TEN OF THE BEST DESIGNER SNEAKERS OF 2024

Maison Margiela has long sat at the top of the luxury sneaker hierarchy with its iconic Replica Sneaker. Season in, season out, the pared-back silhouette remains fresh and wearable. Offshoot label MM6 Maison Margiela riffs off the same slimline design cues for the Court Sneakers which, for 2024, feature a transparent PVC upper and comfortable crepe soles.

When it comes to footwear, Rick Owens takes inspiration from the archive of classic sneakers. Owens has lifted and reshaped aspects of designs from most of footwear’s biggest players, from Converse to Vans, always giving the product a singular twist. With a chunky sole and bulbous toe box, the Vintage Sneakers cut a dramatic shape while somehow feeling familiar enough to slot neatly into the everyday rotation.

Marni is a relative newcomer to the designer sneakers space, breaking in with a collaboration with established footwear brand VEJA. Since then, the house’s mainline silhouettes have improved every season with a returning favorite in the Pablo Sneaker. Borrowing elements from formal footwear, the silhouette works well across the board, aided by a range of soft pastel colorways for 2024.

Seventies-style sneakers have always been a welcome presence, but for several seasons they’ve acted as one of the main trends in the sneaker space as a whole. The Row’s Owen Sneakers lean into the minimal character of that era, imbuing it with high-end luxury with nappa leather trims.

The humble plimsoll is raised to new heights under the direction of Bottega Veneta. The Sawyer Sneakers feature intrecciato-woven calfskin uppers for a luxurious twist on the time-tested classic.

With Achilles Ion Gabriel at the helm, CAMPERLAB has brought renewed attention to the Camper brand name. With a host of experimental footwear silhouettes, Gabriel has repositioned the Spanish brand as one of the scene’s most exciting and original forces. The Tormenta Sneakers feature a winding outsole that climbs the sides of the upper like a stormy weather map. Technical with a heavy dose of luxe conceptual aesthetics, the Tormenta perfectly encapsulates CAMPERLAB’s MO.

SUNNEI’s playful persona extends to its footwear offering. New last season was the Isi Sneakers, which have a classic overall character with high-top canvas uppers. SUNNEI’s design flair shines with the lace fastening, which runs all the way to the toe box, subverting the familiar silhouette.

Maison Margiela’s Featherlight Sneakers live up to the name with a superslim treaded sole unit and streamlined upper. With no excessive detailing, this pair is stripped back and goes with everything.

For those who think that Lanvin’s viral Curb Sneaker is too chunky, the house has introduced the Curb Lite, which features a minimized upper. The sole unit stays the same, retaining the skate-shoe flavor of the original design.

MIHARAYASUHIRO has one of the most distinctive styles in the designer sneaker market. With soles that take on the appearance of clay, the Japanese brand remodels famous silhouettes. The Peterson 23 Sneakers are a returning character in the label’s collection, this time in a simple two-tone colorway.