The last days of December are here, the opportunity for the WhenToCop? team to dive through the panorama of the pairs we enjoyed the most throughout the year. Whether it's Nike, Jordan or adidas, designers and brands have competed in ingenuity to offer creations that push the limits of aesthetics, technology, and style.
10 - Nike GT Future and Converse Shay 001
It's hard to decide. And sometimes, not choosing simply means retracing the highlights of the year. In 2025, basketball was one of the most significant fields of experimentation for brands, oscillating between futurism and revisited heritage. On one side, the Nike GT Future embodied one of the most avant-garde visions of the Swoosh. Sculptural line. Aggressive silhouette. Construction designed for pure performance. With this model, the Swoosh sought to push the limits of the b-ball pair. On the other side, Converse and its Converse Shay, the first signature silhouette of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. More streamlined, but just as symbolic. The pair managed to translate the game of the Oklahoma City Thunder player while bringing Converse back to the forefront of the sneaker scene. Two opposing but complementary visions. One thing is for sure: the sneaker has never ceased to inspire culture.
9 - Zion Williamson x Air Jordan 1 Low
When Zion Williamson first unveiled his Air Jordan 1 Low “Voodoo” in 2022, the sneaker world was quickly captivated. Three years later, the Jordan Brand revived the partnership with an “Alternate” version. Inspired by Zion's family roots and the cultural heritage of Louisiana, this new design retained the DNA of the original project. Aged leather. Visible stitching. Every detail marked this second opus, which offered an execution worthy of the first.
8 - Travis Scott x Fragment Air Jordan 1 Low
Some collaborations no longer seek to surprise but to confirm their status. If in 2025, Travis Scott has nothing left to prove with Jordan, each appearance of a new Air Jordan 1 Low continues to provoke the same excitement. This time, the Houston rapper chose to reopen an already iconic chapter: that of Fragment. Alongside Hiroshi Fujiwara, Travis Scott replayed a now-familiar collaboration that left a lasting impression. Here, no revolution, but an assumed continuity.
7 - Undefeated x Air Jordan 4
Some silhouettes carry an almost legendary heritage. In 2005, Undefeated unveiled a limited edition ready to mark an entire generation: rare, mysterious, almost inaccessible. If some stories deserve to be told again, the sportswear brand chose to revisit this myth twenty years later. Here, there was no question of reproducing past success; the two partners took the codes of the original version to offer a premium version that speaks to both nostalgics and new generations. Enough to fuel the legend of the Air Jordan 4 Undefeated, which remains more alive than ever.
6 - Nike Air Max 1000
This year, Nike established itself as a key player in the sneaker world by choosing to unveil a showcase of its innovations. At the heart of this presentation, a novelty caught everyone's attention: the Nike Air Max 1000, a revolutionary pair that combines heritage, technology, and avant-garde design. And the Nike Air Max 1000 did not just perpetuate the legacy of the Air Max range, it **** established itself as a true futuristic vision, inspired by the iconic Air Max 1. Revisited through 3D printing technology and designed in partnership with Zellerfeld, a pioneer in advanced 3D printing, the design pushed the limits of traditional manufacturing for a fluid, expressive, and optimized design.
5 - Air Jordan 4 Black Cat
Sometimes, the event is not a collaboration. It's a comeback. In 2025, Jordan chose to maintain the legacy of the fourth signature shoe in its range. The opportunity for the Jordan Brand to bring back a classic of the model: the Air Jordan 4 “Black Cat”. While the pair is inspired by the nickname of the iconic number 23 of the Bulls, it offered a traditional construction faithful to the original. Enough to delight collectors.
4 - Union La x Air Jordan 1 High OG
Union La and Jordan, it's a love story that lasts. Since their first collaboration in 2018, Chris Gibbs and his creative teams have continuously redefined how Jordan's archives could be reinterpreted. This year, the two collaborators chose to return to the essentials with a silhouette that is both familiar and different. Hybrid assembly. Contrasting seams. No doubt, Union has taken elements faithful to its approach while confirming that the hype around the Air Jordan 1 High remains intact.
3 - Levis x Nike Air Max 95
Out with the technical mesh, in with the rough canvas, sashiko stitching, and frayed edges. On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Nike Air Max 95, the sportswear giant reactivated a partnership that has already proven itself: Levi’s, the undisputed king of denim. Following a resounding success in 2018, the Swoosh made denim its material of choice. Premium denim. Urban heritage. Tailoring know-how. Levi’s provided the material, Nike the shape. Three pairs. Three colors. One guiding principle: denim. In these new designs, the initial technical mesh imagined by Sergio Lozano was replaced by a thick, worn, almost grainy canvas that literally adopts the codes of denim and places the collaboration in third position.
2 - Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 OG
For Nigel Sylvester, every design is a metaphor. Every project is a fragment of life. Since his arrival at Jordan, the New York rider has imposed a radically different approach: telling success not as an achievement, but as a slow construction, brick by brick. Since 2018, every project he signs tells an intimate story imbued with his roots and journey, perfectly resonating with the legacy of the Jumpman. From the Air Jordan 1 High “Distressed” inspired by his BMX sessions to the very expressive Air Jordan 4 “Brick by Brick”, his creations leave a mark. Inspired by the sidewalks of Queens, the latter adopted an orange suede, evocative of the earth and urban walls. And while the OG construction reinforced the link with 1989, the Bike Air branding brilliantly sealed Nigel's identity.
1 - Pharrell x adidas Adistar Jellyfish
There are sneakers that mark a year. And then there are those that herald a change of era. In 2025, Pharrell Williams made a strong impact with the adidas Adistar Jellyfish. First spotted during his public outings with his iconic bootcut jeans, the silhouette became a subject of fascination long before its official release. Inspired by retro silhouettes from the adidas catalog, notably the Response CL or the Adistar Cushion 3, the Jellyfish does not look back. While the overall shape and design language of the model are rooted in the archives of the German firm, Pharrell Williams' touch is present through the materials used and direct references to his story. Former adidas design director Zac Andrew even shared his thoughts: the project took on a new dimension after Pharrell's appointment at Louis Vuitton, emphasizing adidas's strength in technology rather than leather, which the French house dominates. The result? A silhouette that draws inspiration from the original aesthetic of the Adistar line, earning it the title of best sneaker of the year.
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