The Sneaker History Podcast’s Best Sneakers of 2025

The best sneakers of 2025 represented a convergence of storytelling, technology, and collaboration that defined the year in footwear. From signature basketball shoes making triumphant returns to tech-forward experiments pushing the boundaries of design, this year’s standout releases proved that the narrative behind a shoe matters as much as the shoe itself. We asked the Sneaker History Podcast co-hosts to share their top 5 sneakers of the year, and the results showcase everything from heritage Jordan releases to emerging brand partnerships that flew under the radar.

Here’s what everyone selected:

Mike Guillory’s Top 5

Mike kicked things off with a list that showed his appreciation for both innovation and nostalgia:

1. Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 “Brick by Brick” – A collaboration that continued to push the boundaries of signature athlete partnerships
2. Unheardof x adidas Piggy Runner – An under-the-radar collab that deserved more attention
3. Jae Tips x Saucony Jazz 9 – Proving that running silhouettes continued their cultural dominance
4. Air Jordan 3 “Seoul 2.0” – A sequel that honored one of the most beloved regional exclusives
5. Tobe Nwife x Reebok Chukwu Otu – A deep cut that showcased Mike’s eye for emerging collaborators

Honorable Mention: GT Futures

Robbie Falchi’s Top 5

Robbie brought an interesting twist to his list, noting he was “removing the pelaures stuff for reebok PlayStation stuff”:

1. Shake James x adidas Adistar Control 5 – A technical runner getting the collaborative treatment
2. Moon Walker x Nike Kobe 9 “Elite Low” – Keeping Kobe’s legacy alive through creative partnerships
3. Kith x Marvel vs Capcom x Asics “Ryu” – Gaming culture continues to intersect with sneaker culture
4. Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 – A legendary collaboration that deserves to be on any of our lists
5. On x Pleasures “Monsters” – The Swiss performance brand continuing its fashion crossover appeal

Rohit Malhotra’s Top 5

Rohit’s picks showed a strong preference for adidas and collaborative excellence:

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander x Converse “Masi 1s” – Supporting emerging basketball signature lines
2. Pharrell Williams x adidas adiStar Jellyfish – One of Pharrell’s most popular creations
3. Yuto Horigome x Nike SB Dunk “Matcha” – A colorway name that alone tells a story
4. Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 – Co-signing Mike’s pick of the Nigel Sylvester Jordan 4
5. Nike Kobe 6 x Jalen Brunson – Another nod to keeping Kobe’s design legacy relevant

Honorable Mention: GT Futures (matching Mike’s honorable mention)

My Top 5 (Nick Engvall)

I’ll close with my own picks, which honestly surprised me a bit when I put them all together:

1. Kicking It x adidas Gazelle Live Music – Perfect storytelling and community aspect. This is what collaborations should be about.
2. adidas Climacool 4D – These are tech experimentation at its finest. This is the kind of innovation that excites me.
3. Converse Shai 001 – Nice to see Converse with a real signature shoe again. They needed this.
4. adidas AE2 “With Love” – I’m a sucker for this color combo and a fan of Anthony Edwards. Sometimes it’s just that simple.
5. Yuto Horigome x Nike SB Dunk “Matcha” – Yuto, Japan, Matcha—all good things and even better combined apparently.

Honorable Mention: Air Jordan 4 “Black Cat” – I know that’s six, but this one has tons of nostalgia for me, and as of today, it’s been on my mind enough to make this list.

The Consensus

Looking across all four lists, some clear patterns emerged:

Most Mentioned Shoes:

• Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 appeared on two lists (Mike and Rohit), making it the closest thing to a consensus pick
• Converse Shai signature model appeared on two lists (mine and Rohit’s lists)
• Matcha Dunks appeared twice (mine and Rohit’s lists)
• GT Futures earned two honorable mentions from Mike and Rohit
• Kobe models appeared on two lists (Mike and Robbie), showing the enduring influence of his signature line

Brand Breakdown: The brand distribution was surprisingly diverse:

• adidas absolutely dominated, appearing on every single list including three of my six picks
• Jordan Brand/Nike had strong representation across multiple lists
• Converse made my list with the Shai 001, marking their return to signature basketball
• Reebok, Saucony, Asics, and On all represented, showing the democratization of sneaker culture beyond the traditional big two

Collaboration Culture: Almost every single pick was either a collaboration or a special edition release. The few exceptions were signature shoes (Shai 001, AE2, Kobe models), but even those had special colorways that made them stand out. Not one standard general release made any of our lists.

This reinforces something we’ve been discussing all year on the podcast: in 2025, the story behind the shoe matters as much as the shoe itself. Whether it’s the Kicking It Gazelle’s community-driven narrative, the tech story of the Climacool 4D, or the cultural mashup of Yuto’s Matcha Dunks, every shoe here has a reason for being beyond just looking good.

The question isn’t whether collaborations and storytelling dominated the year… it’s whether they’ve permanently changed what we consider worthy of “sneaker of the year” status. Are we in an era where standard colorways simply can’t compete with the narrative weight of a well-executed partnership or meaningful signature moment?

That’s a question I explored in depth in my recent piece on The Data Revolution vs. The Expert, where I examined how personal curation and expertise still matter in an age of algorithmic recommendations.

Looking at these four distinct lists, it’s clear that even among people who spend our lives thinking about sneakers, there’s beautiful diversity in what resonates. Mike highlighted collaborators pushing boundaries, Robbie showed love to gaming and performance crossovers, Rohit went for collabs and emerging signatures, and I went with a tech-and-storytelling angle.

And maybe that’s exactly how it should be.

Want to see how your picks compare? Check out The Shoes That Mattered in 2025 (Even the Ones You Slept On) for my complete breakdown.

The debate isn’t over—we’re still arguing about these picks every day in our Discord community. Join us here to share your own top 5 and defend your choices.