Footwear collaborations are everywhere these days, but are they all worthy of your attention? Many brand link-ups have become more marketing gimmicks than they are meeting of the minds. The best collaborations should elevate both parties, playing up each partner’s respective strengths and combining for a product that brings new consumers to the fold. It’s a delicate dance; many brands are rightfully protective of their designs and may resist yielding too much creative freedom to potential collaborators. Yet when it’s done right, it can breathe life into timeworn labels, build buzz around new-to-market silhouettes and offer fresh perspectives on classic concepts. 

Take, for instance, the Nike Air Force 1, which in May was reimagined by rapper Lil Yachty with a tri-color patent leather look, which created a chase for the 1982 silhouette that hasn’t been seen since the work of the late Virgil Abloh. On the other hand, collaborations can function as rollouts for fresh ideas, such as Pharrell’s Virginia Adistar Jellyfish, a maximalist interpretation of early 2000s-era Adidas running shoes.

With 2025 winding down, we’ve trimmed through the excess to highlight the best sneaker collaborations of the year so far. The year’s top ten, as of September, are featured below in no particular order.

Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 Brick by Brick

“It’s hands down the best sneaker project of ‘25,” Ronnie Fieg told Footwear News when asked about Nigel Sylvester’s Brick by Brick Air Jordan 4, and the sentiment is one that’s been echoed through the industry. 

People just can’t get enough of Sylvester’s Air Jordan 4, which arrived after two remixed Air Jordan 4 RM appetizers in 2024. From the Brick by Brick’s inspirational theme of building a legacy slowly but surely to its premium material execution, the BMX pro’s eighth sneaker collaboration was one of the year’s most celebrated.

Released alongside an apparel collection, the Brick by Brick Air Jordan 4 made its runway debut in January, which included a teaser of a second Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 expected to arrive at retail in 2026.

Veneda Carter x Nike Air Max Muse

For her first of what is sure to be many Nike sneaker collaborations, stylist and designer Veneda Carter took on the challenge of working with a brand new silhouette. Where some projects use an already established sneaker as their base, Carter’s Air Max Muse took a chance by applying her own color and material to a brand new Nike design.

The risk paid off: Carter’s take on the futuristic model sold out quickly, and another colorway is headed to retail before the year’s end. Like her popular work with Timberland, which includes glossy, patent leather versions of the brand’s boots and a 14-inch heel, Carter’s Nike debut wasn’t afraid to take chances, which has us even more excited for what’s to come next from the collaboration. 

Pharrell x Adidas Virginia Adistar Jellyfish

Pharrell’s latest Adidas collaboration has been his most hyped-up release since the 2016 Human Race NMD. Nearly a decade later, Pharrell and Adidas have come together for the Virginia Adistar Jellyfish, an excessively chunky model with puffy, tentacle-like paneling inspired by its namesake animal.

The shoe manages to look both retro and futuristic at the same time through its distorted 2000s design language. During a year that included further footwear triumphs with Louis Vuitton, the launch of a new multipurpose brand platform, and an industry-favorite album with Clipse, Pharrell’s new Adidas collaboration was strong enough to not get lost in the shuffle.

Levi’s x Nike Air Max 95 OG

Levi’s and Nike, Inc. have applied the former’s signature denim material to sneakers before — 2018’s three-shoe Air Jordan 4 collection was one of that year’s top releases — but it’s been some time since the brands worked together. So when news surfaced that the two would reunite in 2025 for the Air Max 95’s 30th anniversary, fans were rightfully anticipating a strong collection.

What they got were three tasteful spins on the 1990s running shoe, each outfitted with a different shade of denim. Slightly frayed panels and toe embroidery gave the shoes some added flair, but arguably the best pair of the bunch was one that wasn’t even released as a fourth pair in raw denim indigo gifted exclusively to friends and family. 

