The Most Anticipated Sneakers of 2023

It’s officially time to stop arguing about the best sneakers of 2022. The fights over which pairs were most important, most coveted, and most celebrated by the masses should be settled by now. We are past the expiration date of any “Happy New Year” salutations, which means it’s time to start thinking about the sneakers that are ahead of us.

It’s nowhere near time to rate the best sneakers of 2023—we’ll get a headstart on that in six months—but based on leaks and rumors about releases this year, we can certainly look ahead and get excited about the shoes we know are coming out. That’s what we’re here for, right? To get excited about shoes?

These are, from our vantage point, the most anticipated sneakers of 2023. As usual with these lists, we’ve done our best to combine the taste of Complex’s sneaker editors with those of our audience. We filtered out the more niche selections in an attempt to capture what we feel like will be some of the biggest sneakers of the next year. As always, feel free to debate the merits of them on the platform of your choice. Also as always, when it comes to sneakers that haven’t yet been officially confirmed by the brands, keep in mind that the windows of arrival for these pairs and some of the details around them are subject to change.

Air Jordan 3 Reimagined ‘White Cement’

Expected Release: March 11, 2023

After applying the “Reimagined” concept to the Air Jordan 1 last holiday season, Jordan Brand will give another all-time great colorway the vintage treatment in 2023. This time, it’s the “White Cement” Air Jordan 3, which does its best impression of a 1988 pair, complete with a pre-yellowed midsole, improved shape, and a redone elephant print with thinner lines to resemble those of the original. Sometimes the faux-aged detailing on sneakers can be over the top, but it looks like Jordan Brand got these right on the money with a tasteful amount of cream coloring.

The Nike Air-adorned “White Cement” Air Jordan 3 has been somewhat elusive over the years. It first returned with Nike Air in 2013 on the “’88” pair tied to Michael Jordan’s Dunk Contest win, then again in 2018 with an icy outsole that also referenced MJ’s free throw line dunk. This time around, they are set to come in full family sizing, which suggests high production numbers, but like the “Lost and Found” Jordan 1s, there’s going to be a ton of people going after these. Don’t get your hopes up for an effortless pickup. –Riley Jones

Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 ‘Paris’

Expected Release: 2023

The late Virgil Abloh was known for pushing boundaries with many of his designs. Just look at his deconstructed take on the Air Jordan 1 or more recently released original silhouette, the Nike Air Terra Forma, for evidence. But no silhouette has gotten as much love as the Air Force 1 Low, which has used three different formulas with varying degrees of design tweaks. Some of the most coveted pairs are the exclusive releases tied to his traveling “Figures of Speech” museum exhibit. Ironically, these pairs are also the most simplistic executions. They feature classic all-leather uppers with minimal accents like metallic silver Swooshes, medial Off-White x Nike branding stamp, and “AIR” written on the midsole in Abloh’s signature type.

Expect the all-grey “Paris” colorway of this series, which was semi-confirmed by the Canary Yellow Twitter account on Jan. 3, to be no different. It’s rather fitting that these will reportedly be a Paris exclusive, considering all of the history Abloh made on the runways in the French capital. If you know anybody overseas, get your calls in now. Like any Abloh x Nike project, these won’t be easy to acquire. –Mike DeStefano

Jarritos x Nike SB Dunk Low

Expected Release: Spring 2023

It doesn’t feel controversial to say that Nike SB Dunks have cooled down considerably since the comeback year they had in 2020. There are still pairs people want—the recent (botched) release of the “Orange Lobster” SB Dunk Low by Concepts proves that—but they aren’t arriving with the same frequency and fervor as they were a couple of years ago. If the line is in need of a marquee release to keep the energy up, the leaked collaboration from Jarritos might be it. While Jarritos isn’t quite on the same level of brand name recognition, the buzz off the leaks has the shoe shaping up to be a Ben & Jerry’s “Chunky Dunky” type event. It’s the kind of sneaker that can resonate with collectors and pedestrians alike, an interactive Dunk with a tear-away upper that’s tied to a big brand rather than an underground artist or skate company. –Brendan Dunne

Nike SB x Air Jordan 4

Expected Release: March 20, 2023

People have skated in Air Jordans since the line’s inception in 1985, when the sneakers went on a deep discount and members of Powell-Peralta’s Bones Brigade team tore them up. That deep history eventually resulted in a collaboration between Jordan and Nike SB in 2014 on the Air Jordan 1, which involved skate legends Craig Stecyk and Lance Mountain. There was also a collaboration with SB rider Eric Koston on an Air Jordan 1 Low in 2019. In 2023, Nike SB and Jordan Brand are looking to expand their partnership and work on an Air Jordan 4. The shoe was first leaked through all-black weartest pairs worn by Koston and fellow SB teammate Paul Rodriguez. That pair will not release (yet, at least) but there is a sail and pine green colorway slated to drop this year. It’s not the first color combination that comes to mind when people clamor over Air Jordan 4s, but hopefully it’s a sign of more to come. –Matt Welty

Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low 'Olive'

