Ranking All of the Off-White x Nike Sneakers by Virgil Abloh

If you’re not Kylian Mbappe, then these cleats, made for the World Cup, aren’t for you.

Abloh’s first take on the Converse Chuck Taylor, from his original “The 10” collection, is one of the most impressive shoes in his body of work. It was one of, if not the most difficult shoe to manufacture and suffered a delay due to the process it took to make the see-through sneaker. His second take on the Chuck Taylor was drastically different and didn’t live up to the high bar set by its predecessor. It was a simple canvas pair of Chucks with Off-White branding. Not a “bad” shoe. But not a special one. They also released multiple times, which lead to them not feeling as precious as other works from Abloh. The thing with this shoe is that it feels a lot more like a pair of Off-White sneakers than Abloh’s thought-provoking work on other Nike models, which puts it near the bottom of the list.

The Nike Zoom Fly was a groundbreaking running shoe. The whole running industry has shifted to the aesthetics and performance attributes of the model. Abloh worked on the silhouette in his original “The 10” collection, and it was viewed as one of the sleepers of the line. People who got the shoe were happy to get it, and they wore it. Abloh once again worked on the Zoom Fly for the 2018 World Cup and a soccer collection that featured a Mercurial cleat. This version of Zoom Fly, which featured a Flyknit upper, wasn’t as memorable as the pair from “The 10” and you don’t see them around as much. 

The Nike Zoom Fly was a groundbreaking running shoe. The whole running industry has shifted to the aesthetics and performance attributes of the model. Abloh worked on the silhouette in his original “The 10” collection, and it was viewed as one of the sleepers of the line. People who got the shoe were happy to get it, and they wore it. Abloh once again worked on the Zoom Fly for the 2018 World Cup and a soccer collection that featured a Mercurial cleat. This version of Zoom Fly, which featured a Flyknit upper, wasn’t as memorable as the pair from “The 10” and you don’t see them around as much. 

Like many of the sneakers featured on this list, Virgil has reinvented another one of Nike’s classic silhouettes, this time with the Blazer Low. Despite already transforming the high-top version of the shoe, including in the original “The Ten” collection, Abloh takes things a step further with the low-top, adding a dual shoelace setup, various cutouts on the upper, and a heel piece on the midsole pulled from the Air Terra Humara sneaker.

The Blazer Low was up against a lot of challenges. It was the first Off-White x Nike collaboration to be released following Virgil Abloh’s untimely passing, putting the project under a new level of scrutiny. It was also one of his more radical designs, eschewing the Blazer’s usual simplicity and adding cut-out holes, an Air Terra Humara-inspired heel piece, and an extra set of overlayed laces. This colorway in particular seemed to nod to the “Forrest Gump” Cortez, giving an extra layer of historical significance.

As we’d get to see in Abloh’s work with Nike, he had a reference points that he’d go back and visit. Track footwear was one of those. We’d see Abloh reinterpret points from Nike’s archive of ‘70s running shoes, even if he was going to create an original silhouette himself. You could still trace the DNA to very tangible and real moments in history. Some of these moments were more successful than the others. While some of Abloh’s work (Air Jordans and Air Force 1s, for example) was meant to be reserved for a certain echelon of collector, there were sneakers that were enjoyed more by the masses: whether Nike produced more units or the shoes themselves didn’t garner as much hype. Either way, you still saw the models out and about and being worn the way Abloh intended them to be. The Vapor Street was one of the firsts from this line, which took an old school running aesthetic and blended it with a thick, chunky sole that looked to cater to women who wanted a sneaker that was cool but something their own. The track spikes on the bottom was the dominating design language of the model.

As we’d get to see in Abloh’s work with Nike, he had a reference points that he’d go back and visit. Track footwear was one of those. We’d see Abloh reinterpret points from Nike’s archive of ‘70s running shoes, even if he was going to create an original silhouette himself. You could still trace the DNA to very tangible and real moments in history. Some of these moments were more successful than the others. While some of Abloh’s work (Air Jordans and Air Force 1s, for example) was meant to be reserved for a certain echelon of collector, there were sneakers that were enjoyed more by the masses: whether Nike produced more units or the shoes themselves didn’t garner as much hype. Either way, you still saw the models out and about and being worn the way Abloh intended them to be. The Vapor Street was one of the firsts from this line, which took an old school running aesthetic and blended it with a thick, chunky sole that looked to cater to women who wanted a sneaker that was cool but something their own. The track spikes on the bottom was the dominating design language of the model.

