The Best Sneaker Brands, According To Athletes, Editors, And Fashion Insiders
Even if you’re not a so-called sneakerhead.
It’s hard to imagine a time when sneakers weren’t at the center of the fashion universe. In 2023, runways that used to highlight teetering high heels are styled with comfortable flats and tennis shoes instead. Some of the biggest news coming out of major design houses this year has boiled down to a limited-edition, instantly sold-out sneaker collaboration. When editors and experts lay out their Fashion Week outfits or start shopping for luxury gifts, the best sneaker brands are always somewhere on the list. Personally, I’ve amassed a 17-pair sneaker collection, ranging from Nike Vaporflies to New Balance’s Y2K collaborations with Ganni (both editions)—and I still find myself making excuses to shop for more. So long as the fashion industry is on board with comfortable sneakers, I’m going to wear them whenever I can.
Anyone looking to build their sneaker collection—or in my case, expand it—has to start somewhere. Not all pairs are created equal, and some brands are dialed into the worlds of fashion and athletics with notably more shop-worthy results. I spoke to Rickie De Sole, women’s fashion director at Nordstrom, and Drew Haines, merchandising director for sneakers and collectibles at StockX, to narrow down a list of the 20 best sneaker brands (and designer sneaker offerings) worth owning in 2023. I also consulted Bazaar’s reported guides to the best walking shoes, running shoes, and cool sneakers for editor- and athlete-tested brands. The list ahead introduces sneakers from the hardworking and athletic to purely aesthetic—all with fashion credit.
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It may feel like Adidas sneakers went from an indoor soccer staple to the inescapable shoe trend of the decade overnight. But love for the German brand’s footwear goes back further than Bella Hadid’s “weird girl” street style.
“Adidas has ranked as one of the top three brands on StockX since our platform’s inception,” Haines told Bazaar. (StockX launched in 2016.) “The brand’s retro sneakers have done particularly well over the last year, with Sambas and Gazelles at the forefront. Samba trades jumped more than 700 percent in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, and the average resale price is up 10 percent year-over-year as well. Gazelle trades saw an even bigger rise—increasing nearly 2,000 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.”
The rise and rise of Adidas as an It sneaker brand comes down to its celebrity fan base and its rotation of buzzy collaborators, from Gucci to Wales Bonner and Sporty & Rich.
adidas Samba OG Shoes
For proof that Asics’ chunky workout sneakers are taking over the fashion world, just look at the stats. “Asics has seen 72 percent growth year-over-year on StockX, and July was a record sales month for the brand,” Haines told us. Like Adidas (and a few forthcoming brands on this list), Asics has “leaned into collaborations and tapped industry mainstays like Kith and JJJJound, which has helped grow the customer base and carve out a bigger place for Asics in sneaker culture.” Flower-embellished pairs with Cecilie Bahnsen and sleek, minimal pairs with Aritzia have moved the needle in women’s designs.
But it’s not just about whom Asics can tap to update its running shoes that makes it a brand worth wearing: “Consumers still have a penchant for comfort post-pandemic, and the brand’s Gel-Kayano and Gel-Lyte models definitely deliver on that,” Haines said.
Asics GT-2160 Mesh and Faux-Leather Trainers
Asics Gel-Nimbus 9
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On the first day of New York Fashion Week this season, I was pleasantly surprised to see a few well-worn pairs of Converse standing in line for the shows. By the fourth day of New York Fashion Week, I knew we had a bona fide trend on our hands.
Not that Chuck Taylors have ever gone away. They’ve evolved over the past century from high-top basketball sneakers to mainstays in American sportswear. Various shades of canvas and bouncy, supportive soles are the source of their everlasting appeal. Lately, I’ve seen them styled with everything from frilly Molly Goddard dresses to J.Crew-esque pleated skirts and shirting.
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Seasonal Color
Dedicated runners don’t need any extra convincing to wear Hokas. For the uninitiated or new to fitness, the brand’s extra-supportive, all-terrain sneakers are supportive and comfortable for all distances. (And they come in poppy color combinations that can personally lift my spirits on rainy-day runs.) Start with the Clifton or Bondi models—they’re the crowd favorites.
Hoka Clifton 9
Chloé, Loewe, and the Row are decidedly not sneaker brands. Yet they and so many other runway labels have brought technical know-how, quality materials, and their signature aesthetics to everyday sneakers. The result are pairs that can handle 15,000-step days—without feeling overly athletic.
