Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 Moonrock
Rapper Kanye West's Adidas sneakers were first released in 2015. The Yeezy brand includes limited-edition shoes and streetwear with high resale prices. This shoe retails for $200 and resells for $1,000.
Air Jordan 1 X Off-White UNC
The collaboration between Nike and designer Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White is a sneakerhead staple. Abloh premiered the shoe at the 2019 Met Gala paired with a crisp white Louis Vuitton suit. The powder-blue shoes with Off-White block text and a red zip-tie are instantly recognizable. The sneakers run $190 retail and about $1,700 in the aftermarket.
Travis Scott x Nike Air Jordan 1
The exclusive Travis Scott and Air Jordan 1 Cactus Jack collaboration was first released in very limited quantities during the rapper’s performance at the 2019 Grammys. The signature reverse Nike Swoosh on off-white leather with brown nubuck trim set this model apart from other Jordan 1 models. The shoe retails for $175 and resells in the aftermarket for about $2,200, making it one of the most lucrative sneakers in the game.
New Balance 990 — a DMV Classic
The New Balance 990 burst onto the sneaker scene in 1982 with what was then a groundbreaking price tag. As the first sneaker to cost over $100, the 990s quickly became a cult favorite in DMV street culture. Equally as popular with jogging dads as with fashionistas, it’s considered a staple even today.
Air Jordans — the Industry's Gamechanger
In 1984, Nike unveiled its partnership with basketball legend Michael Jordan: a red and black shoe called the Air Jordan. Compared to the standard all-white basketball shoes of the time, Air Jordans made an instant impact. The shoes were banned by the NBA because of their color, but Nike paid the $5,000 fine each game so Jordan would keep wearing them. This only boosted the profile of the Air Jordan.
From a Hobby to a Career
According to Statista, over 1 billion pairs of athletic shoes were sold in 2019. It's important for vendors and buyers to know they’re getting the genuine product. So-called "sneaker authenticators" make a comfortable living distinguishing the real from the fake through techniques including a smell test and checks for misprints, color discrepancies and more. In mid-October, Google's job search results included 10 listings for sneaker authenticator jobs.