Image via Complex Original
Sneaker prices are higher than they've ever been. There are $400 Air Jordan, $720 auto-lacing Nike sneakers, and Kanye West's Yeezy Boosts go for as much as $350. But the sneaker resale industry, even with these steep price tags, is booming. And people are shelling out serious coin for athletic shoes.
A few years ago, StockX CEO Josh Luber estimated that the sneaker resale industry had bit a billion dollars, and it's only growing. His company is a stockmarket for shoes and gives the average resale values of popular sneakers, making it possible to find out which shoes fetched the highest aftermarket values this year.
It comes as no surprise that Adidas had several sneakers that are going for large amounts right now. Pairs of the VLONE x Nike Air Force 1 that debuted at ComplexCon allegedly went for $90,000 on eBay, although the sales couldn't be verified. Even with that, the Nike Mag released this year, as well as some very limited and special Adidas NMDs. Here are the sneakers that released in the past 12 months and are reselling for the most money right now.
Related: Most Expensive Sneakers of 2017
10. Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 "Pirate Black" (2016)
Original price: $200
Resale value: $1,264
The Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 was one of the biggest sneaker storylines of 2015, and it continued in 2016 with the re-release of "Pirate Black" version of the shoe. The sneakers were slightly different than the first run, but they drew the same sort of hype, even if Adidas supposedly made more pairs this time around.
9. A Bathing Ape x Adidas NMD
Original price: $150
Resale value: $1,309
Did anyone actually get to buy A Bathing Ape's collaboration with Adidas on the NMD at retail? It still remains a mystery, and that's partly why they're going for a grip on the secondary market.
8. Adidas Yeezy Boost 750 "Glow in the Dark"
Original price: $350
Resale value: $1,565
You'd be hard pressed to find people outside of celebrities, rappers, or Instagram Cool Guys wearing the Adidas Yeezy Boost 750, and that's mainly why they still resell for a lot of money.
7. Adidas 3D Runner
Original price: $333
Resale value: $1,601
Adidas sold its first 3D printed sneaker this year, but the brand only made 333 pairs, which means you'll have to pony up some cash for a pair.
6. Air Jordan 1 "Satin"
Original price: $175
Resale value: $1,955
The "Banned" Air Jordan 1 came back this year, but Jordan Brand also re-released a "Satin" version of the sneaker. There were only 501 pairs made, though, which is reflected in the resale price.
5. Adidas NMD "Red Apple"
Original price: $170
Resale value: $2,327
New York City got its own NMD this year, and it was one of the most limited renditions of the shoe in 2016, with 200 pairs produced. You had to get them through the Adidas Confirmed app, which made them one of the toughest releases to get your hands on.
4. Adidas NMD "Pitch Black"
Original price: N/A
Resale value: $2,972
Adidas made Boost sneakers with black midsoles this year, and the first pair was the "Pitch Black" NMD. The brand made 500 pairs of this sneaker, with 100 pairs being given away through SnapChat. The rest were allotted to friends and family, with 50 of them coming in a special suitcase package.
3. Nike HyperAdapt 1.0
Original price: $720
Resale value: $3,528
Nike's first auto-lacing sneaker made for the retail market cost $720, but what they resell for makes that number seem like a bargain right now.
2. Adidas Pharrell Human Race NMD “Friends and Family”
Original price: N/A
Resale value: $7,535
The best version of Pharrell's Adidas NMD didn't technically release to the public, although there's a rumor that you can get the sneakers at the BBC store in New York City if you spend a lot of money. Either way, people really want them and they're showing that with their dollars.
1. Nike Mag
Original price: N/A
Resale value: $28,638
It took Nike 27 years to finally make a real, auto-lacing Nike Mag like Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future Part II, but they were only able to create 100 pairs. The majority of them were given away in a raffle, with the rest being auctioned. The were more than a few folks who were willing to break the bank to get the sneaker of their dreams.
