The Most Expensive Sneakers of All Time

We all love looking at things we know in our hearts we'll never be able to afford. Think of this list of the most expensive sneakers of all time in that same light. Deep down I know that the sneakers on this list are far from attainable, but that doesn't make reading about them any less fun. 

From ultra-rare Air Jordans to diamond-encrusted sneakers, each shoe on this list has a price tag associated with it that is sure to stop you dead in your tracks. You're going to want to leave your wallet in your pants for this one. 

Here are the most expensive and extravagant sneakers of all time. 

Air Jordan III OG — $4,500

Any OG Air Jordan that you can find is going to be worth a pretty penny in deadstock condition. Unworn pairs of the original Air Jordan 3 from 1988 can fetch up to $4500 on the resale market. 

Buyers are willing to pay more for things that are original, which is why this shoe fetches such high dollar on the market. And who can say no to that classic elephant print and Nike Air on the back tab? An OG pair of the Air Jordan 3 is a Jordan collectors dream to say the least. 

If you already have a pair in your collection, hold on to them for the long haul. Original Air Jordan shoes only go up in value as time trundles on. It’s the reason you’ll see a few pairs on this list of the most expensive sneakers of all time. 

Nike Foamposite One 'Sole Collector' — $6,000

The Nike Foamposite made its debut in 1997. The basketball shoe was intended to be a signature shoe for none other than Penny Hardaway. The Foamposite One was Nike's first foray into using the foam, shell like material, and it's been a hit ever since. 

While there are many Nike Foamposite colorways that fetch a pretty penny on the resale market (ie. Galaxy Foamposite, Weatherman Foamposite), the Sole Collector Nike Foamposite One is one of the most sought after pairs. 

The Nike Foamposite One "Sole Collector" features a blacked out Foamposite shell with blue nubuck accents. It originally released back in 2011 for around $230, a far cry from the $6000 that it sells for now. 

Nike Dunk SB Low Staple NYC Pigeon — $38,000

Oh, to relive the glory days of the Nike SB Dunk. You knew you were going to see at least one pair of Nike SB Dunks on this list. The Nike Dunk Low Pro SB Pigeon seems rather unassuming, but the grey-and-orange colorway was limited to just a few hundred pairs, making it extremely rare. 

Oftentimes the supply and demand sets the value of the shoe, not the company selling it. This is definitely the case with the Nike Dunk Low Pro SB Pigeon.  The shoe itself is actually a collaboration with Jeff Staple and his namesake streetwear brand. The Pigeon logo is Staples MO. Who knew such a little detail could vault a shoe onto the list of the most expensive sneakers ever? 

Nike Yeezy 2 Red October — $17,000

As with the Nike Dunk above, I'm sure you were planning on finding a Yeezy on this list. Before the adidas Yeezy was, Nike and Kanye West created one of the most sought-after shoes of all time, the Nike Yeezy 2, specifically in the Red October colorway. 

Years have passed since the release, but the shoe is still as hot as ever. Prices are only going up, too. So if you're on the hunt for a pair of the Nike Yeezy 2 Red Octobers, no time is better than the present to scoop them up. The crazy part is, almost every single Nike Yeezy out there has a case to be on the list of the most expensive sneakers ever…not just the Red Octobers.  My personal favorite pair is the Net Nike Yeezy 1s. What’s yours? 

 Vlone x Nike Air Force 1 High — $8,000

The Vlone Nike AF1 High is a product of low supply and high demand. The shoes released in 2017 exclusively in Paris, and reportedly only 20 pairs were made. Take two streetwear powerhouses like Nike and Vlone and stick them together, people will come, and people will pay. 

Despite the pricy resale value, I've noticed the value has started to dip a little bit. If you time it right, you might be able to snag a pair of the Vlone Nike Air Force 1s for less than $5000, a steal considering what they were once valued at. 

Nike Air Mag Back to the Future (2011) — $14,500

When pop culture meets sneakers, the result is usually pretty expensive. Such is the case with the Nike Air Mag. Inspired by the popular Back to the Future, the Nike Air Mags are highly collectable and extremely rare. 

Only 1500 pairs of the Nike Air Mag were produced, making the shoe hard to find. Later on you'll see another pair of Nike Air Mags...they brought the shoe back in 2016 and that specific version is even more valuable than the 2011 pair. As with a lot of collectible items, the value fluctuates on the Nike Air Mag, but right now they're fetching around $20,000...get in early if you need to add these to your collection. 

