2019 Sneaker Review

The buzzer has sounded and the results are in. Hopefully many of you caught more W’s than the Cincinnati Bengals and have some trophies to show for this past year of drops. From Friends & Family exclusives to sleeper releases, a lot of shoes made noise in the streets and on StockX. Here are the shoes that we feel are highlights from a year that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

Most Expensive: Jordan 1 Retro High Dior | Avg. Resale $11,333

We know that these sneakers don’t technically release until 2020, but pre-release sales have blown any existing leader out of the water. So far, the Jordan 1 Retro High Dior has averaged a resale value of $11,333. This may be the quickest any release has reached a five-figure value. We look forward to seeing where these Jordan 1s place after an official release.

Most Profitable: Jordan 5 Retro Trophy Room University Red (F&F) | 2489% Premium

The Jordan 5 Retro Trophy Room University Red (F&F) has retained the largest premiums on StockX since its release in May. With only 223 pairs rumored to be in existence, it is understandable why these sneakers are trading at such high premiums. On the year, they have averaged a resale value of $5,217 and premiums of 2,489%, over three times higher than the next most profitable sneaker. With deadstock pairs getting UnDSed and hype rising, we don’t expect these premiums to fall any time soon.

Most Sold Men’s: adidas Yeezy Boost 350V2 Black Non-Reflective

Over 310,000 Yeezy 350V2s have been traded in 2019. With this high amount of 350V2s releasing, it was predictable that at least one of the colorways would be the most sold sneaker this year. Leading the pack was none other than the adidas Yeezy Boost 350V2 Pirate Black with a soaring total of 81,844 sales, around 25% of the total 350V2 sales. These numbers have led the Pirate Black to be the most traded sneaker in StockX history.

Highest Market Share Men’s: Jordan 1 Retro High Travis Scott Cactus Jack:

Popularity isn’t only measured in units sold; it’s also measured in dollars spent, what we call “market share”. While the Yeezy 350 Black sold the most units, the award for the highest market share went to the Travis Scott Jordan 1s, which had both high sales volume and sky-high prices. Now, it’s fairly normal for a limited sneaker to resell at a high premium. But when a limited release starts trading in large volume like a GR, this is something you don’t see every day. Despite a whopping average resale value of $1,110, the Jordan 1 Travis Scott Cactus Jack has recorded sky-high 24,020 trades on StockX. This equates to a monstrous market share of $26.6M. 2019 marked the beginning of La Flame’s reign in the sneaker world and the Jordan 1 Travis Scott played a crucial role in making this happen.

Most Sold | Highest Market Share Women’s: Air Jordan 1 Retro High Satin Black Toe (W)

Satin Jordans have been a fan favorite ever since they debuted in the iconic Bred colorway in 2016. Subsequent Satin releases (Aleali May Shadow and Royal releases) continued a streak of high premiums, but sales volumes remained relatively low. This changed in 2019 when the Air Jordan 1 Retro Satin Black Toe (W) released. Not only has this sneaker been the most sold women’s release of the year, but also in all of StockX history. These record-shattering sales numbers matched with the hiked premiums of Satin releases has led the Satin Black Toe to also hold the largest market share of women’s release, as well as the 4th largest market share of all sneakers traded on StockX. It seems that Jordan Brand has found a winner in Satin Jordans and we look forward to more in 2020.

Biggest Loss: adidas Ultra Boost

It wasn’t long ago when Kanye West wore the adidas Ultra Boost center court at the United Center to send the world into a Boost-filled craze. Since its original release, the Ultra Boost retained its value for a while with some general release colorways gathering premiums as high as 338%. All signs pointed to the Ultra Boost becoming adidas’ next legacy shoe after their Boost technology was implemented in more designs. But over time, supply has increasingly outstripped demand, causing many adidas Ultra Boosts to fall below retail on StockX. The biggest loss has been the adidas Ultra Boost Clear Brown Chalk White with premiums of -40%. If you passed up on buying a pair of Ultra Boost in 2015 because resale prices were too high, now is a chance to get the deal of a lifetime.

Rookie of the Year: Nike LD Waffle Sacai

The Nike LD Waffle Sacai was at the top of everybody’s list for sneaker of the year and we are not ashamed to give it even more praise. We live in an era obsessed with retro sneakers and as a result, every week dozens of legacy designs release in new colorways. It hasn’t been too often that a fresh design is accepted as fast as the LD Waffle has been. Between the five colorways that were released, the LD Waffle averaged a resale value of $493 and premiums of 208%. For a silhouette with no predecessor to gauge a resale prediction, these numbers are impressive. We tip our hats to Sacai and Nike for pushing the envelope and creating something new.

Largest Growth In Market Share: New Balance

2019 was a statement year for New Balance. The Boston-based company put itself in the spotlight, garnering endorsements from star athletes like Coco Gauff and Kawhi Leonard, as well as a strong resume of collaborative works with Bodega, Aimé Leon Dore, Snow Peak, and Engineered Garments to name a few. This year, we sold $4.2 million worth of New Balance sneakers on our marketplace. As a share of the total StockX sneaker market, New Balance sales increased 200% relative to 2018. One sneaker that came out of nowhere with unmatched demand was the New Balance 997S Bodega. This sneaker has averaged a resale value of $536, a price mark that has been an untouched territory for New Balance in recent years. Do not bet against New Balance in 2020.