5 of the Most Expensive Sneakers Ever Made

Are these sneakers really worth the hype and hard cash?

These grails have given people (including ourselves, let's admit it) a good run. Sneakerheads are ready to pay a fortune just to get their hands on limited-edition shoes, especially when they're designed by big names in the industry including Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Virgil Abloh, among many others.

Suddenly, hefty prices do not matter when it's been blessed by the greats, much like how prices for Air Jordan 1 Mids shot up when Michael Jordan was spotted wearing them.

However, in this list, we will not be including sneakers with high resale bids. Instead, we’ll be honouring sneakers sold at higher retail prices when compared to conventional shoes. You’d be surprised to know that these sneakers are still gaining traction as their prices soar continuously.

1. Nike HyperAdapt 1.0

Above Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 (Photo: Nike)

Nike first introduced the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 in 2016. “Innovation at Nike is not about dreaming of tomorrow. It’s about accelerating toward it,” said designer Tinker Hatfield. And their vision of the future was to have sneakers with self-lacing technology built for athletes who “undergo an incredible amount of stress during competition,” he explained.

Before Nike released a more “affordable” version of the HyperAdapt, the first model with adaptive lacing was priced at US$720 (PHP36,000) per pair.

2. Balenciaga X-PANDER Sneakers

Above Balenciaga X-PANDER Sneakers (Photo: Net-a-Porter)

There was once a time when Balenciaga won over fashion enthusiasts when the demand for chunky sneakers skyrocketed. Although the fad may have passed, there are still many who stay loyal to the brand and continue to don one of their most expensive ones yet.

The fashion house’s most expensive sneaker to date—excluding their unwearable collectable Track 2 Replica Sneakers that’s priced at US$5,750—is the X-PANDER Sneakers. The Balenciaga X-PANDER Sneakers currently cost US$1,250 (PHP63,000).

3. Air Jordan III OG

Above Air Jordan III OG (Photo: Jordan)

The ‘White Cement’ sneakers, designed by none other than Tinker Hatfield, were originally released in 1988 and priced at US$100 (PHP5,000). NBA legend, Michael Jordan was wearing these on their feet during his Slam Dunk Contest win.

However, first editions are typically valuable than the newest releases. That’s simply the case with the Air Jordan III OG ‘White Cement’ that’s priced at US$4,000 (PHP201,000).

4. Solid Gold OVO x Air Jordans

Above Photo: Instagram / @champagnepapi

It’s completely normal for rappers to spend on their favourite sneakers. And if you think these artists wouldn’t spend millions on getting their hands on grails, think again.

In 2016, award-winning rapper, Drake revealed that he just copped a pair of custom Solid Gold OVO x Air Jordans. The sneakers designed by Matt Senna are dipped in 24-karat gold and set him back US$2 million (PHP100 million).

5. Nike Air Mag Back to the Future

Above Nike Air Mag (Photo: Nike)

Before Nike released the HyperAdapt sneakers, a much cooler pair was launched in 2011. Just when you thought Nike’s adaptive lacing couldn’t be any cooler, Nike releases limited-edition sneakers that were inspired by the shoes seen in Back to the Future Part II.

In partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Nike auctioned the sneakers and all the proceeds were sent straight to the foundation’s Parkinson’s research. Then in 2016, they re-released the Air Mags which were sold around US$24,000 to US$50,000 (PHP1 million to PHP2.5 million)

Topics

Sneakers