Transformation of the Year: Rick Ross
Why he won: Ross went from the butt of fat jokes to a CrossFit devotee.
Runner-up: Chumlee (Pawn Stars)
Still not sold on CrossFit? Ricky Rozay’s jaw-dropping weight loss should be enough to turn you into a believer. The hood billionaire adopted the program after a recommendation from one of Reebok’s trainers, and the rest is history. When he wasn’t locked down in the studio recording, Rozay spent the year bringing us behind the scenes of his weight loss journey through Instagram snaps. And in true boss fashion, CrossFit became RossFit, because why wouldn’t it? He joked about the program with Funny or Die, but there’s no doubt that #RossFit is all business.
Another hard worker that deserves props is Chumlee, star of The History Channel’s Pawn Stars. Chumlee says he dropped over 100 pounds, and not only is he looking better than ever, he’s feeling it, too. “It’s the healthiest I’ve ever been. It’s been a long road and I’m so proud of myself,” he said.
Gym Selfies of the Year: Jen Selter
Why she won: Have you seen her pictures?
Runner-up: Khloe Kardashian
5 million. That’s how many followers Jnn Selter has racked up since March of 2012. Just how did she do it? Well, let’s just say there were a lot of squats involved. Between #seltering and her famous #belfies, we’re willing to bet she’s a big factor behind Instagram recently surpassing Twitter.
Runner-up is Khloe Kardashian, whose gym selfies were so good and plentiful that she outdid her sister Kim.
Come Up of the Year: French Montana
Why he won: Becoming a fitness icon seemingly out of nowhere, dating Khloe Kardashian.
Runner-up: Kyrie Irving
Anyone who’s been following French Montana’s ascension from mixtape mainstay to hip-hop royalty knows that he’s always had a knack for creating something out of nothing. He got his start peddling DVDs, and after mentor Max B’s incarceration, took command of his solo career with a string of hits. This year, he’s upped the ante by flirting with the Hollywood B-list thanks to his relationship with Khloe Kardashian, and he’s also become known for his hard work in the gym. Between French’s mainstream success, smooth ladies man persona, and his fit physique, he’s beginning to remind us of a young LL Cool J, minus the sharp lyricism.
Our next pick would’ve been Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, who finally was awarded his own signature shoe with Nike Basketball. It’s been a long time coming for Irving, and the Nike Kyrie 1 should help remind people that he’s a lot more than just LeBron’s point guard.
Male Athlete of the Year: Peyton Manning
Why he won: He led the Broncos to Super Bowl XLVIII and broke Brett Favre’s TD record.
Runner-up: Kevin Durant
Is Peyton Manning ever gonna fall off? The veteran QB is now playing his seventeenth season in the NFL, and he’s not letting up yet. To cap off last season, he led Denver to Super Bowl XLVIII, where they were upset by the Seattle Seahawks. Instead of letting the big loss get to him, Manning has come back just as strong this season, surpassing Brett Favre’s career touchdown record on October 19. As for the Broncos, they’re sitting pretty at first in the AFC West with a record of 10-3. Could another Super Bowl appearance be on the horizon for Manning and the boys?
We also have to give recognition to Kevin Durant. After an especially dominant 2013-14 season, Durant finally won NBA MVP honors earlier this year. He also won the Internet with his “Real MVP” acceptance speech dedicated to his mother.
Female Athlete of the Year: Ronda Rousey
Why she won: The 10-0 submission specialist helped women’s MMA reach unforeseen heights.
Runner-up: Maya Moore
You might be the baddest dude around, but chances are, you still couldn’t beat Ronda Rousey. The reigning Women’s Bantamweight Champion has been at it since 2012, but it was this year when the buzz really began to crank up. From movie roles to pay-per-view main events, fans couldn’t get enough of Ronda in 2014. She also took home the 2014 ESPY Best Female Athlete award, making her the first female MMA fighter to do so.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore had a hell of a year in her own right. She became the first WNBA player to have twelve 30+ games in a single season, and ended up winning the MVP honors for the first time in her career.
Most Stylish Athlete of the Year: Victor Cruz
Why he won: From Kith lookbooks to Fashion Week, Cruz was everywhere this year.
