What were the hottest sneaker drops of 2020?

11 of the best, plus one bonus
Dec 15, 2020

IT’S been a tough year for shoe brands — but the kicks they’ve been dropping have been absolute hype.

Despite the global pandemic, Nike and adidas have been reporting some upbeat numbers. The Swoosh said that from July to August, its revenues only dipped 1 percent compared to the same period last year, with its weak in-store sales buoyed by a feisty 82 percent increase in online sales. Boasting a “strong recovery” in its November financial report, the Three Stripes also reported a 51 percent bump in their online business.

In fact, the pandemic — and a certain sports documentary series that popped up this year — may have even produced many new sneakerheads.

Among these is content creator Chris Cantada, who started seriously collecting sneakers this year.

“It’s all because of The Last Dance, I have to say,” he told SPIN Life in an interview last August. In the three months after the show aired, he snapped up at least 10 pairs of sneakers, and even had an AJ5 custom made.

He added: “Sometimes I fall asleep looking at the Nike app, on what’s coming up next.”

Joeffrey Hidalgo, owner of sneaker store Rock N Sole PH, confirmed The Last Dance effect. “After the release of The Last Dance, we, sneaker store owners, really felt the hype of Jordan sneakers in terms of the demand and resale value,” he said.

Now, of course, in the last month of the year, we finally have a standalone Jordan Brand store here in the Philippines — the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Cantada was among the few lucky ones who were able to score the very, very rare Air Jordan IV Retro ‘Manila,’ which was released in time for the store’s December opening.

And on that note, let’s move on to our list of the most hype sneaker drops of 2020! This list is not ranked.

Air Jordan IV Retro ‘Manila’


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It’s only fair to start this list with the biggest sneaker story of the year: the Air Jordan IV Retro ‘Manila.’

With only 150 pairs made, it stirred up storms of controversy, from a netizen calling out Kiefer Ravena to its 4,000 percent increase in resale price. Jordan Manila’s uncommon practice of having customers wear (and even play ball) in the sneakers they just purchased also made it to social media posts of sneaker publications like Complex and Nice Kicks. Even food cart franchise Ate Rica’s Bacsilog joined in on the AJ4 ‘Manila’ hype.

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    In terms of hype, there is no bigger release this year.

    Air Jordan I OG Dior


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    The “Air Dior,” as it’s more popularly known, features a pristine white-and-gray upper and the luxury house’s famed logo in repeating patterns over the swoosh. It also had a price tag of $2,000 (and $2,200 for the highs) — at least before all 8,500 pairs were quickly sold out when it launched last July. Luxuo called it the fastest-selling luxury collab of 2020.

    Famed sneakerhead Bigboy Cheng was spotted wearing the shoes as early as May. He reportedly paid P851,000 for the pair.

    Yeezy Boost 350 v2 ‘Fade’


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    This Asia-only release blends rich earth tones and a striking indigo slash across its Primeknit uppers. It’s been a very odd year for Kanye — he ran for president on the same month these shoes dropped — but his shoes, at least, remain as hype as ever.

    Kobe V Protro ‘Bruce Lee’


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    Months after his untimely passing, Nike announced a whole range of Kobe V Protros in time for Kobe Day — including some must-have collabs with Undefeated. But of the impressive lineup of kicks, the ‘Bruce Lee’ caught our eye, thanks to its striking colors and the way it paid tribute to two undeniable legends.

    Plus, as Anthony Davis proved, they look really good when you’re making clutch shots.

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    BAPE x Undefeated x adidas ZX 8000


    Speaking of Undefeated. It was the Year of the A-ZX, as adidas rolled out a yearlong lineup of crazy collabs built around the shoe platform. (Remember the wild LEGO one?) But the camo patterns of this three-way between A Bathing Ape, Undefeated, and the Three Stripes make this our pick of the bunch.

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    Air Jordan XXXV


    Reactions on the Spin.ph Facebook page were divisive when we first revealed the shoe, but there’s something undeniably futuristic about Jordan’s latest. The radial Flight Wire patterns, suede and leather textures, and that big honking hole on the sole makes this, for good or ill, a surefire head-turner.

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    Off-White x Air Jordan 4s


    The second AJ4 on our list is the most Zen shoe of 2020. The cream monotone is the perfect complement for a minimalist getup. However, only women’s sizes are available at the moment, though designer Virgil Abloh promised earlier this year he’d release it in men’s.

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    Curry 8


    Only time will tell if the just-launched Curry Brand will make the Steph’s signature sneakers a household name. In any case, the first shoe to be released under Under Armour’s new brand is quite a technological feat, with firm traction and a squeakless design.

    Ultra Boost DNA City ‘MNL’


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    Select cities across the Asia-Pacific got their own edition of the Ultra Boost, still one of the slickest looking running shoes in the business. The Manila colorway was an appealing mix of burgundy and blue knit. Yorme is a fan.

    LeBron 17 Low ‘Titan’


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    Manila has gotten a lot of love from sneaker brands this year. But this PH-only edition was special, as it celebrated the 10th anniversary of the famed sneaker store. The striking red upper has etched details that reflect both Titan history and Pinoy hoops culture.

    Nike x sacai VaporWaffle


    This collab between Nike and Japanese designer Chitose Abe has birthed an instant streetwear classic. We’re especially digging the ‘Sport Fuchsia / Game Royal’ version, with the off-kilter double swooshes and aggressive heel fins in a very nice color combo.

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    Bonus: adidas Face Cover


    Not a sneaker, but when this dropped in the middle of the lockdown, everyone wanted it. This face mask was sold out within minutes.

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