2023 sneaker trends: from Adidas and New Balance to Asics, On, Salomon and Roa, the hottest shoes right now and predictions for things to come
- Adidas’ Sambas and Gazelles are some of the hottest sneakers in 2023 thanks to people like Pharrell Williams, Harry Styles and Grace Wales Bonner
- The New Balance 997 and Asics Gel Lyte III could see comebacks, as could vintage football models such as the Nike Total 90 and Adidas Predator
Sneakers have been enmeshed in a unique cultural fabric since the 1980s. They’ve become investment pieces, luxury and status symbols, and nostalgic throwbacks, all in one.
But what are the hottest models right now and which brands are likely to see a surge in coming seasons?
The Adidas Samba has been widely dubbed 2023’s “shoe of the summer” thanks to its host of celebrity fans and high-profile collaborations with people like Pharrell Williams and English designer Grace Wales Bonner.
Wales Bonner’s metallic iteration has proved especially popular among women, reselling as high as US$1,075 (up from its US$200 retail price) on the sneaker marketplace StockX.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles helped the Adidas Gazelles rocket in popularity by wearing them throughout his 2022-23 tour, specifically a pair designed in collaboration with Gucci.
By the tour’s end, the sneaker platform Laced reported a doubling in Gazelle sales, thanks in no small part to Styles being seen in them on 125 occasions. The red velvet Gucci Gazelles, donned for 30 of his shows, were his top pick.
