Take a look at The Most Expensive Sneakers of 2021.
Unlike the other end-of-year lists, this one won't require much debate: it’s all about the numbers.
Some of the results may surprise you. Sure, the usual suspects are here, including numerous Nike collabs with other big streetwear brands and those with celebs who are open sneakerheads.
But it's that time of year again and you might want to gift someone accordingly, so we bring you this list with unique sneakers, their materials, designs, prices, and more — We’ve got you covered.
9. Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Low Black.
Resale price: US$1,015
Retail price: US$110
Release date: March 4
Supreme created a sequel set to the Highs in Low form via these Dunks that used the same overall equation with embossed leather and celestial graphics. The fervor around SB Dunks in the past two years brought the prices of those pairs up to new, unattainable highs. There haven't been many of Supreme x Nike collabs lately, so if you want it, get it.
8. Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Low Hyper Royal.
Resale price: US$1,049
Retail price: US$110
Release date: March 4
Supreme shows once again what makes the brand so great with this unique high-end sneaker. The main features of this Dunk are the iconic Supreme metallic stars dressing the crisp-white along with a leather upper across both the medial and lateral sidewalls.
A clean, white midsole matches that of the premium leather upper while crocodile-embossed paneling in the titular Hyper Blue hue adorns the toe cap, lace unit, iconic Nike Swoosh, and the heel. This pair is insane.
7. Off-White x Nike Dunk Low Lot 50.
Resale price: US$1,067
Retail price: US$180
Release date: August 2
A collaboration between Off-White & Nike would certainly be vibrant and unique.
The entirety of Virgil Abloh’s 50-shoe Off-White x Nike Dunk collection is more significant than any single pair, but the white Lot 1 colorway and black-based Lot 50 version stood out in terms of both aesthetics and resale pricing.
The Nike Dunk Low Off-White Lot 50 features a black canvas upper with smooth black leather overlays and silver Swooshes. Black soles with purple Lot 50 of 50 plaques, black overlays, and purple detailing complete the design.
6. Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Low Barkroot Brown.
Resale price: US$1,083
Retail price: US$110
Release date: March 4
Over 15 years later and Supreme’s Nike SB Dunks from 2002 and 2003 are still among some of the streetwear brand’s most celebrated projects of all time. The Supreme x Nike Dunk Low OG SB QS Barkroot Brown features a familiar design inspired by the brands’ Dunk High collaboration from 2003, released during the height of the Silver Box era.
Like the original, the silhouette features a white leather upper, printed gold stars, stuffed textile tongue, flat black laces, a gold Supreme lace jewel, and croc-embossed leather overlays, finished here in a rich brown hue. Inside the shoe, dual Supreme and Nike SB branding decorates the red sockliner, featuring a Zoom Air unit in the heel for responsive cushioning.
5. Off-White x Nike Dunk Low Lot 1.
Resale price: US$1,170
Retail price: US$180
Release date: August 2
Labeled 01 of 50, this inaugural edition of the Off-White x Nike Dunk Low kicks off the Dear Summer collection, featuring a crisp white upper built with a blend of canvas and leather.
A metallic silver Swoosh cuts through the side panel while supplemental rope laces zigzag across the upper, looping through integrated Flywire cables that emerge from strategically placed eyelets. A pre-yellowed midsole combines with an exposed foam tongue to give the shoe a vintage aesthetic.
Virgil Abloh’s signature touches include a white plastic zip tie, an off-center tongue tag, and lines of Helvetica text on the medial side.
4. Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Low Mean Green.
Resale price: US$1,421
Retail price: US$110
Release date: March 4
Supreme’s revisitation of its 2003 Dunk High collab in low-cut form was an exception to the trend. Each of the four different colorways brought back the croc-skin overlays and gold star print of the originals. All sold out immediately.
Like the original, this pair features a white leather base with printed gold stars and croc-embossed leather overlays rendered here in a vibrant green hue. A molded Supreme lace jewel in metallic gold is matched by Nike logo hits at the heel tab and woven tongue tag.
3. Gucci x Balenciaga x Triple S ‘The Hacker Project’.
Resale price: US$1,409-$1,477
Retail price: US$1,290
Release date: November 15
Exclusive sneakers are already expensive as they are. Even in a style landscape where collabs are king, it isn’t exactly commonplace to see two of the world’s biggest fashion houses join forces, so this one was already an attention-grabber from the start.
The new capsule from the two Kering stablemates sees classic Gucci and Balenciaga silhouettes and codes combined to create something new. Another key feature is the return of Balenciaga’s divisive Triple S silhouette. For the Hacker Project, the chunky sneaker arrives in two colorways, each covered with nods to both Gucci's and Balenciaga's influences.
2. Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1 High.
Resale price: US$2,640-$3,113
Retail price: US$190
Release date: February 10
It’s not a surprise that the Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1, a collaboration with the store owned by Michael Jordan’s son Marcus, ended up being one of the year’s most expensive sneaker. Limited to just 12,000 pairs, the Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG SP Chicago draws inspiration from a moment in NBA history dubbed "the freezeout." In 1985, playing his first-ever All-Star Game, MJ was reportedly denied the ball by established stars who wanted to embarrass the brash rookie.
Marcus Jordan’s sneaker boutique dresses the high-top in an OG-inspired palette, featuring a white leather base with a black Swoosh and red leather overlays in a subtle frozen finish. MJ’s signature is scrawled across the lateral heel while a dual-branded patch adorns the sockliner. The sneaker’s tooling pairs a vintage off-white midsole with an icy translucent rubber outsole.
1. Travis Scott x Fragment x Air Jordan 1 High.
Resale price: US$3,283
Retail price: US$200
Release date: July 29
There was no world in which this sneaker was not going to go for a ton of money on the secondary market. The Fragment Design x Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Retro High brings together two of Jordan Brand’s most influential creative partners. The resulting design finds the foundational sneaker dressed in white tumbled leather with Scott’s signature inverted Swoosh in contrasting black leather.
Similar to the rapper’s AJ1 collaboration from 2019, a hidden pouch is built into the black nylon collar. Contrasting military blue hits settle on the toe box, collar flap, and heel overlay. The latter is stamped with Fragment’s lightning bolt logo on the right shoe and La Flame’s Cactus Jack smiley face on the left.
Not even Wall Street could have predicted these numbers.
Find more about Travis Scott's sneakers collabs.