The Best Sneaker Collaborations of 2018

“Stop, collaborate, and listen,” uttered hip-hop trailblazer Vanilla Ice in his 1990 hit “Ice Ice Baby,” and he might have been onto something. Jokes aside, a lot of great ideas are fostered from unrelated parties sitting down together and coming up with a solution that benefits all. This has been going on for nearly two decades in the footwear industry, and it’s not only used as a tool to gain more brand awareness or to come up with better footwear—the ultimate goal is to create hype for both parties while making coveted shoes in the process.

A lot has changed over the years when it comes to these sneaker collaborations. No longer does it simply take a boutique slapping a new colorway on a running shoe from the ’90s and adding premium materials to generate a buzz. They need to be truly groundbreaking and memorable, and that’s what occurred this year. Whether it was Nike giving an all-new model to someone who won a crowdsourced competition, or Nike SB reigniting the brand’s energy from nearly 15 years ago, 2018 had it all. Here are the best of the best sneaker collaborations from the past 12 months.

Daniel Arsham’s take on the Adidas Futurecraft 4D was the highlight of a banner year for the technology. Its green Primeknit upper with geometric cuts was a perfect match for the minty high-tech sole. But like much of Arsham’s work, there was more than meets the eye with this pair. Under a UV light, hidden details are revealed throughout the upper including Three Stripes logos on the sides and “future” text across the toe. Of course, the shoes were also extremely limited, causing them to become one of Adidas’ priciest sneakers on the secondary market for 2018, with pairs regularly moving north of $1,000. —Riley Jones

Thoughts of a Comme des Garçons x Nike collab may invoke visions of Ls on release day and sky high resale pricing, but these three colorways of CDG x Nike Air Max 180s proved to be accessible to the point of some sizes and colors even hitting the sale racks. While the already-high retail price of $260 surely contributed to the slow sales, they were also plentiful, and available at a wide range of retailers. It was a collab for the masses, from brands not typically associated with accessibility when it comes to collabs—and that’s not a bad thing when the final product is this good. —Zac Dubasik

The year was 2009 and Kanye West would have one his memorable sneaker moments, although it would involve an obscure shoe that not many people would ever get their hands on. He stepped out with his then-girlfriend Amber Rose in a pink-and-white cardigan sweater from Jeremy Scott and a pair of New Balance 997.5s made in collaboration with Japanese retailer United Arrows. He’d go on to wear them in 88 Keys’ “Stay Up” video, too. Then the shoes disappeared. It was near impossible to get a pair online, and New Balance showed no one interest in reviving them. Thanks to Ronnie Fieg, who’s a connoisseur of the brand, the shoes have seen a second life as part of his Kith Park show in September. There are slight changes to the shoe—the removal of the 997 branding and the adding of the Kith logo, but this is as close as you’ll get to the original. —Matt Welty

One of the most-hyped sneaker releases ever belongs to Diamond Supply Co.’s Nike SB Dunk, which first came out in 2005 and took inspiration from Tiffany & Co.’s turquoise and black branding. It not only helped to take the Nike SB hype to new heights, but also launched a resurgence in streetwear. It was one of the first sneakers to fetch crazy prices on the secondary market on a widespread scale, reselling for upwards of $1,000. Needless to say, that’s a hard act to follow. This year though, the brand’s founder, Nick Tershay, was set to release 250 pairs of a “Canary Yellow” version of his Diamond Dunk at ComplexCon, and a full riot broke out. Once prospective buyers (and resellers) started trying to push through the gate that surrounded the brand’s booth, the release was shut down. The sneakers later ended up dropping at a jewelry store pop-up and helped restore a bit of feeling into sneaker culture that those of us who got into shoes before the advent of Instagram remember. —Matt Welty

Virgil Abloh’s Off-White x Nike collab continued into 2018 with plenty of energy, introducing several new colorways of models including the Air Force 1, Air Jordan I, Air Max 97, Air Presto, Air VaporMax, Blazer, and Zoom Fly. While some may argue that the collection is nearing the point of oversaturation, the fact is that the sneakers are still extremely hard to get, with resell prices regularly hovering between $500 to upwards of $1,000. Nike’s been strategic with the drops, opting to only release certain colorways online and keeping interest in particular models high with exclusive drops such as the white Air Jordan 1, which was released solely in Europe. It remains to be seen where Abloh and the Swoosh will take it in 2019—early rumors suggest that “The Ten” could be discontinued in favor of new collections—but for now, they’re still putting out some of the best product around. —Riley Jones

We all know how collabs work by now. Brand X wants to build hype around a model it’s planning to promote on a wider scale, and enlists the services of Cool Brand/Entertainer X to give their own spin on said model. Except when it came time for Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God collaboration with Nike, that formula wasn’t going to cut it. Lorenzo insisted on creating his own silhouette, even going as far as utilizing the lasts from his Fear of God sneakers to get the shape just to his liking. And taking things one step further, the sneaker was designed as an actual on-court performance basketball shoe with the help of Nike’s Leo Chang. Few collabs reach this level of ambition, and that alone earns it a spot on the list. —Zac Dubasik

It’s rare that the first look at an entirely new model comes by way of a collab, but that’s exactly how the world was introduced to Nike’s React Element 87. The model made its debut in Paris at Undercover’s runway show this past March, and was then followed by months of radio silence. The silhouette ultimately debuted over the summer in a handful of variations before this collab finally dropped in September. By the time of that release, the colorways had undergone changes—some of which disappointed fans of the originals—but the final product was no less anticipated despite the late shakeup. Undercover’s takes on the shoe perfectly highlighted the model’s design—playing to its strengths while looking good in the process. —Zac Dubasik

After receiving his own friends and family “Cactus Jack” colorway of the cult-favorite Trunner, the first Travis Scott x Jordan Brand collaboration to hit retail was this blue nubuck Air Jordan IV. Inspired by his hometown’s former NFL squad, the Houston Oilers, this pair felt like a response of sorts to those who complained about Jordan Brand’s tendency to only allow artists to make small changes to retros (see Drake’s numerous black and gold OVO collabs). To celebrate the release, Jordan Brand and Travis threw a special event in Houston, and there were also several chances to pick up the sought-after sneakers at retail. Those who missed out may want to consider grabbing a pair now while resale prices are relatively low. —Riley Jones

With its Jordan collab, Union Los Angeles was able to accurately embody the feeling that comes from an actual pair of 1985 Air Jordan 1s. Sure, it’s sort of like a cheat code—the shoes come pre-yellowed with distressed heels to mimic what a vintage pair would look like—but there are other elements that make this project truly special. While mash-up colorways aren’t a new thing (see the various “What the” sneakers, “Top 3” Jordan Is, etc.), Chris Gibbs and his team managed to find a new way to execute the concept. The two portions on each colorway are literally stitched together, right down to the tongue, which adds to the DIY-inspired feel of the design. And for quality snobs, the panels on these pairs are about as premium as they get, recalling fan favorites like the “Shattered Backboard” Jordan Is. Recent leaks suggest Jordan Brand has plans to continue dropping more vintage-looking Air Jordan Is in 2019, but it’s going to be hard to top these. —Riley Jones