Runner-up: Nick Young
There are a ton of stylish athletes, but few of them take their fashion as seriously as Victor Cruz. The New York Giants receiver continued to step up his game in 2014, popping up in Ronnie Fieg lookbooks and front row at Paris Fashion Week. At this rate, we’d be surprised if Cruz doesn’t get his own line, or at the very least a small capsule collection with one of his favorite brands.
We’d be foolish to not also acknowledge Swaggy P Nick Young, whose trademark looks help take him from obscurity to style icon overnight.
Sneaker MVP of the Year: Nick Young
Why he won: He wore the Nike Kobe 9 Elite before Kobe, among other heaters.
Runner-up: Tony Wroten
Nick Young’s off-court style isn’t the only thing the young star has going for him, because his on-court shoe game is the best in the league by miles. For starters, he was the first player to debut the high-top Nike Kobe 9 Elite, before Bryant himself had even been added to the active roster. It didn’t stop there, as Swaggy P continued to pull out the gems, including the Supreme and “Galaxy” Nike Air Foamposite One styles. We can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve this year.
Elsewhere, Tony Wroten made headlines for his Air Jordan X malfunction, but what many mainstream sites failed to consider was the fact that these kicks were nearly a decade old. After the infamous sole split, Wroten didn’t waver, and instead continued to rock both older and new Air Jordan retros.
Sneaker Moment of the Year: Mario Götze wins the World Cup in the Nike Magista Obra
Why it won: The World Cup only comes around every four years, so it’s a huge deal for a single boot to score the winning goal.
Runner-up: Kawhi Leonard wins NBA Finals MVP in the Air Jordan XX8 SE
Bayern Munich and Germany’s Mario Götze is one of the best young players in the game, and he proved it on the biggest stage of them all during July’s World Cup Final. Coming into the scoreless game against Argentina at the 88 minute mark, Götze was challenged by manager Joachim Löw to “show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup.” And that’s exactly what he did. Laced in the Nike Magista Obra, Götze scored the deciding goal in extra time, leading Germany to their fourth World Cup win. As for the boot itself? It just sold for $2.5 million, the entirety of which will be donated to Germany’s A Heart of Children charity.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Tim Duncan or Tony Parker that won NBA Finals MVP honors after the Spurs won their third title in ten years. Instead, it was 23 year old Kawhi Leonard. He got it done in the Air Jordan XX8 SE, proving that the legacy Air Jordan models are still amongst the top of their class.
Sneaker Surprise of the Year: Air Jordan meets the Zoom Vapor 9
Why it won: It’s hard to blend retro styling with modern performance tech, but this one did it just right.
Runner-up: Dolce, Dekovic, and Miner leave Nike for adidas.
At first glance, Michael Jordan and Roger Federer don’t share much in common. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that not only are they both known for being the greatest of all time in their respective fields, but they’re both connected to some of the best franchises in signature sneaker history. Their worlds met last August when Nike cooked up the Zoom Vapor 9 Tour “Air Jordan 3”. Built around the silhouette and technology of Federer’s tennis model, the design was updated with a look inspired by the Air Jordan 3 White/Cement. It was unexpected and definitely off the beaten path, but fans at it up, and now you’ll be coughing up close to a stack to procure a pair.
Another unexpected turn of events was Marc Dolce, Denis Dekovic, and Mark Miner’s departure from the Swoosh to adidas. As we’ve recently learned, the transition wasn’t exactly a smooth one, and it looks like it could take awhile for things to play out in court. No matter the endgame, this is sure to shake things up for both brands.
Designer of the Year: Hiroshi Fujiwara
Why he won: From HTM to Fragment, Hiroshi’s fingerprint was everywhere this year.
Runner-up: Eric Avar
Hiroshi Fujiwara has played a major part in Nike’s special releases for quite some time, but it wasn’t until this year that the innovative designer started to become a household name (well, at least in sneaker head households.) His Fragment Design imprint was found on everything from Windrunner jackets to Eric Koston and Kevin Durant signature models, and he may have saved the best for last with December’s Air Jordan 1 update. Fujiwara isn’t the type to use attention-grabbing colors or graphics, instead opting for subtle, classic designs that emphasize lux materials and constructions.
Our next choice would’ve been Eric Avar, the mastermind behind the much buzzed-about Kobe 9 Elite. Whether you’re a fan of the high-top construction or not, this is the kind of design that gets people talking, and it was definitely the most unique basketball shoe of the year.
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