The 25 Best BAPE Items of All Time, Ranked

Release Date: 2012

In 2012, BAPE released a fully refurbished vintage Polaroid SX70 camera with tonal embossed camo leather trim. Matching the camera, BAPE also produced a premium leather pouch in the same design and custom film. The film was so ill because it had BAPE head stickers on the packaging, as well as BAPE ABC camo, or a big Apehead on the film. This was just another example of NIGO redefining what a streetwear or clothing brand could make.

Release Date: 2004

The Multi Camo pattern itself was an epochal print for the brand but the ultra rare multi camo terry cloth robe is legendary. We had a few of these over the years, and each one went to someone exceptional. The first one we ever sold bounced around A$AP Mob and appeared in several classic pics. Wiz Khalifa, who wore the one we sold him on The Breakfast Club. They were lowkey clowning him for it ‘cause they were clueless. He was also wearing it in a bunch of pictures, but Amber Rose was later seen with it after their breakup.

Release Date: 1998

Bape really was a pioneer. After the BAPE x Casio G-Shock watch was released, every other streetwear brand had or wanted to work with the watch company.

Release Date: Fall/Winter 2002-2003

This one’s a little personal being that I’m from Los Angeles and I wear Chucks almost everyday. Although NIGO later wound up designing his own version of Chucks, which he named the Apesta, this was an official collaboration with Converse. I went to Tokyo in 2005, and bought the grey camo low tops from Foot Soldier. I still wear them to this day—yellow rubber and all.

Release Date: 1997 and 2004

BAPE was a master when it came to packaging. These T-shirts came in spray paint can containers that you opened by unscrewing the bottom. They looked so realistic. The brand first released the tee during a joint show between Futura and Stash at BAPE’s Tokyo store in 1997. You read that right, 30 years ago.

Release Date: 2005

This made the list for two reasons: 1. BAPE did an official collaboration with the most gangster movie ever. 2. The packaging was next level. No one in streetwear was doing anything close to that, with that level of quality, at the time. The tee came in a clear plastic champagne bottle that you opened by unscrewing the bottom. It also came inside a nice box, the way expensive champagne would, but it had the same graphics as the Bape Sta shoe box. As if that wasn’t enough, the brand did a Godfather T-shirt in similar fashion after.

Release Date: 2012

This sofa, which you could find as decoration at BAPE’s stores, damn near put 3peat on the map. We got our hands on one from Japan, and spent a small fortune shipping it here, but it really took our private showroom concept to a new level. Many brands have done chairs with Modernica, or other furniture pieces like the coffee table, but at the time this was unheard of.

Release Date: Fall/Winter 2005-2006

In 2004, Pharrell wore this hoodie in the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” music video. The whole video was in black and white, but I remember flipping out when I actually saw the color of the sweater. BAPE dropped them in pastel colors, used a new camo pattern, and even printed the camo on the inside of the hood.

Release Date: 2008

Another testament to NIGO being lightyears ahead of everyone else. Rimowa is THE hype luggage brand today with many high profile collaborations, but this was back in 2008. Only rich people knew about Rimowa and they weren’t collaborating with other brands like that at the time. BAPE worked on Rimowa’s classic metal roller in gold and silver, and added a matte ABC Camo print all over it. Back in the day, we had a gold one of these at the shop, and it was truly a thing of beauty.

Release Date: 2012

The original ones produced by Case Study didn’t sell in the states. You’d see images online or in Japanese Magazines only. But over the years a small number made their way to the U.S. This was such a flex, not just for whoever owned one but for BAPE itself. It was a full grain wood coffee table in the shape of BAPE’s iconic Apehead with mid-century modern legs—and it was designed by a clothing brand. I remember the first one we got at 3peat. To me, it was a measure of achievement. I was super bummed when we sold it later, but luckily we’ve had several since. They have re-released them and they are more available now, but don’t buy the janky knockoffs, please.

Release Date: Fall/Winter 2005-2006

Probably the best footwear packaging ever. Each sneaker was packaged in an action figure style blister card package that had comic book imagery of the character that the shoe was modeled after. The packaging was so dope that you didn’t want to wear the shoes. You had to hang them on the wall or put them in a display case. BAPE later followed this up with DC Comics Bape Stas in the same style, but nothing beats the original.

Release Date: 2001

NIGO really changed what was possible for brands in terms of collaboration with this project. Nearly all the Pepsi cans in Japan were clad in BAPE ABC camo. They even came out with full camo Pepsi tour buses, full camo vending machines, and a ton of other dope promotional goods. This collab was huge.

Release Date: 1993

Back in 1993, NIGO, along with Undercover’s Jun Takahashi, opened a shop called Nowhere in Harajuku and sold a few simple tees. BAPE’s foundation has since been the screen printed tee, and it continues to be a staple in the brand’s seasonal offerings.

