Image via Complex Original
11.
In 2019, a sneaker’s worth is literally based off its value on the secondary market. Simple and plain. People want to buy shoes that will be worth more later on. And they’re willing to spend well over a thousand dollars on them.
Hype runs the sneaker game, and things such as friends-and-family shoes, limited releases from Virgil Abloh, and high-fashion models are what get people to drop the big bucks. It also doesn't hurt if a shoe retails for a grip of cash, too.
We put together a list using StockX’s info (if you use their site, make sure your password is safe. All we’re gonna say). Also, this list does not include the Dior x Air Jordan 1, which is reselling for a ton of money because it drops next year. Here are the most expensive sneakers of 2019.
10.MSCHF x INRI x Nike Air Max 97
Retail Price: $1,425
Resale Price: $1,791
Typically, a custom sneaker won’t show up on a list like this, but there’s a first time for everything. These custom sneakers, from the likes of MSCHF and INR,I took the Air Max 97, put holy water in the Air unit, a Jesus piece on the tongue, and gave them a $1,400 price tag. Drake even wore a pair. Now you’ll have to pay over retail to get them. —Matt Welty
9.Nike Zoom Vaporfly Elite Flyprint
Retail Price: $675
Resale Price: $1,801
It’s kind of cool that a futuristic, teach-heavy running sneaker is on this list. I’ve heard that the Nike Vaporfly Elite is a good shoe to log some miles in. This pair released at the Chicago Marathon, and it came with a Flyprint upper, a 3D-printed technology the brand hasn’t rolled out into other portions of its business (yet). Retail was damn near $700, so it makes sense that they’re expensive on the secondary market. —Matt Welty
8.Louis Vuitton LV Trainer Sneaker Mid
Retail Price: $1,300
Resale Price: $1,810
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Virgil Abloh is responsible for more than one of the most expensive sneakers of 2019. What might be surprising to some is that this particular pair is actually still available to purchase at retail. In fact, this is the only sneaker on this list with that distinction. Abloh being named the artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear back in March 2018 was monumental. The fashion community watched his debut collection make its way down the runway in Paris later that same year. The sneakers were a standout, reminding many of Avia high-tops from the ’90s. The white and red LV Trainer Mid and its CNN-esque tongue logo was apparently the most coveted of the bunch, fetching prices of up to $2,500 despite still being on shelves at LV stores for only $1,300. Hype clearly got the best of some people clamoring to own a sneaker from one of the biggest collaborators in the space right now. —Mike DeStefano
7.Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 “MCA”
Retail Price: $150
Resale Price: $1,926
Virgil Abloh’s Off-White x Nike “The Ten” collection is undoubtedly one of the biggest things to happen in the sneaker industry in years. The combination of Virgil Abloh’s signature deconstructed aesthetic fused with classic silhouettes from Nike’s archive created a surefire winner. Since the original drop in November 2017, Abloh and the Swoosh have continued putting out desirable product, including this year’s University Blue Air Force 1, which dropped in celebration of the Off-White frontman’s exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, or the “MCA.” A crackled metallic silver Swoosh and an eye-catching orange decal helped this limited release turn heads around every corner. Also only a literal pair of these pairs releases at ComplexCon in Chicago. —Ben Felderstein
6.Air Jordan 1 “Charlotte Hornets Foundation White”
Retail price: N/A
Resale price: $1,938
Limited to only 300 pairs and designed my Michael Jordan himself, this luxuriously crafted AJ 1 was auctioned off in support of the Charlotte Hornets foundation. Making its debut during the 2019 All-Star game in Charlotte, the shoe was dressed in a quilted honeycomb pattern and came accompanied by a special All-Star game specific hangtag. The buy it now price on these was actually 20 racks. So most won't even bother to resell. —Ben Felderstein
5.Air Jordan 1 “Charlotte Hornets Foundation Black”
Retail Price: N/A
Resale Price: $2,635
Same shoes as the last. More limited. —Matt Welty
4.Parra x Nike SB Dunk Low Friends and Family
Retail Price: N/A
Resale Price: $2,929
Like we just said, Nike SB is having a bit of a resurgence at the moment. Most of it is focused on older pairs, but there is some love for newer stuff, like the Dunks the brand did with legendary Dutch artist (at least in the sneaker world) Parra. The retail pair was good; even better were the friends-and-family ones. Green suede, gum sole. Count me in, just not at that price. —Matt Welty
3.Girls Don’t Cry x Nike SB Dunk Low Friends and Family
Retail price: N/A
Resale price: $3,018
The resurgence of Nike SB Dunks has been unprecedented. Thanks to guys like Travis Scott and Offset breaking out some of the rarest pairs ever released on plenty of occasions, the colorful shoes aren’t just relics of a past era gathering dust in collectors’ closets anymore. While most of the hype has been centered around older releases from SB’s heyday, some of the new Dunk Low collabs have also garnered attention thanks to the trend. One of the more notable examples is the friends-and-family colorway from Japanese streetwear brand Girls Don’t Cry. Its founder, Verdy, has had a big year in his own right with a co-sign from Japanese streetwear royalty Nigo and countless other projects under his belt. The red colorway celebrating Valentine’s Day was hard enough to get in the States, limited to an exclusive launch in Verdy’s hometown of Osaka, but the light silver version is even harder, considering there are reportedly on 100 pairs in existence. If the young creator’s ascent continues, these could even go up in value in a couple of years, if you can believe that. —Mike DeStefano
2.G-Dragon x Nike Air Force 1 (Korea Exclusive)
Retail Price: N/A
Resale Price: $3,293
G-Dragon’s Air Force 1 is the newest addition to this list, but also one of the best. The black and white shoe has an upper that wears away and reveals a splatter print below. Kind of cool, if you ask me. The shoes have been popular, but there’s one pair most couldn’t get: a Korea exclusive launched in the K-pop star’s home country. The difference is that this one has a red Swoosh, as opposed to the white one on the regular pair. Gotta pay for the details. —Matt Welty
1.Trophy Room x Air Jordan V Friends and Family
Retail Price: N/A
Resale Price: $5,237
Inspired by the trophy room that sits in the Jordan family home, this friends-and-family colorway of the Air Jordan V was made in collaboration with Marcus Jordan’s Disney World-based Trophy Room store. Limited to only 223 pairs in the entire world and never dropping at retail, this elusive sneaker has surpassed the $5,000 mark on the secondary market. Wearing a pair of the red suede “Raging Bull” Vs while I write this, I’m not sure how to feel. Part of me wants to be annoyed that there’s another red suede Jordan V out there, but most of me is just upset that I’ll never be able to get my hands on the Trophy Rooms. Like dudes who fantasize about cars in magazines (remember them?) pages. And that's that. —Ben Felderstein