Over the last few years, the world of footwear has undergone a rather sophisticated transformation. The glitz and glamour of luxury fashion has permeated the world of sneakers in a rather effortless manner, transforming iconic performance footwear into stylish pieces that boast elegant pieces of flair alongside its performance innovations. Not only have sneakers become fit for the street, but also for the runway throughout the annual showings in New York City, Paris, and Milan. This trend is certainly not stopping any time soon.
At the forefront of these thoughtful fashion-driven offerings are Nike and Jordan. Whether it be thoughtful collaborations with today’s emerging stylists or centuries-old purveyors of precious stones, both of the Beaverton brands are redefining what it means to bring refinement and sport together in a fluid and graceful manner. Our latest Shopping Guide highlights some of the key selections that have recently appeared – all of which can be yours on eBay, where everything in the intersection of luxury and hot trends are available now.
As part of Nike’s successful relaunch of the Air Max 97 running shoe, the brand collaborated with Swarovski to create elegant iterations of the retro model. Featuring the Austrian icon’s proprietary crystal fabric, these limited edition drops accentuated the natural design of the Air Max 97 with distinct panels fully covered with the shimmering stones. According to Nike, a women’s size 7 has approximately 55,690 Swarovski crystals per pair. Grab the Metallic Gold, Silver Bullet, or Black colorways today.
Jordan Brand has made concerted efforts to further reach one of their key demographics – the female sneakerhead. One of their best moves was to collaborate with Aleali May, the Chicago and Los Angeles based street stylist who has gone from working the retail floor at the most trusted shops, to sitting front row at Paris Fashion Week. Her partnership with Jumpman has sprouted three luxurious Air Jordan models – two on the mainstay Air Jordan 1, and one on the ever-important Air Jordan 6.
Even sixteen season in, LeBron James continues to shatter records and defy the odds. His long-standing partnership with Nike Basketball has produced high-performance hoop shoes that teeter the line of sport and luxury, and for 2019 the brand ushered in three luxurious takes inspired by some of the most renowned and recognizable high-fashion houses, collectible sneakers, and pop-culture super-heros in history.