December 29, 2020

Best Collabs of 2020

Peter Lucido III

Peter is a content manager at StockX with a focus on electronics.

Looking back, the craziness that was 2020 seems like the perfect set up for so many incredible brand collabs.

Looking back, the craziness that was 2020 seems like the perfect set up for so many incredible brand collabs.

This article is part 6 of 10 in the series: New Year, New You

If we learned about them from a brand’s website or saw rumors about them on Instagram, every week there seemed to be a new collab that made us say “whoah!” After hearing about some of this year’s collabs, “those are going to be expensive” and “McDonald’s?” were completely appropriate responses. Whether they come from longtime partners, new alliances, or food brands, 2020 brought us incredible collaborations that have helped shape the discourse on style.

Nike Jordan Off-White collab

Nike Jordan x Off-White

While Nike and Off-White’s original “The Ten” collaborative sneaker collection released towards the end of 2017, the two brands have not stopped releasing banger after banger in 2020. When classic Nikes and Jordans get the Virgil treatment, it is something special, and this is especially evident by the hype around their 2020 releases. This year, the Off-White versions of the Jordan 5, the Jordan 4, and Dunk Low have once again proven why Off-White and Nike are some of the strongest collaborators in the game. The Black 5 and the Sail 4 were the #1 and #2 (respectively) sneaker collabs by GMV for 2020. And don’t forget about the fire apparel they dropped at the top of the year. With all of these incredible pieces, it only makes sense that Nike x Off White is the collab of 2020.

Jordan Dior collab

Jordan x Dior

The Jordan x Dior collaboration created the intersection of basketball, streetwear, and luxury that we thought we could only dream of. Consisting of an array of apparel, bags, accessories, and two historic sneakers that will be discussed for years to come, the partnership is one for the history books. While the Air Jordan 1 Dior (both high and low) was the shining star of the collection, the Jordan x Dior collaboration featured an even balance of formalwear (dress coats and sweaters), athleticwear (basketball shorts and t-shirts), as well as bags and accessories that would cement the partnership as one of the best of the year.

Nike SB Ben & Jerry's collab

Nike SB x Ben & Jerry’s

Who would have thought that one of the most iconic Dunk collaborations of all time would come from Ben & Jerry’s? The famous Vermont creamery gave its spin on the Nike SB Dunk Low with a tie dye inner, cow print upper, and a drippy swoosh reminiscent of your favorite cone on a hot summer day. Easily one of the most hyped drops of the year, the Chunky Dunkys are still a fan favorite, easily fetching a grand or more on StockX. Whether you’re copping to admire, skate in, or eat Chunky Monkey out of, we don’t judge.

Travis Scott McDonald's collab

Travis Scott x McDonald’s

One of the most unexpected collabs of the year came from Travis Scott and McDonald’s. Travis Scott is no stranger to collabs, having legendary partnerships with Nike (his SB Dunk collab holds the #3 spot in terms of GMV for the year), Fortnite, and PlayStation, but when McDonald’s announced the #1 rager was getting his own cheeseburger, the game changed again. Along with the special edition meal came multiple merch drops featuring everything imaginable from t-shirts to jackets to shorts to cups to a chicken nugget pillow. You will be able to find pieces from the collection on StockX. Well… except for the Travis Scott Meal.

Supreme Takashi Murakami collab

Supreme x Takashi Murakami

The idea of a collaboration between Takashi Murakami and Supreme is enough to get added to a “Greatest Supreme Collabs Of All Time” list. However, when the collab is on a box logo tee, we enter tip-top tier collab greatness territory. The Takashi Murakami Box Logo Tee was met with the hype we all expected from it, featuring the artist’s iconic aesthetic on Supreme’s famous Futura oblique logo. Even though the shirt was monumental, what was done with the money from its sales was even more remarkable. Supreme donated proceeds to charity in support of essential COVID-19 relief, and StockX followed suit by donating proceeds from sales on the platform after the release to HELP USA, the same charity Supreme chose to support. While the tee is important, supporting our communities is what matters most.

Nike Stussy collab

Nike x Stussy

With all the time we spent at home this year, one thing is clear: 2020 was the year of the groutfit. And nobody made a groutfit better than Nike and Stussy. The collab sweatpants and crewneck were fire alone, but that was only part of the first drop of the year. Following the March release, the duo brought us extra colorful jackets, pants, hats, and shorts, Zoom Spiridons, Air Force 1s, slides, and much more. The collab showed us the best that can happen when two essential brands in the culture come together.

Supreme The North Face collab

Supreme x The North Face

For years, Supreme and The North Face have provided the most stylish (and warm) winterwear on the market, and 2020 has been no different. While this year’s cargo and big S jackets have been wildly popular, the shining stars of 2020 are the RTG and One World tees. As of mid-December, over 5,100 of these tees have sold on the StockX marketplace. Just in time for the cold and holiday season, Supreme and TNF gave us the incredible faux fur nuptse collection, featuring a one-of-a-kind furry jackets in red, green, and black iterations. Now that The North Face and Supreme share VF Companies as their parent company, we will be looking forward to Supreme TNF collabs for years to come.

New Balance Salehe Bembury

New Balance x Salehe Bembury

New Balance’s classic silhouettes and sick collaborations over the last few years are just some of the reasons why New Balance remains a legendary sneaker brand. One of the collaborations that has further affirmed its greatness was with Vice President of Men’s Footwear at Versace and sneaker maven Salehe Bembury. With a colorway inspired by Arizona’s Antelope Canyon, the 2002R features yellow, burnt orange, maroon, and even more colors brought to you by the canyon’s rocks. With these beautifully-designed 2002R’s you are guaranteed a comfortable shoe that is sure to turn some heads.

Louis Vuitton Nigo

Louis Vuitton x Nigo

Virgil Abloh’s appointment to Creative Director at Louis Vuitton was nothing short of monumental. With his roots in the streetwear sphere, Virgil went from printing on the backs of flannel shirts, to leading Off-White to worldwide popularity, to becoming the artistic voice at one of the most important fashion houses. When it was announced that LV would collaborate with legendary Japanese DJ and designer Nigo, Virgil confirmed he wasn’t letting go of his streetwear roots and further connected luxury with streetwear. Consisting of a variety of bags, apparel, and accessories, each piece features designs unique to the collaboration: a checkered pattern, a duck (featuring “LV MADE” on its body), a dripping design, or one of the many other elements that are special to the legendary collection.

Nike sacai

Nike x sacai

This year, Nike and sacai released even more doubled-up sneakers that first got our attention in 2019. The collaborative Blazers and Waffles we saw last year were a huge hit, so the duo kept the momentum going in early 2020 with the release of black and white nylon pairs of the Waffle. After keeping quiet for a few months, Nike and sacai joined forces again to top off 2020 with some stacked (literally) shoes. Like the Waffles, the new Vaporwaffles have two of nearly everything on each shoe: soles, laces, tongues, and even two swooshes on the outward-facing profile of each shoe. Like the OG Nike sacai Waffles, the Vaporwaffles have dropped in a myriad of colors and, if we are lucky, we will continue to see new colorways as we enter the new year.