What are the best sneaker brands? The answer is kind of complicated, and the terrain shifts a little every year. The sneaker market is vast and multi-varied, and, at the end of the day, this is all subjective—as any self-respecting film bro will remind you, a billion-dollar Marvel box office haul doesn’t automatically make for great cinema. So instead of rattling off the top brands by revenue or market share (though, yes, some of the biggest names do also make some of the best shoes), let’s approach this with a clear head.
This is a category where three core qualities truly separate the best from the rest: Style, comfort, and materials. Style, because why wear something you don’t like the look of? Comfort, because if the shoe isn’t supportive, you’ll hate it as fast as you loved it. And materials, because you want a sneaker to last you years, not months—or, heaven forbid, weeks.
All of this has been taken into account to create the below: A comprehensive breakdown of what’s hot and relevant in today’s sneaker market. Below you’ll find 18 of the best sneaker brands you need to know—including the requisite Nike, Asics, and New Balance shoutouts—along with four of each brand’s best styles right now. From Japanese-made low-tops to Italian-made hikers, it’s safe to say one of the 72 pairs below will satisfy your search.
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In This Guide
Nike
Suffice to say, Nike didn’t become the biggest, baddest name in the sneaker business by making an inferior product. The Swoosh earned its placed at the top of this list through sheer consistency, building out a deep roster of iconic sneakers that’s been hard for any other brand to knock off its perch. After over 50 years in the sneaker game, and with reissues and new styles continuing to hit, Nike is still the one to beat.
Adidas
From extremely popular retro-leaning styles like the Samba and Euro-centric Handball Cup SPZL to forward-looking silhouettes like the Ultraboost, Adidas has worked tirelessly to establish itself as a serious player in the sneaker space, never content to play second fiddle to Nike’s daunting presence. Minus one particularly high-profile collaboration, the brand has largely succeeded over the past few years: The Three Stripes has emerged as the preferred collaborator for some of fashion’s most interesting minds and wildest dressers, linking and building with the likes of Grace Wales Bonner and Bad Bunny.
New Balance
Since the early 1980s, New Balance has defined the dad shoe—and inspired a wave of chunky imitators that still hasn’t let up. With its premium Made in USA line—led by Aimé Leon Dore’s Teddy Santis—still going strong, and collabs with some of the buzziest names in streetwear, sport, and music, the brand has become the reigning champ of not-just-geriatric cool. Though this year, the brand is leaning in even harder to granddad mode with the highly anticipated Allerdale, a silhouette that nods to orthopedic walkers in the best possible way. Wearing New Balance is still the easiest way to channel the swagger of a semi-retired Upper East Sider who knows the value of comfort—and won’t settle for anything less than the best.
Converse
It’s wild to think the Chuck Taylor All-Star has been around for over a century—and even wilder that people actually used to hoop in them. Can you imagine the modern-day Lakers sprinting up the court in a pair? Thankfully, Chucks found a second life off the court, with fans like the Ramones, Kurt Cobain, and pretty much every cool kid ever. But Converse isn’t a one-hit wonder. From suede skate shoes like the One Star Pro to classic low-top canvas kicks, its lineup stays in style and somehow looks better the more beat-up it gets.
Vans
You heard it here first: we’re wearing Vans again. Not that anybody ever really stopped. Vans are authentic in a way most sneakers can only pretend to be. (The brand’s signature style is, fittingly, the Authentic.) Founded in the late ’60s to service the West Coast skate scene, the company’s affordable, unpretentious sneakers immediately took off among locals and then eventually the whole country, somehow retaining their associations with the counter-culture in the process. To fully harness their power today, make like Harry Styles, who wears his with flared trousers and statement outerwear, or mimic the millions of skaters who adopted the sneakers before you and throw on a pair of Dickies and a big, boxy tee. The off-the-wall good looks will anchor all your big fits with ease.
Reebok
As the great Mike Skinner once said: “Let’s put on our classics and have a little dance, shall we?” The UK rapper’s a Reebok fan—and he’s not alone. Reebok’s designs reflect its far-reaching roots from the tennis court to the city streets to the sticky floors of late-night clubs. The brand’s Club C style remains an enduring hallmark of modern sneaker history, and a go-to of megawatt A-listers. Timeless, comfortable, and just sporty enough, Reebok has earned its spot in the rotation at a bargain price, and won’t steer you wrong.
Puma
When Rudolf Dassler founded Puma in 1948, he set the stage for the most legendary rivalry in sportswear. Up until that point, Rudolf had been working together with his brother Adi on a shoe company headquartered in Germany, before the relationship deteriorated and the two decided to go their separate ways. (Adi went on to lend his name to Adidas, the second-largest sportswear company in the world. Don’t shed any tears for Adi.) Today, Puma stands as a sneaker powerhouse, with a deep bench of retro-inflected lace-ups that stay true to its roots even as trends come and go. And right now, Puma’s slim, low-slung classics feel more relevant than ever, thanks to the resurgence of F1-style “torpedo sneakers”—sleek, minimalist silhouettes built for speed, and perfect for today’s shift toward less bulky, more streamlined styles.
Salomon
Salomon emerged as a fashion-crowd favorite relatively recently (we named the brand’s XT-6 style our sneaker of the year back in 2019) but the French sports brand has been churning out tactical, trail-ready shoes since its founding in 1947. Turns out, all the tired tropes about looking “as good on the slopes as it does on the streets” are entirely true: If you need a sneaker ready-made to take on any terrain, chances are Salomon makes it, perfected it, and made it look cooler than it has any right to.
