Caitlin Clark and Michael Jordan Are Dominating Sneaker Resale Market

It is always fun to cover the day-to-day news from the footwear industry, but it's rare for sneaker brands to share much info. Luckily, StockX regularly releases reports filled with data that can make or break narratives among fans.

Earlier today, StockX dropped its latest report, Big Facts: 2026 Trends. It's a deep dive into the brands and trends that defined the resale market this year, which also makes it an early read on what shoppers will be buying, or asking for, this holiday season.

Several juicy details stand out, but the biggest takeaways involve WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark's first signature Nike sneaker and NBA legend Michael Jordan's most popular retro models. Below is a breakdown of what fans must know.

The Caitlin Clark Effect

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark wears the Nike Caitlin 1 "Caitlin Blue" colorway. — Caitlin Clark wears the Nike Caitlin 1 "Caitlin Blue" colorway. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Nike Caitlin 1 is the No. 1 performance basketball release. The "Caitlin Blue" colorway saw more release-day sales on StockX than any other performance basketball shoe released so far in 2026. The report does not mention other colorways such as the "Warning Code," "Midnight Fever," or "Jinx."

In addition to the excitement surrounding her signature line, Clark's player-exclusive Nike Kobe colorways are still popular. Sales of her player-exclusive Nike Kobe 5 Protro colorways are responsible for nearly half (48%) of all Kobe 5 trades in 2026.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark wears the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "Rookie of the Year" colorway. — Caitlin Clark wears the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "Rookie of the Year" colorway. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Our Thoughts: This does not come as a surprise, as the Nike Caitlin 1 was the most highly anticipated basketball shoe of 2026. Additionally, Nike revealed five historic stats for the Nike Caitlin 1 on its launch day.

Air Jordans Still Rule

Side view of the Air Jordan 5 "Halloween" colorway. — The Air Jordan 5 "Halloween" colorway. | Nike

Retro Air Jordans are the top-selling sneakers on StockX listings. The Air Jordan 4 "Black Cat" (2025), Air Jordan 11 "Gamma Blue" (2025), and the Air Jordan 4 "White Cement" (2025) are shown as the top three sellers.

However, it's the Air Jordan 4 and Air Jordan 5 that serve as the engine for the brand. Jordan sales are up 8%, and two silhouettes did the heavy lifting: the Air Jordan 5 (+73%) and the Air Jordan 4 (+3%). The StockX search data reinforces the findings, with "Jordan 4" listed as the No. 2 search and "Jordan 5" as No. 6 last quarter.

Side view of the Air Jordan 4 "Rare Air" colorway. — The Air Jordan 4 "Rare Air" colorway. | Nike

Our Thoughts: Much has been made about a perceived decline in Air Jordan's popularity, but it may be overblown. Several iconic sneakers are sitting on shelves, and Nike President and CEO Elliott Hill said the company plans to scale back the supply of its Air Jordan releases.

"With Jordan Brand footwear, we're going to get back to the scarcity model that we created," said Hill in October. "Simply put, we've been oversupplying our iconic retro product, asking them to do much."

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