A similar version of this UNC-inspired Jordan III first debuted in 2018 as a Player Exclusive for the men’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina. As the alma mater of one Michael Jordan, UNC has always been blessed with a plethora of apparel and unique PEs, courtesy of His Airness himself. But the “UNC” III is the best of the best, and the response within the sneaker community was so strong when the PEs dropped in 2018, that Jordan Brand had no choice but to bless us with an official release. The 2020 pair features University Blue along the midsole, within the eyelets and on the tongue’s Jumpman logo–the main difference between this pair and the 2018 PE is the Jumpman logo replacing the UNC logo on the tongue. The traditional elephant print remains to give it that classic feel and a Jumpman logo (not Nike Air) is the chosen branding by the heel. The merging of the III with UNC was an absolute home run for Jordan Brand.

While his profile has never been bigger, it’s good to remember that Salehe Bembury has been in the sneaker game for over half a decade. A career that spans from Payless ShoeSource to Yeezy and Versace, Bembury has had his hands on designing models for several well-known labels. If you’ve seen or worn a pair of Cole Haan’s LunarGrand shoes, Yeezy 350 v2s or the Versace Chain Reaction sneaker, you’ve got Bembury to thank. Shooting to industry-wide notoriety in 2017 with his appointment to Versace, the NY-bred, L.A.-based footwear designer now holds the title of Versace’s VP of sneakers and men’s footwear. His work at the Italian luxury brand has made him a key target for collaborations with other brands within the sneaker space; given that New Balance has spent much of 2020 unleashing top-tier collaboration after another, it makes sense they’d call upon Bembury’s tried-and-true perspective. Speaking of perspective, this is directly inspired by the designer’s own time out in nature, with the burnt orange fuzzy suede, blue shearling “N” logo and topographic touches all nod to Arizona’s Antelope Canyon (the designer has picked up hiking since moving out west). Dropping in October 2020 and dovetailing with Bembury’s crowning as “2020 Footwear News Designer of the Year”, this is a sneaker that didn’t simply cement New Balance’s banner 2020, but also established Bembury a certified “need-to-know” figure in the greater sneaker industry.

If we’ve learned anything over the last few years within the sneaker industry, it’s that Travis Scott can drum up hype like few others. After working with Nike and Jordan on Air Force 1, Jordan I and Jordan IV releases over the last two years, Scott had a chance to design his own SB Dunk in 2020, which was met with similar fanfare. The “Cactus Jack” Dunks sport a patchwork design along the upper, with plaid and paisley overlays offset by tan panels, while a mismatched Swoosh (black and pink on each side) adds even more funk to an already chaotic design. No surprise when you’re talking about La Flame.

Nike’s ubiquitous Dunk silhouette had arguably the biggest 2020. SB Dunks from the early-2000s, some of which weren’t even popular during its original release, began selling for thousands. SB Dunks in general, which have been relatively quiet in recent years, received collaborations by everyone from The Grateful Dead to Ben & Jerry’s (more on that in a minute). The “Ugly Duckling” Dunks had their moment this year, even Virgil Abloh gave his spin on some classics. But what we want to do is highlight the OGs, the “Be True To Your School” collection of Dunks, which saw many of their original colorways hit the racks for the first time in a long while. Included in that are the “Michigan” and “Michigan State” Highs, as well as low-top versions in “Kentucky,” “St. John’s” and “Syracuse” colorways. No one's stock rose more in 2020 than the Dunk, with just too many good releases to choose from.

For two years, sneakerheads have been waiting with bated breath for the highly-anticipated follow-up collaboration between Jordan Brand and Union Los Angeles, arguably the best sneaker of 2018. We finally received that this year, with two new colorways of the Jordan IV, a “Guava” pair (a Union exclusive) and the “Off Noir” pair, which is featured here. When pictures began to leak, the shoe was met with some polarizing opinions. The bar had been set so high in 2018, it would have been impossible to please everyone. But as more (higher quality) photos started to come out closer to release day, the excitement was palpable once again and the shoes were a hit. Released alongside a capsule apparel collection, the “Off Noir” IVs feature a black suede upper with blue mesh at the collar, with red accents and Nike Air branding. The big change is the tongue, which features a folded over, sewn-in look. If you prefer the original way, you’re welcome to take out the thread and pop them up. The “Off Noir” IVs may not have been what some people were expecting, but they held their own anyway.

If the Nike Dunk made the most noise in 2020, a solid argument could be made for the New Balance 992 as the runner up. The 992 makes a few appearances on our “Best Of” 2020 list, starting right here with this WTAPS “Olive Drab” collaboration. Sporting a combination grey and olive green upper with pigskin suede and breathable mesh, with a tiny drop of orange hits the midsole. WTAPS is known for its military-inspired and outdoorsy apparel, and this 992 was the perfect marriage of that aesthetic and New Balance’s hottest revival silhouette.

Definitely the most unique sneaker name of 2020, the “Sewer Stomper” is the byproduct of a collaboration between New Balance and Miami-based Stray Rats. The underground-influenced shoe sports a grimy look, with a premium brown suede upper offset by bright green, purple and red accents, alongside an olive Abzorb midsole. The heel tab spells out “Stray Rats'' along a camo tab, rounding out the murky aesthetic. This shoe is truly one of a kind and a far cry from Stray Rats’ 2019 New Balance collaboration, a Joker-inspired take on the 990v3, but equally impressive.

