It’s that time of year — of course, I’m talking about Best Of lists. Yes, everyone wants to weigh in and give their two cents on the year that was on everything from books to movies to TV to video games.
Being your friendly neighborhood sneakerhead, it was only natural that I would want to weigh in on what was a banner year in sneakers. From grail-level drops to the continued rise of challenger brands like On and Asics, 2025 had a little bit of something for everyone in the sneaker game.
Here are the five drops I thought were the best from the year that was in sneaker culture.
5. Salehe Bembury x Made in UK New Balance 991v2 “Colors Be The Palette”
- Release Date: 03/13/25
- Original Retail Price: $275
- Where to Buy: StockX
- Why I picked it: This is a shoe that is a bit more colorful than what I would normally wear, but for some reason these just appealed to me right off the bat, and I’m lucky they did. The 991v2 first debuted in 2001 as part of the Made in the UK series, of which the underside of the box notes, “New Balance Made in UK is designed without compromise. This pair represents our unwavering commitment to those who walk their own path.” The comfort and material quality build are outstanding, with New Balance writing that the “material mix of hairy suede, mesh, and synthetic details creates a subtle tonal shift.”
This colorway is more in line with Bembury’s past collabs with New Balance than his Made in UK 1500, which while also outstanding was more staid, that also dropped this year. Of course, this elevated build and demand led to a higher retail price, but ultimately I felt as though I got what I paid for.
4. MoMA x Nike Air Max 95 OG Big Bubble “Reverse Gradient”
- Release Date: 04/08/25
- Original Retail Price: $190
- Where to Buy: StockX
- Why I picked it: Nike celebrated the 30th anniversary of the legendary Air Max 95, perhaps the most popular Air Max model of all time, by returning the model to its OG Big Bubble glory. For years, Nike had struggled with how to return the air bubble to its original size due to moving away from using greenhouse gases. Finally, the Swoosh figured out a solution just in time to celebrate the 95’s Pearl anniversary.
Of course, Nike brought back some of the model’s most famous colorways, including the OG Neon colorway, but the one I purchased was the special collaboration with New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Also known as the “reverse gradient,” the colorway takes the script and literally flips it, going from light to dark starting with the white midsole in a nod to designer Sergio Lozano’s original sketches.
The shoe maintains Lozano’s iconic design inspired by the human body, but does so with an upgraded material build. It’s truly a classic with a new twist. Or more appropriately for this collaboration, a true work of art.
3. CNCPTS x Made in USA New Balance 997 “Montage”
- Release Date: 12/11/25 (CNCPTS); 12/18/25 (New Balance)
- Original Retail Price: $220
- Where to Buy: StockX
- Why I picked it: This was a late add, released initially through Boston-based boutique Concepts on December 11 before a wider release from New Balance on December 18. However, I’m really glad this arrived under the wire for inclusion on this list.
Part of New Balance’s Made in USA series, which requires a domestic value of 70% or more, the “Montage” celebrates the “grunge ethos that defined the era of (the 997’s) birth,” according to CNCPTS. Leaning into the spirit of punk and grunge, the “silhouette was reworked into a distressed and undone finish, embodying the moody and gritty nostalgia of the 90’s.” This includes the ever-popular unfinished tongue, an aged midsole, “marker” accents and unique stitched “CNCPTS” branding on the heel. All of that is not to say that the material build takes a back seat. In fact, I would say the sneaker features the one of the best suede uppers I currently own in my entire collection, right up there with CNCPTS’ 10th anniversary MiUSA 998 C-Notes.
That upper features an attractive gradient effect, lightening from a dark grey toward the heel up to a light grey toward the toe box. Hits of pink and orange, as well as a yellow gradient New Balance “N” on the lateral side give the shoe a nice pop of color. CNCPTS claims that the Montage “breathes new yet nostalgic life into the model” and I couldn’t agree more. This excellent collaboration closed the year with a bang, not dissimilar to a great punk anthem.
2. Air Jordan 1 High ’85 Bred
- Release Date: 02/14/25
- Original Retail Price: $250
- Where to Buy: StockX
- Why I picked it: The Air Jordan 1 created modern sneaker culture as we know it. Thus, it’s only right that Jordan Brand celebrated the model’s 40th anniversary this year with one of the most sought after OG colorways in the elevated ’85 cut style.
Despite the Jordan 1 being in a bit of a rut of late, people will always turn out for the Bred colorway. After all, this is the colorway that the NBA “banned” from the game as Nike claimed in the famous TV commercial (although in reality it was actually the Air Ship which drew the NBA’s ire). Unfortunately, Jordan Brand decided to limit the availability of this much desired editon of the 1 to only neighborhood doors, creating scarcity in the market and limiting the reach of the shoe to the point where many will not have this on their best of lists because of how hard it was to get.
As for the shoe itself, it lives up to its iconic history. Nike noted that this was the “most historically accurate” version of the Air Jordan 1, with the brand going back and scanning the original to “reflect OG specs with a sleeker toe shape, upright heel stance and retro stitching” as well as a revamped “Wings” logo, original Swoosh shape and tongue label. Combined with the elevated leather quality the ’85 series is known for, and you have a shoe that soars much like MJ himself.
1. Undefeated Air Jordan 4
- Release Date: 08/28/25
- Original Retail Price: $230
- Where to Buy: StockX
- Why I picked it: Simply put, the Undefeated Air Jordan 4 is a grail-level sneaker. And we all had a chance to cop for retail. In 2025. What a time to be alive.
Originally released in 2005 in extremely limited quantities (just 72 pairs!), the classic olive green upper is contrasted nicely by black plastic wings, a black heel tab, mostly black and sail midsole and orange accents. Taking it up another level, the packaging harkens back to 2005 and the silver box which celebrated 20th anniversary of the Air Jordan line with an Undefeated twist. Not to mention a nice touch with the black hang tag featuring the Undefeated and Jumpman logos.
One interesting difference between the 2005 and 2025 versions is that the original Jumpman branding on the heel tab and outsole has instead been replaced by Nike Air branding. Perhaps this is a nod and consolation to the collectors who have paid big money for the 2005 OG. This release might be the first time that collectors actually WANT the Jumpman branding instead of the classic Nike Air which appeared on the original Air Jordan 4 colorways in 1989, but this was unlikely to deter anyone looking to pick up a pair.
The Undefeated Air Jordan 4 is everything a sneaker of the year should be. History? Check. Material build quality? Check. Hype? Check. Desirability? Check. Add in that fact that the Air Jordan 4 remains one of the most popular models in the 40 year history of the Air Jordan line, and you have a slam dunk of a release.
2025 gave us some incredible sneakers, from all-time classics to new favorites. As we continue to debate the state of sneaker culture as tastes shift, this much is clear: 2026 has a lot to live up to … and I can’t wait.
To see more of this month’s releases, check out our release date calendar.
