We’re a little ways past the year’s midway point, which means it’s high time we took stock of the best sneakers of 2024. And so far, at least, it feels like there’s been something of a sea change in the finicky world of kicks. A handful of sneaker-collecting standbys—the transparent bids for virality, the run-of-the-mill retro releases, the perennial hypebeast faves—simply haven’t been hitting quite as hard as they used to. Instead, what’s really resonating now are sneakers with an original vision and an emphasis on premium materials and clean design.
High-fashion collaborations remain hotter than ever, with some of the world’s most vaunted design houses linking up with sneaker brands to reimagine classic models. New shapes and silhouettes have made a strong impression, with state-of-the-art materials working their way into shoes like never before. In short, some aspects of sneaker culture as we’ve known it are beginning to fade out—and they’re quickly being replaced with new, extremely exciting alternatives.
Sneakers are dead. Long live sneakers. These are the best sneakers of 2024 so far.
Bode x Nike Astro Grabber
For Bode’s debut Nike collaboration, Emily Adams Bode Aujla savvily dug deep into the Swoosh’s archives to uncover the Astro Grabber, a long-forgotten football shoe from the 1970s. The sneaker has, in the months since this much-hyped limited release, found itself elevated back to legend status. It is, without question, the shoe of the season—to the point that you might already be sick of it popping up on your IG feed. More than a hype-fueled flash in the pan, the Bode x Nike Astro Grabber is a true classic in the making, doing for the silhouette what Wales Bonner did for the Samba a few years back.
JJJJound x Adidas Samba
Speaking of Wales Bonner’s Sambas: the British label’s beloved partnership with Adidas is still going strong. But if we had to choose the single best iteration on the Samba this year, that title would have to go to the deceptively luxe spin from JJJJound. Rather than dress the iconic soccer shoe up with any new bells and whistles, the Montreal design studio decided to simply master the basics. They rendered the Samba in three classic colorways—the OG white and black makeups, alongside a new hairy tan suede—and then had them fashioned from the finest of premium leathers by artisans in Adidas’s native Germany. The result feels like the definitive version of an all-time great sneaker.
New Balance 1906L
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From the moment it debuted at Paris Fashion Week in January—on the runway of the revered Junya Watanabe, no less—New Balance’s sneaker-loafer hybrids generated a maelstrom of discourse and memes. It would’ve been easy to imagine the silhouette wearing out its welcome before it even arrived (it’s scheduled to release sometime later this fall). But in the end, this is simply a good shoe—comfy, versatile, and far less bizarre than its reputation might suggest—one that we’re anticipating so heavily that it demanded a place on this list well in advance of its official launch.
Studio Nicholson x Asics 360 VIII
If we have one criticism of the Studio Nicholson x Asics 360 VIII, it’s how hard it is to find: the sleek collab was limited to an ultra-scarce 100 pairs worldwide. Inspired by the architecture and street style of Tokyo, the lush black kicks were hand-finished in London with Italian leather detailing—a testament to Studio Nicholson’s fabric-first ethos.
Nina Chanel Abney x Air Jordan 3
As soon as the acclaimed Chicago artist Nina Chanel Abney began teasing her latest Air Jordan collaboration on Instagram back in January, it was clear it was destined to become one of the year’s sickest new Js. That proved true: Abney’s take on the Air Jordan 3 is every bit as vibrant as her art, making a familiar silhouette feel as fresh and novel as the day it was released.
Issey Miyake x New Balance MT10O
This low-profile trail runner is every bit as streamlined and tasteful as you might expect from Issey Miyake. With its minimalist lines and monochromatic tones, the barely-there sneakers are an ode to what Issey designer Satoshi Kondo calls “the concept of barefoot mobility” and “the notion of ‘natural and honest shape.’”
Hidden NY x Asics Gel-NYC
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This one’s for the Adobe heads in the audience. Hidden NY’s flip on the beloved Asics Gel-NYC is subtle but striking, tweaking the brand’s famous stripes to appear pixelated and low-resolution. Rather than a designer shoe, Hidden says, this is “rather a shoe for designers everywhere.”
Atmos x Adidas Gazelle 85
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The homey, vintage-inspired patchwork aesthetic of the Atmos x Adidas Gazelle 85 feels tailor-made for 2024. Launched to celebrate the new flagship store of the Japanese retailer in Tokyo, Atmos and Adidas teamed up yet again to deliver a wildly original vision that still feels somehow timeless.
Miu Miu x New Balance SL
Much like the Issey Miyake x New Balance MT10O, the Miu Miu’s collaboration with the Boston athletic brand also trades NB’s typical chunkiness for a notably trimmed-down look. Borrowing some of the minimalist splendor of Miu Miu’s viral ballet flats, it feels like a classic New Balance dad shoe that’s been sliced in half and pared down to its very essence.
C.P. Company x Asics Gel-Quantum 360 VIII
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Italy’s C.P. Company linked up with Asics’s Sportstyle division to produce this cutting-edge interpretation of the Gel-Quantum 360 VIII. Designed as an homage to “natural forms and interlocking structures,” the shoe has been reengineered to include lightweight “Division Space” tech across the midsole and various 5D-printed details, all designed to minimize its environmental impact.