The Biggest Sneaker Stories to Watch in 2021

Are we really about to make a set of calls around what we expect will be the biggest stories in sneakers after suffering through one of the most unexpected and unprecedented years on record? Absolutely. See, as much as 2020 was marked by uncertainty in the world at large, many parts of the sneaker industry were unaffected. Calendars shifted and some releases were canceled, but there are still shoes to hype up, athletes to anoint as next up, and big deals in the works that will shape sportswear as we know it.

From this early vantage point, these look to be the biggest sneaker stories of 2021. This is less about individual releases—we already did a list like that—and more about bigger movements in the industry. We have no crystal ball to peer into here, just instincts around industry plotlines that have surfaced but not yet fully played out, and maybe a few sources and details that can't be published at this juncture. Read on to find out where we're going in the next 12 months.

If 2020 was the year you really wanted a pair of Dunks, 2021 might be the year when you're actually able to buy them without heading to the secondary market. Nike made the retro basketball sneaker from 1985 feel special again last year, re-introducing it with strong inline colorways and unique collaborations. It maybe felt a little too special, though, as the pairs that did release were hard to purchase at retail due to their limited quantities. This went for everything from the wacky collaborations from the SB sub-label to plain pairs that would have gone on sale years ago. This year, Nike will do more of the Dunk, more colorways and collabs across the calendar year. But will there be higher stock of each to the point where people can buy them without using a bot? Nike certainly isn't looking to water down the shoe, but the brand could put it on the same path as the Air Max 97, a model that was trickled back into the market upon its reintroduction in late 2016 and then turned, essentially, into a general release silhouette kept interesting by intermittent exclusive pairs. Look for more Dunks, but look twice and you might still miss them. — Brendan Dunne

New Balance had a big 2020. The brand has been moving in the right direction for the past few years, thanks to the rise of chunky sneakers and being the main purveyor of that style. We saw this with the popularity of the 990v4 in 2018, but it extended into 2019 with collaborations with the likes of Aimé Leon Dore, and really took off in 2020 with the re-release of the 992 and projects with Joe Freshgoods, JJJJound, Packer Shoes, WTaps, Kith, and more. New Balance has also worked with Salehe Bembury on the 2002R sneaker, which was also a success. The brand is firing on all cylinders right now: releasing limited product that moves the needle and having commercial success through its grey running shoes. 2021 already looks to be another strong year for the brand, with a collaboration with Stray Rats on the way and the retro of the 990v3 coming soon. There are also more Joe Freshgoods and Salehe Bembury projects, too. — Matt Welty

The protracted sell-off of Reebok by parent company Adidas could finally come to fruition soon. If you've been paying attention to the sneaker industry for the past decade, you know that this isn't a new story—a Chinese investment group reportedly raised $2 billion back in 2014 to try to buy the brand from Adidas, and one analyst said Adidas was gearing up to make it happen, but a deal never materialized. Now, with Manager Magazin reporting in October 2020 that Adidas put together an internal team that would try and work on a potential sale by March 2021, it looks more likely than ever. Adidas, which bought Reebok in August 2005 for $3.8 billion, said in its Quarter 2 earnings report last year that Reebok revenues were down 42 percent during the coronavirus pandemic, so it's not exactly a bright spot in the German company's portfolio right now. Possible suitors in the acquisition include China's Anta Sports and the VF Corporation. If the sell-off goes through, it would represent a change of trajectory for one of the sneaker industry's oldest and most storied companies. — Brendan Dunne

This one has been a long time coming. Drake's sneaker endorser story started in 2013 with Jordan Brand, where he received a number of OVO x Air Jordan Retro collabs, as well as exclusive pairs like the "Drake vs. Lil Wayne" Air Jordan 3, and the Kentucky-branded Air Jordan 8 "Calipari Pack." That partnership came to an end in 2018, and Drake eventually found himself poised to sign a deal with competitor Adidas. We'll never know exactly what happened there, but what's important is what Drake's up to now. After triumphantly taking over Nike's headquarters in the "Laugh Now, Cry Later" video, it's clear that Drake has some big things in the works with the Swoosh. We've already seen his NOCTA apparel, but what will his first official footwear project look like? Will it be the "Stage Use" Air Max Plus he wore on tour with the Migos in 2018? Or will it be his OVO Air Force 1 that's supposed to release in February? Whatever direction they take, the biggest rapper in the game collaborating with the biggest sneaker brand in the game is going to be huge. — Riley Jones