Two pairs of Nike Air Mags make the list of the most expensive shoes of all time. If you could travel back in time, both pairs would make great investment pieces considering how their values have shot through the roof. 

Air Jordan 4 Undefeated — $15,000

We're not even halfway through and we've already made it to my favorite pair of the entire list. The Undefeated (or UNDFTD) Air Jordan 4 is one of my all-time favorite sneakers. The deep, dark olive suede and the orange accents give this shoe such a clean look. 

My only problem is that this is a list of the most expensive sneakers of all time…a list of the most affordable sneakers is more of my speed.

When Jordan Brand teamed up with legendary streetwear brand UNDFTD, they couldn't have imagined the shoe would be worth THIS much. It's reported that only 72 pairs of these sneakers were made, making them extremely rare to come by.

Thinking about going after a pair? Good luck. A lot of the owners of this particular shoe want to keep it that way, you're not going to see troves of Undefeated Air Jordan 4s flood the market anytime soon. 

Air Jordan 11 OVO — $20,000

Anything Drake touches seems to turn to gold...this literally is the case with the Air Jordan 11 OVO. This solid gold Air Jordan 11 was made for Drake, and was inspired by a similar pair of Jordan's that Usher received from the brand. 

Plenty of OVO Air Jordans are more attainable than this pair, but just look at how cool these are. The solid gold Air Jordan 11 OVO recently sold at a Sotheby's auction for over $20,000.  

Yeah...I'm not THAT much of a Drake fan! 

DJ Khaled x Air Jordan 3 ‘Grateful’ — $25,000

DJ Khaled is one of the most high-profile sneaker collectors in the entire world. With such status comes riches, and Khaled has been blessed to collaborate with Jordan Brand on a few pairs of kicks. 

The.most sought after pair of Khaled PEs is the Air Jordan 3 "Grateful." The custom colorway was produced to commemorate the release of the Grateful album. Real sneakerheads know about the secret "We The Best" branding that hides behind the typical Air Jordan 3 backtab. 

Macklemore x Air Jordan 6 — $25,000

I'm sensing a trend...A LOT of musicians seem to have their own shoes that end up on this list. Weird right? Well, maybe not. But in any case, the next shoe on the list is the Macklemore Air Jordan 6 in the Cactus colorway. Macklemore is a self professed sneakerhead, as told in his hit song Wings. 

Being buddies with the guys over at Jordan Brand has its perks, and this is one of them. The gorgeous green suede Air Jordan 6 Macklemore is NOT an easy shoe to find. Only 11 pais were produced, alongside 12 of the "Clay" colorway. Macklemore himself was given the pairs and got to decide who he gifted them to. 

Now if only we can find out which of Macklemore's friends decided to sell their pairs...I'm sure they won't be getting any more handouts from the rapper.

Eminem x Carhartt Air Jordan 4 — $30,000

Rapper Eminem has had his fair share of Air Jordan collaborations, and the Eminem x Carhartt Air Jordan 4s are up there with the best of them. This shoe was a friends and family exclusive, but 10 pairs were auctioned off to the public. 

Due to low numbers of the Eminem x Carhartt Air Jordan 4 in circulation, prices have only been going up. If you're looking to grab this 2015 Air Jordan, don't expect to pay much less than 30k. Owning a piece this nice is worth it, right? 

Nike Dunk SB Low Freddy Krueger — $30,000

It's not often that Nike gets a cease and desist letter from another company, but when they do, the result is generally pretty profitable for the resale market. The Freddy Krueger Nike SB Dunk Low was set to make its retail debut in 2007 as apart of a horror pack. Before the shoe was able to hit retail, New Line Cinema hit Nike with the cease and desist, prompting the Swoosh to pull the release before launch. 

Despite this, a few pairs of the Freddy Krueger Nike SB Dunk Lows found their way into the hands of sneakerheads, and the rest is history. It always seems to happen doesn't it? Now it's one of the move beloved and sought after Nike SB Dunks of all time. It's reported that a sneaker store in Mexico was able to sell off 26 pairs before the shoe was pulled, which accounts for a lot of the pairs floating around on the resale market currently. 

Air Jordan 2 OG —$31,000

Not an Air Jordan 2 fan? A lot of people might agree with you. However, one buyer paid over 30 bands for a pair of original Air Jordan 2s from 1986, how insane is that? I personally love the Jordan 2 silhouette, but a lot of so called "sneakerheads" wouldn't look twice at this shoe.