As we’d get to see in Abloh’s work with Nike, he had a reference points that he’d go back and visit. Track footwear was one of those. We’d see Abloh reinterpret points from Nike’s archive of ‘70s running shoes, even if he was going to create an original silhouette himself. You could still trace the DNA to very tangible and real moments in history. Some of these moments were more successful than the others. While some of Abloh’s work (Air Jordans and Air Force 1s, for example) was meant to be reserved for a certain echelon of collector, there were sneakers that were enjoyed more by the masses: whether Nike produced more units or the shoes themselves didn’t garner as much hype. Either way, you still saw the models out and about and being worn the way Abloh intended them to be. The Vapor Street was one of the firsts from this line, which took an old school running aesthetic and blended it with a thick, chunky sole that looked to cater to women who wanted a sneaker that was cool but something their own. The track spikes on the bottom was the dominating design language of the model.

Virgil Abloh’s portfolio with Nike continues to get more and more diverse. He made this intention clear with the original “The 10,” where he worked on not only retro sneakers such as the Air Jordan 1, Air Force 1, and Air Max 90, but also modern performance models like the Hyperdunk and Zoom Fly. This trend continued in 2021 with Abloh’s continued work on track-themed sneakers with three different colorways of the Nike Air Zoom Tempo 3, a maximalist running shoe that takes its cues from Nike’s Next% series of sneakers that helped Eliud Kipchoge break the sub-two hour marathon record. These sneakers have a mishaped painted-on Swoosh, as well as nubbly spikes on the outsole. There’s three colorways, too: black/green, white/pink, and a pink and purple combo. The upper is made from Flyknit, but not just any version of the material. Rather, these were created in such a way that took them out of the realm of performance but gave them a new look. This colorway might be a nod the original Air Max 1 colorway, but it’s the least interesting of the bunch.

Virgil Abloh’s portfolio with Nike continues to get more and more diverse. He made this intention clear with the original “The 10,” where he worked on not only retro sneakers such as the Air Jordan 1, Air Force 1, and Air Max 90, but also modern performance models like the Hyperdunk and Zoom Fly. This trend continued in 2021 with Abloh’s continued work on track-themed sneakers with three different colorways of the Nike Air Zoom Tempo 3, a maximalist running shoe that takes its cues from Nike’s Next% series of sneakers that helped Eliud Kipchoge break the sub-two hour marathon record. These sneakers have a mishaped painted-on Swoosh, as well as nubbly spikes on the outsole. There’s three colorways, too: black/green, white/pink, and a pink and purple combo. The upper is made from Flyknit, but not just any version of the material. Rather, these were created in such a way that took them out of the realm of performance but gave them a new look. We’ve seen this colorway on other Off-White x Nike sneakers, but it’s familiar for his fans.

Virgil Abloh’s portfolio with Nike continues to get more and more diverse. He made this intention clear with the original “The 10,” where he worked on not only retro sneakers such as the Air Jordan 1, Air Force 1, and Air Max 90, but also modern performance models like the Hyperdunk and Zoom Fly. This trend continued in 2021 with Abloh’s continued work on track-themed sneakers with three different colorways of the Nike Air Zoom Tempo 3, a maximalist running shoe that takes its cues from Nike’s Next% series of sneakers that helped Eliud Kipchoge break the sub-two hour marathon record. These sneakers have a mishaped painted-on Swoosh, as well as nubbly spikes on the outsole. There’s three colorways, too: black/green, white/pink, and a pink and purple combo. The upper is made from Flyknit, but not just any version of the material. Rather, these were created in such a way that took them out of the realm of performance but gave them a new look. This colorway is fun, sticks out, and is the best of three.

