The Most Coveted Sneakers & Streetwear Of 2023
From coveted Nike x Louis Vuitton kicks to retro Air Jordans.
If ever there were a time to scour the market high and low for some of the coolest men’s sneakers, it might have been this past year, with no signs of slowing down. At least, that’s true according to data released by eBay covering the top sneaker and streetwear trends — right down to the sale of a coveted $60,000 pair of Nike Air Force 1 Low x Louis Vuitton sneakers in February.
Those “University Blue” kicks were joined by another chart-topping sneaker auction, with a special eBay Nike SB Charity Dunk Auction Box benefiting The Bodecker Foundation going for $31,300 (for one of 10) — with proceeds going to the foundation named for Nike’s former VP of Special Projects.
A promo pair of Nike Air Jordan sneakers, a one-of-one, never-worn, in-the-box sample pair of the Air Jordan IV Manila sold for more than $26,000 as well, quite the asking price for some fresh kicks.
And covetable sneakers are only likely to get harder to find, judging by growing consumer fervor surrounding the category.
Searches for the term “streetwear” were up 125 percent this November compared to last November, but that’s not the only eye-popping stat to come from the eBay data mine.
Among other exclusive sneakers, eBay also found that the Nike Air Jordan 4 Retro Red Cement and selections like the Jordan 4 Retro Thunder landed among the top five best-selling Air Jordan releases of the year, while picks including the Nike SB Dunk Low White Gum were also a hit among enthusiasts of the Nike Dunk line.
Other trends dominated the market, according to eBay, including “gorpcore,” which covers the incorporation of technical, sporty and retro styles (more commonly found on the trail or at a campsite) into urban gear and streetwear.
Among those searches, chunky sneakers like the Asics Gel-Kayano proved popular among fans of the category.
Brands like Nike and Louis Vuitton dominated the streetwear category (naturally), joined by Adidas and Gucci, while streetwear-centric items like Fear of God Essentials hoodies drove search traffic among individual pieces.
While it’s not always easy to snap up a jealousy-inducing, ultra-limited pair of sneakers, it’s a trend that’s only picking up steam: Consider making a stop through eBay the next time your sneaker rotation could use a refresh, but be sure to place your bids in time.