“With so much conversation in fashion about wardrobe staples, nothing feels quite as iconic as a great lo-fi sneaker,” De Sole said. “I prefer a more streamlined sneaker silhouette, which pairs well with almost everything in my closet.” She pointed out Loewe’s Flow Runners and the aforementioned Adidas x Wales Bonner collaborations as her favorites.
Chloé Nama Sneakers
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There’s an ad for the New Balance 990 sneaker that went viral for summing up its resurgent appeal in a single sentence: “Worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio.”
It’s a savvy tagline—and it applies to the full range of New Balance sneakers, from the celebrity-favorite 550, to an avant-garde pair of textured 2002Rs, to recent runway collaborations with Miu Miu and Ganni. At StockX, Haines said, New Balance is one of the top-traded brands and will likely set a new record this year. “The brand has perfected a collaboration strategy, dropping limited-edition releases with the likes of Aimé Leon Dore, Joe Freshgoods, Action Bronson, and Rich Paul,” Haines said. “We’ve also seen their offering become increasingly diverse—it’s not just a handful of silhouettes that are trading well on the secondary market; there’s a wide range of sought-after models.”
New Balance 327 Sneaker
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Nike is the sort of universal favorite that almost needs no introduction. De Sole summed up its appeal the best: “Nike is a favorite because they have something for every moment in life, on the court and off.” Pro and amateur athletes will appreciate the brand’s innovative updates to running shoes, while anyone getting their steps in will find support, style, and comfort in reimagined everyday classics like the Air Max and Cortez.
Nike Air Max 97 Women's Shoes
2023 is shaping up to be the year of the Onitsuka Tiger sneaker—specifically, the Mexico 66. Bazaar editors, retail buyers, and insiders we spoke to for our previous review love the slim, ballet-flat-adjacent fit and the range of contrasting leather colorways. While Onitsukas feel like a shoe of the moment, they’re also low-key enough to last in your wardrobe when another new It sneaker is eventually anointed.
Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66
Puma is maybe best known for the low-top, brushed-suede sneakers it debuted back in 1968. Since June Ambrose joined the brand as creative director, the footwear offering has evolved to include colorful riffs on the Puma classics and amped-up pairs that feel less like a court shoe and more like a street-style moment. Plus, after a brief hiatus, Rihanna returned just this month to release new Fenty x Puma Avanti sneakers (which quickly sold out).
Puma x Fenty Avanti Sneakers
From Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl performance to the streets of downtown Manhattan, “Salomon continues to be an under-the-radar sneaker brand gaining traction with a fashion-oriented customer,” De Sole said. A lot of Salomon’s recent spike comes from buzzy partnerships with runway brands—like Rihanna’s red lace-up pair and a sold-out collaboration with Sandy Liang—and there are more to come. This fall, De Sole told us, a Salomon x Comme des Garçons slip-on platform sneaker is headed to Nordstrom.
Salomon Gender Inclusive XT-6 Sneaker
When you think of skate culture, you think of Vans. Skateboarders in 1960s Anaheim, California, were the first to test its low-top, sticky-soled sneakers, and would continue choosing them for competitions and photo calls for decades after. But Vans is so much more than a skate-shoe label. You’re as likely to see the classic “Old Skool” sneakers on Emily Ratajkowski as Tony Hawk; limited-edition pairs had their California cool factor amplified through collaborations with Fear of God, Supreme, Rhude, and other brands.
Vans Old Skool Shoe
Today, Veja’s low-top leather sneakers are as common in the streets of Paris as they are in an American suburb. Back in 2005, when the brand was founded by Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion, there weren’t other leather sneakers with the same everyday appeal and comfort—or a similarly thorough commitment to social and environmental responsibility. (For curious eco-conscious shoppers, I extensively covered the label's above-average operations in an earlier Veja profile.) The Esplar and Campo sneakers are crowd-pleasing, minimal styles for city dwellers and suburbanites with dozens of celebrity fans; for weekends out in nature, or a 24/7 commitment to gorpcore, try the Venturi sneaker with treaded soles.
Veja Esplar Sneaker
Veja Impala Vegan Sneaker
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Veja Rio Branco Sneaker
This article originally appeared in Harper’s BAZAAR US.