The designer sneaker has become as pivotal a piece in our sartorial arsenals as a crisp white tee or great pair of jeans. The era of the simple white sneaker, however, has long been eclipsed with its own subsets and micro trends taking hold of the fashion set in recent years.
We’ve seen the dad sneaker then birthing further niches like the “ugly” sneaker to the rise of sport luxe dressing and the virality of Wales Bonner’s Adidas collaborations propelling colourful and suede soccer styles.
In 2025, we’re seeing the mocha mousse runway trend propelled by the popularity of Miu Miu’s sneaker collabs filter down to the footwear style, with the neutral hue slowly overtaking bright pops of colour.
Keeping in step with the latest sneaker trends in 2025 is no easy feat so we’ve rounded up the best designer sneakers of the year for you.
Designer Sneakers For 2025
01
Adidas x Wales Bonner Samba Sneakers
from $1,781 at Farfetch
The propellant of the Adidas sneaker comeback is undoubtedly the continued Wales Bonner collaborations. Still, new iterations continue to sell out (and see a purchasing limit on orders, they’re that in demand) and become coveted collectors items, like these incredible silver and crochet stripe sneakers.
02
Miu Miu x New Balance 530 SL
$1,780 at Miu Miu
Okay, technically, New Balance’s collaboration launched late last year, but the chokehold its had over the style set continues into 2025. After debuting on the Spring/Summer ‘24 runway, Miuccia Prada took the brand’s 530 running shoes and gave them a distinct Miu Miu twist courtesy of distressed suede and mesh.
03
Dior D-Sketch Sneakers
$1,650 at Dior
First seen on the runway of Dior’s Spring/Summer ‘25 show, which took particular inspiration from courage, strength of spirit and womanhood with its sport-luxe twist, the Dior D-Sketch sneaker reinvigorates a vintage silhouette with a prototype feel. With two-tone soles and sketched pencil marks, they come in black or white printed nylon, as well as in silver or gold crinkled metallic leather to cater to every personal style.
04
Salomon XT-6
$299 at Hype DC
Salomon sneakers are fast becoming a staple of the fashion set, completely cannibalising the dad sneaker and gorpcore subsets. This cute colour combination of nudes, rose pink and soft mahogany is enough to get even the most skeptical shoppers.
05
Adidas Sambas Cow Print
$220 at ASOS
The new SL72 and samba sneakers are just the latest marker of a growing obsession with cow print among the fashion set. The animal print was seen on runways at Dior Cruise ‘24, Gestuz Spring/Summer ‘25 and in collections at Acne Studios, Munthe and Samsøe Samsøe, and when this new colourway dropped in February, they became an instant sell-out.
06
Puma Speedcat OG
$179.99 at Hype DC
The Puma Speedcat looks to topple Adidas’ reign as the it-sneaker of 2024, and it isn’t going anywhere this year. Spotted on the soles of Jennifer Lawrence and Em Rata, as well as topping LYST’s Q3 2024 Index, they’re a worthy investment for the year ahead.
07
Loewe Ballet Runner
$1,215 at Loewe
With its retro, sporty silhouette and monogram letter serving as the perfect decorative decal, Loewe’s Ballet Runner is firming up as a favourite for the year. The chic array of colour combinations only further proves our case, too.
08
Acne Lace-Up Leather Shoes
$820 at Acne Studios
From Puma’s Speedcat Ballet Flats to the chunky Tracker Ballerina at Simone Rocha, ballet-core has come for our sneaker collection. Now, Acne plays with fluidity of the silhouette, contrasting soft bows with sporty details and lace-up designs with track soles.
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