Before Virgil Abloh designed over 50 pairs of Nike Dunks, he put his energy into making the Rubber Dunk. The shoe doesn’t look much like a Dunk, though. Instead, the model resembles an early 2000s skate shoe, a point of reference for Abloh who was into skateboarding growing up. The shoes came in three different colorways: black/green, silver/blue, and a yellow/black, but the former is easily the obitquis pair from the collection. What’s impressive about the shoe, however, is that it’s an original silhouette to some degree. The upper is radically different from a standard Dunk, and it also has an Air bag in the heel. The press release of the sneakers left some people confused, as they were photographed in track and field situations, although the shoe has no application to the sport. More exciting was Abloh sending signed pairs to skate legends Kareem Campbell and Stevie Williams, which made the sneaker feel tangible. The design was a bit divisive amongst the diehards of Abloh’s Nike work, as it wasn’t a slightly altered take on one of the brand’s canon of sneakers. But it did connect with some consumers, and that’s what matters at the end of the day. This colorway is reminisicent of an old Airwalk sneaker and is actually interesting, but gained the least interest out of the three.

Before Virgil Abloh designed over 50 pairs of Nike Dunks, he put his energy into making the Rubber Dunk. The shoe doesn’t look much like a Dunk, though. Instead, the model resembles an early 2000s skate shoe, a point of reference for Abloh who was into skateboarding growing up. The shoes came in three different colorways: black/green, silver/blue, and a yellow/black, but the former is easily the obitquis pair from the collection. What’s impressive about the shoe, however, is that it’s an original silhouette to some degree. The upper is radically different from a standard Dunk, and it also has an Air bag in the heel. The press release of the sneakers left some people confused, as they were photographed in track and field situations, although the shoe has no application to the sport. More exciting was Abloh sending signed pairs to skate legends Kareem Campbell and Stevie Williams, which made the sneaker feel tangible. The design was a bit divisive amongst the diehards of Abloh’s Nike work, as it wasn’t a slightly altered take on one of the brand’s canon of sneakers. But it did connect with some consumers, and that’s what matters at the end of the day. It was nice to Stevie Williams skate this colorway.

Before Virgil Abloh designed over 50 pairs of Nike Dunks, he put his energy into making the Rubber Dunk. The shoe doesn’t look much like a Dunk, though. Instead, the model resembles an early 2000s skate shoe, a point of reference for Abloh who was into skateboarding growing up. The shoes came in three different colorways: black/green, silver/blue, and a yellow/black, but the former is easily the obitquis pair from the collection. What’s impressive about the shoe, however, is that it’s an original silhouette to some degree. The upper is radically different from a standard Dunk, and it also has an Air bag in the heel. The press release of the sneakers left some people confused, as they were photographed in track and field situations, although the shoe has no application to the sport. More exciting was Abloh sending signed pairs to skate legends Kareem Campbell and Stevie Williams, which made the sneaker feel tangible. The design was a bit divisive amongst the diehards of Abloh’s Nike work, as it wasn’t a slightly altered take on one of the brand’s canon of sneakers. But it did connect with some consumers, and that’s what matters at the end of the day. I think this shoe actually sucks, but people seem to like it the most. So that’s that.

We’ve spoke already about Virgil’s work on Nike’s ‘70s running catalouge, and this is another entry into that database. The Waffle Racer makes since for Abloh to work on, with his love for things from the past and putting his own stamp on them. This is the shoe that Bill Bowerman made from a waffle iron in his kitchen. It’s a story of lore in Nike’s archives. I imagine someday, even today, that Abloh will occupy a similiar legacy.

We’ve spoke already about Virgil’s work on Nike’s ‘70s running catalouge, and this is another entry into that database. The Waffle Racer makes since for Abloh to work on, with his love for things from the past and putting his own stamp on them. This is the shoe that Bill Bowerman made from a waffle iron in his kitchen. It’s a story of lore in Nike’s archives. I imagine someday, even today, that Abloh will occupy a similiar legacy.

We’ve spoke already about Virgil’s work on Nike’s ‘70s running catalouge, and this is another entry into that database. The Waffle Racer makes since for Abloh to work on, with his love for things from the past and putting his own stamp on them. This is the shoe that Bill Bowerman made from a waffle iron in his kitchen. It’s a story of lore in Nike’s archives. I imagine someday, even today, that Abloh will occupy a similiar legacy.

