The Sole Retriever App’s Most Wanted (and Won) Sneakers of 2025

Most, if not all, Sneaker of the Year awards are conceived by using subjective methods. A group of staff writers, or the social media intern, will compile a list based on pairs they personally think are deserving of the accolade. While yes, sneakers are as subjective as most mediums, there are also hard stats and data that can be looked at to determine the most in-demand sneakers of the year. Nike recently published their own list of the top 10 styles on the SNKRS app, but we at Sole Retriever have access to our own data set.

We’ve developed a formula using data points such as the number of raffles entered, searches conducted, and upvotes for a particular shoe, among others, to determine the most sought-after sneakers of 2025. Alongside the most wanted sneakers, we also have a category for the most wins. The Sole Retriever app tracks all of the sneakers you've won, and we used the data to determine the sneakers our users scored most in 2025.

Most Wanted Sneakers of 2025

25 - Travis Scott x Jordan Jumpman Jack Muslin Bright Cactus

24 - Air Jordan 14 Retro Ferrari

23 - Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 Retro Black Racer Blue

22 - Air Jordan 5 Retro Black Metallic Reimagined

21 - Air Jordan 12 Retro Flu Game

20 - Chase B x Travis Scott x Jordan Jumpman Jack

19 - Air Jordan 4 Retro Black Cat

18 - Nike Kobe 6 Protro All-Star Sail

17 - Nike Air Max 95 OG Neon

16 - Nike Kobe 6 Protro WNBA

15 - Air Jordan 1 High 85 Bred

14 - Nardwuar x Nike SB Dunk Low

13 - Nike SB Dunk Low BHM Rodeo

12 - Zion Williamson x Air Jordan 1 Retro Low OG Voodoo Regency Purple

11 - fragment design x Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Retro Low OG Sail Military Blue

Kind of surprising that Travis Scott’s triple collab with fragment design and Jordan Brand on a new Air Jordan 1 Low ended up not even cracking the top 10. However, it’s important to note that we took into account the number of raffles offered as a data point, and this pair was exclusively available through Scott’s website.

10 - Air Jordan 11 Retro Gamma

After over a decade in the vault, the Air Jordan 11 Retro Gamma returned. The non-OG AJ 11 colorway took everyone by surprise, selling out instantly on launch day and still commanding a premium on the aftermarket.

9 - Nike Kobe 6 Protro Dodgers

Kobe Bryant’s sixth signature sneaker is always somewhere near the top of year-end lists thanks to the hit colorways that come out throughout the calendar year. The pair that cracked the top 10 list for most wanted is the Kobe 6 Protro Dodgers, a tribute to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Perfect timing too as the franchise won the World Series in October, months after the pair hit shelves.

8 - Air Jordan 5 Retro Tokyo

One of the rarest Air Jordan 5s ever to hit retail, the Air Jordan 5 Retro Tokyo returned for the first time since its original release in 2011. The pair was ultra-limited, some saying under 2,000 pairs, and dropped to commemorate the opening of the Tokyo 23 Jordan store. This time around, the stock was higher, but still one of the most limited to release this year. A great addition to Jordan Brand’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

7 - Air Jordan 4 Retro White Cement

While there were plenty of retros for grail-status and ultra-rare Jordans, there were also re-releases of classic Jordans across the board. One of the best was the Air Jordan 4 Retro White Cement, even if this author missed out on a pair. No “reimagined” moniker attached, just a pure 1:1 retro of the classic AJ 4 White Cement.

6 - Yuto Horigome x Nike SB Dunk Low Matcha

Nike SB team riders are no strangers to dropping some of the best SB Dunks of the year, just look at Yuto Horigome. After dropping his own colorway of the SB Dunk Low in 2023, he followed up with a Matcha-inspired colorway in April 2025. Maybe he was ahead of the quarter-zip trend too?

5 - Nike Kobe 8 Protro What The

With the Kobe 8 officially back in Protro form starting in August 2024, it wouldn’t be long until we got our hands on a re-release of one of the most iconic colorways. The Nike Kobe 8 Protro What The hit shelves on Kobe Day, April 13, which commemorates the day Bryant played his last NBA game.

4 - Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 Retro Low OG Better with Time

Who would have thought that a BMX athlete would have two of the top 5 most wanted sneaker releases in 2025? Well… It’s Nigel Sylvester, so really no surprise there. The Jordan athlete first teamed up with the label in 2018 for a worn-in Air Jordan 1 High, but for 2025, he released a low-top AJ 1. The pair is directly inspired by the F&F black version of his AJ 1 High, featuring the same scuffs and “pre-worn” details.

3 - Nike Air Foamposite One Galaxy

A certified classic. When you think of sneakerhead culture over the last two decades, the Galaxy Foamposite is almost always near the top of the list. This author was not a sneakerhead at the time, but even as a 13-year-old, he was aware of the cultural significance of the Galaxy Foams. Thankfully we all had an opportunity to cop the elusive Foamposite this year, and stock was much higher this time around. There were also no crazy riots or releases being shut down like the 2012 drop.

2 - Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 Retro Brick by Brick

We spoke about Nigel Sylvester just two entries back, but we’re now talking about what many consider the Sneaker of the Year in a subjective sense. Nigel’s Air Jordan 4 Brick by Brick. The model is done in premium suede, faux brick textures are applied to the mudguard, the color mimics the bricks found in NYC, and the shoe is even packaged like a brick would be when the building material is shipped.

Not only was the pair executed perfectly, but so was the storytelling and the rollout of the drop. Athletes across all sports wore pairs, from Roman Reigns in WWE to Mookie Betts in the MLB, LeBron James in the NBA, and Travis Kelce in the NFL. The “Brick by Brick” moniker also speaks to how Nigel built his own personal brand and his success brick by brick.

1 - Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 Navy

Honestly, it’s a bit surprising to see the Nike SB Air Jordan 4 in Navy take our number one spot on the most wanted list. We need to examine it through the lens of the lead-up to the release. The demand for the Nike SB AJ 4 was reaching feverish highs in the lead-up to the drop, as the original Pine Green colorway was so sought after.

Tons of skate shops and retailers held raffles for the pair, which helps here based on the data we collected. A sneaky SNKRS Link drop from Eric Koston was the only Nike SNKRS drop available for the pair, which helped many secure the sneaker. Fortunately, the aftermarket price is relatively reasonable, as the stock was decently high and demand was mostly met.

Most Won Sneakers of 2025

10 - Air Jordan 3 Retro Black Cat

9 - Air Jordan 4 Retro Black Cat

8 - Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 Brick by Brick

7 - Air Jordan 11 Retro Gamma Blue

6 - Air Jordan 5 Retro Black Metallic Reimagined

5 - Union LA x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG Chicago Shadow

4 - Air Jordan 12 Retro Flu Game

3 - Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 Retro

2 - Air Jordan 4 Retro White Cement

1 - Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 Retro Navy

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts, catching the latest movies, and trying new food. Email: nick@soleretriever.com