For most, 2020 is a year to be forgotten. From stay-at-home orders to rescheduled weddings, there arenāt many things that people wish to remember about the beginning of the new decade. At StockX we love to see the positive in things, and 2020 was one hell of a year for sneaker releases. It was a year full of surprises and unorthodox releases, and each pushed sneaker culture into new frontiers. With so many great releases from 2020, we expect big things in 2021.
Air Jordan 1 Dior
We would be doing this list a major injustice without starting it off with the Air Jordan 1 Dior. Jordan Brand and fashion label Dior instantly shocked the sneaker world when speculation of the collaboration started to surface. Like most early rumours around high-profile kicks, information is constantly changing. But when lookbook images by Dior, featuring Travis Scott, were put on the internet, the shoeās release was all but confirmed and early resale prices hit 5-figures! The Jordan 1 Diorās release was a major milestone in sneaker culture. Now, sneakers are just as, if not more, valuable than your run-of-the-mill dress shoe, and hold more weight in high-end environments now than before. The Dior Jordan collaboration brought to light the current resale value of the sneaker illustrates its luxurious value, averaging over Ā£7,000. For its rarity and role it played in advancing sneaker culture, the Dior Jordan 1 deserves to kick off our Best Sneakers Of 2020 list.
Nike SB Dunk Low Ben & Jerrys Chunky Dunkys
If a shoe can make you want to eat ice cream out of it, then it deserves to be on the list. All jokes aside, Nikeās collaboration with the world-famous ice creamery, Ben & Jerryās, for the SB Dunk Low Chunky Dunky brought a return to the exuberant designs that helped build Nike SBās foundation. When Nikeās skateboard division was only a few years old, they collaborated with a variety of partners, from rappers to skate shops, allowing each of them to showcase their identity through a sneaker. This gave birth to many avant-garde kicks that are todayās grails, including the Nike SB HUFs, Supreme Dunk Highs and Lows, and Tiffanys. The collaboration between The shoe is such a hit that itās the only 2020 sneaker to rank in the top 20 for highest price, highest premium, and highest StockX GMV. From cow hair to a melted Swoosh, the Ben & Jerryās Dunk packs a bunch of detail into a Low package, making it an instant head-turner and a certified classic.
New Balance 992 Joe Freshgoods
Before the release of his first New Balance collection, Joe Freshgoods showcased a shirt on his IG featuring a tweet from a user that said, ānever did I hear somebody wait in line for a pair of NBās.ā The Chicago-based designer was just that confident that his work would bring out a large audience. When release day struck, he defied the naysayers as the project produced a mile-long line outside of his Chicago pop-up, as fans eagerly waited outside in the cold for a chance at copping. The partnership produced apparel and two sneakers, one of which was theNew Balance 992. The collaboration turned the traditional dad sneaker into a colourful piece of footwear, made with a mix of suede, premium leather, and reflective materials. Due to its limited release, resale prices were through the roof on StockX, where theyāve reached as high as Ā£1,030. Theyāre one of the most expensive New Balance sneakers to be traded on our site and continue to increase in value. The collab not only added value to the 992 model, but to New Balance as a whole. On StockX, New Balanceās market share increased almost 3x since last year. The No Emotions Are Emotions pack helped prove to sneakerheads that New Balance is a brand to watch, for the sake of resale profits and as a brand with momentum.
Air Jordan 4 Fire Red
Everything’s better with Nike Air on the heel. The return of the Air Jordan 4 Fire Red continued to solidify that sentiment. News of the return of the OG 1989 colourway started to break on sneaker blogs as early as March, feeding the hype for the Jordan 4 Fire Red. The famous red and white colourway was last retroed in 2012, alongside its Bred and White Cement counterparts. But unlike the other original colourways, the Fire Red had yet to receive the OG treatment, and have that one feature all sneakerheads love: Nike Air heel tab branding. Jordan sneakers returning to their OG design always creates a lot of fanfare. The release of the Jordan 4 Fire Red delivered a dose of nostalgia while establishing a new standard for reissued Air Jordan models. In addition to the Nike Air branding, the Jordan 4 Fire Red brought back the sneakerās original padding and leather vamping, making it a true return to OG form.
