We’re barely three months in, but as far as sneakers are concerned, 2025 has already been one for the books. From signature hoops bangers and all-time great retros to landmark designer collaborations and under-the-radar technical masterpieces, it feels like a year’s worth of heaters had already hit before the clocks sprung forward for daylight savings. While there are plenty of major drops still to come throughout the summer and fall, now feels as good a time as any to take stock of the best sneakers of 2025 so far.
Supreme x Nike Air Max 1
Supreme and Nike have been working together for 23 years now, but somehow the legendary duo had never released an Air Max 1. That all changed in March with a quartet of clean, summer-ready takes on the quintessential runner—in purple, yellow, black, and white—all rendered in smooth leather and offset by a touch of snakeskin print on the swoosh. It’s a successful back-to-basics reset—one that’s made us far more curious about what the pair might cook up next than we have been in ages.
Adidas Harden Volume 9
It’s rare to see an athlete’s signature line get the sort of reinvigoration James Harden’s has in the last couple of years. The design language of his shoes headed in a far more avant-garde direction around the seventh incarnation, and this season’s Harden Volume 9 is easily the boldest pair the superstar has ever stormed the court in. The molded, chromed-out uppers call to mind ’90s-era Nike hoops classics like the Air Foamposite and Air Flightposite in the best possible way.
Prada Collapse Re-Nylon
Sometimes less really is more. Case in point: Prada’s new Collapse Re-Nylon kicks, an instant-classic entry in the minimalist sneakers canon. And unlike most designer sneakers, you can actually pull these off without looking like you’re trying to flex a logo.
Union x Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicago/Shadow’
Union owner Chris Gibbs’ original Air Jordan 1 colorways had a strong case for being the best sneakers of 2018. As far as we’re concerned, the dude is now three for three—it’s safe to say these Frankensteined beauts will be at the top of many year-end lists come December.
New Balance Allerdale
Move over, dad shoes—the granddad shoe is here. New Balance’s newest UK-made kicks are a killer addition to the Old Man Style canon that is sure to inspire countless imitations in the years to come.
Haven x Asics Gel-Nimbus 10.1
Canadian menswear retailer Haven’s signature aesthetic sits at the center of the Venn diagram between gorpcore and Yohji Yamamoto. Their spin on the Asics Gel Nimbus 10.1 distills that design ethos perfectly, delivering all the blacked-out tones and contrasting textures you’d expect on a can’t-miss silhouette from one of the hottest names in sneakers today.
Marni x Hoka B3LS
In designer fashion circles, Marni has always had something of a “little engine that could” energy—making a big impression in a crowded space by following the beat of its own quirky drum. The same could be said for Hoka in the sneaker world. Together? They’re a match made in heaven, with these puffed-out kicks signaling a freaky and rewarding start for what should hopefully be a long, fruitful partnership.
Brain Dead x Dover Street Market x Adidas Bowling Shoes
Ever laced up a pair of bowling shoes at the alley and low-key wished you could just wear them home? Thanks to Brain Dead and Adidas, now you can. After debuting these clean leather bowlers in 2024, the collaborators teamed with Dover Street Market to run them back this spring in a sharp black colorway. They’re an absolute strike.
Converse Shai 001
For years now, hoops fans have been clamoring for NBA style god—and current MVP candidate—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to receive a signature shoe line. And at NBA All-Star Weekend in February, Converse finally lifted the veil on the Shai 001, an appropriately fashion-forward sneaker with serious performance credentials beneath the hood. The buttery debut colorway is killer, but you can bet this one’s going to get all kinds of hype-worthy renditions and designer collaborations over the next year.
Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 ‘Brick by Brick’
With his latest pair of much-hyped retros, Nigel Sylvester has cemented himself as one of Jordan Brand’s premier collaborators. The BMX star’s brick-red Air Jordan 4s are a masterful take on a timeless silhouette, complete with considered details and thoughtful storytelling.
Fear of God Athletics Trainer
Jerry Lorenzo and Adidas’s Fear of God Athletics partnership got off to a bit of a shaky start in 2023. But the last few months have seen the brand level up substantially, beginning with the killer on-court Athletics Basketball II. The real heat, however, is the Athletics Trainer, easily the best pair of shoes Fear of God has put out since their original Nike collaboration.
Balenciaga x Puma Speedcat
Even on his way out the door, now-former Balenciaga creative director Demna had some heat in the chamber for all the sneakerheads out there. Nearly a decade after ushering in the gigantic sneaker wars with Balenciaga’s positively enormous Triple S, the Georgian designer used his final show for the house to unveil a pared-down collaboration with Puma, starring this hyper-distressed flip on the red-hot Speedcat silhouette.
Nike Air Max Dn8
Every year brings a new entry in to the storied Air Max line. Not all of them stick. We’ve got a feeling the Air Max Dn8—with its souped-up, futuristic design and weird (in the best way) sole—will have some serious staying power.
Adidas Taekwondo Mei
An incredibly groovy take on an old-school Adidas silhouette, mixed with elements of a classic ballet flat, has made for the It shoe of 2025. Expect some killer collabs on this one in the future.