Virgil Abloh did quite a bit of work on a series of running shoes with track-like bottoms on them. The best of the bunch was the Terra Kiger, a trail running shoe that’s been a staple in Nike’s lineup as of late. The shoe has Zoom Air in it, so you could technically go running in them if you really wanted to. Although I don’t suggest that. Something about this shoe just works. Not saying Abloh’s other renditions that look similar to this pair aren’t good, but the shoe is modern enough while still retaining its vintage elements. It has up-to-date tech but with a tongue that looks like something Steve Prefontaine would have worn. It was the perfect balance between old and new. The world before Abloh and the world he designed in. And that’s why he excelled. Also the coloways were good, too.

Virgil Abloh did quite a bit of work on a series of running shoes with track-like bottoms on them. The best of the bunch was the Terra Kiger, a trail running shoe that’s been a staple in Nike’s lineup as of late. The shoe has Zoom Air in it, so you could technically go running in them if you really wanted to. Although I don’t suggest that. Something about this shoe just works. Not saying Abloh’s other renditions that look similar to this pair aren’t good, but the shoe is modern enough while still retaining its vintage elements. It has up-to-date tech but with a tongue that looks like something Steve Prefontaine would have worn. It was the perfect balance between old and new. The world before Abloh and the world he designed in. And that’s why he excelled. Also the coloways were good, too.

Virgil Abloh did quite a bit of work on a series of running shoes with track-like bottoms on them. The best of the bunch was the Terra Kiger, a trail running shoe that’s been a staple in Nike’s lineup as of late. The shoe has Zoom Air in it, so you could technically go running in them if you really wanted to. Although I don’t suggest that. Something about this shoe just works. Not saying Abloh’s other renditions that look similar to this pair aren’t good, but the shoe is modern enough while still retaining its vintage elements. It has up-to-date tech but with a tongue that looks like something Steve Prefontaine would have worn. It was the perfect balance between old and new. The world before Abloh and the world he designed in. And that’s why he excelled. Also the coloways were good, too.

Among Virgil Abloh’s many talents was his penchant for getting others to see the cool in something that they wouldn’t have otherwise without his vision. Is there an element of ‘hype’ involved? Sure, but even that was achieved through his unique ability to turn footwear into wearable art. One of the biggest examples of that may be the Off-White x Air Force 1 Mid. Of the three cuts, the Mid is generally perceived to be the least coveted Air Force 1. However, by almost completely reinventing the shoe with a semi-translucent build, spiky sole, and signature Off-White details, Abloh was able to get Mids on the feet of a lot of people and bring more exposure to a version of the model that Nike has been trying to push more over the last few years.

These aren’t your average black Air Force 1s. Like many of his posthumous releases, Virgil Abloh’s Air Force 1 Mids were polarizing. They shifted away from the usual Off-White hallmarks people had come to know, keeping a few elements like translucent materials and Helvetica branding but adding a ton of new ones. The shoe was equipped with neon spikes at the toe and a chunky block that juts out from the medial midsole. The upper, done up in black on this colorway, uses a woodgrain-esque effect. The midsole itself looks melted at the back, a detail that’s drawn comparisons to Mihara Yasuhiro’s sneakers. All in all, it’s one of Abloh’s busiest designs, perhaps offering a glimpse into the direction his footwear may have taken in a different timeline.

“The 10” was such a groundbreaking collection, but not a lot of people were able to get their hands on it. So Nike and Abloh expanded the Off-White x Nike line and gave people different colorways of styles from that capsule, as noticed here with the Zoom Fly. Abloh flipped the shoe in black and pink. There’s not a lot of back story on these shoes, but they’re decent colorways of a popular model with Abloh’s design language threaded through them.

“The 10” was such a groundbreaking collection, but not a lot of people were able to get their hands on it. So Nike and Abloh expanded the Off-White x Nike line and gave people different colorways of styles from that capsule, as noticed here with the Zoom Fly. Abloh flipped the shoe in black and pink. There’s not a lot of back story on these shoes, but they’re decent colorways of a popular model with Abloh’s design language threaded through them.

Virgil Abloh’s work on the Air Force 1 is stuff of legend at this point. His pair for ComplexCon, the MoMA in New York City, the MCA in Chicago, and the ICA in Boston. These will all go down in the pantheon of Air Force 1s. He’s also done a few other pairs that remain coveted but haven’t quite cracked the upper echelon of hype Air Force 1s, or shoes with their own stories that feel important. Others are just colorways, and that’s fine, too, like this Volt pair here. There’s not a 1,000 words to be written on it. But it’s a solid shoe, people like it, and it will live on.

