There were plenty of sneakers that resonated with consumers in 2024. However, JD Sports believes it has identified the top sneaker of the year.
That sneaker is the Air Jordan 4.
JD Sports did a deep dive on the sneaker marketplace in 2024 to identify the most popular of the year. The retail giant revealed its methodology, which included looking at three data points: search demand, sneakers on film and TV and StockX’s top 100 most resold sneakers.
From there, the retailer explained the sneakers received a ranking for each data point using a normalized score (highest being 1 and lowest being 0). Then, the three scores for each sneaker were averaged and multiplied by 10 to get a score out of 10.
The Air Jordan 4 received a score of 6.39 out of 10 to lock in the top spot. Following the Air Jordan 4 was the Air Jordan 1 (5.9/10) and the Adidas Samba (4.71/10).
The Adidas Samba was the most searched sneaker of 2024, with 6.1 million searches per month worldwide. Coming in at No. 2 was the Air Jordan 4 with 5 million monthly searches. The third spot with 4.1 million searches per month belonged to the Adidas Campus. The source for the most searched sneaker of the year was Google Keyword Planner.
As for the sneakers seen the most on screen, which JD Sports stated were determined by the different film and individual TV show episodes each appeared on, the No. 1 silhouette was the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star. The Chuck, according to the retailer, appeared on screen 69 times.
Second was the Air Jordan 1, which had 42 on-screen appearances, and third was the Vans Old Skool with 36 appearances.
Lastly, JD Sports looked at the most sold sneakers of the year. The retailer stated was determined by collection appearances in StockX’s Top 100 most sold sneakers.
The Air Jordan 4 secured the top spot with 12 appearances in the most resold sneakers of the year list. Following the Air Jordan 4 was the Air Jordan 1 (11 appearances) and the Adidas Campus (five appearances).
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
