Luxury players are flexing their muscle in the sneaker race.
With the sneaker resale market valued at $1 billion, a new list of the 10 most valuable sneakers for 2018 Q2 by online marketplace StockX, reveals the hefty price tag that comes with copping the hottest sneakers.
Priced at $7,817, the Adidas x Pharrell HU NMD China Pack- Gold was ranked No. 1 for the quarter ended June 30. With just 300 pairs of the Adidas x Pharrell HU NMD China Pack- Gold in existence, Adidas upped the bounty on the shoe by making it available only in China.
The sneaker, which originally retailed for $250 when it was released in mid-May, was more than four times as expensive as the most valuable sneaker in Q1, the Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White White.
The Adidas x Pharrell x ‘N.E.R.D’ Hu NMD ‘Homecoming’ ranked No. 2, valued at $2,079. The shoe launched exclusively at Virginia-based sneaker boutique Creme 321, and featured red and blue “N.E.R.D.” lettering down the upper.
Versace’s sneaker franchise with rapper 2Chainz nabbed four spots on StockX’s list. And true to Versace’s flamboyant aesthetic, the wilder the sneaker, the more valuable it proved to be.
Valued at $1,517, Versace Chain Reaction 2 Chainz ‘Spotted’ sports leopard print calf hair, red laces and the shoe’s signature chain-link outsole. The Versace Chain Reaction 2 Chainz ‘Red’ ranked No. 3 at $1,375, the ‘Plaid’ ranked No. 6 at $1,150 and the ‘Black’ No. 7 at $1,141.
Fellow ugly sneaker label, Balenciaga, gave Versace a run for its money with the Triple S. The 2018 reissue of the Triple S White, valued at $1,180, ranked No. 5 on StockX’s list, while the pre-distressed Red/Black model is valued at $977.
Though cutting-edge technology may be the future of sneakers, it’s perceived value at retail remains lower than glammed up luxury kicks. The Adidas x Sneakernstuff Futurecraft 4D sneaker ranked No. 9 at $939.
The Converse x Off-White Chuck Taylor All-Star rounded out the list at No. 10. Valued at $928, the Virgil Abloh collaboration is now worth seven-times its original $130 retail price.