A black and white Air Max 90 from Virgil Abloh and Nike. Of course people would like them. Not daring, but solid all around. You see a lot of people wearing these, and that’s a good thing. Brooks Koepka wore them to play in the Tour Championship, complete with golf spikes.

Abloh’s work on the Air Max 97 doesn’t get talked about enough. It’s one of the sleeper hits from his Off-White x Nike collection. Cool enough for the hype crowd, but satisfying the Air Max purists at the same time. Not an easy feat. The “Menta” and “Black” pairs were both solid on their own, even if they weren’t the pair from “The 10” or the collaboration with Serena Williams.

Abloh’s work on the Air Max 97 doesn’t get talked about enough. It’s one of the sleeper hits from his Off-White x Nike collection. Cool enough for the hype crowd, but satisfying the Air Max purists at the same time. Not an easy feat. The “Menta” and “Black” pairs were both solid on their own, even if they weren’t the pair from “The 10” or the collaboration with Serena Williams.

Black and white on an Air Force 1 will always look good. It's a shame these didn't come out before the Off-White x Nike collection became oversaturated.

The VaporMax debuted the same year that Abloh released “The 10,” so it’s no surprise that there was a pair in his collection, as it was a blend of old and new Nike. It’s also not a surprise that Nike wanted to keep momentum going around the model, so what better way to do that than more Off-White collaborations on it? Black and white pairs seemed easy enough and something that everyone could agree on. 

The VaporMax debuted the same year that Abloh released “The 10,” so it’s no surprise that there was a pair in his collection, as it was a blend of old and new Nike. It’s also not a surprise that Nike wanted to keep momentum going around the model, so what better way to do that than more Off-White collaborations on it? Black and white pairs seemed easy enough and something that everyone could agree on. 

Virgil Abloh’s take on the Blazer is fun. His love of skateboarding is well known, and this felt like his most obvious tribute to it in his initial Nike work. He sent Eric Koston a pair of the Blazers from “The Ten” to skate in. With the sneaker being a hit, it’s no shock that Abloh would go on to do more colorways of his Blazer design, this time for Halloween, with a black and white pair and a tan and orange pair. Which pair is better? Depends on who you ask.

Probably the least memorable of “The Ten,” the Hyperdunk was still a nice project. A performance basketball shoe that could be worn on court, and it was first debuted by Draymond Green. Nike basketball was in a little bit of a rut in 2017, and this added a touch of energy. No one was asking for an Abloh-designed Hyperdunk, but they got it and few complained at the final product.

Virgil Abloh’s take on the Blazer is fun. His love of skateboarding is well known, and this felt like his most obvious tribute to it in his initial Nike work. He sent Eric Koston a pair of the Blazers from “The Ten” to skate in. With the sneaker being a hit, it’s no shock that Abloh would go on to do more colorways of his Blazer design, this time for Halloween, with a black and white pair and a tan and orange pair. Which pair is better? Depends on who you ask.

Virgil’s work on the Presto is top notch, literally unreal. While it’s impossible to top his design of the pair from “The Ten,” he did good work on two pairs of Prestos, white and black, that released after the initial pair. People were tie-dying the white pair, and it looked good, too. 

Now we’re fucking talking. Off-White x Nike might be played out, but this colorway is the business. The one for the true connoisseurs. 

Minus Serena flubbing Virgil’s last name, this shoe was pretty solid. They were made for the ladies, but dudes could still pull them off thanks to unisex sizing.

The Nike Dunk, not the SB version, has seen a strong push from Nike as of late, but it started in late 2019 through. He put his take on three of the original colorways of the Dunk: pairs made for Michigan, Michigan State, and UNLV, all in low-top form. Virgil’s twist? Aside from his signature hang tag, there was a zig zag set of orange lacing overlays that covered the shoes. The add-on was simple, but it transformed the look of the shoe, something that Abloh has been known to do in the past. While the Dunks didn’t ascend to the heights of some of Abloh’s past collaborations, they were well received and, like most of his previous sneakers, go for a pretty penny on the resale market. There’s also a set of unreleased Dunks that were made in collaboration with artist Futura that feature the same lacing, as well as an unreleased Air Force 1. This lacing can also be found on Abloh’s set of The 50 Dunks that he released recently. These are good, but the least good out of the bunch.

