“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.
10. Daniel Arsham x Adidas Futurecraft 4D
9. Comme des Garçons x Nike Air 180
8. Kith x New Balance 997.5
7. Diamond Supply Co. x Nike SB Dunk Low "Canary"
6. Off-White x Nike
5. Fear of God x Nike Air Fear of God 1
4. Undercover x Nike React Element 87
3. Travis Scott x Air Jordan IV
2. Union x Air Jordan 1
1. Sean Wotherspoon x Nike Air Max 1/97
After a small prerelease at Richmond, Virginia's Need Supply and Undefeated in Los Angeles during the fall of 2017, the official launch of Sean Wotherspoon’s Air Max 1/97 hybrid went down during the month of March to celebrate Air Max Day. Nike went all out with the release, decking out a Volkswagen van with a paint job that matched the shoes and taking it around the country, where Sean hand-delivered pairs to lucky fans. The multicolored corduroy design may have been one of the loudest looks of the year, but it proved to be fairly versatile, catching on with celebs and sneakerheads of all taste levels, even landing the always-sought-after LeBron James co-sign. Perhaps best of all, the shoes have restocked a handful of times, including a large SNKRS drop that was intended to offer a second chance to those who voted for them during last year’s contest but could not get a pair upon their initial release. This was, by and large, the people’s choice in 2018. —Riley Jones