The 10 Best Sneaker Collaborations of 2023
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By Stadium Goods |The 10 Best Sneaker Collaborations of 2023
Our picks for the must-have sneaker team-ups of the year.
Matt DeSciora
With the countdown to the end of 2023 on, we’ve been taking the last few weeks of the year to release our picks for the best sneaker categories. We’ve already selected the best Air Jordans and best overall sneakers of 2023, and now it’s time to discuss the best sneaker collaborations of the year.
Just like the other categories we’ve covered so far, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the best team-ups between sneaker brands and creatives in the art, fashion, and music worlds this year. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’ve been keeping up with sneaker culture over the past several months.
As was the case in 2022, and 2021, 2020, and so on, collaborations were the proverbial straw that stirs the drink for our culture in 2023. Why? Because when it comes to collaborations, sneaker brands are more willing to explore concepts they wouldn’t otherwise try on their own. Fashion designer Cecilie Bahnsen’s ASICS GT-2160 and recording artist J Balvin’s Air Jordan 3 “Medellín Sunset” both come to mind as the types of shoes that wouldn’t typically be released by brands had it not been for the boundary-pushing ways of creatives outside of the sneaker space.
As you’ll see below, there are a wide variety of people from all over the world putting together truly inspiring work through sneakers. Each shoe on this list deserves one last tip of the cap as we bid farewell to 2023.
Tiffany and Co. x Nike Air Force 1 Low
The Tiffany and Co. x Nike Air Force 1 Low has been a lock for our Best Sneaker Collaborations of 2023 list since it was released back in March. Representing Tiffany’s first-ever collaboration with Nike, the “Tiffany” Air Force 1 Low is also the first Nike shoe with an official “Tiffany” colorway, after skate brand Diamond Supply Co. honored the storied luxury jewelry company with their SB Dunk Low “Tiffany” in 2005. The AF1 “Tiffany” is a full circle moment for one of the most legendary colorway themes in sneaker history.
Action Bronson x New Balance 990v6
New Balance couldn’t have picked a better partner to debut the New Balance 990v6 than Action Bronson. The hip-hop star has had something of a love affair for New Balance sneakers that dates back to at least 2016, when he famously declared he had ditched Jordans for New Balances on an episode of Sneaker Shopping with Complex. So tabbing Bronson as an endorser of the 990v6 was a wise move. Bronson’s two New Balance 990v6s, the “Baklava” and “Lapis Lazuli,” are as colorful as the rapper’s personality is charismatic, which speaks volumes about the collaboration’s appeal.
Few people put on more for the adidas Samba than Wales Bonner in 2023. The talented fashion designer released Sambas with unique design elements and materials this year, like a fold-over style tongue that plays to the model’s soccer roots, and eye-catching faux pony hair. The new design approaches were nothing short of incredible, considering Grace Wales Bonner already had an impressive collection of Sambas credited to her name before the year began.
From being on the wrong side of a lawsuit with Nike in 2021 to creating some of the most exciting sneakers of 2023 with the same company, it’s been an interesting last few years for London based streetwear brand Corteiz. After settling the dispute with The Swoosh, Corteiz worked with the brand on Nike Air Max 95 colorways that were released exclusively at frenzied pop-ups in Europe and the United States. Once known as an underground streetwear brand with a cultish following, Corteiz was on everyone’s radar in the fashion and sneaker communities in 2023 because of these popular colorways. We’re definitely ready for more from Corteiz and Nike.
Cecilie Bahnsen x ASICS GT-2160
Of the new trends in sneakers in 2023, the Y2K movement had the greatest impact on the culture. Inspired by retro running shoes from the 2000s with mesh and layered with metallic silver overlays up top, and chunky, techy-looking midsoles down below, Y2K sneakers were everywhere in 2023, and the ASICS GT-2160 stood out as one of the trend’s most popular shoes. The most notable GT-2160s of the year were Cecilie Bahnsen’s collaborations. Featuring floral details and an added velcro strap (two straps on the blue colorway) that transforms the silhouette into a slip-on style sneaker, Bahnsen’s take on the GT-2160 is one of the most creative footwear projects of the year.
Stone Island x New Balance 991v2
It’s been a few years since Stone Island became popular in streetwear circles, but the Italian sportswear brand is still a force in the culture in the present day. In October, Stone Island teamed up with New Balance to release the 991v2 “Black/Olive,” representing the model’s first-ever collaboration. The shoe drew attention from fashion and sneaker enthusiasts alike, and updated a classic silhouette with unique design features that have become synonymous with Stone Island.
Ultimately we chose A Ma Maniére’s Air Jordan 5 as the luxury retailer’s best sneaker collaboration of the year. But we could have easily gone with its Women’s Air Jordan 12 or Nike Air Ship, too, as both of those releases also resonated with collectors in 2023. A Ma Maniére’s two Jordan 5s, the “Dawn” and “Dusk,” play into the retro shoe trend with decidedly pre-aged details like pre-oxidized netting on the tongue and mid-panel designed in a pattern of A Ma Maniére’s “A” logo, and a yellowed treatment to the translucent rubber outsole. There’s also raised “Nike Air” branding embroidered on the heel, a new feature that had never been seen on the retro sneaker until now. All of these details amount to one of the year’s best sneaker collaborations.
J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Medellín Sunset”
J Balvin’s run with Jordan Brand continued in 2023. For his third team-up with the brand, the recording artist brought a colorful new design to the Air Jordan 3 inspired by the sunset in his hometown in Colombia. Just like his first two collaborations with Jordan Brand, J Balvin’s Jordan 3 “Medellín Sunset” is what we like to call “wearable art,” which makes it one of the most successful sneaker releases of 2023.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low Golf
Who would have thought that golf shoes would be a trend in sneakers in 2023? They were, and Travis Scott got behind the movement. The hip-hop star put his stamp of approval on shoes for the fairway by releasing his collaborative Air Jordan 1 Low Golf in October. Like Travis’s earlier Jordan 1 collaborations, the golf version of the retro Air Jordan shoe features an oversized, reversed Swoosh and a versatile color scheme for an undeniably fashionable look.
Supreme x Nike SB Dunk High + Low “Rammellzee”
We mentioned J Balvin’s Air Jordan 3 as being “wearable art,” and the same can be said for Supreme’s Nike SB Dunk High and Lows in the “Rammellzee” colorways. Featuring the abstract artwork of the Queens, New York native, who by the way, has had a relationship with Supreme that goes as far back as 2006 when he appeared in a promotional video for the brand, Supreme’s SB Dunk High and Low also has a gold lace lock that harkens back to its early collaborations with Nike SB from the 2000s.