Europe's Most Popular Sneakers Have Been Unveiled | The Sole Supplier (2024)

It's official: The sneaker game is on the rise and it's not stopping anytime soon. Back in 2016, the industry was valued at a massive $55 billion, and market research firm Grand View Research predicts that in just five years time this staggering number will almost double. With your mom, your next door neighbour, and their dog all getting into trainers, we're really not surprised by this colossal increase. With all that said, it begs the question of what are the most popular pairs out there?

To find out, we've teamed up with our friends over at StockX to discover the most popular sneakers in four major European countries. These were purchased the most across France, Germany, Italy, and the UK in 2021 so far, and the results are pretty fascinating! Be sure to check it out and let us know if you secured any of these pairs!

To kick things off, France's most popular sneakers are headed by the Stüssy x Nike Air Force 1 "Black". Known for its environmentally friendly hemp construction, it's a unique take on the classic "Triple Black" colourway that we all know and love. This is then closely followed by the Air Jordan 1 High "Volt", the sacai x Nike VaporWaffle "Villain Red", and the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 "Bred".

France's fifth most popular sneaker of 2021 so far is the Nike Air Max Plus "White". The next few places are taken up by three AJ1s, namely the Air Jordan 1 Low "Court Purple", the Air Jordan 1 Mid "Banned", and the Air Jordan 1 High "Dark Mocha", with the Nike Dunk High "Vast Grey" and the Nike Air Force 1 '07 "White". It's interesting that there's only one Dunk release in the country's top ten pairs, hinting that they haven't given in to the hype as much as other European countries might have.

Now on to Germany. Famed for their beautiful beer, it looks like they're also fans of Dunks as well as the Nike Dunk High "Vast Grey" and the Nike Dunk Low "Black" take the top two places. This is followed by the similarly-styled Air Jordan 1 Low "Court Purple" and then yet another Dunk in the form of the Nike Dunk Low "Coast". Considering this colourway was meant just for female footwear fans, it's quite surprising that it's taken up the fourth spot in Deutschland.

The next few spots are secured by four AJ1s, including the Air Jordan 1 High "Dark Mocha", the Air Jordan 1 High "Volt", the Air Jordan 1 Mid "White Shadow", and the Air Jordan 1 Mid "Banned", with the Nike Air Force 1 '07 "White" and the Nike Dunk Low "UNLV" peppered throughout. Interestingly enough, the AF1 also takes a spot in the German list, clearly showing that the iconic "Triple White" is still as popular as ever even after four decades of production.

Now it's time for Italy's list. Just quickly scanning their top ten shows that 50% off their most popular pairs are AJ1s, including the Air Jordan 1 High "Volt", the Air Jordan 1 High "Dark Mocha", the Air Jordan 1 Mid "Banned", the Air Jordan 1 High "Satin Snake", and of course, the Air Jordan 1 High "Lucky Green" - a colourway that perfectly resembles the country's il Tricolore flag.

With all that said, 40% is taken up by Dunks such as the Nike Dunk High "Vast Grey", the Nike Dunk Low "UNLV", the Nike Dunk Low "Black", and the Nike Dunk High "Varsity Maize", while the legendary Nike Air Force 1 '07 "White" also takes a top spot here.

The United Kingdom switches everything up with their list, and the rankings are pretty surprising to say the least. For the first time ever, the Nike Air Max 95 OG "Neon" takes the top spot here, with the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 "Bred" making its second appearance since France. This is closely followed by three AJ1s including the Air Jordan 1 High "Dark Mocha", the Air Jordan 1 Mid "Banned", and the Air Jordan 1 High "Volt".

Roadman vibes are yet again emphasised within the second half of the list when the Nike Air Max 95 "Pink Foam" and the Stüssy x Nike Air Force 1 "Black" make a cameo. To round it all off, the Nike Dunk Low "Black", the Air Jordan 1 Mid "White Shadow", and the Air Jordan 11 "Jubilee" finalising the list. It's interesting to note that only one of the ten shoes in the UK were Dunks, so as much as that silhouette is hyped over here, it's clear to see that their popularity is so much stronger with our other European counterparts.

There are some pretty solid observations when it comes to these results. With both Germany and Italy, half of the countries' most popular pairs were Air Jordan 1s, proving that love for Michael Jordan's signature silhouette continues to be stronger than ever. The Dunk also plays a massive role in 2021's lineup, with the Nike Dunk High "Vast Grey" and the Nike Dunk Low "Black" taking a prominent role in the year's sneaker landscape.

Kanye West's iconic Yeezy brand only shows its face twice in France and the United Kingdom, and these are also the only two countries where the Stüssy x Nike Air Force 1 "Black" is even in the top ten, proving that sneakerheads here love a "Triple Black" shoe every once in a while. With all that said, perhaps the most surprising finding of them all is the fact that Chitose Abe's high heat hybrids only show up once with the sacai x Nike VaporWaffle "Villain Red". We certainly didn't expect this considering how insanely hyped her deconstructed pairs are.

To put this all into numbers, 48% are taken up by Jordans, 25% by Dunks, 13% by Air Force 1s, 5% by Yeezys, and everything else is 9%.

What do you think of Europe's most popular sneakers? Did you cop any of these this year, or are you holding off for something else? Let us know what you think of the results, and be sure to check out the StockX range while you're here!