The 10 Most Anticipated Basketball Releases of 2013

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The basketball world saw countless releases in 2012, from highly anticipated rereleases to new innovations that challenged ballers to reconsider their next favorite shoe.

Last year’s on-court sneakers had their moments— commemorating game winning shots in Cleveland, executing killer crossovers against the greatest player of all time, witnessing Championship Rings and Miami's Vice, along with a 72-10 record breaking seasons to beat. While we’re less than a month into 2013, it already looks like this is a promising year, to set new standards while redefining the game. These are the sneakers that will take us there, check out The 10 Most Anticipated Basketball Releases of 2013.

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No. 10 - Reebok Answer 1 Retro

Being blessed with a handful of Reebok Question Retro releases during 2012 and 2013 has been awesome but a lot ball players have been patiently waiting for the Answer to return... the first Answer that is. Reebok released the Answer IV but seemed to have forgotten that the original's featured a DMX I-Pak cushion system... there’s no possible way they could leave the DMX 10-Pak cushion system absent when the time comes to release the Answer I... right? 

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No. 9 - Nike Hyperdunk 2013

The annual Hyperdunk has become a staple for Nike Basketball ever since the original made its debut in 2008. While they have steadily improved each year, nothing quite beat the 180 degree turn that was the Nike Lunar Hyperdunk 2012. What could the upcoming Hyperdunk 2013 hold in store for us? Who knows... what we do know is we cant wait to find out.

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No. 8 - Nike Zoom Hyperdisruptor

Fuse based model after Fuse based model can get pretty repetitive. Good thing Nike spiced things up with the Hyperdisruptor. Placing large volume Zoom Air was good enough but taking things a step further by implementing Zoom Air into the heel was just what was needed in order to grab our attention one more time.

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No. 7 - Under Armour Anatomix Spawn

The most advanced system to date... at least from Under Armour... and yes, that was more than enough to spark our interest in the Anatomix Spine. These are said to feature woven layers of flexgear that take into consideration the placement of your tendons, ligaments and muscles in your foot... pretty awesome, right? Couple the potentially epic anatomical upper with their extremely comfortable and protective Micro G foam cushion system and we may actually end up with Under Armour's more advanced system to date.

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No. 6 - Jordan Melo M9

We received the Christmas Day edition in late December but it was the regular renditions – featuring solid rubber outsoles throughout – that we have been waiting for. The Jordan Melo M9 looks to be the most well rounded out of his signature series. Forefoot Zoom Air, large volume heel Zoom Air and full length herringbone are enough to make most competitive hoopers salivate at their on-court attributes and performance.

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No. 5 - Nike KD VI

Not much is known about the upcoming Nike KD VI but according to the tech description, they will have a heel Max Zoom unit. Think LeBron X cushion but minimized to cover only the heel area. The forefoot will still have Zoom Air so they will remain flexible. These will likely be the most cushioned of all the KD series and we can't wait to see what they look like.

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No. 4 - Nike Basketball Elite Series

Much like the Nike KD VI, not much is known about the 2013 Nike Basketball Elite series but just knowing that there will be another Elite series is enough to get us excited. Not only will the Kobe and LeBron signature be included but it's been said that KD will be included in this years lineup. Yeah... this should be totally awesome.

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No. 3 - Li-Ning Way of Wade

To say that we are excited about the Li-Ning Way of Way would be a vast understatement. The shoe was discussed and unveiled last year and we still haven’t received a release yet. Li-Ning has brought in the old and blended it with the new as they will bring back raw materials - such as leather and nubuck - into basketball performance footwear while providing us with some of the most recent foam cushions systems; CushioN & BounSe. Lets just hope they release them before consumers loose interest.

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No. 2 - Air Jordan XX8

Carbon  Fiber Flight Plate, decoupled heel and forefoot, Dynamic Fit system, ProPlate  Zoom Air and... a Zipper. There is nothing cooler than a basketball shoe with a Zipper. Don't believe us? Look through the 90's archives and you will find some of the most beloved performance models of all time... The Glove anyone? The only thing we aren’t too thrilled about is the $250 price tag but Jordan Brand has established themselves as the Bentley of hoop shoes... and buying a Bentley isn’t cheap.

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No. 1 - Nike Zoom Flight '97

Long before the Air Jordan XX8, we had The Glove. Monkey Paw support, Zoom Air and zipper... what more could you want? These are one of Gary Payton's favorites from his personal signature line and we will finally see them back at retailers in 2013. The last time these were spotted on-court was back in 2006 when GP finally got that Championship ring while part of the Miami Heat's roster along with Zo, Shaq and a young Dwyane Wade. To say this release has been a long time coming would be the understatement of the year. Most of the older generation will not only purchase The Glove but they will likely purchase multiple pairs as these have been an on-court fan favorite since their initial debut. A Retro topping a list of upcoming performance models... believe it or not, a hoop shoe will always be a hoop shoe... no matter how old it is.

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