Year: 1996
Listing Price: $140
Size: 11

This listing right here is a beauty–an original Jordan XI in its “Black and Red” colorway from 1996. This was the same shoe Jordan wore when he secured his fourth NBA championship on Father’s Day 1996. There is no accompanying original box and the sneaker does show the requisite wear and tear of a 23-year-old shoe, however all those surface nicks and scratches seem pretty meaningless when faced with a true collector’s item such as this. You can double up on this model when the retro hits stores again in December if you need a clean pair to rock, but you just don’t get a ton of chances to add an OG like this to your collection.

Year: 2018
Listing Price: $900
Size: 10.5

One of the hottest releases of 2018, Sean Wotherspoon’s colorful take on this Air Max 1 and 97 mash-up is a long overdue newcomer to Rarest Sneakers. It is decked in the most colorful corduroy Air Max 97 upper atop an Air Max 1 midsole. The bottom sole matches its colorful upper and the shoe is accented by velcro tongue patches and a customized “VA –> LA” heel tab, signifying Wotherspoon’s hometown Virginia and current home of Los Angeles. This sneaker won Nike’s 2017 Vote Forward competition and sneakerheads everywhere are anxiously awaiting to see what he cooks up next.

Editor's Note: Since the time of publication, the original listing has been deleted.

Year: 2009
Listing Price: $720
Size: 10.5

Originally released 10 years ago, this Dunk aptly nicknamed “Asparagus,” pulls materials and colors from just about everywhere. The shoe is comprised of a black leather toe box, chocolate suede panels, green turf sides and a speckled green ankle section. It’s topped off with a red sockliner and sole, making this one of the more eclectic SBs featured on Rarest Sneakers. Nike SB is notorious for pulling inspiration from just about everywhere for its colorways, and this asparagus-inspired Dunk is no different.

Year: 2013
Listing Price: $247
Size: 8

Speaking wild SB Dunks, this collaboration from Cambridge-based boutique Concepts and Nike SB is a take on everyone’s favorite holiday accessory–the ugly Christmas sweater. Featuring snowmen, snowflakes and a traditional Christmas color palette of red, white and green, this ugly Sweater sneaker checks all the holiday boxes. The two brands would recapture the holiday magic again in 2017 with another ugly Christmas Sweater release, however this heather grey colorway is the original and certainly the most festive of all the iterations.

Year: 2019
Listing Price: $200
Size: 10

There are very few ways to improve upon the inimitable Air Force 1, but slapping snakeskin on the Swoosh is a good place to start. Originally released in 1996 (exclusively in Asia), this “Ivory Snake” Air Force 1 made its triumphant return in 2019. Much like the “Taiwan” Air Force 1 featured on Rarest Sneakers in the past, the “Ivory Snake” had been highly sought after for two decades before Nike finally gave in and gave it a proper retro release. All white with snakeskin accents on the heel and Swoosh, this Air Force 1 even came complete with a pair of white socks which featured the snakeskin pattern on the cuff. A luxurious Air Force 1 if there ever was one.

Year: 2019
Listing Price: $175
Size: 10.5

Over the past year or so, the Nike Tailwind line has experienced a renaissance of sorts, from its original 1979 model receiving retro releases in a slew of colorways to its Air Max Tailwind IV receiving the ultimate co-sign–a Supreme collaboration. It’s another in a long line of Supreme selecting, shall we say, unheralded Nike silhouettes to collaborate on. The Nike Air Tailwind IV was originally released in 1999 and for its 20th Anniversary, Supreme didn’t get too crazy. This “University Red” colorway features boucle fabric patterns and the most subtle Supreme branding on the heels.

Year: 2008
Listing Price: $643
Size: 9

Originally released in 2008, this SB Dunk is an homage to the cover of a 1986 Atari game, “720 Degrees.” The bold color palette features a black and white checkered sockliner, a yellow and blue heel tab, and a bright pink Swoosh set upon a brown leather and black nubuck upper. The colors are a quintessential ’80s color scheme, perfect for any sneaker harnessing the energy of an old Atari game.

Year: 2018
Listing Price: $1,296
Size: 9.5

In honor of the 30th anniversary of Seoul, South Korea hosting the 1988 Olympics, Jordan Brand released this limited edition Jordan III back in 2018. Adorned with the South Korean flag on the tongue—in a matching red, blue and black (and elephant print) colorway—this Jordan III with the elusive Nike Air heel branding pushed all the right buttons. The finishing touch is the Korean characters stitched on the inside of each tongue. On one shoe it reads “Seoul” and on the other it reads “Harmony and Progress,” the motto of the 1988 Olympics.

Year: 2015
Listing Price: $1,197
Size: 9

Way back in 1985 in the midst of a European tour, Michael Jordan took flight during an exhibition game in Italy and absolutely destroyed the backboard. While many in the States had no idea what had happened at the time, the moment has gained infamy on the Internet in recent years, enough for Jordan Brand to commemorate it with its own Jordan I colorway. Decked in the orange, black and white colors of Jordan’s jersey at the time of the dunk, these Jordan Is are the rare non-OG colorway to warrant incredible attention. They sold out immediately upon release and were so successful that Jordan Brand has since released other variations of the color scheme to a similarly effective response. This original colorway from 2015 still gets the most acclaim and it’s understandable, it’s an awesome shoe commemorating an awesome moment in Jordan lore.

Year: 2017
Listing Price: $765
Size: 12

Arguably the forgotten sneaker from Virgil Abloh’s “The Ten” collaborations, what sets this Flyknit Hyperdunk apart from the others is that you’re actually supposed to play basketball in it! The Hyperdunk owned NBA courts a decade ago and was worn by Kobe Bryant in the Olympics, but Virgil gave it a much-needed revival in 2017. Adding a strap to the white and translucent colorway–not to mention a React sole–Abloh added his signature tweaks to one of the best basketball shoes in recent memory. Instead of being the forgotten sneaker from “The Ten,” this Hyperdunk should receive more love since it has the rare ability to be worn on or off the court.