Sole Retriever

2020 was a year like no other. From a deadly global pandemic to rising levels of social unrest throughout the nation, the new decade undoubtedly started off on the wrong foot. Despite the bad vibes in 2020, we saw a huge surge in hyped sneaker releases and raffles, highlighting the Chunky Dunky SB’s, Mocha Jordan 1’s, and plenty others. At Sole Retriever, 2020 brought us imaginable levels of growth and support. Our engaged, loyal, and ever-growing audience of users has continued to amaze us. As we reflect on a year which has ample reason to be forgotten, we bring you our year in review recap of sneakers in 2020 – Sole Retriever style. Here’s what we have to say about the best sneaker raffles and releases in 2020.

Overview of us

In 2020, Sole Retriever covered over 300 different sneaker releases on our website. These releases combined for more than 12,000 raffles across 50+ countries. As a result of the Coronavirus, most of the raffles we tracked – over 75% of them to be exact – tended to be via online entry with shipping (as opposed to in-store pickup). More than 30% of the raffles we posted were from the United States, while the “Worldwide” region took a close second with about 25% of the raffles allowing entry from anyone around the globe.

Did you struggle to win sneaker raffles in 2020? Are you confused about how sneaker raffles work or want to find out how to increase your chance at winning them? Check out How to Find, Enter, and Win Sneaker Raffles.

Battle of the brands

The Almighty Swoosh

Nike took the crown in 2020 for the most hyped sneaker releases. With over eighty shoes that were popular enough to warrant a raffle, the Swoosh owned the release cycle. Of these eighty or so launches from Nike that we covered on our site, there was a fairly even split between Nike SB and Jordan sub brands. As one might assume, most of the Jordan demand surrounded the 1’s (no surprise here). Here were the top models of Jordan’s first signature silhouette which received the most amount of retailer raffles in 2020.

Off—Who?

Surprisingly, it was a relatively quiet year for Off-White. Other than the few notable launches of the Nike Air Jordan 4’s and Nike Air Jordan 5’s as well as the Nike Off-White Rubber Dunks, we didn’t see a ton from Virgil in 2020. Recent rumors suggest that he’s going to make up for that in 2021. Sole Retriever cannot confirm nor deny these rumors, but we sure hope they’re true!

Three Stripes

Yes, Adidas did manage to pump out a decent number of sneaker releases in 2020. However, they did not reach nearly same levels of hype nor demand as Nike was able to achieve. But, if it seemed to you like there was a new pair of Yeezy Boost 350’s almost every other weekend, don’t worry, you’re not crazy – there basically was. Nearly twenty iterations of 350 V2’s launched in 2020, including the Zyon’s and Carbon’s. Despite the vast quantity of Yeezy Boost 350 V2 releases in 2020, the silhouette didn’t experience the incredible levels of hype it was once known for in its early days.

The PlayStation 5

Perhaps our biggest surprise of the year came with the insane craze surrounding the PS5. Speaking of which, we’ll be right back – gotta go tweet a restock. We’ve helped thousands of our followers on Twitter secure the highly sought after gaming platform from a variety of online retailers. These include, among others, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon.

Most loved (by you)

Enough surprises for now – let’s get down to the facts. Here’s what y’all said were your favorite sneaker releases of 2020. The shoe which received the most amount of upvotes on our website in 2020 was the Air Jordan 4 Off—White Sail. They were followed in a close second by the highly-touted Chunky Dunky SB’s. The rest of the top-ten upvoted sneakers on our site included the Mocha Jordan 1’s, Grateful Dead SB’s, Travis Scott Air Max’s, and a few others. Based on what you said you liked most, Adidas didn’t earn a single spot in the top ten!

All hype

Interestingly enough, the most-loved sneakers did not always receive the most raffle entries. Despite the Sail Jordan 4’s being the most liked sneaker on SoleRetriever.com, the Nike SB Dunk Chunky Dunky took the crown for the sneaker with the largest number of raffles entered by our users. For that mid-May release, we tracked 185 total raffles of which our users combined for just shy of 150,000 confirmed entries.

Sleepish Yeezy

Coming in at number four on the list of most raffles entered is the “Bred” Yeezy 350 V2’s, which you’ll note didn’t even appear amongst the top-ten upvoted. Perhaps y’all were a bit embarrassed to give the Bred’s that upvote, but you sure entered those raffles! Also worth noting is how the CO Japan Jordan 1’s ranked 7th in total upvotes, but didn’t even hit the top twenty in terms of total raffle entries. We suspect this was likely due to its limited release at mostly Japanese retailers.

2020 was stacked with a ton of hyped sneaker releases, but which was the best? Let’s get into it. Without further ado, here’s the sneaker of the year.

Sneaker of the year

It should come as no surprise that 2020’s sneaker of the year was the Nike SB Dunk. Based on our data, the Nike SB Dunk model had the highest number of raffles on our site. Additionally, the Dunk’s accounted for the most amount of user entries on raffles we covered. Here’s what you said were the best Dunk’s of the year.

Looking ahead

2021 is shaping up to be quite a year for new sneaker releases. Initial information and rumors suggest that Jordan Brand is poised to bring an impressive roster of 4’s, 5’s, and 6’s starting as early as February. On the Nike SB side, we can expect the hype train to keep chugging along as the Swoosh continues to enjoy and embrace the model’s recent resurgence in popularity. Kanye and Adidas will likely launch a fair amount of Yeezy Boost 350 V2’s in colorways that will somehow always seem to appear identical to their predecessors (please prove us wrong). Hopefully the duo brings us some new silhouettes and unique designs this year – you know, maybe spice things up a bit!

Sleeper Pick: Nike Air Jordan IV and V

We think the Jordan 4 and Jordan 5 models have the biggest upside this year. There are a few good rumored releases and it’s been quiet for a while. Prices are on the lower side for the Jordan IV and V, much like Dunks a few years ago. Prices for the Air Jordan 5 Low Chinese New Year are holding and increase, despite low hype. We expect to see FOMO buying on StockX and Grailed for plenty of Jordan V releases in 2021.

Want to see some more sleepers? Check out 2020’s Most Underrated Sneaker Releases of 2020.

Wrapping things up

There’s no debating that 2020 was a year to put behind us. With the COVID pandemic, racial injustice, Kobe’s passing, and murder hornets – it was a year consumed by negativity. Amid all this negativity, though, we still managed to witness an impressive and successful year of sneaker releases. And, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2021 – including our mobile app (join the waitlist) and a plethora of highly anticipated sneaker drops. So, as we reflect on a crazy year full of many ups and (mostly) downs, we show our appreciation not only to the things that matter most to us, but to the continued success and exciting future of the sneaker community.