Nike Air Force 1s and Off-White x Nike Dunk Low ‘The 50’ Series are crowned top sneakers of 2021.
As 2021 comes to a close, Lyst has officially released their Year in Fashion report, reflecting on the hottest trends this year.
Fashion movements have seen a greater shift to digital with the widespread popularity of NFTs to virtual drops to collaborations with the gaming world. One of the most notable saw the Balenciaga x Fortnite collab that saw the physical capsule garner a 72% increase in online searches and 49% uptick for Balenciaga alone.
Gender lines continue to blur with big names such as Lil Nas X appearing in a skirt on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Kid Cudi breaking barriers with his at the Met Gala.
When it comes to sneakers, Nike Air Force 1s are crowned the hottest of the year, with the all-white classic becoming a Gen Z staple. The Off-White™ x Nike Dunk Low “THE 50” Series claims second while the YEEZY Foam Runner comes in third.
2021 was also a big year for partnerships with YEEZY x GAP ranked as the No. 1 collab of the year. Generating some of the highest buzz throughout the industry from when it was announced in June, searches for both brands rose by 320% and 325% respectively.
Ivy Park x adidas pulled in major numbers as well, with searches spiking 536% within the week of the release of the Ivy Park Rodeo collection. The North Face x Gucci collab makes number three with their technical-focused capsule, while Telfar x UGG comes in fourth and Balenciaga x Gucci rounds out the group in fifth with their high-end “hacking” that saw two mega-brands link up for the first time and making way for other collabs like Fendace.
Unsurprisingly, Balenciaga makes its way to one of the top positions of hottest brands this year. In Q3 of this year, Lyst also named Balenciaga as the world’s hottest brand.
