The 10 Most Valuable Sneaker Collaborations of All Time

If you're reading this article, the chances are that you love sneakers as much as we do. Whether you've just started collecting or you've for a 500 piece collection, one thing that's for sure is that not all sneakers are created equally. With that said, we've listed the ten most valuable collaborations since the beginning of time!

Choosing to show collabs instead of sneakers in general is interesting, as it allows us to see who exactly is behind the partnerships in question and which silhouettes hold their value the most. It also gives us a bit of nostalgia too as some projects of the past may not be seen as highly by today's standards.

There are some pretty obvious ones here but equally, there's some unexpected ones too, so make sure you take a look down below and keep it locked at The Sole Supplier for the latest and greatest sneaker news and content!

The first collaboration between the Swoosh and the New York-based contemporary artist, the Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 1.0 "Natural" made its debut in May 2012 and quickly shot up to become one of the hottest sneakers around. Inspired by an astronaut's mission-ready boots, they're valued at around £3,600, and even still you'd be pretty lucky if you find it for this price especially for some of the smaller sizes.

Interestingly enough, the next most expensive sneaker is also one made in collaboration with an artist. When the Parra x Nike Air Max 1 "Amsterdam" was unveiled in August 2005, the sneaker community was filled with nothing but hype. Known for his extravagant pops of colour, this has been translated onto the beloved AM1, which is priced at around £3,650. With that said, you'd be hard pressed to find a pair that's well looked-after considering this is almost fifteen years old.

As we head towards the "F&F" releases, you can bet that the prices will reflect the exclusivity of the shoe. Take the Pharrell Williams x adidas NMD Hu "Friends & Family" for example, regarded by many sneakerheads as Skateboard P's best Nomad yet, it made its debut in July 2016 and is now valued at around £3,700. With that said, not many of these were made, so if you find a pair in your size you've pretty much hit the jackpot.

Forever going to be one of the most hyped Kanye West collabs in existence, the Nike Air Yeezy 2 "Solar Red" released alongside the "Pure Platinum" pair back in June 2012, and it's one of the last sneakers that he made while we was still partnered up with the Swoosh. Priced at £4,000 a pop, this is a piece of history that every single collector should have.

When it comes to trainers, you'd be hard pressed to find a pair as exclusive as the Chanel x Pharrell Williams x adidas NMD Hu "Black". Made to celebrate the legacy of French high fashion boutique Colette which closed its doors in November 2017, only 500 pairs were made to purchase, and you had to cop through Chanel's pop-up shop. While prices have gone down considerably since their debut, you can still expect to pay £5,000 for a pair of these.

Coincidentally, the next most valuable sneaker is the Colette x Air Jordan 1 High "Friends & Family", which was introduced to the world in March 2018. Valued at around £5,100, some sneakerheads have even been paying £15,000 for their size, so don't be surprised if you need to pay a lot more. Painted in the Parisian boutique's signature colour scheme, it pays homage to the end of an era.

While the tearaway upper trend is all the rage these days, the CLOT x Nike Air Force 1 Low "1World" was the one that started it all back in January 2009. Crafted from luxurious silk, Edison Chen's AF1 features a translucent Air midsole and arrived in a beautiful wooden box. If you want a pair then £5,900 is a small price to pay considering how rare these are.

Regarded by many as the most controversial sneaker in existence, the Nike Air Yeezy 2 "Red October" has a long and bumpy story behind it which we've already written an article about. Essentially, it released when Kanye West had already left for adidas, making it Ye's last Swoosh shoe. Released in February 2014, your average pair will set you back about £6,100 a pop, but that's quite low considering how much some people are buy them for.

If you thought the fragment design x Air Jordan 1 was expensive, wait until you hear about the fragment design x Air Jordan 1 "Friends & Family". Made exclusively for Hiroshi Fujiwara's compadres, December 2014 saw the release of his most limited AJ1 yet. While the differences are quite minuscule, hardcore Jordan heads will immediately be able to tell the difference, and that's why you'll be paying around £6,300 if you want some in mind condition.

While the Dunk Low silhouette is all the rage these days, it's nothing compared to what it was like when the Concepts x Nike SB Dunk Low "Yellow Lobster" was unveiled back in July 2009. Made in collaboration with the American boutique, these are limited to just 34 pairs globally, so naturally, you're going to have to re-mortgage your house if you want a pair. More specifically, be prepared to shell out a cool £10,500 if you want these in your collection.

If you thought 2018's blue pair was rare, wait until you hear about the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 4 "Friends & Family". Dipped in a beautiful purple shade, this was made exclusively for La Flame's loved ones, so if you see a pair floating around the internet, the chances are that they're probably fufu. While these never got a public release, they started surfacing around June 2018, and they'll cost you £10,800.

One of the first Dunks to actually go insanely hyped, the Jeff Staple x Nike SB Dunk Low "NYC Pigeon" is up there amongst some of the craziest collabs ever. While its understated aesthetic may tell a different story, these caused so much havoc in March 2005 that the New York City police had to be called in to keep things in order and make sure those who purchased could get home safely. With that said, if you want to acquire a pair, then £11,100 is the approximate price that you'd have to pay.

It's worth noting that the UNDEFEATED x Air Jordan 4 "Green" never actually got a public release, but it's still regarded by many as one of the most valuable sneakers ever. The second AJ4 in this list, it was unveiled sometime in 2018 and is priced at around £13,000. With that said, this was only made as a sample so expect the available sizes to be pretty slim.

Eminem x Air Jordan 4 "Encore"

Another AJ4 on the list? That says a lot about the Nike basketball model. In December 2017, the Eminem x Air Jordan 4 "Encore" was unveiled to the world in insanely limited numbers. While it certainly wasn't his first collaboration with Jordan Brand, it's definitely his most sought-after, with prices averaging out at around £14,600 a pop. That might seem like a lot for a pair of shoes, but considering just how hyped these are, we aren't at all surprised.

And last but not least, we have the Nike MAG. While this isn't strictly a collaboration, it was based off the fictitious self-lacing shoe seen in 1985's Back To The Future movie. First released in 2011, the MAG got another release five years later in October 2016 were it was limited to just 89 pairs worldwide. With its futuristic design, insane history, and tiny quantities, these will set you back around £23,000 - that's the same price as a fully specced out car!