Expected Release: March 23, 2023

Almost four years after his first, Travis Scott is expected to release his seventh and rumored last Air Jordan 1 collaboration this spring. He debuted his “Olive” Air Jordan 1 Low during Nike’s Just Do It Day event last September, confirming the colorway’s existence and jumpstarting buzz for its eventual release. This time around, the low-top is primarily styled in white and black, with olive green landing on the enlarged reverse Swoosh and outsole. The inclusion of the green hue not only references Jordan Brand’s heritage, but also aligns the shoe with the outdoorsy aesthetic Travis has generally run with since his partnership with Nike began. What also makes this release particularly unique is that it’s said to be available exclusively in women’s sizing—a first for a Travis collab. We can only hope that Nike and its retail partners will have plans in place to ensure that the collab is more accessible to women who want to wear a pair as opposed to resellers looking for a quick flip. –Brandon Richard

Air Jordan 1 ‘85 'Black White'

Expected Release: February 2023

When the black and white Air Jordan 1 High drops this year, the context of its place in the sneaker world will be far different from when it last returned in 2014, and in 2008’s Countdown Pack. It’ll be further still from its original 1985 release, when it was essentially a footnote, lost in a long lineup of rare Jordan 1s and overshadowed by icons like the “Banned,” “Chicago,” and “Black Toe” colorways.

This time around it’s dropping in the shadow of the “Panda” Dunk—arguably the most popular colorway of the most popular sneaker model of the past few years. At a glance, this Air Jordan 1, with its “Be True to Your School” Dunk-style colorblocking could pass for the Panda—a shoe that quickly became a meme as its presence moved past sneaker culture and into the mainstream. That means that the upcoming release will have more eyes on it and more hype than at any time in its nearly 40-year existence.

That popularity, however, doesn’t mean the “Panda” Dunk (or this Air Jordan) is a bad shoe. In fact, one could argue that it attained that popularity because it’s such a great shoe—simple and wearable, yet still distinct and identifiable from across a room. Those same traits hold true for this black and white Air Jordan 1, which will make it a must-cop from the widest audience yet. —Zac Dubasik

Action Bronson x New Balance 990v6

Expected Release: Spring 2023

Action Bronson’s first (publicly released) sneaker collaboration has been a long time coming. He had an Ultra Boost project that never materialized, and he’s always incorporated if-you-know-you-know type pairs into his fits and lyrics. One brand he has a particular affinity for is New Balance (he even has the brand’s logo tattooed on his forearm), which makes things official with Bronson this year. The collaboration uses the just-released New Balance 990v6 and is expected to come in two colorways: a bright, multicolored one that he debuted in the AEW wrestling ring, and a second more subdued iteration.

The 990v6 is the latest update to one of New Balance’s most important sneakers and Bronson will be one of the first to use it in a collaboration. It’s an untested partnership on a brand-new shoe, but it’s already looking like one of the more promising pairs of 2023. Not much is currently known about a release date, but more details on the Action Bronson x New Balance 990v6 “Baklava” should be announced soon. –Riley Jones

Nike Ja 1

Expected Release: April 2023

It may be shocking for some people to see a performance basketball sneaker being hailed as one of the most anticipated sneakers of 2023, but Ja Morant’s debut signature sneaker gives us a lot to be excited about. For one, it’s great to see one of the brightest young stars who’s helping usher in the next era of NBA basketball get his own Nike signature sneaker. The Ja 1 will also enter the market with a budget-friendly price tag of $110, something Nike has done in the past for players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Paul George. It’s a nice change of pace, when LeBron 20s and even Air Jordan retros retail for over $200.

While initial images of the “Day One” launch colorway were a bit lackluster, the Ja 1 looked much more promising in the all-pink color scheme that Morant laced up on Christmas Day. And we’re already excited about the potential for a colorway donning the palette of the Memphis Grizzlies’ popular teal and black throwbacks. While it may not be a shoe you see worn a ton in casual settings, there’s a high chance it becomes a go-to for hoopers of all ages once it becomes available. Between now and the Ja 1’s April release date, Morant is going to keep making highlight reel plays on a nightly basis with these on his feet. Don’t be surprised if the first few Ja 1 drops fly off shelves. –Mike DeStefano

Terror Squad x Nike Air Force 1

Expected Release: Summer 2023

This one is important. Fat Joe finally getting to release his own sneakers—sneakers that call back to his 2000s-era grail-status Air Force 1 exclusives that arrived at a time when he got at least one Nike employee fired for surreptitiously producing rare shoes for him and his crew—is a decades-long story finally completing its arc. The shoes should be plenty available, too, as Joe has hinted that he wants to stay away from making them too exclusive and unattainable. There is no doubt a subset of sneaker fans who will pass this one over as it doesn’t involve the type of tie-in with a pop culture entity or more current artist that generally results in high secondary market prices, but for the rest of us, the Terror Squad x Nike Air Force 1 is an actualized piece of history that’s just too important to look over. –Brendan Dunne

Air Jordan 1 High OG 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'

Expected Release: May 20, 2023

This isn’t a shoe for me and never will be, but that doesn’t mean that people aren’t looking forward to it. Coming up this year is the second Spider-Man project from Jordan Brand on the Air Jordan 1. It’s a shoe that’s too big to fail, maybe not in units, but in the totality of what the sneaker means to a more mainstream audience. The first pair was a take on the “Chicago” Jordan 1 with a web print on the upper and see-through sole. I didn’t think much of them, as I’m not into Air Jordan 1s or Spider-Man, but they have a lot of heat on the secondary market and were well-received by the Marvel fans they were designed for. The second pair is also a play on the Chicago colorway, but this instead features nods to the artwork seen in the Miles Morales Spider-Man movies. The leaked photos have been divisive in the sneaker community, and some think they look awful. But it looks like they’ve been backed up by those who are most into the films and comics. —Matt Welty