One of the year’s most coveted collaborations wasn’t actually released to the public. California-based, tattoo-inspired streetwear brand Basketcase got a chance to flip New Balance’s latest low-profile shoe, the 204L. Draped in a gray pony hair with matching suede overlays the sneaker was showcased at Paris Fashion Week in June and gifted to friends and family of the burgeoning brand.

It’s a subtly premium, highly wearable spin on one of the year’s most on-trend sneaker silhouettes. Since the debut of this gray pair, Basketcase has shared additional samples from the 204L project, perhaps hinting at a future wider release.

Undefeated x Air Jordan 4

To say that the Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 was a long time coming is putting it lightly. The project is one that established the groundwork for sneaker collaborations as we know them today. It was originally released in 2005 and was the first time Jordan Brand had collaborated with an outside partner. Less than 100 pairs of the original release were produced and the style attained mythical status over the years, at times feeling like a sneaker that could only be seen through screens.

Then, for the 20th anniversary this year, Undefeated and Jordan Brand did the unthinkable by making the shoe highly available with its first-ever reissue. The comprehensive rollout included videos highlighting the history from people who experienced it firsthand and best of all, sneaker fans were finally able to get their hands on one of the collaborations that started it all.  

Bad Bunny x Adidas Ballerina

Bad Bunny had a number of ‘25 Adidas collaborations that could have contended for this spot, but it was the Puerto Rican star’s Ballerina sneaker that captivated both music and fashion fanatics. The Benito-branded spin on the Adidas Taekwondo sneaker came in three colorways including a Bruce Lee-like gold and black, which has been the most in-demand style on the resale market.

The shoes include much of Bad Bunny’s signature footwear flair such as asymmetrical toe boxes and exposed size tags on the heel, but apply them to the sleek, minimally cushioned build of the Ballerina. In a year filled with slim, low-profile shapes, Bad Bunny and Adidas managed to deliver a shoe that ticked off trend boxes while staying faithful to the design DNA of both partners. 

Awake NY x Air Jordan 5

Changing signature details on a classic sneaker can be controversial. Altering a cherished shoe like the Air Jordan 5 is even riskier. Yet for its second collaboration with Jordan Brand and its first Air Jordan, New York-based streetwear brand Awake not only remixed an icon, but delivered one of the year’s most coveted and talked-about sneaker releases.

Awake founder Angelo Baque, who spent a decade of his career at seminal streetwear brand Supreme, and his team gave Michael Jordan’s fifth signature shoe two New York-inspired updates and added custom brand details all throughout the design. Based on the response to the collaboration at Awake NY’s in-person activations and through social media chatter, it’s safe to say the risk paid off.

Lil Yachty x Nike Air Force 1

With his latest “Us Force 1” Air Force 1, Concrete Boys leader Lil Yachty managed to silence any and all doubters who questioned his first pair, which was released in 2024. For his second act, Yachty gave the 1982 basketball sneaker a Bape-like patent leather makeover, dousing the shoe in red, green and yellow color combination.

If the debut white-and-navy look was too plain, the sequel was anything but, with vivid colors practically jumping off of the glossy design. Fans ate it up, and those who weren’t quick to act have had to splurge on the resale market, where the May release has been clearing $500 with every sale.

Vandy the Pink x Atmos x Asics Gel-Nimbus 10.1

Asics was one of the strongest brands of ‘25 on the collaboration front, delivering coveted new footwear with brands and retailers such as JJJJound, Kith and Cecilie Bahnsen. Yet none was quite as celebrated as the link-up between the Japanese sportswear brand, Japanese store Atmos and Korean designer Vandy the Pink. After previously working with Salomon on a hamburger-inspired sneaker, the designer applied his culinary storytelling to Asics’ hybrid Gel-Nimbus 10.1 model.

The project includes two banana split-themed colorways and was so coveted, some shoppers overlooked a crucial discount code and mistakenly spent $30,000 on Vandy the Pink’s e-commerce store. Based on the reaction these pairs received, it’s likely only the beginning of the designer’s quirky footwear collaborations.