We are long removed from the pandemic era of sneakers.
Now, five years since the world shut down and created a commerce boom, the view from the rearview mirror is drastically different. Long gone are the days of sneakers selling out in seconds, at least for the most part.
This, of course, is great for the sneaker head who fought in the trenches of the early 2020s. The days of an Air Jordan Retro release ruining your weekend are generally non-existent in 2025, though. Today’s sneaker climate leans more towards hype collaborations and properly executed retros. If a sneaker release doesn’t fit either of those standards, it is likely not to get a second look.
As a result, brands are seeing more and more of their product literally and figuratively collecting dust. Boutiques are, unfortunately, hurting. All the while, the biggest collaborators in the game are actively trying to find new ways to energize their audience, to different degrees of success.
One of the most recent successes, though, has been a release method that dates back to the origins of this hobby of collecting sneakers. Though some would argue “less is more,” brands and their collaborators are more recently deciding to lean the other way.
Just yesterday, Jordan Brand announced a massive celebration of the Air Jordan 11. From October through March of 2026 Jordan Brand will release a total of nine Air Jordan 11s. The catch? The majority of the sneakers making part of this nine sneaker collection are regional exclusives. Collectors and completionist alike will have to put in a little work to acquire the pairs that make part of this collection.
In early September, Nike SB and Supreme reconnected over five colorways of the Nike SB Dunk Low. The collaboration was long teased- and even pushed back a season from when it was originally anticipated.
Once it was finally announced, though, sneaker heads were treated with a bit of a surprise. Of the five sneakers that make the pack, three were released as regional exclusives. In other words, Supreme fans in North America could not purchase the Asia-exclusive Camper Green pair directly from Supreme. Thus, further intensifying the hunt for this collection.
One of the biggest collaborations of this year, too, practiced this regional method of releasing their sneakers. Despite not needing it to generate additional hype, the “Jonouchi” Air Max 95 not only further contextualized the story, but it also gave a brand new dimension to the collaboration between Nike and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Releasing a pair exclusively to Japan served the audience that birthed the beloved series. All the while, furthering the lore of this monumental collaboration.
Nike isn’t the only brand to practice regional releases, though. Bad Bunny and adidas released a pack of Gazelles back in July. Again, this release method gamified the release for collectors. All the while, allowing Bad Bunny to create love letters for the beautiful foliage and culture that make Puerto Rico so special.
As mentioned earlier, this idea of Regional Releases is nothing new. In fact, the likes of Chris Gibbs’ UNION and UNDFTD created a strong reputation in the sneaker space as being the stores that carried sneakers that were never released in North America. In those days, there was no way to learn about an exclusive dunk that was only released in Japan. Spaces like UNION LA opened the doors for those sneakers, and created a thrill of the hunt- the ever-present bug that motivates sneaker heads to do what they do.
With the success of the aforementioned releases, it does not seem likely that regional releases will stop any time soon. Despite the current administrations’ needless attempt to make international commerce more difficult, it is likely for the best. The secondary markets will likely benefit a lot from these releases, but the reality of the matter is that this release strategy is energizing the depleting battery that has become sneakers.
If future releases are any indication, we are likely only at the beginning of this resurfaced approach. Travis Scott’s upcoming reconnection with Fragment is rumored to be released early in Japan. Similarly, Fragment and UNION’s 2026 collaboration on the Air Jordan 1 is slated to release in three pairs, one of which will be a regional exclusive to Japan. Just yesterday, Reebok and Sony announced a 30th Anniversary collection honoring the PlayStation. Which will also release regionally, with the US, Japan, and the UK each receiving a regional pair.
The regional release strategy formed an early backbone of the sneaker space. It created mystique, awe, and most importantly: the thrill of the hunt. At a time where more and more sneaker heads find themselves in a state of contempt, a proper hunt appears to be the best way to re-energize the hobby.