Release Date: 2004

In my opinion, this is the holy grail of BAPE trucker hats. That red camo with the N*E*R*D logo, and little brain printed on the top button is such an ill placement. This was around the time of Fly or Die, their followup album to their hugely successful debut In Search Of. These fetch crazy money. I’ve seen them sell for upwards of $1,000 used.

Release Date: 2000

This collaboration happened when both brands were still relatively small. Although they made 16 variations of the Box Logo prints, they made really small numbers of each. This is probably the most sought after T-shirt from either brand and anytime one pops up the prices are bonkers. This is a true cultural artifact.

Release Date: Fall/Winter 2006-2007

A certified holy grail sneaker at this point. The College Dropout bear on the heel really makes this sneaker special, and this was the first shoe Kanye designed that you could buy in stores. It’s crazy to think about him designing these, and seeing what he’s accomplished in footwear today. We’ve had several pairs of these in the shop over the years, and they sell for crazy prices. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny Ye’s influence and his Bape era was iconic.

Release Date: Spring/Summer 2006

It’s safe to say that BAPE would not be what it became if not for Pharrell. No one repped BAPE better than Skateboard P. The two later wound up joining forces to create another phenomenon: Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream.

The Roadsta was a fresh silhouette from the Bapesta and resembled a Nike Air Max with an Air Bubble on the back. P’s came in three funky, metallic colors, and featured his head, modeled after BAPE’s Milo character, on the heel.

Release Date: Spring/Summer 2006

KAWS slaughtered his Companion characters and Bape’s Baby Milo figure, and scattered their remains throughout the piece. This hoodie was a fan favorite at the height of the all over print era in the mid-2000s.

Release Date: Spring/Summer 2005

BAPE collaborated with KAWS for a special trucker hat that featured KAWS’ Bendy character on its classic 1st camo pattern. The OG Bape trucker hats are the best already, but the KAWS Camo with the two big Xs on the front panel put this one over the top. These always sold out instantly anytime we had one in-store.

Release Date: Fall/Winter 2005-2006

When this dropped, varsity jackets were lowkey poppin’ and this one was incredible. It had leather sleeves, an all black wool body, and was embroidered with a huge Chomper pattern with the big Xs. Jay Z wore it on stage at Power 105.1’s annual Powerhouse in 2005 when he and Nas squashed their beef. That picture of him in the A Bathing Ape book published by Rizzoli is a classic.

Release Date: Fall/Winter 2005-2006

The list of KAWS collabs is long these days, but this was over 20 years ago. These were fully designed pieces that were equal parts KAWS and BAPE with immaculate attention to detail and no expense spared. These early collaborations led to KAWS’ highly influential brand OriginalFake in partnership with Medicom which doesn’t get talked about enough, in my opinion.

Release Date: Fall/Winter 1996-1997

The iconic Shawn Mortensen photo of Biggie with Mortensen’s jacket draped over B.I.G.’s shoulders is reason alone to have this make the list. But the piece is actually really high-quality, super technical, and well made. Plus, the “A Bathing Ape” embroidery on the zipper flap is an innovative detail—one that BAPE has used on other outerwear since. These were really expensive when the brand first dropped them, especially the Gore-Tex joint. It showed that BAPE was much more than hoodies and T-shirts. This was a made in Japan jacket with no detail overlooked.

Release Date: 2004

The original Shark Hoodie was so next level, and unlike anything anyone had ever seen. In fact, after this came out, everyone else in the game started dropping full zip hoodies with some crazy shit on the hood. It got way out of hand. Still, no streetwear had the level of quality that BAPE had back then.

Part of the appeal of the Shark hoodie was how limited it was. Even though the demand for them was through the roof, NIGO kept the drops few and far between. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case. Hong Kong’s I.T, Bape’s current owner, throws a shark face on everything.

Release Date: 2003-2004

Camo is synonymous with BAPE. Its “1st Camo” pattern was originally released in two color versions: classic green and tan with warped Apeheads worked into the pattern. Maybe those original joints should have made this list, but when they dropped the tonal colored versions, it leveled up. This was the original hype clothing item from BAPE. At the time, these were the most sought after items and having one was the ultimate flex, especially in red. Now, it’s been expanded into city exclusive camos and every other color under the sun, but I love the OG 1st Camo stuff. Color Camo was even more impactful since applying color to camouflage was pretty unheard of at the time.

Release Date: 2002

The very first Bape Sta was all white, but once they dropped the patent leather joints in crazy colorways it changed everything. I don’t actually know what the first patent leather colorway was, but it was the beginning of a revolution in the sneaker game. Nike was pissed that the Bape Sta was an Air Force 1 rip off, but it couldn’t deny that NIGO struck a chord with consumers in a big way. Shortly thereafter, Nike launched a huge AF1 program, and were putting out all kinds of crazy colorways and materials. Nigo really was able to see what people wanted even before they knew it.