The Air Jordan 1 is the star of sneaker resales

WHEN it comes to sneakers, the Jordan Brand has always been a unanimous hit. This is even more the case with the growth of sneaker resales, and the multiplication of trading platforms. One such site, StockX reveals that the famous Air Jordan 1 remains the most traded style of 2021, while the boom in collaborations has brought another icon, the Jordan 2, back into the limelight.

While sneaker brands seem to be doing better than ever, it's still hard to dethrone the Jordan Brand, the fruit of a successful and decades-long collaboration between Nike and Michael Jordan. The resale platform StockX confirms this dominance, revealing that Jordan remains top of trades in the secondary sneaker market in 2021, ahead of two other giants -- Nike and adidas.

However, other brands now have these three behemoths in their sights, starting with New Balance, which, thanks to numerous collaborations and launches, takes fourth place in the ranking of top brands for total trades for the first time in 2021. The brand didn't even make the Top 10 in 2018. Next in line are equally classic brands like Converse (5th), Reebok (6th), Vans (8th), Puma (9th) and Bape (10th).

However, the latter three brands have been pipped to the post by a name that went from being seriously uncool to ultra trendy in just a few years: Crocs (7th), which is now cleaning up in the sneaker and streetwear resale market. StockX even reports that the brand "ended the year with the highest average price premium of any major sneaker brand, with the average pair of Crocs trading for 98% above retail."

In terms of sneakers, the Air Jordan 1 was the most traded style of 2021, ahead of the Nike Dunk, Air Force 1, Yeezy 350, and Air Jordan 4. But some models were also buoyed by the boom in collab creations. This is the case of the New Balance 550, with sales up 20-fold, especially thanks to a partnership with Aimé Leon Dore. Similarly, the Jordan 2 has benefited from the support of the late Virgil Abloh's Off-White label.

Sneakers for all the family

While reselling men's sneakers has always dominated trades on StockX, the platform has seen some changes in 2021, reflecting a drive to expand the resale phenomenon to the whole family. Preschool-size sneaker resells, as well as those for smaller kids, have seen a 150% increase over the previous year, while trades of women's sneakers grew three times faster than men's in 2021. Both trends could continue to grow over the course of 2022.