However like I mentioned earlier, MJ fans and collectors are willing to shell out big bucks for anything OG, that includes the Air Jordan 2. 

Air Jordan 11 'Jeter' — $40,000

Any Air Jordan that's tied to a historically good athlete is going to be worth a lot of money, and the Jeter Air Jordan 11 is definite proof. The all navy suede Air Jordan 11 released in May of 2017 to commemorate Jeter's retirement. 

It's reported that only 5 pairs exist, making this one a rarity. However sizes will occasionally pop up on the resale market, some asking for as much as 40k. You might be better off purchasing a different suede Jordan 11 and dying it navy...just a thought! 

Nike Dunk SB Low Yellow Lobster — $45,000

In June of 2009, Nike and sneaker shop Concepts released the Blue Lobster Nike SB Dunk Low, and the world went crazy. Then, they saw the Yellow Lobster sample pair and set the world on fire. The Yellow Lobster Nike SB Dunk Low was limited to 34 pairs, for friends and family only. 

Since 2009, a few more colors of the Lobster Dunks have been made, including an orange pair that's rumored to release sometime this year or next. At the height of lobstermania, the Nike Dunk Low Yellow Lobster was fetching upwards of 45k on the resale market....recently I saw a few pairs listed at upwards of 60k.

Nike Dunk High Pro SB FLOM — $63,000

You guessed it, another Nike SB Dunk! The Futura 2000's FLOM Dunk Highs from 2005 are one of the most valuable Nike Dunks of all time. 

In 2020 a pair sold at auction for 63k, fitting as the shoe's acronym stands for "For Love of Money." Only 3 pairs of the 24 total were raffled off to the public, the other 21 pairs were reserved for friends and family only. 

Nike Dunk SB Low Paris — $100,000

Older Dunks from the Nike SB days seem to have a gravitational pull towards all collectors. Such is the case with the Nike Dunk SB Low Paris. Released in 2003, the Paris Dunks are one of the most valuable shoes in existence. 

According to Nike "As a way to champion the imprint some of the world’s most recognizable cities have had on skate culture, the Paris Dunk Low Pro SB was intended to release exclusively at the “White Dunk: Evolution of an Icon” exhibit in Paris. Due to fervorous demand, the collaboration with French Painter Bernard Buffet was delayed and the limited bespoke pairs were circulated through select accounts."

In short, you're not getting your hands on a pair of the Nike Dunk SB Low Paris unless you've got at least 80k....a recent pair just sold for 100k, and I don't foresee the price dropping much from that. Recent sales always set the market. 

Nike MAG Back to the Future (2016) — $63,000

You're probably wondering why we have two pairs of the Nike MAG listed on our list of the most expensive sneakers of all time...the 2016 version has power laces. Yes...the Nike MAG Back to the Future from 2916 can lace itself. 

The 2016 release was limited to 89 pairs, with the big draw being the "Adaptive Fit" lacing system. In 2016, the hands-free technology was still pretty new...since then Nike has come out with all sorts of self-lacing sneakers. 

Air Jordan 12 (Flu Game) — $104,765

Sometimes the story behind a shoe is what makes it so valuable. MJ's Flu Game in 1997 against the Utah Jazz is one of the most iconic performances in NBA history. Of course, the shoes that MJ wore during this famous 38-point performance in the NBA Finals are pretty valuable. 

The exact pair of Air Jordan 12s that MJ wore to defeat the Jazz while undergoing flu-like symptoms were given to a Jazz ball-boy, and subsequently sold in 2013 at auction for over $100k. 

"I have looked at the shoes maybe four times since putting them in a safety deposit box 16 years ago," former Jazz ball boy Preston Truman told ESPN at the time of the auction. "I would go years without even thinking about it. ... I just didn't see the point to something so cool and a part of NBA history sitting at my bank anymore."

Buscemi 100 MM Diamond

Coat anything in diamonds, and you're going to up the value. Buscemi did exactly that with the release of their 100 MM Diamond Sneakers. The shoe itself retails for over 130k, and features 11.50 carats worth of diamonds, as well as the signature 18-karat gold hardware.

Those with enough money to purchase the sneakers had to do so in Manhattan from the Buscemi store, that was the only way you could get your hands on these sneakers. 

Anything Stick Out?

That's a wrap on our list of the most expensive sneakers of all time. Are there any on the list that you own? Aspire to own? Let me know in the comments!