Sneakers that changed the world: From most expensive to largest record-breaking shoes

Sneakers are more than just shoes – they’re a cultural phenomenon. From the first rubber-soled “sandshoes” of the 1800s to today’s crystal-studded designer trainers, sneakers have broken records in stores, gyms, on the catwalk and even in the auction house. And for the first time ever, the editors of Guinness World Records 2026 have dedicated an entire feature to our favourite footwear.  So, let’s lace up and step into the biggest, weirdest and most jaw-dropping sneaker records of all time.

Protosneakers

The sneaker story begins in the 1800s, when American chemist Charles Goodyear discovered how to make rubber more durable through a process called vulcanization. By the late 1860s, companies in the UK and USA were making rubber-soled shoes with canvas uppers.

In the UK, John Dunlop’s New Liverpool Rubber Company launched “sandshoes,” later called plimsolls because the rubber join looked like the Plimsoll line painted on ships. In the USA, Peck & Snyder Sporting Goods sold “croquet sandals” – lace-up shoes with rubber soles. These early sneakers looked odd by modern standards: both shoes were identical! Left and right feet didn’t yet exist!

Why “sneakers”?

Although they were often known as “gum shoes”, the word “sneaker” soon caught the public’s imagination. The first time the word “sneaker” appeared in print was in 1887, in the Boston Journal of Education. Teachers complained that boys could sneak around silently in their new tennis shoes – hence the name we still use today.

One of the earliest and most influential sportswear pioneers – whose name continues to be synonymous with sneakers – is Chuck Taylor. Converse All Stars launched in 1917 as “Non-Skids” but in 1921, basketball player Chuck Taylor joined Converse as a salesman. He suggested design improvements, boosted sales and eventually had his name added to the ankle patch. That made “Chuck Taylor” the world’s oldest athletic-shoe endorsement – and one of the all-time most iconic pieces of fashion was born.

A Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star. Credit: Chones / Shutterstock

More than 1 billion pairs of Chucks have been sold worldwide – making them one of the best-selling shoes of all time.

Sneakers weren’t always just about sports. In 1986, hip-hop trio Run-DMC signed a $1.6 million deal with adidas after performing their hit “My Adidas”. They wore laceless shell-toe Superstars with tongues pulled out, creating a whole new look and changing sneaker marketing forever. Suddenly, sneakers weren’t just for athletes – they were for everyone.

At concerts, Run-DMC fans used to wave their sneakers in the air like lighters at a rock gig!

An Adidas Superstar. Credit: seeshooteatrepeat / Shutterstock

No sneaker story is complete without Michael Jordan. In 1984, the young basketball star signed a $2.5 million deal with Nike to launch Air Jordans. The sneakers became a global craze. By 2020, money magazine Forbes estimated that Jordan had earned over $1.3 billion from the partnership – making it the most lucrative sneaker endorsement ever.

The NBA originally banned Air Jordans because they didn’t match team uniforms. Nike happily paid the fines – and the sneakers became even more popular!

Sneakers aren’t just for wearing – some are now priceless collector’s items

• The Moon Shoe: A pair of Nike Waffle Racing Flats from 1972 sold in 2019 for $437,500. Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman created them by pouring rubber into his wife’s waffle iron to invent a new sole!
• Game-Worn Air Jordans: Michael Jordan’s 1998 Finals sneakers (Air Jordan XIIIs) sold for a staggering $2.2 million in 2023, making them the most expensive sneakers ever sold.
• The Dynasty Collection: Six single-foot Air Jordans representing Jordan’s six championship wins sold for $8.03 million last year, the most expensive sneaker collection ever sold.
• Air Jordan 1 prototype: A single left-foot Jordan became the most expensive single shoe ever sold when it was bought at auction for $50,000 in 2022!

Beyond the confines of the auction room, some luxury brands sell jaw-droppingly expensive shoes straight from their boutiques. Currently, Louis Vuitton’s LV Maxi trainers – made from black leather and covered in crystals – cost an impressive £4,750 ($6,250) a pair. Indeed, during the research for the Guinness World Records 2026 edition, the editors went window shopping for the most expensive sneakers sold at retail - not through re-sellers - and discovered that the trainer is no stranger to high-end fashion:

Closet-filling collections

If you think you own too many sneakers, think again. Joshua Mueller (USA) owns a whopping 3,196 pairs of sneakers - and all of them Converse - so enough to wear a different pair every day for more than eight years! While this is certainly the largest collection of Converse, the absolute record is difficult to prove. The music producer DJ Khaled (USA), for example, who has a self-confessed sneaker obsession, reportedly owns over 10,000 pairs, worth an estimated $8 million. That’s basically a sneaker museum in one house, although we've yet to send in an adjudicator to count them.

More record-breaking sneakers

In 2013, a Superga event in Hong Kong revealed the largest sneaker ever created – a 2.39-m-long (7-ft 10-in) replica of a Superga 2750 canvas shoe. That's a UK/US size 260! If you know anyone 16 m (52 ft) tall with just one left foot, this might be the perfect fit!

Today, sneakers aren’t just shoes – they’re big business. According to the 2024 IMARC Group Sneaker Market report, the global sneaker market is worth $94.1 billion (£74.8 billion). At the top sits Nike, founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports and renamed in 1971. It’s now the most valuable sports brand in the world.

Sneakers have gone from simple rubber shoes to billion-dollar cultural icons. They’ve been worn by basketball stars, rapped about by hip-hop legends, and displayed in auction houses like priceless art. Whether they’re costing millions of dollars, towering taller than a human or filling entire closets, sneakers are proof that shoes can make history.

So, the next time you lace up your favourite pair, remember – you're walking in the footsteps of sneaker legends.

Thanks to Jordan Geller and GWR 2026 sneaker consultant Jamie Hyam of The Sole Supplier for additional research.

Guinness World Records 2026 is out now – get your copy here.