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Every year ends the same way: a panel, a list, and a week of arguing about it. This year was no different. ComplexCon closed out its tenth anniversary with a Sneaker of the Year panel that crowned a top 10, and the timeline did what the timeline does.
I think it’s about time we stop paying as much attention to the Complex Sneaker Of The Year list, especially 1.0 that gets shown at ComplexCon. The list WILL change & is not indicative of what the community feels are the best shoes this year.
— Kari (@KariDaniels) October 5, 2026
We agree with the spirit of that. The best shoes of the year aren't decided on a stage. They're decided by the people who show up for them, launch after launch. So we went to the one place we can see that clearly: what fans actually entered for on EQL in 2026.
No panel. No hot takes. Just entries.
Fans on Instagram picked the three categories we'd look at. This is part one of three, and it starts with the list that says the most about how far this culture travels.
The EQL sneakers of the year 2026 series
- SOTY 2026: Most Global (you're here)
- SOTY 2026: Gen Z Favs
- SOTY 2026: Beyond the Swoosh
What "Most Global" means
Most Global is built on one question: which releases pulled the biggest share of fans from outside the country they launched in? A pair that launches in New York and draws entries from London, Seoul, and São Paulo tells you something a sales chart can't. It tells you people crossed borders, at least digitally, to take their shot.
The list is unranked on purpose. Arguing over first versus second misses the point. Every pair here earned its spot, and we'd rather celebrate the year than crown one shoe.
adidas Predator Sala x better+ x Andu.C "Grassroots"
Grassroots, literally. The Better Generation built this Predator Sala around the world's biggest tournament, numbering every pair out of 1,248, one for each player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to House of Heat. Contrast stitching traces longitude and latitude lines across the upper, and the green suede is a nod to growth.
A shoe designed around a global game ended up with a global entry list. That's about as on-brief as it gets. Sneaker Bar Detroit has more on the Houston launch weekend that came with it.
ASICS GEL-KAYANO 12.1 x VANDYTHEPINK
Dessert first. Virginia-based VANDYTHEPINK has made a name on food-coded design, and the GEL-KAYANO 12.1 two-pack leaned all the way in, with a "Vanilla" pair that reads like a Neapolitan scoop and a Korean-script wordmark on the tongue. Hypebeast calls it the label's second ASICS collaboration, following last year's GEL-NIMBUS 10.1.
The design speaks more than one language, and so did the people entering for it. It's back again in Beyond the Swoosh, too. Find more from the label at ASICS.
V.A.A. x Air Jordan 1 High OG "Alaska"
The archive still travels. The first global release from the Virgil Abloh Archive™ revisited a colorway that was originally a 2018 Europe exclusive, per Nike, and paired it with World's Fair activations in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Sneaker News has the full rollout.
A shoe that started as a regional exclusive became one of the most global launches of the year. EQL was proud to power the launch with V.A.A., and the pair shows up again on our Gen Z Favs list.
Saucony Endorphin Pro 5 x MINTED NY
Chrome, built for distance. Marcus and Shawn Milione's New York running brand took its third Saucony collaboration across the Atlantic first, opening with an early-access pop-up at Saucony's Covent Garden store in London before going global, according to Saucony. The chrome-painted midsole sits on top of a race-ready carbon plate, so it's built to be run in, not just looked at.
A New York brand, a London debut, and a global entry list. Gear Patrol has a closer look at the shoe.
Nike x Zellerfeld Air Max 1000
Printed, not stitched. The Air Max 1000 is a laceless, single-piece, fully 3D-printed shoe, and Hypebeast calls its Air Max Day return the first time Nike Air has been applied to a fully 3D-printed shoe. The web-like upper and wavy outsole borrow from the 1987 Air Max 1 mudguard.
Future-facing design tends to draw a future-facing crowd from everywhere. Highsnobiety has the backstory, from its Paris Fashion Week debut to now. More at Zellerfeld.
Why the most global list matters
For fans, it's proof that where you live doesn't decide whether you get a shot. For brands, it's a signal about who's actually paying attention. An entry list that crosses borders is a community that's bigger than any one store or city, and that's worth knowing before the next launch is planned.
What's next
Don't see your favorite? Two more lists round out the series. Gen Z Favs looks at the releases that pulled the biggest Gen Z crowd, and Beyond the Swoosh asks what the year looks like with no Nike, Jordan, or Converse at all. For more on why we think the culture deserves more connection and less chaos, read our take on ComplexCon's tenth year.
Running a launch of your own? EQL powers fair launches for brands and retailers worldwide. Start with the four stages of a modern launch strategy.
The EQL sneakers of the year 2026 series
- SOTY 2026: Most Global (you're here)
- SOTY 2026: Gen Z Favs
- SOTY 2026: Beyond the Swoosh
