The best designer sneakers on the market right now
Shopping for high-end sneakers can be vision-blurring work. Here, Esquire rounds up 12 of the freshest styles from the hottest brands
By 
SNEAKER FEVER hasn’t died out. Our appetite for sneaker silhouettes is just changing. In fact, as more and more high-end brands are taking notice of our desire for a well-made sneaker – a soft piece of footwear to invest in and wear, rather than shout about – the luxury sneaker offering has never been more wearable. Yet again, we also live in a time when a hybrid loafer-slash-sneaker causes a stir.
In this wearable abundance, however, it can be difficult for the really quality pairs to rise to the top. Brands like Prada and Balenciaga have embraced the sportier sneaker for a long time (even to a point of irony, in the case of the latter). Golden Goose has always played to its strengths in this sense. There are also other luxury brands who are just starting to dip their toes into the sneaker game. Because what, exactly, would a sneaker by a leather goods company look like? Just ask Hermès, a brand that combines what clients already love about their products, as you’ll see further down this list.
The main thing you should keep in mind when shopping around for designer kicks is that they can veer in either one of two ways: luxe leather construction or trendier styles (still luxuriously constructed). In which case, choosing a designer sneaker has become about the kind of attitude you want to project to the world when you walk around town. Because unlike other pieces in an outfit, footwear really does change the way you move.
Shopping around designer sneakers can be vision-blurring work, so scroll on for our selection of the freshest designer sneakers to buy right now.
The best designer sneakers for men in 2025
Best white designer sneakers
Maison Margiela White Replica Sneakers
The German Army Trainer craze isn’t losing steam, and the luxe re-production from Maison Margiela remains undefeated in our eyes. Inspired by standard-issue military footwear, what warrants Margiela’s high price point? Its nappa calfskin leather and suede makes it the smoothest looking version of the style. If you’ve been on the fence on whether or not to dish out, SSENSE just restocked, yet they sell out fast.
Golden Goose Dad-Star Sneakers
There’s an appreciation for the weathered look in menswear at the moment. And if it’s happening in footwear, none expedites this better than Golden Goose. The Venetian label’s stab at the dad sneaker comes in pebbling suede uppers which look as if they’ve been run through the wash a few times (this is Golden Goose, after all).
Dior Men’s B35 NXXT Sneakers
The newest kicks on the Dior block (or rue), the B35 NXXTs are pure ’90s nostalgia. Featuring an open-work sole done in the French house’s Cannage motif, the shoes have a futuristic-feel with the mesh and silver overlays in the uppers. The silhouette does sit on the chunkier, dad sneaker side of the pendulum, so we advise styling with a straight or wide leg trouser.
Best black designer sneakers
Common Projects Original Achilles Sneakers
Common Projects is the one who started it all for minimalist sneakers. Why deviate from the beaten path now? Their Achilles sneaker in black leather is the best there is for a nondescript sneaker (save the gold-foiled serial number).
Coach Soho Sneaker
Fresh off their spring/summer 2025 runway, New York label Coach’s new sneaker is inspired by their most fashionable neighbourhood. Crafted with their canvas and smooth leather for the uppers, it’s a sleek addition to the rotation for walking around any city.
Prada America’s Cup Soft Sneakers
The Milanese brand certainly has its ear to the ground when it comes to giving the people what they want. As vintage Prada from the late ’90s to the early ’00s is its own corner of the resale market, the brand has been reissuing its best-selling styles. The iconic red tab sneaker in particular has been scratching the slim sneaker itch. Originally designed for the Luna Rossa team, Prada’s America’s Cup sneaker is a boat shoe without looking like a boat shoe.
Hermès Day Sneaker
Isn’t it neat to have the Kelly buckle secure the laces on these sneakers from Hermès? Cut from the same calfskin the French house makes their famed bags in, this is as up-market as black sneakers get.
Best leather designer sneakers
R.M. Williams Sandbar Sneakers
To the Craftsman boot loyalists out there, R.M. Williams has your weekend shoe sorted. (They’re suitable for casual Fridays too.) The Aussie heritage brand released its take on the low-top sneaker with a dusty brown suede. It’s a pleasant pop of neutrals with a pair of jeans if white sneakers are too stark.
Best red designer sneakers
Louis Vuitton LV Footprint Soccer Sneakers
Soccer shoes have been the It sneaker for a few seasons now, but brands are starting to make them more literal looking. Case in point, you could mistake these red kicks from Louis Vuitton as actually designed for the field. This sneaker was introduced by menswear creative director Pharrell Williams in his spring/summer 2025 collection, which has reintroduced the flap-over-tongue style. Those also aren’t cleats, by the way, but instead an LV Footprint that stamps the logo on the wet pavement or grass as you walk.
Best blue designer sneakers
Burberry Check Terrace Sneakers
Creative director Daniel Lee’s use of blue has been a bold and energising sartorial footprint during his time at the British-heritage brand. His use of the colour on the brand’s iconic check has reintroduced it in new ways, including sneakers. The Terrace sneakers are made of a cotton blend that’s woven into the check, so there’s none of that breaking required.
Best high-top designer sneakers
Celine Homme CT-02 Leather High-Top Sneakers
Timothée Chalamet has been one to frequent the Celine store; the piece he’s been most paparazzied in are these high-tops. The skate shoe features a strap over the bottom half of the laces with perforations made along the uppers. It has that retro feel of what Marty McFly wears in Back To The Future.
Best low-top designer sneakers
Dior B27 Uptown Low-Top Sneakers
Counted as one of the French houses essentials, Dior Mens’ B27 sneaker features the house’s Oblique canvas along the side panels. It’s an unbeatable classic that takes its silhouette and shape from basketball low-tops.
Best slip-on designer sneakers
Marsèll Cassapelle Slip-On Leather Sneakers
Slip-on sneakers have almost always been done in a canvas cotton. But for something a bit more sophisticated and minimal, Italian shoemaker Marsèll makes its sneakers in excellent shapes and proportions. Made of 100 per cent leather, this sneaker’s supple texture is easier to break in than most.
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