The Nike Dunk, not the SB version, has seen a strong push from Nike as of late, but it started in late 2019 through. He put his take on three of the original colorways of the Dunk: pairs made for Michigan, Michigan State, and UNLV, all in low-top form. Virgil’s twist? Aside from his signature hang tag, there was a zig zag set of orange lacing overlays that covered the shoes. The add-on was simple, but it transformed the look of the shoe, something that Abloh has been known to do in the past. While the Dunks didn’t ascend to the heights of some of Abloh’s past collaborations, they were well received and, like most of his previous sneakers, go for a pretty penny on the resale market. There’s also a set of unreleased Dunks that were made in collaboration with artist Futura that feature the same lacing, as well as an unreleased Air Force 1. This lacing can also be found on Abloh’s set of The 50 Dunks that he released recently. Jerry Tarkanian energy on this pair. Imagine he’s somewhere up above bitting his towel when he saw them.

The Nike Dunk, not the SB version, has seen a strong push from Nike as of late, but it started in late 2019 through. He put his take on three of the original colorways of the Dunk: pairs made for Michigan, Michigan State, and UNLV, all in low-top form. Virgil’s twist? Aside from his signature hang tag, there was a zig zag set of orange lacing overlays that covered the shoes. The add-on was simple, but it transformed the look of the shoe, something that Abloh has been known to do in the past. While the Dunks didn’t ascend to the heights of some of Abloh’s past collaborations, they were well received and, like most of his previous sneakers, go for a pretty penny on the resale market. There’s also a set of unreleased Dunks that were made in collaboration with artist Futura that feature the same lacing, as well as an unreleased Air Force 1. This lacing can also be found on Abloh’s set of The 50 Dunks that he released recently. It’s a Dunk in a Michigan colorway. Of course it wins.

48 pairs of Nike Dunks designed by Virgil Abloh. A hypebeast’s dream, right? These released only through exclusive access, a somewhat confusing program on Nike’s SNKRS app. Who would get it? Why would you get it? Would we have a chance to let our voice be heard that we wanted the shoes, or would we all take Ls because we didn’t receive this blessing from Nike to give them money? Especially on a mystery pair of sneakers. The 48 pairs out of the 50 were split into different lots, where there would be similar material bases, but tongues or laces would be a different color. The sneakers were pretty indistinguishable from one another. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who was adamant about wanting a specific one from the 48 pairs. The sneakers had a Bearbick blind box feel to them, from the days when you’d buy a 100% figure and not know what you were going to pull. This had some people excited, not knowing which shoe they were going to get. Were some disappointed with what they got? Sure. But most who hit were ultimately happy to get their hands on a coveted pair of Off-White x Nike sneakers. 

There were two versions of the Air Force 1 that dropped with The 10. The other one is better than these, but they’re not bad. It’s hard to mess up a white AF1.

The Zoom Fly was a surprise hit: A good performance shoe with a chunky sole. This was the best version of that shoe, so it’s a no-brainer.

The “Figures of Speech” exhibition made its way back to New York City, specifically at the Brooklyn Museum. Wanting to make sure that the museum’s security wasn’t being overlooked, Virgil designed custom uniforms for the group prior to his passing. He also handpicked these vibrant green Off-White x Air Force 1 Lows to go with those uniforms. The “Brooklyn” pair follows the motif established by previous museum (and ComplexCon) drops. The usual Off-White markings are displayed throughout the mostly monochromatic sneaker, along with metallic silver Swooshes and the trademark zip tie. The security exclusive was eventually made available to the public via the SNKRS app, quickly selling out and hitting the secondary market for four figures.

The “Sail" colorway of Virgil Abloh’s Off-White Air Jordan V collab lacked the moment of its predecessor’s All-Star Weekend launch in Chicago, but it did maintain what made the sneaker so noteworthy in the first place: its design. The ready-to-cut-out circles of the upper—a practice encouraged by Abloh—returned on this aged variation of the “Fire Reds.” It wasn’t as exclusive as the prior version, but still made for a solid entry to the series based on the broad appeal of the model and story. 