Prior to 2020, the Nike Air Ship was merely a piece of sneaker folklore for a lot of young sneakerheads. But this year, we were the lucky recipients of not one, but two OG colorways of the classic shoe, the sneaker Michael Jordan wore when he made his NBA debut 36 years ago. A white/red pair released alongside a matching Jordan I in what the brand dubbed the “New Beginnings” Pack, commemorating the two sneakers MJ wore during the 1984-85 season. The pack released back in February around All-Star Weekend. But the real revelation came later in the year, when—as information around the Air Ship started to surface—we learned that the actual sneaker MJ was banned for wearing as a rookie wasn’t the “Banned” Jordan I (despite what Nike commercials said), but a similarly-colored black and red Air Ship. 960 pairs were produced and sold exclusively via raffle at Italy’s Back-Door Bottega. Finally, we got a chance (albeit a very slim one) of grabbing the pair that started it all. This sneaker makes its spot on the list—not for its global availability—but for the sheer fact that, as the Jordan I celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2020, it makes sense to celebrate the precursor to one of the most successful sneaker franchises of all time.

When you think of SB Dunks, odds are you think about some of those bright and beautiful colorways that have released over the years. Whether it be the chaotic grandeur of the “What The” Dunks, the bold simplicity of the “Tiffanys” or hyper rare “Paris” SB Dunks, Nike SB has been the go-to brand for taking risks. That approach paid off again in a big way in 2020, when Nike SB teamed up with ice cream giant Ben & Jerry’s for the “Chunky Dunky.” Sporting a colorway which mirrored the brand’s Chunky Monkey flavor of ice cream, this pair really has it all–the blue skies and green grass upper, cow-spotted overlays draped in pony hair and a yellow Swoosh melting down the side, just to name a few details. A limited number were even released (and seeded) in a special Ice Cream box, which included some ice cream packed in Dry Ice. In year where the Nike SB Dunk returned to the mainstream (and with it, came bizarre releases like the “Grateful Dead” SB Dunk), we still think that the “Chunky Dunky” was the SB Dunk release that encapsulated the weirder side of the SB Dunk resurgence best.

Stussy, the iconic American street/surfwear brand, has been making headlines as of late in honor of its 40th anniversary. After collaborating with Kim Jones and Dior last year, Stussy went back to its roots for its newest collaboration with Nike. Alongside a set of the coziest sweats, Stussy collaborated with the Swoosh on the underrated Air Zoom Spiridon Caged 2 silhouette. The brand dropped a handful of colorways this year, but the “Fossil” stands out. Its upper features a monochromatic, dusty “Fossil” colorway, with black accents along the Swoosh and on the cage, which encapsulates the Zoom Air in the heel. With a woven textile as the upper (in place of technical fabrics or leather) this sneaker was the perfect complement to those extra cozy sweats.

Originally released all the way back in 1989, New Balance has kept its 550 basketball sneaker on ice for 31 years before Teddy Santis and his NYC-based Aimé Leon Dore imprint revived it just in time for their annual fall collaboration. Releasing in four colorways (Red, Evergreen, Navy and Silver), the 550 had something for everyone. Aimé Leon Dore is great at channeling that NYC swagger and pairing it with elevated essentials as well as refined tailoring, which is what made this simplistic sneaker revival such a hit. The 550 features an off-white leather upper with perforated side panels, colorful accents along the overlays and Aimé Leon Dore’s Big Apple logo on the tongue and heel. Last year, Aimé Leon Dore’s 990v2 collaboration was one of the year’s best, and this year’s 550 is no different.

JJJJound, the minimalist master who went from digital mood board to essential tastemaker over the last few years, hit a home run with his New Balance 992 collaboration in 2020. Released in both “Grey” and “Mossy Green” colorways, the rich green pair truly stands out as one of the best sneakers of the year. Sporting equal parts breathable mesh and premium suede along the upper, the shoe sports a black “N” logo in the quarter panel, opting not to contrast from the dark green too much. The JJJJound logo can be found on the heel, while two-toned cream and white midsole comes laced with Abzorb and Encap technology. Between the likes of JJJJound, WTAPS, Joe Freshgoods, Kith and more, the 992 (and New Balance, frankly) had a monster year in 2020.

Three years ago, Virgil Abloh sent the sneaker world into a frenzy when he remixed the “Chicago” Jordan I as a part of his groundbreaking “The Ten” collaboration with Nike. In 2020, Abloh chose the Jordan V (as well as the Jordan IV) to deconstruct in his signature style. Delivering two excellent colorways, “Muslin” and “Sail,” it’s the “Muslin” that stands out as one of the best sneakers of 2020. Channeling the original Black/Metallic V, Abloh’s “Muslin” colorway sports a dark grey upper with a metallic tongue, speckled midsole and yellowed sole, for a vintage, worn-in look. Circles were added to the mesh side panel and ankle. 2020 was the Jordan V’s 30th anniversary and Abloh honored its legacy properly, cutting out a bit of it for himself… pun intended.

Kim Jones, the creative director for Dior, loves Air Jordans. “Air Jordans are my favorite thing in the world to wear every day,” Jones told British Vogue back in July. With him at the helm of Dior, one of the most dynamic luxury fashion houses on the planet, the timing was right to combine high fashion and sportswear, as Dior and Jordan collaborated on a Jordan I. Released in both a high and low-top form, the Dior Jordan I sports a grey and white upper composed of Italian leather. The Swoosh is made of black Dior Oblique jacquard, with an icy sole and co-branding on the “Air Dior” Wings logo and tongue tag. Limited to just 8,500 pairs and retailing for $2,000, Jones achieved his goal of making the “most luxurious Air Jordan ever,” a perfect way to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the shoe that helped birth modern-day sneaker culture. Love it or hate it—this was arguably the most talked about sneaker of 2020.