The Best Sneakers of 2020 (So Far)

Retros from LeBron James' Nike line have been dropping since 2017 with varying degrees of success. Coveted colorways like the "First Game" Air Zoom Generation were quick to sell out and fetch premiums on the resale market, while once-fabled PEs like the "Houston Oilers" LeBron 3 were met with indifference and could be picked up well below retail after hitting sale racks. The LeBron 7, the third model from his signature series to come back, flipped the script with this aptly titled "Media Day" colorway, which James debuted at the Lakers' Media Day last September. Where the first two models primarily stuck with existing colorways, this one brought the line up to speed with James' current team (James was still with the Cavs during the Air Zoom Generation's return), giving a fresh feel to the retro series—we'd only seen 16s and 17s in Lakers makeups prior. This may not be the most hyped shoe on this list, but it was an important step in the retro line of the era's most dominant player. And in a season that's unlike anything we've ever seen, it's been one of the few things that actually felt right, as far as basketball goes. — Zac Dubasik

Get used to it—you'll read a lot about the Nike Dunk in 2020. From blockbuster SB collaborations to reissues of sought-after pairs of yesteryear, it's impossible to deny the sneaker's momentum. This particular entry falls into the latter category, reaching back to 2001 for a nearly identical version of the original Brazil. Part of Nike's "Team Tones" three-pack of Dunks released this summer, the Brazil led the way with a May launch and is also noteworthy for releasing in toddler sizing, a rarity for recent Dunk retros. Nearly any of the Dunk SP styles this year could've wound up in this spot, but the Brazil earns extra points for these reasons. — Riley Jones

The world had been waiting for Kanye West's debut Adidas Yeezy basketball sneaker for years. All the way back in 2017, we saw West hoop at UCLA in a Yeezy designed for the court, offering a first of many teases. This February, during All-Star Weekend, the world finally got to see the finished product. While the finished product is the most important part of any sneaker release, the rollout and energy around the shoe can help make it memorable as well. West and his drove of off-road Sherp vehicles giving sneakers away during the Windy City weekend was one of the most memorable parts, if not the most memorable part, of 2020's NBA All-Star in Chicago. Much like another Yeezy that you will find on this list in just a bit, the Quantum is a completely original design that carries a strong resemblance to the rest of West's design oeuvre with the Three Stripes. You can stop complaining 'cause it's finally here. — Ben Felderstein

Like the Off-White x Air Jordan V and Adidas Yeezy Quantum on this list, the Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 992 wasn't just a great sneaker, it was a moment. Released during NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago—one of the last large-scale public events of its kind before COVID-19 impacted the U.S.—the hometown designer's New Balance collaboration had people lined up around the block, just like the good old days. 

The fact that the "Anatomy of the Heart" sneakers managed to captivate the crowd at the same time as Kanye West and Virgil Abloh's respective new drops was a testament to the Joe Freshgoods 992's appeal, and time has been kind to the collaboration. Readers will be hard-pressed to find a pair under the $1,000 mark, and the sneaker also holds the significance of being the first 992 to release during New Balance's reissue campaign, which has been one of its more popular lines this year. Prior to the suspension of the brand's NB1 custom platform due to the novel coronavirus, Joe Freshgoods-adjacent makeups were one of the more in-demand looks, but you'll have to shell out some cash if you want the real deal. — Riley Jones

The current Nike SB craze has many chasing after Stussy's ice-cream-inspired SB Dunk Low from 2005 that continues to climb in value, but its most recent Nike project proves the streetwear brand has remained consistent with its output throughout its 40-year history. Back in March, Stussy helped reintroduce the Air Zoom Spiridon Cage 2 to the marketplace for the first time since its debut in 2003. A product of legendary sneaker designer Steven Smith, the retro performance runner fits perfectly into the lifestyle space these days. 

Three colorways released, one bearing a grey mesh upper with chrome details that would have existed comfortably on shelves in the aughts, but the standout was the canvas "Fossil" option. The pairs sold out with ease and have become mainstays on sneaker Instagram since, proving that the Stussy collab was the perfect way to bring back a model that many didn't even realize they wanted. — Mike DeStefano

There's a pervasive tunnel vision in our scene that tends to value the old over the new. Nostalgia-mining retros are fun, and collaborations breathing new life into old models can be exciting, but amid those releases, sportswear obsessives can sometimes overlook the actual contemporary designs from brands that deserve their attention. The Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% deserves your attention.

