With fewer than 100 pairs in existence worldwide, Ronnie Fieg's Fracap RF120 collaboration could be the most limited shoe on this list. A handmade Italian suede upper and genuine shearling liner mean you'll be getting every penny's worth with these.
CREDIT: Kith
Limited shoes are everywhere these days. Whether it’s a high-profile celebrity collaboration, a premium take on a staple style or a rare commemorative anniversary run, limited footwear is abundant and, more importantly, here to stay.
However, “limited edition” doesn’t automatically mean it’s a great shoe. Far too often, brands are guilty of slapping the limited tag on a shoe to generate buzz that otherwise wouldn’t have existed. On the opposite side of the spectrum are the shoes that are so scarce and so hyped — think Yeezys or OVO x Air Jordans — that they’re seemingly unattainable to the everyday shopper.
To help you find some middle ground, Footwear News has narrowed down a select list of limited edition sneakers worth buying this holiday season.
For the 35th anniversary of the Jazz Original, Saucony gave the sneaker a luxury spin with Wolverine Silkee suede and a pigskin liner in a colorway that goes with everything.
CREDIT: Revolve
Saucony Jazz O Lux “35th Anniversary,” $100; Revolve.
Barneys’ Sole Series has produced a number of great collaborations, but this rustic take on Timberland’s iconic 6-Inch Boot is one of its best yet. Here, the rugged boots lose their usual nubuck construction for a shaggy suede and a grained leather collar.
CREDIT: Barneys
Barneys Sole Series x Timberland 6-Inch Boots, $220; Barneys.
Graffiti artist Futura rose to prominence in the sneaker community during the 2000s with a string of sought-after collaborations, and he’s still up to his old tricks with projects such as this two-tone Converse collab.
The made-in-Italy Common Projects Achilles Low is cherished ad nauseam among menswear circles, but Need Supply’s exclusive 20th anniversary “Warm White” colorway is the perfect style to bring some excitement back to the simplistic sneaker.
CREDIT: Need Supply
Need Supply Co. x Common Projects Achilles Low “Warm White 20th Anniversary,” $435; Need Supply Co.
You’ll probably never be able to pull off a custom suit like the one and only Walt “Clyde” Frazier, but that doesn’t mean you can’t emulate parts of the basketball great’s style. Give it a shot with these zebra-striped Clydes before they’re all gone.
Hiroshi Fujiwara’s collaborations with Nike are the stuff of legend, which makes it that much more surprising that the Fragment Design founder’s latest Air Max LD-Zero is still lingering in a wide selection of sizes. Grab ’em while they last.
Kendrick Lamar’s collaborations with Reebok go far beyond being good-looking sneakers — each one has a deeper anti-violence meaning, which comes full circle in this easy-to-wear olive-green colorway.
CREDIT: Courtesy of brand
Kendrick Lamar x Reebok Classic Leather Lux, $149.99; Reebok.
With fewer than 100 pairs in existence worldwide, Ronnie Fieg’s Fracap RF120 collaboration could be the most limited shoe on this list. A handmade Italian suede upper and genuine shearling liner mean you’ll be getting every penny’s worth with these.
Truth be told, nearly any of Taka Hayashi’s Vans collaborations could have fit here, but this navy-and-cream execution of the Court Hi LX is about as good as it gets.
