Things are looking different in the sneaker world this year. The era of all-Air Jordans-everything is over, Travis Scott has become something of a one-trick pony, and pairs of OG Jordans are gathering dust on Foot Locker shelves. Years of oversaturation have finally boiled over. The resale market is in shambles. Some say sneakers are dead. They’re wrong. Sneakers aren’t over, and the best new releases of the year prove that tastes may change, but fun kicks are for the ages.

In place of collabs between A-list designers and the usual suspects at the top tier of the sneaker hierarchy, it’s been a year full of thoughtful boutique outings from a new generation of big names. You no longer need a Swoosh or Stripes to make a big impression (though plenty of heat still comes from both houses), with some of the coolest kicks of the year coming from the unlikeliest places. It’s also no longer imperative to set your alarm for a branded app like SNKRS or CONFIRMED—in fact, sometimes your best shot at picking up one of the year’s coolest shoes is to find a store you can hit up in-person. There’s more scarcity, more IYKYK drops, and, above all, more surprises. That’s the theme uniting the best sneakers to drop so far this year—almost all of which took us by surprise in one way or another. What else will make part two of this list at the end of the year? We’re thrilled to say we have no idea, and we can’t wait to find out.

New Balance x Miu Miu 530 SL Deco

The partnership between Miu Miu and New Balance has been a shining example of a luxury fashion house mixing it up with a sneaker brand, and this summer saw their best work yet: a sleek leather 530L launched just in time for Wimbledon.