5 Weird Sneaker Trends That Defined 2020

2020 has been an amazing year to say the least. Well, when it comes to sneakers that is, everything else has honestly been pretty rubbish.

Filled with hundreds of insanely hyped shoes and silhouettes, it's safe to say that we've been well and truly spoilt. As we reach towards the second half of the year, we're going to explore five trends that defined 2020. These won’t be anything obvious like deconstruction or chunky dad sneakers that are still alive and kicking, instead, we’re going to focus on a quintet that you probably didn't think would have as much influence as they do.

To kick it all off, crazy collaborations have played a major role in the sneaker game this year. From the Ben & Jerry's x Nike SB Dunk Low "Chunky Dunky" to the Dior x Air Jordan 1 High "Dior Gray", these are some of the most hyped partnerships the sneakersphere has ever seen.

For instance, when the "Chunky Dunky" was first announced it pretty much broke the internet. While it's not necessarily the best looking shoe on the market, the incredibly unique design and funky features was enough to set it apart from the rest - not an easy feat especially in a time when the Nike Dunk Low is more popular than ever.

Also, we can't talk about this shoe without mentioning the crazy ice cream tub that came with the "Friends & Family" pairs.

It has been absolutely insane for retro revivals as well. From 2015's adidas Ultra Boost 1.0 "Triple White" to 2001’s Nike Dunk Low "Plum" which launched exclusively in Japan back in the day, this is a trend that both old school and new school sneakerheads can fully appreciate.

It's also the 50th anniversary of the adidas Superstar and the 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan 5, so brands are promoting these vintage models like there's no tomorrow. For example, Virgil Abloh's Off-White x Air Jordan 5 "Black" marked his fourth Jumpman collab since the AJ1 "UNC", and it infused the classic crep with his signature deconstructed details that took the world by storm.

Not to mention that the rest of the year will be also filled with hotly anticipated comebacks, including the Nike Air Max 1 "Lemonade" that debuted in 2006 as part of the coveted "Powerwall Pack".

One of the most surprising fads of 2020 actually began at the tail end of last year with the introduction of the CLOT x Nike Air Force 1 "Game Royal" and G-Dragon’s PEACEMINUSONE x Nike Air Force 1 "Para-Noise".

Since then, the Swoosh in particular have gone all out with this with the likes of the Nike Air Force 1 "Tear-Away" and, of course, the Travis Scott x Nike SB Dunk Low "Cactus Jack" whose bandana upper slowly but surely wore off over time to reveal a completely different sneaker underneath.

While this trend has gone a little quiet recently, we are positive that it'll make a full comeback towards the end of the year.

You can't talk about the year's weirdest trends without mentioning the mismatched madness that's going on. While this was previously seen as a gimmick particularly when sneakerheads wore two shoes from two separate releases, brands these days are dropping pairs that are meant to be different from one another.

One that's worth mentioning is the Nike SB Air Jordan 1 Low "Desert Ore" that combined both this fad and tear away materials all in one. While this launched at the end of last year, it went on to inspire a ton of colourways this year.

Also, we recently got the Nike Air Max 95 "Greedy 2.0" which acts as a sequel to 2015's "Greedy". Playing with mismatched hues and tones, this is just one of the many shoes that can work this trend.

Now for the weirdest trend of them all. While we've all become accustomed to basketball sneakers like the Air Jordan 1 and tennis trainers such as the adidas Stan Smith, golf shoes were everything that everyone was talking about this year.

Within the first week of 2020, the Swoosh had announced the Nike Air Max 97 G "Silver Bullet" followed by the Nike Air Max 97 G "Grass" shortly after. Both based off the iconic Nike Air Max 97, they sold out pretty much within seconds of release.

This was shortly followed by the Palace x adidas Golf SS20 Collection which was accompanied by a lookbook featuring some of the world’s most famous pro golfers including Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, and Joaquin Niemann. While there wasn’t much fanfare surrounding the release in general, it was enough to set golf shoes on the map.

What other weird trends do you think defined 2020? Did you cop any of the sneakers mentioned up above? Let us know, and be sure to keep it locked at The Sole Supplier for the hottest news and releases!