Sneakers cost money: Incredibly pricey kicks

The latest edition of Michael Jordan sneakers — a pair of which can easily top $200 — tends to send sneaker lovers into spasms of delight. It's also triggered many complaints about the sky-high price of sneakers, many of which carry the names of marquee athletes such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.

For that reason, some might be surprised to discover there's a secondary market for signature sneaker collections — and a pair often fetch a king's ransom that's far higher than the prevailing retail prices. One of the more popular sites is Flight Club, which recently landed a pair of "Eminem x Carhartt" Air Jordan 4 sneakers (pictured), the result of a collaboration between the Detroit-based rapper and a brand from his home state of Michigan.

The collaboration sneaker priced on eBay for more than $23,000, and Flight Club is selling a pair for a whopping $30,000. So what makes secondary market prices so frothy?

"Supply and demand play a huge factor in determining a shoe's selling price in the secondary market," Flight Club spokesman Steven Luna told CNBC, who added that demand and popularity for specific sneaker brands "rise exponentially. "But ultimately, it is the consumer that buys the shoe to collect, or to wear who validates a sneaker's worth."

In fact, Flight Club has sold "thousands of pairs" of the wildly popular Kanye West "Yeezy Boost 350" — which sells at a retail price of $200 — for an average price of $1,250, Luna said. When it first launched in October, the Yeezy 950 version (or the "duck boots") sold for $585.

CNBC has composed a list of some of the most expensive kicks on the secondary market, which may make some sneaker heads thank their lucky stars they only had to shell out a few hundred dollars for a pair.

--By Steven Hanley, special to CNBC.com

Posted 19 Dec 2015

Released in 2014, this fruit of a collaboration between rapper Kanye West and Nike aims to fulfill the wishes of two separate demographics at the same price. The NRG eyes buyers looking for high performance but subtlety (with a plain black or white color), while the Red October targets the consumer who is looking for (hence the flashy, eye-popping red). The Air Yeezy collection was Nike's first-ever branding effort with a non-athlete.

Available in multiple colors, the Nike Air Foamposite One "Quai 54s" will also cost you $5,000 to own. The sneaker, made famous by Orlando Magic superstar Penny Hardaway, features a wavy design made of foamlike material that runs all the way around the sneaker. This design has become so popular that Nike carries a whole series of Foamposite sneakers that range from $100 to the four figures, so that all its customers can enjoy the sneaker's unique look.

This low-top imprint is sold for $6,000 a pair, and features subtle shades of gray mixed in with bright orange, attracts those "old school" sneaker collectors. Its retro design features a small pigeon on the heel of the sneaker.

Like its brother, the "Quai 54" (which is about $1,000 cheaper), the "Sole Collector" features a wavy design made of foamlike material that runs all the way around the sneaker. This faux foam, which actually begins as polyurethane liquid before it is molded into the tough, foamlike material on the finished sneaker, provides its wearer with many performance benefits, including durability.

Fresh kicks have been making professional basketball players millions for years, and nobody has been more successful at hawking sneakers than Michael Jordan. The ex-NBA great's Air Jordan 3 Retro "Oregon Pit Crew" pays tribute to the University of Oregon's raucous game-day student section, featuring custom embroidery in key areas. The sneaker comes in a sleek, stylish combination of Oregon's signature black, yellow and white colors, and is emblazoned with Oregon's "O" logo and duck feet on the heel.

The Cleveland Cavalier's biggest star has a shoe that retails for an eye-popping $7,000. This LeBron James sneaker takes its inspiration from Arnold Palmer, who used to win golf tournaments in a similar shoe. The soft shades of the sneaker may also remind wearers of the light, sweet taste of Arnold Palmer's iced tea/lemonade drink. Whatever the case may be, LeBron's "Arnold Palmer" will cost a pretty penny to own.

This sneaker was released after Michael Jordan partnered with hip-hop star Drake to create the shoe. The high-top sneaker, which comes in a sleek black or a smooth white, is studded with shiny silver circles along its sides. It features Jordan's signature "23" on the heel of the sneaker as well as the Air Jordan logo on the tongue — as well as a few touches from the Canadian rapper.

Modeled after the Nikes that Marty McFly wears in "Back to the Future 2," the Air Mag sneaker will cost buyers a hefty $9,000. The main reason why these ultra-high top sneakers cost so much is because of their "smart" factor … the fact that they are self-lacing sneakers. That's right: These shoes will actually recognize the shape of your foot and adjust the sneaker's strap to fit your foot ... just as depicted in the movie.

The Dunk High Pro SB "Flom" will break the average person's bank account, costing an astronomical $10,000 a pair. This sneaker, which is physically presented with the old-school style and class typical of the Nike brand, is showcased in clean black and whites with the Nike "swoosh" running through its side. However, the sneaker has flashy touches with a stringed collage of the different paper currencies that exist around the world. After all, what better way is there to show off your wealth than by wearing it on your shoes?

With only 200 pairs in existence, this sneaker features the work of beloved French painter Bernard Buffet, who passed away in 1999. While $11,000 may seem excessive for a pair of sneakers, this price may be a bargain when compared to some of Buffet's professional works, which have sold at auction for upwards of $750,000. Obviously the French appreciate fine art, whether it's painted on a canvas or right on a shoe.

Clarification: Flight Club is an independent entity, and is not affiliated with Nike.