2011 WMNS Collection
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=607
Written by: Geena (@GMV11)

The pattern is what grabbed my attention. Subtle, but eye catching (if that makes sense). And the pattern can mix well with a lot of the clothes I own. I’m also not usually a fan of ‘low-pro’ releases. Actually, I usually f*cking hate them.

Probably get a true low top Marimekko and be done.

-♥-

6. Air Jordan 5 Girls “Strawberry Splash Pack”
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=680
Written by:  Tia (@ms_sole_amazin)

The “Strawberry Splash” Air Jordan V wasn’t a tough choice for me. I love the Air Jordan V model, it’s probably my favorite next to the Air Jordan XI. I try to support as many GS only releases as possible because I feel like we are forgotten about most of the time. The colorway on the “Strawberry” V was simple and makes for a great Spring/Summer wear. I also love that the shoe doesn’t seem like it was geared for little kids which I personally think happens A LOT with GS footwear.

-♥-

5. Claw Money x Nike Re-Release
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=728
Written by: Amonee (@AtheGrreat) of Female Sneaker Fiend

 

The reason why the re-release of the Claw Money X Nike collaboration in 2011 was so significant is that sneaker colloab was one of the hottest releases that was geared to females. This collab was first released in 07 and unfortunately due to me being unemployed at the time I missed out on them. Being that Claw is my favorite graffiti artist and Nike is one of my favorite brands, this collab was a must have! The fact that Claw decided to sell these on her site for a limited time over the summer, I had to get them! The fact that Nike and other sneaker brands at that time were asking female artists and independent fashion brands ran by females to create a
sneaker was groundbreaking!

-♥-

4. Air Jordan 1 Phat GS – Black/Metallic Gold
Original Post:  http://sneakherbox.com/?p=589
Written by: Monica (@myinitialsMTB) of sneakHerbox.com

“Suck it b*itch, I win!!!” Is what runs through my mind every time I think about this being a gs only release, lol. Anyway anyone who knows me knows I love simplicity in a shoe and why these were another color way that made it into my closet. The black patent and gold swoosh where just on point for me and the sparkle in the laces added just the right touch (even though I have played around with swapping out the laces. Looks best with gold). Perfect with some dark skinnies or some cute legging’s yea for 2011 I would say JB did a good job with this gem.

-♥-

3. Return of Air Units on Women’s Air Max 95
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=683
Written by: Maria (@SnkrDivaMob) of Female Sneaker Fiend

One of my favorite pick ups of 2011 was definitely the Vivid Pink Air Max 95′s…. The main reason I HAD to cop these were because of the color way and of course its sleek look with the return of the full air units on the womens AM95′s. I was very excited when they made their come back in the beginning of the summer of 2011 and was even more excited about adding more 95′s to my collection. Air Max 95′s have been on of my favorite cross trainers since the beginning and when Nike decided to remove the front half of the air unit it one made the shoe less supportive and comfortable. And secondly, an unattractive shoe, the removal of the front half air unit made the shoe look more foam-like which to me gave the 95 a childish look. The “Vivid Pink” Color way to me was Nike’s way of apologizing the for the OG Grape color way that were released in 2010. So with a humble head and sparkle in my eye I took Nike’s apology and copped the Vivid Pink Air max 95′s with out hesitation.

-♥-

2. Nike Doernbecher Freestyle Releases in Grade school and women’s sizes
Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=1458
Written by: Tara of CopEmandRockEm

The Doernbecher release of GS was huge for us SFS’ers. We have been wanting the limited releases since the beginning of the sneaker game, but those were always only made in mens sizes. But Nike has finally heard our cries for help, and with this specific release- they mark that they are FINALLY aware of the women who represent in the sneaker game. In every meeting with corporate Nike, I slip in the “show us ladies some heat” comment, and this release shows us they really are listening to our advice. That is why this release was so special to me and why I camped out all night for them- in what some Chicago natives claim to be one of the craziest campouts ever.

I was able to cop the DB IV in GS 6.5, but still had to cop the AM 95s in men’s 7, because they have yet to change the kids am 95 to the dual air pockets. It’s okay though, I’ll take this stepping stone towards showin us ladies and SFS’ers the heat we deserve to Cop N’ Rock.

-♥-

1. Air Jordan 7 Retro GS – Mineral Blue

Original Post: http://sneakherbox.com/?p=611

Written by: Cynthia (@TenaciousC23)

I bought this mineral blue/purple pair of 7s because the retro 7 is one of my all time favorite retro shoes. The colors are so pretty and very much spring colors, so when they came out it was perfect timing. I like to call them the “easter” 7s. The moment I saw that they would release in spring 2011, I knew I had to cop. Also, a couple days after it released, Foot Locker had it’s employee appreciation 50% off weekend, so I got it for the low. It was meant to be!

The grey flips were a significant release for me because I’m not big on grey sneakers. Most grey sneakers and Jordans specifically are usually very boyish/male looking. Though I can live every waking moment  in sneakers looking like a boy is not the look I aspire for. The flips were perfect, the hint of baby blue in the eyelets on top give the shoe a feminen look. Though my big feet (for a girl) size 7.5  often allow me to copp limited releases in men s, and sometimes allows me to move down into a youth 7, this time was a disappointment as the flips I copped in a 7y are to snug to wear comfortably. But the grey flip 3s was a perfect grey female sneaker so can someone please tell Jordan Brands that not all females wear a size 7 or smaller.