Alright, we’ve finally reached the top of the countdown, the five best shoes of 2009. For the first two segments click here (11 through 15) and here (6 through 10). That will also explain the guidelines for selection, such as no non-US only releases (meaning if you were waiting for me to post the True Blue 3’s … I won’t). Anyway, let’s get it cracking with number 5 …

NUMBER 5: Nike Air Max 1 “Patta”

Designed by Dutch retailer Patta, this shoe was one of the best of the year at one particular thing, namely placing a premium on not just color scheme but materials, mixing denim, corduroy and suede to create an upper with a contrasting look despite largely using just one color.

NUMBER 4: Air Max 1 OG Colorways

OK, this is kind of cheating, but I’m putting two shoes here, both of the OG colorways of the Air Max 1. It’s the iconic running shoes in the original colorways. Don’t think much more needs to be said, these could easily be placed at number one. They’re rad enough that I don’t feel the least bit bad about numbers four and five both being Air Max 1’s.

NUMBER 3: Air Jordan 11 Space Jams

The great thing about the top three is that they’re all pretty self-explanatory. These are the Space Jam Air Jordan 11’s, you know why they’re this high. Case in point, they hit retailers and websites yesterday. Virtually every website that carried them was sold out within minutes of midnight.

NUMBER 2: Nike Dunk Hi AC TZ

The Nike Dunk Hi AC TZ was without question the best AC—which stands for Autoclave—shoe of the year, which is saying something as Nike was quite fond of giving shoes the AC treatment in 2009. The shoe combined the iconic Dunk upper—in canvas, rather than the traditional leather or mesh—with an AC sole that may be a better fit on the Dunk than its usual sole unit, giving the shoe a casual and classic look. And the two colorways, light grey and black, were a perfect fit.

NUMBER 1: Nike Air Yeezy Zen Grey

With the insane hype the shoe generated months before it ever released, as well as the crazy waiting and long drives people were willing to persevere just to secure a pair, the Air Yeezy had to be number one, and while everyone has their favorite colorway, the Zen Grey did the most admirable job of showcasing the variety of premium materials used on the instant-classic high top silhouette. Even with a price north of $200 demand far outstripped supply. It was a throwback to what the sneaker game has been in the past, and a reminder of what it can still be.

And there’s the top shoes of 2009. Let’s hope for even better releases in 2010. Happy belated Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy almost-Kwanzaa, although I’ll be writing again before the third one ends.