The sneaker, an elite and controversial runner that was nearly banned from competitive use by track and field's governing body, demands some of that attention from its bold outline. It is chunky and still somehow sleek, the sole packing a tech recipe of ZoomX foam, Zoom Air pods, and a carbon fiber plate meant to push the wearer forward. It promises to make those who wear it faster, offering a performance advantage that no typical hype fare does. This is not a hype sneaker, though. This is not a memory from the past dressed up in new colors or bearing a rapper's co-sign. This is an icon of contemporary footwear. Pay attention. — Brendan Dunne

This is what footwear design should look like in 2020. It's hard to find new sneakers that bring back the feeling of walking into a sporting goods store in the 1990s or 2000s and seeing something on the shelves that got you excited—not a retro, not something you owned when you were young, but a new innovation that captures your attention. That's what the Yeezy Foam RNNR brings to the table. Designed by Steven Smith, the shoe is part Croc, part spaceship that is made from algae in the good old US of A. 

The first colorway is named after Mount Ararat, the largest national symbol of Armenia, where Kim Kardashian West's family is from. The all-white colorway is said to take its inspiration from the snow-capped summit of Ararat, where legend has it that Noah's Ark resides. The sneakers launched with the redesign of West's Yeezy Supply site and sold out instantly. Time will tell how much the pair is appreciated, but it's an exciting moment for those tired of the same old same old. — Matt Welty

The Travis Scott x Nike SB Dunk, despite being one of the most hyped sneakers of 2020, has also been one of the most debated—especially by gatekeeping purists. On the surface, it's understandable. Why would Travis Scott, a musician better known for his love of Fortnite than anything relating to skateboarding, get to collaborate with Nike SB? That's a fair take, until you remember that the Nike Dunk is a basketball sneaker, and that its SB variant rose to glory in the mid-2000s on the backs of sneaker collectors rather than skaters. Taken in that context, it begins to make a lot of sense why Travis Scott, who's become one of the biggest artists on the planet (and most prolific sneaker collaborators), would get to create his own version of it—especially considering he's played a significant role in the reemergence of the line thanks to his affinity for some of the most beloved shoes from SB's best years. The version cooked up by Travis features some unique touches, like a tearaway upper and rope laces, but, ultimately, what really mattered was that it was a cool-looking sneaker with a lot of hype. In other words, it was a perfect example of what Nike SB Dunks have always been about. — Zac Dubasik

If there is one shoe that embodies the current Nike SB hype train, it's the "Chunky Dunky." Hypebeasts loved it. The celebrities you follow on social media posted about it. You aunts and uncles that wear Skechers texted you about it. It's this type of mainstream appeal that pushed the hype for this pair to another level ahead of its release this past May. 

An official collaboration with ice cream purveyor Ben & Jerry's, the "Chunky Dunky" makes for one of the craziest colorways we have ever seen dress the SB Dunk Low. It comes complete with details like a rainbow tie-dye lining, faux fur overlays, and a melting yellow Swoosh—all signature markings of the brand's pint packages. The same details that make this pair so beloved by some are the reason others hate it; SB purists aren't too fond of this design. But it succeeded in bringing the playfulness of pairs that represent SB's heyday to a larger audience. The polarizing end result is one of the most visible drops of 2020 thus far. — Mike DeStefano

Virgil Abloh's name is currently inducing more groans than ever. There's been a healthy skepticism around his work since the Pyrex days, but those feelings hardened in 2020. First, there was his Instagram Stories post in July about a $50 donation that turned his name into a punchline—as in, "I'mma keep it two Virgils with you"—despite him following up with a claim of actually donating north of $20,000. Then there was the ill-fated posthumous album cover design for Pop Smoke, lambasted so universally that the late rapper's team scrapped the album art days before the project's release due to the backlash. Is Abloh an adept communicator of his philanthropic efforts? Clearly not. Did the Pop Smoke piece suffer from his proudly hasty approach? It sure looks like it. Still, that doesn't take anything away from Abloh's sneaker resume.

Like it or not, he still has the magic touch when it comes to designing footwear. Proof came before the current wave of criticism in the form of the Off-White x Air Jordan V that released in January. The same detractors crafting viral tweet attempts about his latest misfires may see it as simply a Swiss-cheese remix of a classic silhouette with a chunky tag attached, but the equation runs deeper than that. It is partly a love letter to the Air Jordan line and the role it played in Abloh's childhood, with pre-yellowed outsoles giving it the look of a time capsule relic. At the same time, it's a glance forward, a techy, translucent guess at what the sneaker might look like had it arrived from the future. The actual silhouette of the Jordan V was even rebuilt and made slimmer, a move that risks sacrilege but instead achieves elegance by trimming some 1990s excess off the ankles. Did the Off-White x Nike line feel like a tired formula before this shoe arrived in February? Yes. Did this model, though, prove that Abloh still has plenty more to offer the discipline of sneaker design? Absolutely.  — Brendan Dunne