2020 has been the weirdest year on record, to say the least. Pandemics, no festivals and never-ending lockdowns all have seemed like something out of a bad dream, but it didn’t stop the sneaker world from dropping some major heat. From the highly sought after Dior x Jordan collaboration and Off White drop, 2020 gave us some big releases and 2021 has a lot to live up to. Think major partnerships, brand new silhouettes and countless leaks already brimming on the horizon ready to copped. With that in mind, KLEKT have rounded up what they would like to see happen in the sneaker industry this year, whether its new materials, exciting technological developments or even the return of a retro classic.

Starting off with one of the most pressing issues in fashion is their hope for better sustainability. It’s no secret that sustainability is one of the most talked-about issues in the industry, from fast fashion brands to eco-friendly designs, the industry has been moving toward more sustainable manufacturing in the past few years. As 2021 kicks off, KLEKT predicts that sustainability is going to become a larger part of the sneaker world. With the launch of Nike’s Space Hippie collection, which saw the trainer giants take old materials and turn them a brand new collection, Nike are likely to push this movement throughout the year as part of their Move to Zero campaign, in hopes to become zero carbon and zero waste by 2030.

But sustainability isn’t the only issue in the sneaker world right now. Inclusive sizing has become a much-talked-about topic over the past few years, with more and more women demanding sizes as the female sneakerhead market grows. With last year’s Off-White x Air Jordan 4 “Sail” original being a women’s exclusive release before changing to male due to demand, the momentum behind this trend didn’t last long and has left people rightly frustrated. With the demand growing, we hope this trend can be solved in 2021.

We can’t deny that the hype around Nike Dunks we’re undeniable in 2020, every influencer and their mom had a pair, and it’s only right in 2021 if this continues. Whether its be the SBs or OGs, Nike Dunks will be just as big in 2021 with numerous colourways, and speaking of colourways Kanye West’s Yeezy’s are undoubtedly going to bring the heat with his range of highly sought after 350 V2s and V3.

Lastly, the brand would like to see an E-sports take over as the industry was estimated to be worth around $1.1 billion in 2020, and as the market continues to grow with more and more people investing in PS4s and Xbox collabs between brand and games isn’t far behind.