Best Sneakers of 2020
PART TWO: RELEASES
This year has been a year full of dope sneaker releases and sneaker brand collaborations; setting the bar high for what is next to come in 2021. As a two-part series to finish off 2020, I have curated a list of the best sneakers of 2020, in both collaborations and overall releases.
Last week, I released Part One to my Best Sneakers of 2020 series, listing my top 12 sneaker collaborations of 2020. In Part Two, I’ve carefully curated my personal favorite releases, with some making their way from the collaborations piece to here, some falling into the hype, and some remaining very underrated. We’ve seen New Balance completely pop off this year, designer brands continuing to collaborate with sneaker brands, unexpected releases, and many groundbreaking releases as well! I went through every single sneaker release from all brands throughout the entire year and was able to narrow down the list to my top 12 releases of 2020, in my opinion.
Check out my list of the best sneaker releases of 2020 below!
BEST SNEAKERS OF 2020: RELEASES
JORDAN 1 RETRO HIGH ‘LUCKY GREEN’
A highly underrated release, this colorway deserves a lot more recognition and hype than it did. Including a vintage look to it, along with a minimal feel, this colorway pairs well perfectly with many different outfits and styles.
You can purchase a pair here.
UNION LOS ANGELES x JORDAN 4 ‘OFF-NOIR’
This Union LA x Jordan collaboration lived in my top releases and collaborations of 2020 since the original photos were released. The unique touch to the 4’s play a huge role in that, which includes the tongue stitched down, giving the individual sneakerhead the option to cut the thread and deconstruct it or not - adding a personal preference to the sneakers. Besides the uniqueness, the off-noir colorway was also released multiple times, giving consumers a better chance to cop, ultimately making the better colorway, in my opinion, available to a wider audience.
You can purchase a pair here.
DIOR x NIKE AIR JORDAN 1
The Dior x Jordan collaboration was one of the largest and most desired releases of 2020. The release not only attracted the sneaker community but many designer brand consumers (who don’t collect sneakers) as well. The sleek and minimal design, along with the Dior logo in the swoosh, made this pair my favorite designer x sneaker brand collaboration. Regardless of a steep price point of $2000, everyone wanted the chance to cop them. As the hardest sneaker to buy this year, the limited amount of pairs defintely made this release even more appealing.
You can purchase a pair here.
AMBUSH x NIKE SB DUNK HIGH ‘BLACK’
As a massive fan of AMBUSH myself, I was so excited when I saw the official images for this colorway drop. The swoosh adds for a more dramatic effect, with the color itself keeping the sneaker simple and able to be paired with an infinite amount of fits.
You can purchase a pair here.
CONVERSE RUN STAR HIKE ‘BLACK’
As an OG Converse fan, I knew I had to cop these when they dropped. After actually missing the first drop, I was finally able to get my hands on them over the summer and have lived in them ever since. The reason this sneaker lands so high on my top releases for this year is plain and simple: taking an iconic silhouette and adding a bit of functional flair is something I personally love when brands do. This pair is stylish, offers great stability, has an added platform that can dress the sneaker up or down.
You can purchase a pair here.
AIR JORDAN 3 RETRO ‘UNC’
Originally seeing these on a Jordan Brand employee back in 2019 (who was rocking the PE version of the sneaker), I anxiously waited over a year for this pair to drop. Although finding my size was nearly impossible, the quality did not disappoint and these are definitely a 2020 release must-have.
You can purchase a pair here.
TRAVIS SCOTT x NIKE SB DUNK LOW ‘CACTUS JACK’
We saw a plethora of awesome dunks released this year, but this Travis Scott collaboration is by far in my top two. TS continues to make strides and create some dope sneakers with Nike/Jordan Brand, adding his own personal touch. One of my favorite attributes of this particular TS collab is the unique mix of different patterns and colors, which all seemed to rise in popularity throughout the year.
You can purchase a pair here.
STUSSY x AIR ZOOM SPIRIDON CAGE 2 ‘FOSSIL’
We saw the beige/nude/tan colorway included in many sneaker releases this year, but these caught my eye, mainly for the Spiridon Cage 2 silhouette. As a Stussy brand fan, I always enjoy the brand’s collaborations with Nike but these are my favorite of the bunch. Not only is this sneaker, along with the other two colorways in this collab, very comfortable, but the clean, minimal design makes for great sneakers to pair with a variety of men’s and women’s styles.
You can purchase a pair here.
JJJJOUND x NEW BALANCE 992 ‘GREY’
Now I must admit, I just discovered Montreal-based studio, JJJJound this year and I am so happy I did. The brand itself matches a lot of my interests and favorite aesthetics and I already knew that this collaboration with New Balance would fall into this list. I am all about comfort - something I can always guarantee NB to provide - but the colorways in this collab added a fulfilling minimal but unique design - perfect for some comfy, but stylish, fits.
You can purchase a pair here.
JORDAN 4 RETRO OFF-WHITE ‘SAIL’
As the only Jordan x Off-White release I personally liked this year, this sneaker is a grail of mine and definitely deserves all of the hype it got. This women’s exclusive release was given a special early access on SNKRS for female users only, which allowed first access before the general release. What I love most about the pair is the minimal design and colorway, giving the kicks a more modern look and allowing for an extensive way of dressing them.
You can purchase a pair here.
AIME LEON DORE x NEW BALANCE x P550 ‘WHITE RED’
If you know what styles I tend to lean towards, then you know a vintage look is always one of my favorite vibes in sneakers and fashion. The Aime Leon Dore x New Balance collaboration, which features four different white-based colorways, includes details to give the sneakers a more vintage feel, including yellowed accents and the signature NB branding on the side of the sneaker. By far my favorite New Balance sneaker to release this year!
You can purchase a pair here.
BEN AND JERRY’S x NIKE SB DUNK LOW ‘CHUNKY DUNKY’
First off, I would be surprised if this sneaker wasn’t in someone’s top releases of 2020. This one-of-a-kind collaboration with Ben & Jerry’s is iconic and the details of the sneaker alone make this sneaker a head-turner. I’ve seen these kicks rocked in some of dopest fits throughout the sneaker community. To me, this pair is one of the more artistic sneakers released in the past few years and they can be paired with so many different colors and styles. A must-have for any sneaker collection.
You can purchase a pair here.