Andrew Rizzo 2025 was one of the most jam-packed years for Nike Inc. in recent memory. The 40th anniversary of the Air Jordan line delivered week after week of retro heat, Kobes remained must-haves for both hoopers and collectors alike, and the Air Max 95 made a triumphant return with retro-inspired “big bubble” tooling that revived classic colorways while spawning a wave of standout collaborations. And that’s only scratching the surface.
With the year in the books, Nike SNKRS crunched the data and revealed its list of the ten most-wanted sneakers of 2025, complete with superlatives and special callouts. There are few real surprises here. The “Gamma” 11s take the top spot, proving massively in-demand on release day and standing out as one of the most coveted AJ11s in recent memory, a stark contrast to the comparatively underwhelming response to last year’s “Legend Blue” (formerly “Columbia”) retro. Close behind are two Air Jordan 4s: Nigel Sylvester’s “Brick by Brick” and the ever-popular “Black Cat,” with the former topping Sneaker of the Year lists across the industry.
Three Kobe releases cracked the top ten: the “What The” Kobe 8, the “Dodgers” Kobe 6, and the “All-Star” Kobe 6. They’re joined by the “Flu Game” Air Jordan 12, the “Black Metallic Reimagined” Jordan 5, and the iconic “Galaxy” Foamposites. The only Travis Scott shoe on the list is the Jordan Jumpman Jack “Bright Cactus.” It’s worth noting that several highly sought-after releases, including the Travis Scott x Fragment x Air Jordan 1 Low and others, never launched through the SNKRS app and are therefore not included in this roundup.
Beyond the rankings, Nike also highlighted a slate of superlatives, spotlighting pairs like Jalen Brunson’s “Statue of Liberty” Kobe 6, the LLAMS x Nike Air Force 1, and more. Unsurprisingly, every sneaker mentioned has long since sold out. If you’re looking to add any of these to your collection, the aftermarket is your only option at this point.
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