ROA
If Salomon built its cult following by infiltrating the fashion world with pure performance gear, ROA has carved out its own niche by starting right at the crossroads of technical function and high-end design. Since launching in 2015, the brand has quietly become a go-to for style obsessives who are more likely to rock their Vibram soles to a gallery opening than on the mountain. Still, ROA’s sneakers pair serious functionality—waterproof Xpore fabrics, rugged outsoles—with serious style. With collaborations from Our Legacy to GORP moodboard OrganicLab.Zip, and a cult following that’s only picking up speed, ROA has officially taken hiking shoes to new cultural heights.
Merrell
While some brands chase fashion trends, Merrell has just kept on truckin’. Founded in 1981, the American outdoor brand was cranking out rugged, functional shoes long before GORP went mainstream. The 1TRL subline updates archival designs with modern tech, bringing new attention to classics like the Jungle Moc, and collabs with hotter names— like Montreal skate brand Dime—have helped, but Merrell’s real strength is staying true to what it does best (outdoorsy comfort) and doing it better than just about anyone.
Keen
Keen’s outdoor footwear—especially its unmistakable hiking sandals—has become so iconic it’s hard to believe the Portland brand has only been around since 2003. But it’s the Jasper sneakers that really have us paying attention at the moment. Originally inspired by approach shoes, the Jasper blends climbing DNA with a laid-back, street-ready look that feels right on time. With their suede uppers, rope laces, and colorful palettes, they nail the sweet spot between technical and casual—perfect for trailheads, city sidewalks, and everywhere in between.
On
Even for brands like Nike and Adidas, getting customers excited about the latest innovation in sneaker technology can be a herculean task—which makes On’s meteoric growth doubly impressive. In a little over a decade, Zurich-based On has established itself as a formidable presence in the running shoe space, chewing off a sizable piece of the market in the process. (Roger Federer even signed on as a shareholder in 2019.) The key to its success? Cloudtec, a proprietary cushioning technology that promises an explosive take-off without compromising on comfort or impact protection. Fair warning: once you try a pair, it’s hard for your feet to forget.
Hoka
Not too long ago, France—a country fueled mostly by caffeine and nicotine—would’ve seemed like an unlikely place to score your next pair of running shoes. But running has taken off there lately, with brands like Satisfy leading the charge in stylish running apparel. Hoka, though, has always been a bit different. Founded by two ex-Salomon employees in 2009, the brand’s chunky, heavily-cushioned shoes fast became a sensation, favored by long-distance trail runners and StairMaster hounds alike. The biggest testament to Hoka’s influence? When they first debuted, the brand’s distinct outsoles were easy to spot from a mile away. But by 2022, so many brands have copied their signature geometry that it’s harder than ever to tell them apart—until, that is, you take a pair of the OGs out for a spin.
Asics
The world’s most elite runners love Asics for a reason: The brand’s sneakers deliver unparalleled performance all without compromising on the support and all-important cushioning that makes them such a fan favorite. More recently though, the fashion crowd has cottoned on to their appeal, yielding delightfully freaky collaborations with industry firebrands like C.P. Company and Kiko Kostadinov. They’ve also been riding the low-profile wave with their throwback Skyhand, a quietly stylish nod to their archive.
Norda
Norda isn’t trying to make good trail runners—they’re trying to make the best trail runners on Earth. The Montreal-based brand uses Dyneema (a strong yet lightweight synthetic) uppers, Vibram soles, and obsessive design tweaks to build shoes that are light, nearly indestructible, and shockingly comfortable right out of the box. Even Italian luxury titan Zegna has taken notice, with the two brands collaborating on a series of sneakers. Whether you’re running technical trails or just taking the long way to work, Norda’s running shoes are tough, light, and built to go the distance.
Mephisto
If there’s a pattern here, it’s that many of these brands simply kept doing their thing, until the trends eventually caught up to them. Mephisto is a perfect example. Founded in 1965, the French brand has been making premium walking shoes built around old-world craftsmanship, top-notch materials, and soles so comfortable you might forget you’re still wearing them. Now, styles like the Match and the Rainbow have found new fans, as Mephisto rides the rising wave of orthopedic cool. Pair them with wide-leg jeans or trousers, and you’ll look as effortlessly stylish as a Parisian retiree holding court along the Seine.
Moonstar
Moonstar has been making sneakers and rubber-soled shoes in Kurume, Japan since 1873—long before the majority of this list existed. Known for their traditional vulcanization process and meticulous craftsmanship, Moonstar shoes are durable, understated, and quietly beautiful in the way that only truly well-made things are. Its Gym Classic sneaker and sturdy deck shoes showcase that philosophy perfectly: simple, rugged, and designed to get better the more you wear them. If you care about quality, utility, and quiet confidence, Moonstar is here for you.
Reproduction of Found
Reproduction of Found specializes in digging through military archives so you don’t have to. The Japanese brand is dedicated to reviving vintage military training shoes from around the world—faithfully recreating designs from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s with modern craftsmanship and just enough refinement. The brand’s German Army Trainers (or GATs) are a benchmark, but everything they make—from leather Swedish military sneakers to New Balance-esque British Army sneakers feels thoughtful, functional, and built to last. If you like the idea of wearing something with real history baked into it, Reproduction of Found lives up to its name.