Five of the Wildest Sneaker Collabs the World Has Ever Seen

High fashion. It’s a funny industry. From iconic viral moments like Balenciaga’s hi-vis parka jacket to Ye’s Yeezy Foam Runner getting absolutely ridiculed on social media, there’s nothing quite like a weird and wonderful designer product to get the sneaker and streetwear world talking. Bold and designed to push boundaries, the exaggerated styles we see on the runway might not look like something we’d immediately wear, but if it wasn’t for fashion’s most famous disruptors (take Ye, Demna and the late Virgil Abloh, for example) fashion would never be constantly moving forward.

Now, with the lines between high fashion and streetwear more blurred than ever, brands are even more keen to get in on the possible PR opportunities and potential for sell-out status. In order to get in on the action, the collaboration industry has boomed over the past couple of years, with sneaker brands tapping some of the world’s best creative minds in order to create some crazy silhouettes and get their audiences talking. Over the years we’ve seen Abloh deconstruct some of Nike’s most iconic sneakers, Matthew Williams bring brutalist architecture to sports shoes with his MMW x Nike Zoom 4, and Jeremy Scott break boundaries at adidas – and yet, we’re convinced that none of those are anywhere near as weird as those that are on this list.

It’s worth mentioning here that we fully believe that fashion should be fun, however, we’re always down for a laugh at The Sole Supplier, and some of these silhouettes definitely gave us a good giggle. So, with that being said, we’ve compiled what we feel are some of the strangest silhouettes to have hit the shelves over the past couple of years. Read on to find out more...

Now, let’s be real – you totally expected these to end up on this list, didn’t you? It’s common knowledge that the lines between football and fashion are very blurred, whether that’s from fire ‘fits by the biggest ballers in the game, to 2022’s ‘Blokecore’ trend, but the fact is, you don’t get much weirder than the Comme des Garçons x Nike Premier Heel. Whilst flashy boots are usually saved for those with the fanciest of footwork, this pair was a strange football boot-heel hybrid that left a lot of people scratching their heads when it dropped in 2021.

The Premier Heel took a Nike Football boot from 1992 and added an inch-high plastic heel for an (ahem) elevated touch, whilst the rest of the sneaker stayed pretty true to the football boot’s original style, with quilted leathers and a studded sole unit adding to the aesthetic. Whilst CDG’s branding was kept to a minimum it was clear that this wasn’t your usual Nike creation. They may have the Premier name, but you certainly weren’t about to see them certified by the league anytime soon.

Clogcore seems to have fully worked its way into the mainstream right now, with momentum building ever since Ye dropped the (once controversial) Yeezy Foam Runner. Now the trend seems to have found its feet, every brand appears to have been looking for ways to capitalise on the comfy clog movement. For a high-fashion spin on the trend, Nike teamed up with Matthew Williams of ALYX and Givenchy fame on a chunky closed-toe slide that seemed to get the sneakersphere pretty riled up.

Taking inspiration from his MMW x Nike Zoom 4, Williams’ slide arrived in a bulky, brutalist shape, complete with a square toe which gave the pair a jarring look. The pair also featured all-over perforations of varying shapes and sizes, and although this added breathability for a practical touch, the resulting effect was pretty alien-looking. Arriving in both a solid black, and a neutral beige option, the shoes hit the runway in ALYX’s SS23 show.

A controversial pick, but we just can’t seem to get our heads around the latest Off-White x Nike Air Force 1. The late Virgil Abloh reworked Bruce Kilgore’s classic silhouette a number of times, both under the Off-White label and Louis Vuitton, and most of them ended up looking super-clean. This one, however, is a bit more of an acquired taste, looking a little more like a snow boot than the basketball silhouette Swoosh fans know and love.

Whilst the original release was held back after his death, Abloh’s wife gave Nike the go-ahead to continue putting out their collaborations during the early part of 2022. As a result, the Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 Mid got to see the light of day. Coming in black and white colourways, the pairs took on a more utilitarian look than Abloh’s previous AF1 efforts, with synthetic uppers, rip-stop straps and warped soles all adding to the chaotic vibe. If that wasn’t enough, extra details included an exposed Air Unit, secondary lacing system and pink and blue spiked outsole. Phew.

In case you didn’t spot Martine Rose’s latest Nike collab at her SS23 show at London Fashion Week, allow us to show you what you missed. Having previously teamed up with the Swoosh brand on a warped version of the Air Monarch, this time the designer opted to rework Nike’s legendary Shox 4 model, taking the typically sporty silhouette and adding a formal twist.

Although they looked pretty normal from the front, a side view of the sneakers revealed a stretched-out silhouette that made the pair look more like dress shoes. Rose then decided to slice off the heel to create a mule-style fit (we told you mules were in, didn’t we?) and flattened the sole of the forefoot to allow the typical Shox heel unit to elevate the back of the sneaker. Though not to everyone’s taste, the Martine Rose Shox certainly created a bit of a media storm. Already known for her typically ‘blokeish’ approach to high fashion, the designer is tipped to potentially succeed the late Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton Men’s, so be sure to check out more of her creations in the meantime!

Need we say much more? Balenciaga is arguably the brand responsible for making Crocs cool again, and alongside some celeb endorsements and appearance in a certain reality show, it resulted in a record-breaking year for the brand. In fact, chances are the ongoing partnership played a huge part in the clog-friendly fashion landscape we’re seeing today.

The French fashion house has linked with the foam clog connoisseurs on a couple of occasions now, spawning a number of high fashion takes on the shoe. Not only did we see an extreme platform version of the Crocs Classic Clog get sent stomping down the runway way back in 2017, but since then we’ve also been blessed with a pair that come precariously balanced on a stiletto heel, plus a chunky pair of boots that quickly gained Kanye West’s approval. Whilst all silhouettes came at a hefty price point (this is Balenciaga, after all) Crocs released their own, slightly more toned-down versions of the Boot and Platform Clog, suggesting that the mainstream audience doesn’t seem to be quite ready for the stiletto version yet.

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