In a 2020 that saw Travis Scott, a man who is a rapper first and foremost, barely release any new music of his own, he was a mainstay in headlines anyway as he grew his empire. There were cheeseburgers. There were video game cameos. There were teasers for his own alcoholic seltzer. And of course, there were sneakers. There's already a handful of Air Jordan collabs rumored to drop throughout 2021. A "British Khaki" version of his military surplus-inspired Air Jordan 6s is expected to arrive this spring. Travis was also spotted in an inverted pair of his Air Jordan 1s back in September, complete with their signature flipped Swooshes. He even kicked off 2021 in some never-before-seen footwear: a white, baby blue, and obsidian Air Jordan 1 Low, to be specific. Are these samples? Maybe. Will they trend on Twitter when everyone takes their Ls if they do release? Most certainly. Oh, and he's supposed to be releasing Utopia some time this year too, which means there's a good chance even more new sneakers will be involved in its rollout. At this point, we shouldn't need to tell you that Travis Scott sneakers are a big deal. Don't expect the La Flame hype train to slow down in 2021. — Mike DeStefano

Zion Williamson's sneaker endorsement services were in high demand coming off his single season at Duke, as he entered the NBA Draft as the most hyped prospect since LeBron James in 2003. His eventual signing with Jordan Brand reportedly cost him millions, with brands including Puma, Li-Ning, and Anta all offering considerably bigger deals. "I just wanted to feel comfortable where I was at," he explained to Sole Collector, regarding his choice. "When it came down to it, Jordan Brand was the most comfortable for me. I didn't feel like I was leaving anything on the table. I feel like I'm joining a family." Williamson's rookie season was delayed by injury, then upended by the global pandemic just 24 games after his eventual debut in late January, but when he finally did play, he did so in PE colorways of the Air Jordan 34. He followed that up with more 34s and 35s for his sophomore campaign, but rumors suggest his own model, dubbed the Z Code, is due this spring. A new signature model will be a big moment for Williamson and the brand, both helping to cement his status as a superstar and giving Jordan Brand a fresh look now that Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony's lines have gone dormant. Leaks have yet to reveal what the sneaker may look like, but we can only hope it will finally overshadow the memory of his blown out Nike PG 2.5s. — Zac Dubasik

Jerry Lorenzo is no longer one of the Nike Boyz. The designer behind Fear of God has officially moved to Adidas, accepting a creative director-like role with the brand's basketball division, which was announced after some speculation that he was in negotiations. Adidas Basketball is in need of a shot in the arm, something that Lorenzo could provide. His work at Nike resulted in the wildly successful Air Fear of God 1, the brand's first all-new basketball silhouette created by a fashion designer. This move is big on many levels: Firstly, Lorenzo's design language is popular and will bring new fans to Adidas, all while outfitting its players with better-looking shoes. It will also bring more eyes upon Adidas and hopefully help recruit bigger names in the process. — Matt Welty

Don't ever count Virgil Abloh out. Don't ever assume that the interest in his Nike collaboration is waning, lest he pop up with a pixelated teaser promising many more high-profile pairs to come. The Off-White designer did that this week, uploading to his Public Domain website a set of images that suggest he's got seven more Nikes coming. The move arrived in the same week that one leaker account claimed Abloh and Nike were working on a "The 20" sequel project to his instant classic "The Ten" pack from 2017. There are no confirmed release dates for the next wave of Abloh Nikes for now, and the shoes are labeled on his website only as "actually pending." Firm release window or not, those blurred-out silhouettes show that one of the most powerful brand-designer relationships in the industry has every intention to keep its energy going in the new year. It's likely some of that energy will coalesce around the Tokyo Olympics, a delayed summer games event that Nike will use to create as much excitement around product as possible. — Brendan Dunne