via complex.com
The 10 Most Expensive Sneakers of 2017
If a sneaker doesn’t resell for a ton of money, was it ever released in the first place? With the secondary sneaker market being a billion dollar industry, it’s put more focus on what a shoe’s worth is after it releases than what it costs in stores. Good luck getting a pair at retail, bud. You’ll have to fork your dollars over on eBay or Flight Club. And that’s what you’ll need to do for the latest Air Jordan collaboration, Pharrell x Adidas sneaker, or shoe that drops only at an obscure pop-up shop half-way across the world. We’re not talking chump change either, people are shelling out major coin to cop some of these exclusive kicks. Here are some of the Most Expensive Sneakers of 2017.
To gather the info, we used StockX to find out the average resale values of all the sneakers.
10. Off-White x Air Jordan 1
Image via Nike
Resale value: $1,100
The “best” sneaker of the year is also one of the most sought-after, which is the case for the Off-White x Air Jordan 1. The release for the shoe was so mad that Nike had to postpone it, with the SNKRS app shutting down due to the high demand. If you wanted this year’s top shoe, you needed to pay top dollar.
9. Air Jordan 1 Royal Satin
Image via Nike
Resale value: $1,590
I’ve been very critical of Jordan’s deceptive release practices in 2017, but the Satin version of the Air Jordan 1 “Black/Royal” showed a dedication to storytelling. The shoes only dropped at Walters in Atlanta and Active Athlete in Houston, two mom and pop shops that carried the shoes when they first releases. That rarity and regional exclusiveness drove up the resale market for these satin joints. And, oh yeah, people love “Black/Royal” Air Jordan 1s.
8. A Cold Wall x Nike Air Force 1
Image via Nike
Resale value: $1,631
Unless you have a pile of money or a plug in London, you probably didn’t get your hands on the A Cold Wall x Nike Air Force 1. Only released at a pop-up in in the Big Smoke, the sneakers were a throwback to classic Air Force 1 styling and were even given The Harlem Lace Job in the press photos. Talk about authenticity.
7. Just Don x Air Jordan II “Arctic Orange”
Image via Nike
Resale value: $1,646
Just Don and Jordan Brand dropped the third installment of their Air Jordan II trilogy this year, this time releasing them in sizes for the whole family. The men’s pairs are going for bread, too. It all makes sense that the sneakers, being inspired by luxury handbags, actually go for the price of a luxury handbag.
6. Adidas Pharrell NMD Hu Race Trail “Cotton Candy”
Image via Adidas
Resale value: $1,751
Pharrell had a really hot year with Adidas, and one of his Hu Race NMD Trail sneakers were only sold at BBC in New York City. Guess what? They resell for way more than the pairs that were sold everywhere. Surprised? Not in the least.
5. Air Jordan 1 “Spike Lee”
Image via Nike
Resale value: $2,397
Besides Michael Jordan, Spike Lee is the face of the Air Jordan, coming in with the Air Jordan III to sell it as his Mars Blackmon character. In the film She’s Gotta Have It, Mars wore a pair of Black/Royal Air Jordan 1s while having sex, and now Spike has his own Air Jordan 1s. Done up in a similar colorway, the sneakers featured Mars’ face on the heel, were only sold in Brooklyn, and retailers for $300. Now they’re re-selling for over $2,000. Call that a cultural cash-et.
4. Adidas Futurecraft 4D
Image via Adidas
Resale value: $2,892
Adidas was supposed to release this sneaker to the public by the end of the year, but it hasn’t hit retail yet. But the brand did give away 300 pairs to friends and family… .and most of them ended up on eBay. They feature cutting-edge technology in the midsole, but they look badass, too, even if the majority of people who get them saw them as a way to cash in.
3. Adidas Pharrell NMD Hu Race Trail “N*E*R*D”
Image via Adidas
Resale value: $5,185
Pharrell and Adidas figured out the hype train this year, and it came to a culmination at ComplexCon with a special pair of Pharrell’s Hu Race NMD Trail that was made for the release of N*E*R*D’s new album. Kids literally fought over the shoes, which drove the resale price up even higher.
2. Chanel x Adidas Pharrell NMD Hu Race Trail
Image via Adidas
Resale value: $11,135
Pharrell got Adidas to collaborate with Chanel on his signature sneakers and released them at Colette for the retailer’s send off after 20 years of business. The demand was so great for them that they had to get a court bailiff to read off the auction winners. Coupled with the fact that there were only 500 pairs made, and that put this shoe as one the most in-demand releases in ages.
1. Air Jordan III “Grateful”
Image via Nike
Resale value: $13,250
DJ Khaled is one of the most divisive people in the sneaker game. For some, he possesses the enthusiasm they’ve been looking for. For others, anything he touches instantly makes the product uncool. But Jordan Brand rewarded his faithfulness to the company this year with this own Air Jordan III. The shoes were given away to select folks who bought his new album, which means very few pairs are circulating. Sneakers are good investment, indeed.