Air Jordan 4 Unions
Jordan brand and Los Angeles fashion boutique Union came together for a second time with the release of the Air Jordan 4. When it comes to Jordan Brand collaborations, Unionās projects always birth creative designs executed in unorthodox ways. With this yearās partnership, Union continued their reign of novel designs by adding retro-futuristic elements to the Jordan 4. Split between two colourways, the sneakers brought out smooth suedes in bright colours that arenāt the norm for Jordan 4s. The biggest eye-catcher was a pre-stitched foldable tongue that came folded down, a subtle nod to how people in the 90s wore Jordan 4s to show off the tongueās inner āAIR JORDANā label. This one unusual design element caused debates on social media, as people argued over the sneakerās execution and whether or not it was a hit or miss from the Los Angeles boutique. Sure enough, those discussions helped build more release hype, causing both colourways to sell out instantly and resell between Ā£370-590. If there is one thing that the Air Jordan 4 Union collaboration taught us, itās to embrace change. Sometimes change is a great thing, and for those that were able to cop on release day, it pays to think outside the box.
New Balance 2002R Salehe Bembury
New Balance had quite 2020. From working with Jaden Smith to Aime Leon Dore, the Boston brand delivered thoughtful designs and projects which helped push them into the limelight. When former Versace Footwear designer Salehe Bembury was tapped to add his touch to the 2002R model, New Balance reached a higher plateau. The collaboration added hairy elements to the old school runner with the addition of brighter materials making the sneaker pop in comparison to New Balanceās quintessential grey colourways. Not only was the sneaker executed uniquely, but also the design was so admired that it provided the final push to crown Salehe Footwear Newās Designer Of The Year. This New Balance sneaker played a pivotal role in turning the athletic brand onto a newer generation, helping to make NB more active in current sneaker culture.
Nike SB Dunk Low Grateful Dead
Grateful Deadās collaboration on the Nike SB Dunk Low played a major role in SB Dunk’s increase in average resale pricing. Just like this yearās Chunky Dunky drop, the Nike SB Grateful Dead Dunk collaboration is another project that speaks to Nike SBās creative ethos. Composed of teddy-bear like fur paying homage to the bandās Dancing Bears mascot, the project produced three vibrant colourways representative of the bandās brand as a whole. Reviews were mixed within the public on whether or not the sneakers were worth the hype, because of their flamboyant features. But resale value speaks for itself, as the pack is reselling for over 3000% of its retail price, making it one of the most profitable sneakers of 2020.
Air Jordan 4 Off White
After debuting in the Off-White FW20 Womenās fashion show earlier this year, the AJ4 Sail had people eagerly waiting for its release. With much anticipation and following a popular Air Jordan 5 collaboration from February, a release date was dropped and official imagery from Nike solidified its summer release. Exclusively made for women, the Air Jordan 4 Sail incorporated familiar deconstructed design elements used by Virgil Abloh on his other Jordan projects. It was met with great excitement by sneakerheads because of its execution and its exclusivity.
adidas Yeezy Foam RNNR
adidas and Yeezy have been very busy this 2020. Almost every Saturday a new Yeezy 350 V2 or more colourways of the new QNTM silhouette pop up without fail. But outside of the usual knitted upper sneakers was the release of the Yeezy Foam RNNR. Yes, we know this technically isnāt a sneaker, but slides and foam shoes are having a moment this year. With many people staying home, the Foam RNNRs hit the mark for those opting for comfy wear. And unlike other foam-based footwear, the shoes are partially composed of Algae. Thatās right, the stuff that grows on the side of boats and rocks in the sea is now in a Yeezy. As brands are moving towards more eco-friendly techniques for manufacturing their footwear, it seems like Yeezy and the Three Stripes team is already ahead of the curve. The introduction of this new environmentally-conscious shoe marks yet another territory that the two brands can explore, making the future look brighter, and cleaner, as we await for more Foam RNNRs to pop up in the new year.