Virgil’s work on the Presto is top notch, literally unreal. While it’s impossible to top his design of the pair from “The Ten,” he did good work on two pairs of Prestos, white and black, that released after the initial pair. People were tie-dying the white pair, and it looked good, too. The white ones became one of the most popular sneakers of summer 2018 because of this trend.

49 out of the 50 Nike Dunks created for Virgil Abloh’s “The 50” release had a white base to them. The last pair, number 50 out of the 50, was predominantly black. It also came with a silver Swoosh and a purple block on the heel. It was also the second most coveted sneaker of the bunch, only slightly falling short to the 1 out of 50. The upper has a buttery leather on it, which is contrasted by canvas on the toebox and some of the other panels. This sneaker certainly sticks out the most in the bunch, but was also a godsend for those who aren’t a fan of white sneakers. And there are plenty of them out there. 

When it first leaked that Virgil Abloh was going to release 50 pairs of Dunks, many were confused. How would the project look? How would this happen? How could he possibly make 50 different pairs? There were even speculative photoshops from sneaker leaker py_rates, which Abloh responded to by saying he “couldn’t design that many bad colorways if he tried.” When the rollout for the sneakers was officially unfurled by Nike, it became clear what Abloh was up to. There would be a first pair, 48 blindbox pairs in the middle, and then a black pair completing the set. The first pair was a white pair of Dunks with an off-white, or vintage, midsole on it and a silver Swoosh. There wasn’t anything drastic to the design. But it felt distinguished from the other pairs, a little more special. While all the others, aside from the black pair, had pops of color or different materials, the first pair kept it simple. And it worked. 

A good Air Max 90 is a good shoe. It’s hard to mess this one up.

Most of Virgil Abloh’s Air Force 1 releases have been engineered to feel special from their inception. Whether releasing them at ComplexCon or art museums, he’s been able to elevate not only the design of the sneaker but the experience around it, too. Previous versions of his Air Force 1s have been tied to activations at both the MoMA and the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. The most recent sneaker, released in conjunction with Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art, is a base yellow makeup of the shoe with details such as blue light stitching. The sneakers, which come with a nickname of “Lemonade,” were released via a Nike SNKRS Stash drop, which required users to be within a certain circumference of the museum. It seemed OK in theory, but resellers were able to spoof their address with VPNs and buy the shoes anyway. It doesn’t take away from the shoe’s design, but still sullied the experience for people.

The Chuck Taylor was supposed to be the weakest of “The Ten,” and didn’t even release until roughly eight months after the rest of the original collection. It ended up being a hit though, with high resell prices, and helped usher in the now-popular translucent upper trend. Abloh was faced with manufacturing issues with this shoe. The process of making them was destroying the shoe, so it took a little longer for them to release.

It’s a good thing only two pairs of these released at ComplexCon, or it would have been a reenactment of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! in Chicago. Off-White Air Force 1s always go. Make it all-blue and it’s even more hype. Jokes aside, these sneakers are important and their loudness speaks volumes, but in the best way. Add in the fact that they were made for the MCA in Chicago, and they’re a dream come true for Abloh. People knew these were going to be hyped before they released, and they lived up to expectations.

As for now, this is Abloh’s swan song. His final sneaker released while he was still here with us. And it was a beautiful thing to see. The Air Jordan 2 Low, a somewhat maligned shoe over the years. Not just the Low, but the 2 in general. Although it has had some highlights (collaborations with Don C, Doernbecher, etc.), it’s viewed as the most forgettable of the original Air Jordans, and it’s the sneaker that almost made MJ leave the brand all together. But Abloh’s spin on the shoe, taking a vintage pair from Michael Jordan’s archive, complete with a dry-rotted sole, and recreating it on a scanned midsole, complete with Jordan’s signature, felt special. It was masterful execution. Every attention to detail was paid. The white/red colorway is better than the black/blue, and I think time will favor it in the long run. But the overall story is there with this shoe. Thanks, Virgil.

Not only because they dropped at ComplexCon, but this white Air Force 1 felt better than the other white Air Force 1 with its more traditional upper.

The Carolina Blue Air Jordan 1 was a brick a few years ago but put Off-White branding on them and they were a huge success. But now Air Jordan 1s across the board are more popular, and it’s safe to say that Abloh has something to do with that. You’d expect a sneaker of this caliber to be kept precious, but you saw people wearing them all of summer 2018. They were more accessible and less expensive than the Chicago Air Jordan 1s by far, and people wanted to cash in on the feeling of wearing Abloh’s Jordans. They’ve aged well, although the orange laces, to me, look a little over the top in these shoes. But some love them, and who’s to deny what they want to do with their sneakers?

