What Are the Most Expensive Sneakers in the World? See Shoes Worth $160K!

There are many reasons to love sneakers. They are comfortable, stylish and functional. But for some people, sneakers are more than just regular shoes. They are a source of pride, a status symbol and a collector's item. Like any other collectible, some shoes are worth more money than others. Below you'll find 10 pairs that cost a fortune.

What affects the value of sneakers, and how?

The value of shoes is affected by many factors, such as release date, the production run of a given colorway or model, collaborations, signatures (e.g. autographs of famous celebrities), and “hype,” meaning interest in a given model even before its release.

The values of the top models featured in this article are based on the Buy It Now price on international marketplaces. This means that someone is able to pay that amount for the given model, colorway and size right now.

TOP 10 most expensive sneakers in the world

Below is a list of sneakers worth paying attention to. The ranking includes a few real gems! 

10. Air Jordan 1 Retro High Dior

The Jordan brand began a collaboration with the Paris-based fashion house Dior to make history with the Air Jordan 1 Retro High Dior. It was the first time the Jordan brand collaborated with an older fashion brand such as Dior. 

This release was limited to just 8,500 pairs, with each pair individually numbered. These sneakers are made in Italy from the finest materials. The price of these shoes is around $25,000 for some sizes.

9. Nike Air Yeezy 2 Red October

The Nike Air Yeezy 2 SP “Red October” finally appeared online without warning in February 2014, when it was already known that Kanye West had cut all ties with Nike. 

It was the last colorway and model that Nike released together with the rapper. A production run of around 450 pairs and the fact that Kanye never collaborated with Nike again make these sneakers worth around $45,000

8. Air Jordan 4 Retro Travis Scott Purple (Friends and Family)

Never released for public sale and available only to friends and family in July 2019, the Travis Scott x Nike Air Jordan 4 Retro “Purple Suede -Black Midsole” was spotted on the Houston rapper at several different events over the course of the year. 

A production run of around 1,000 pairs and the lack of a public sale mean that these sneakers now cost $53,000 on the international market.

7. Air Jordan 5 Retro Oregon Ducks

The Air Jordan 5 Retro “Oregon Ducks” was released in limited quantities during the 2014 NBA All-Star weekend. This Air Jordan 5 draws its inspiration from the Oregon Ducks American football team. 

These Jordan sneakers come in University of Oregon colors as a nod to the ties between the school and Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Knight graduated from Oregon and also led the team under coach Bill Bowerman, who founded Nike together with Knight. That's why the Oregon Ducks colorway is so expensive, valued at around $65,000.

6. Nike MAG Back to the Future (2016)

The Nike MAG is a limited-edition shoe created by Nike. It is a replica of the shoe from the movie “Back to the Future” Part II. The 2016 release of the Nike Mag was extremely limited, and the number of pairs was 89. 

Nike says the Mag is not intended for intense activity and should not be worn for recreational purposes. They were produced mainly for display. Their price hovers around $90,000.

5. Air Jordan 4 Retro Wahlburgers

The Air Jordan 4 “Wahlburgers” is the most expensive colorway of this model, costing over $100,000. At the grand opening of Mark Wahlberg's Wahlburgers restaurant at the Mall of America in Minnesota, the actor introduced a pair of AJ4s to commemorate the event. 

In 2018 he donated a pair to a raffle for the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and the proceeds went to people affected by the wildfires in California. There are only 30 pairs on the global market, hence the astronomical price!

4. Nike Dunk Low Pro SB 'Paris’

For the traveling White Dunk exhibition in 2003, Nike SB created a very limited Nike Dunk Low colorway for the host city of the exhibition tour. The pair pays tribute to Paris, featuring a light brown suede base with canvas overlays printed with artwork by the French painter Bernard Buffet. 

Production limited to around 202 pairs, along with the fact that no two pairs of this Dunk Low colorway are identical, means the shoe's market value reaches around $95,000.

3. Nike Air Force 1 Low Louis Vuitton Monogram Brown Damier Azur

This exclusive colorway was available in only 200 pairs and was released through Sotheby’s in an auction that ran from January 26 to February 8, 2022. 

Bidding started at 2000 USD, and 100% of the proceeds were donated to The Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern”. It is a scholarship fund that, alongside the Fashion Scholarship Fund, supports the education of academically promising Black, African American and African students. 

The market value of this pair hovers around $100,000.

2. Nike SB Dunk Low Freddy Krueger

The Nike SB Dunk Low Pro “Freddy Krueger” is one of the most iconic and well-known SB Dunks, and it never went on sale to the public. Although the model was supposed to be released in 2007, it was never officially launched. 

In this model, Nike channels a character iconic to the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. Details such as the striped sweater of Freddy Krueger and bloodstains are trademarks of this character. The Swoosh logo itself is modeled after the blades of Freddy's leather glove. 

The shoe itself was never made public because of rumored legal issues. It's said that when the design was rejected by Nike, only a small number of Dunks ended up in the hands of dedicated collectors. It's one of the rarest colorways of the Nike Dunk SB in the world. Their price hovers around $110,000.

1. Nike Dunk Low Travis Scott x Playstation

Coinciding with the debut of the PS5, Travis Scott and Nike teamed up with Playstation to offer a special edition of the Nike Dunk to five lucky people who won the drawing. 

The Nike Dunk Low Travis Scott x Playstation was released as a promotional item that could only be won in a raffle, in 5 pairs. Their price on the global market hovers around $125,000.

Where can you find expensive sneaker models?  

Streetwear culture is an indispensable part of the fashion world in Poland. It began as far back as the '90s, with the release of the famous Nike model, the Air Max. Since then, as time has passed, more and more people have taken an interest in the subject. 

The launch of the Air Jordan and Yeezy Boost lines expanded the popular hype well beyond young people. That's how the famous lines to buy shoes at a model's release began around 2014-2015. The reseller market flourished and continues to grow to this day. On our platform, you'll find limited-edition pairs at Sneakers Joint. 

Dream sneakers are worth a fortune

As you can see, there are many pairs in the world with astronomical prices. It seems that sneakers have earned the status of collector's items. People hunting for their dream, limited pairs are willing to pay thousands to get the release they've long wanted.

I think sneaker culture is big enough that in the future we'll come across more, and even more interesting, collaborations whose resale prices will knock us off our feet. It can also be said that some fairly recent shoe releases may earn collector status in the future. Time will tell whether my intuition was right.