Billboard has compiled its staff picks for the 10 best musician sneaker collaborations of 2025, highlighting releases that blended music, culture, and footwear innovation. The list showcases standout designs from artists like Travis Scott, Pharrell Williams, and Bad Bunny, reflecting a year of accessible drops and nostalgic revivals. Published on December 29, 2025, the ranking underscores the deepening ties between hip-hop, R&B, and sneaker culture.
2025 proved a pivotal year for sneaker culture, marked by reflective retro returns and forward-thinking collaborations, according to Billboard's latest staff list. Iconic releases like the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 “Bred” and Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy” made comebacks, while accessibility improved—many drops remained available beyond initial queues, with some Jordans selling below retail.
The symbiotic relationship between sneakers and music, rooted in hip-hop and R&B, reached new heights. Musicians led designs that fused personal storytelling with bold aesthetics. Wale influenced Nike’s G.T. Future “Ice” colorway, released exclusively on December 13, drawing hundreds of fans.
Topping the list is Chase B's collaboration with Jordan on the CJ1 T-Rexx, the first artist partnership on Travis Scott’s signature line. Inspired by MF Doom’s Nike Dunk and DJ Clark Kent’s Air Trainer 1, it features a glow-in-the-dark neon green outsole and innovative packaging with a luminous shoebox.
Lil Yachty’s Nike Air Force 1 Low “Lucky Green” evokes the 2000s with patent leather color-blocking and Concrete Boys branding. Yachty personally distributed pairs in New York City and hid golden-ticket magazines for fans.
Don Toliver revived BBC Ice Cream’s Board Flip “Watermelon” in a limited 500-pair Las Vegas drop in October, faithful to its 2005 Reebok origins, with a “Banana Split” preorder following in November.
Tobe Nwigwe’s Reebok Chukwu ABUO, a mint-hued refresh of the BB 4000 II, emphasizes duality—“Abuo” means “two” in Igbo—and includes kids’ sizes for family representation. As Nwigwe explained, “family extends beyond bloodlines to include the people you grow with and lean on.”
Bad Bunny’s adidas Gazelle “Cabo Rojo” pays tribute to Puerto Rico’s pink salt flats, expanding from a local exclusive to global release. Feid’s Salomon XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO channels Medellín’s green mountains with neon accents and a hand-drawn caricature.
Westside Gunn’s Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4 draws from The Ultimate Warrior with vibrant, glow-in-the-dark elements and a scorpion logo. Jae Tips’ Saucony Grid Jazz 9 “I Love You But I’m Busy” features split heel messaging and bold colors inspired by a Mickey Mouse hat.
Travis Scott’s Fragment Air Jordan 1 Low OG, a three-way collab, logged 4.4 million raffle entries. Pharrell Williams’ adidas VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish, jellyfish-inspired with an exaggerated midsole, sold out instantly.
These releases blurred lines between sound, style, and community, defining 2025’s cultural milestones.