Maybe this is too high, but these 97s are sweet with their gradient midsole. Even if you don’t like pink and purple, you can’t deny this shoe. There’s also a Blazer and a Court Flare 2 in the Williams collection, but this is the cream of the crop. Some people will tell you the Blazers are better, but this is the superior shoe.

Drop a pair of Air Jordan 1s only in Europe? That’s a tough pill to swallow for most Jordan collectors, as the vast majority don’t live there. That’s what Jordan Brand did, though, and it made actually scoring these shoes even more sweet. They’re off-white Off-Whites.

No one thought the Blazer would have been one of the best Off-White x Nike sneakers. But people actually wore them, Eric Koston skated in them, and, as corny and cliche as it sounds, they look good beat up.

This is the sleeper out of the bunch. The 97s are so good. People are going to go crazy for these in 10 years. At least that’s what people on UK collector groups are saying, and I tend to trust them. Pairs have already started to yellow like crazy, giving them instant character, something that Abloh intended with his work.

This isn't the first women's-exclusive sneaker that Virgil Abloh has designed within his Nike collaboration, but it's by far the best and the first Air Jordan. The Air Jordan IV, which comes in a tan, full-grain leather, was available in  full range of sizes but marketed for women. Nike also gave early access to the sneakers to women. It's not Abloh's most inspiring design work on Air Jordan, but it gets the job done.

Just when you thought Virgil Abloh’s Nike work became boring, he hit everyone with his vision of the Air Jordan V. It’s a layup for him. People would have liked it anyway, even if the design wasn’t great. But he was able to reference Michael Jordan’s history in a meaningful way, add something new to the shoe with see-thru panels, and ultimately create a grail-level shoe that’s worthy of the praise. It’s also nice that he made it limited, too. It’s something good that’s not going to oversaturate the market. Bravo.

Super hype. Super limited. Super artsy. But Abloh always wanted to prove that sneakers could be in a museum, and his black pair of Air Force 1s for MoMa proved just that. Released in New York City, the sneaker was the first in a three-part series of museum Air Force 1s designed by Abloh, all three of them came in a base color with a silver Swoosh. You had to get a ticket to get these sneakers and stories have been told about New York City’s resale mafia being very present at the event. Jadakiss played ball in a pair and gave them away. When he found out they were going for over $15,000, he was heart broken. Expect this sneaker to become more and more valuable and meaningful as years go on. There’s also an edition that comes with socks. That’s the one you want.

The Air Jordan 1 was the most hyped and pinnacle of Virgil Abloh’s work with Nike. The rollout was like no other. Signing pairs for every celebrity that mattered and reworking the colorway named after his hometown, Chicago. Everyone got them, from Drake to Spike Lee to Beyonce to Jay-Z to Michael Jordan himself. It was a truly meaningful project and the work that’s come to define the rest of Abloh’s output. People want his other iterations of the Jordan 1 because they remind them of this sneaker. The shoe was inspired by Abloh spotting a pair of generic Nikes on someone’s feet in an airport. He’s done Harvard lectures on them. People will study them for years to come, and they should.

OK, hear me out. When this list was originally made in 2017, a lot of it was jokey. And it was fun. Sneakers shouldn’t be too serious. They should have stories and mean something, yes, but they should be good and functional at the end of the day. And that’s what the Presto is. The obvious choice is that the “Chicago” Jordan 1 is Abloh’s best sneaker. And in the history books, that’s what will probably go down. But when “The 10” came out, there was an obvious hypebeast gravitation towads that shoe. It undermined, to some extent, Abloh’s work on it. It didn’t make it a bad sneaker by any means. But those in the sneaker space with a little more stain in the game went for the Presto. It was a perfect sneaker. One you could wear. One that didn’t feel as precious. If the 1 was Abloh’s “masterpiece,” then the Presto was his secret gift to the world. The one for those who cared about his sneakers more than trends. And when it first released, that’s how a lot of people felt. It was the best of the best. The one you could wear without looking like you were trying too hard. The ones who know, knew that these were good.