The 10 Best Sneaker Collaborations of 2022
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By Stadium Goods |The 10 Best Sneaker Collaborations of 2022
Our picks for the best team-ups in sneakers of 2022.
Matt DeSciora & Zack Schlemmer
There is no denying that, in the last five or so years, collaborations have been the straw that stirs the drink in sneaker culture. The community’s obsession with co-created shoes reached a fever pitch when the late, great Virgil Abloh released his “The 10” collection with Nike in 2017, and grew more intense with each passing Travis Scott, Joe Freshgoods, and Aimé Leon Dore project thereafter.
In addition to the Travis Scott’s and the Aimé Leon Dore’s of the sneaker collaborating world, there are other designers, fashion labels, boutiques, and creatives that have made a name for themselves because of their willingness to explore concepts footwear brands wouldn’t otherwise dare to try.
Salehe Bembury’s Crocs Pollex Clog and Tom Sachs’s Nike General Purpose Shoe come to mind when thinking about both the folks and the shoes keeping the art of sneaker collaboration alive and well in 2022. But they aren’t alone.
As you’ll see below, there are a wide variety of people from all over the world putting together truly inspiring work through sneakers. So much so that we dedicated an article to the best sneaker collaborations in 2022. Each shoe on this list deserves one last tip of the cap as we bid farewell to 2022.
In no particular order, these are the Best Sneaker Collaborations of 2022.
Teddy Santis x New Balance “Made in the USA”
Teddy Santis has done as much, if not more than anyone to create excitement for New Balance’s shoes in recent memory. So it was fitting that the Boston footwear company anointed him as the Creative Director of its famed Made in the USA line in 2021. After a series of collaborations with New Balance under his Aimé Leon Dore clothing line beginning in 2020, Santis debuted his first solo project with New Balance in 2022. The New Balance 990 “Made in the USA” collection, designed by Santis, features premium materials, neutral colors, and expert-level craftsmanship that’s familiar to both Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance.
Salehe Bembury x Crocs Pollex Clog
Making a cool pair of Crocs is no easy proposition. Just don’t tell that to Salehe Bembury. The superstar footwear designer exceeded expectations when he released his Crocs Pollex Clog earlier this year. Featuring concave ridges, a strap on the heel that activates “sport mode,” and released in an assortment of interesting colors, Salehe’s Crocs are unlike anything offered by the casual footwear brand. Maybe that’s why they continue to be among the most coveted footwear in the world in 2022.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 993 “Performance Art”
In our interview with Rello Jones earlier this year, the designer and former Fat Tiger Workshop co-owner told us that his business partner, and fellow Chicagoan Joe Freshgoods had a handful of great sneaker collaborations in the works for 2022. He didn’t elaborate much beyond that, but looking back, he was obviously talking about his friend’s New Balance 993 “Performance Art” collection. Designed with the warm hues associated with Joe’s work with the heritage footwear brand, the three pastel-colored sneakers from the “Performance Art” collection continue the tradition of sneaker storytelling, something that he takes enormous pride in.
Tom Sachs x Nike General Purpose Shoe
Tom Sachs and Nike’s General Purpose Shoe was marketed as a “boring shoe” that’s meant to serve as a “tool for everyday life.” And while the latter is true, the former isn’t: it’s the anti-hype shoe that wound up being as exciting as any of Sachs’ previous collaborations with Nike. It was also the only shoe on this list that could be purchased from Kohl’s, which is a feat in and of itself.
HUF x Nike SB Dunk Low “NYC” and “San Francisco”
It’s been a little while since the skateboarding brand HUF was active in the sneaker collaboration space. But it showed it still had a deft touch when it came to creating shoes that both skaters and sneakerheads could appreciate when it released its Nike SB Dunk Low “NYC” and “San Francisco” colorways this year. Inspired by the cities in which HUF planted its flag after opening in 2002, HUF’s SB Dunks are also a tribute to the brand’s founder, the late pro skater Keith Hufnagel, as well as its original SB Dunk collaboration from 2004—both colorways feature tear-away paneling that reveals tie-dye patterning inspired by the OG HUF Dunks.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 4 “Violet Ore”
It was another busy year for A Ma Maniére. James Whitner’s upscale boutique had not one, but two great collaborations with Jordan Brand released in 2022. We featured the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 2 on our overall “Best Sneakers of 2022” list, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to show appreciation to its other buzzy shoe: the Air Jordan 4 “Violet Ore.” Like its Jordan 2, the Jordan 4 “Violet Ore” champions a premium aesthetic with its materials and colors. Which is hardly surprising considering everything A Ma Maniére has done with Jordan Brand has been of the utmost of quality.
Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 650
OK, so Aimé Leon Dore didn't exactly revolutionize the sneaker collaboration game with the New Balance 650—it’s literally just a high-top version of their insanely popular New Balance 550—but it’s still got enough clout to make our top ten list. The “high-top 550” made its debut in April this year, and the colorways have been few, but all great. Quality over quantity is something we could do more with in sneakers.
Perhaps the dark horse on this list, Supreme slipped in this solid collaboration with Nike near the end of 2022 for the obscure Air Max 98 TL, a forgotten alternate version of the Air Max 98. We’re digging the four monotone colorways, each with reflective detailing, especially the more limited bubblegum pink version. (Not pictured, because we still didn't have it yet when this article dropped.)
Social Status x Nike Air Max Penny 2
The Social Status x Nike Air Max Penny 1 made our overall Top 10 Sneakers of 2022 list, so we thought we’d show love to the boutique’s other Penny collab this year, the Air Max Penny 2. Presented in two colorways for the “Playground” pack, the Social Status x Air Max Penny 2 nods to the “cues and experiences of youth on every playground across the country,” according to the shop. We’ll take both colors.
Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 Collection
By far the most hyped, sought after, monumental sneaker collaboration of 2022 was the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 collection by the late Virgil Abloh. The collaboration is a “full circle” moment for sneaker culture, as Abloh harkened back to the days of Air Force 1s customized with LV and other luxury brand motifs in the 1980s and ‘90s. In other words, black culture used to have to make its own Louis Vuitton Nikes, now Virgil Abloh made sure the look was 100% official.