Top 150 High-End Luxury Designer Sneaker Brands
SNEAKERS (also known as athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, sport shoes, runners, or trainers) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used for everyday wear. The term generally describes a type of footwear with a flexible sole made of rubber or synthetic material and an upper part made of leather, synthetic substitutes, and/or cloth.
During the 1950s, leisure opportunities greatly expanded, and children and adolescents began to wear sneakers as school dress codes relaxed. Sneaker sales rose so high, they began to adversely impact on the sales of conventional leather shoes, leading to a fierce advertising war for market share in the late '50s. In the 1970s, jogging for exercise became increasingly popular, and trainers designed specifically for comfort while jogging sold well. Companies also started to target some of their products at the casual fashion market. Soon, shoes were available for football, jogging, basketball, running, etc. Many sports had their relevant shoe, made possible by podiatrist development of athletic shoe technology.
During the 1990s, shoe companies perfected their fashion and marketing skills. Sports endorsements with famous athletes grew larger, and marketing budgets went through the roof. Sneakers became a fashion statement and were marketed as a definition of identity and personality rather than simply athletic aids.
Types of sneakers: High-tops cover the ankle. Low-tops do not cover the ankle. Mid-cut are in-between high-tops and low-tops. Sneaker boots extend to the calf.
Sneaker News, Reviews & Resources
- 5 STYLISH SNOW-READY SNEAKERS TO KEEP YOU WARM - Wired.
- 10 of the world's most expensive trainers - The Telegraph.
- A SNEAK PEEK AT NIKE'S NEW JORDANS - Wired.
- Adidas can't make enough sportswear to meet demand - CNN Business.
- Adidas gets creative with shoes made from recycled ocean plastic - engadget.
- Adidas Spezial: elevating the trainer to new heights - The Telegraph.
- Adidas will keep the Futurecraft 4D hype rolling in 2018 - engadget.
- AGLIT ITALY - "Offers a traditional taste with a modern twist. Our laces are made to provide a taste of luxury, iconically designed to compliment today's footwear."
 - AGLIT ITALY Luxury Leather Laces May Change Sneakerworld Forever
- are Dior's Air Jordans the most-wanted trainers of all time? - "The fashion house’s update of Michael Jordan’s classic footwear is set to bring joy to sneakerheads and point the way forward for luxury shopping. Is this the restart of hype?"
- best apps for buying sneakers - "It’s never been easier to find a new pair of shoes, limited-edition or not."
- BEST HIKING SHOES FOR ALL YOUR ADVENTURES - Wired.
- Best Walking Shoes - "Feel comfortable and secure in the right walking shoes."
- Black Friday is a scam - 99% of all sneakers are cheaper on another day - "After analyzing more than 1.4 million prices of 4,024 sneakers from more than 200 retailers on RunRepeat over the past two years, it turns out just 1% of all sneakers are cheapest on Black Friday."
- CAN NIKE'S NEW MARATHON SHOES MAKE YOU FASTER? A NIKE-FUNDED STUDY SAYS YES - Wired.
- CONVERSE FINALLY GOES WATERPROOF, WITH SOME HELP FROM GORE-TEX - Wired.
- Dirty Sneakers? One Expert Offers a Solution - The New York Times.
- Do Nike’s New Shoes Give Runners an Unfair Advantage? - The New York Times.
- Don't Be Afraid of Bright Feet - The New York Times.
- Eliud Kipchoge's record-breaking Nike shoes under scrutiny - "Running is supposed to be one of the purest sports, but a technological arms race in shoes is raising questions about the integrity of competition in athletics."
- EVERLANE'S NEW SNEAKER TREADS LIGHTLY ON THE ENVIRONMENT - Wired.
- Ferrari Sues Influencer Over Racy Instagram Posts - Boomberg.
- first look at Nike's self-lacing HyperAdapt sneakers - engadget.
- Get on board with boat shoes, would-be Tory leaders - "A nostalgic trend could be just the thing for wannabe captains of the Brexit ship."
- Gucci Makes a Shoe & Keen Gets the Last Laugh - "What if online call-out culture could be weaponized with humor instead of anger?"
- How Much Is That Sneaker in the Window? - The New York Times.
- how these Gucci trainers became a symbol of excess - The Guardian.
- How to buy sneakers for the hypebeast in your life - "You can either do it yourself or find a reseller to help you out."
- How to Choose the Right Running Shoe - The New York Times.
- How to kickstart a sneaker collection: buy 99 of world's rarest in one go - "Canadian investor Miles Nadal splurged $850,000 at Sotheby’s to snap up their entire auction of sought-after trainers."
- How to take care of trainers so they last - "A light clean after every wear, deodorise overnight and never put them in the washing machine."
- I went to a sneaker launch in VR because of the coronavirus - "Asics' new sneaker launch was in VR... it could be the start of a trend."
- If your shoes are too trendy, menswear communities are probably calling them ‘memes’ - The Verge.
- INSIDE ADIDAS’ ROBOT-POWERED ON-DEMAND SNEAKER FACTORY - Wired.
- IOFIT Smart Shoe Wants To Be Your Personal Trainer - Samsung.
- is it the end for high heels? - "As clumpy trainers increasingly take over, sky-high stilettos have become divisive. For some they mean oppression, for others they mean sex, empowerment and fluidity."
- K-Swiss is designing a pair of sneakers for an e-sports team - The Verge.
- Killer Kicks: the secret in your sneakers - "The sneaker industry has tripled in the last 10 years, now accounting for almost half of global footwear sales. They are a fashion phenomenon. Watch the full documentary on BBC iPlayer."
- Kizik’s ‘handsfree’ shoes are true to their name - "Silly, yet practical."
- Let He Who Is Without Yeezys Cast the First stone - "Should pastors wear $5,000 sneakers? There’s been soul-searching recently over materialism in houses of worship."
- Meet the HyperAdapt, Nike’s Awesome New Power-Lacing Sneaker - Wired.
- Michael Jordan sneakers are going for crazy prices - "Buy! Buy! Buy! There's a bull market in Michael Jordan sneakers."
- Michael Jordan's signature Air Jordan shoes from 1985 are going up for auction - CNN style.
- Michael Jordan's signature Air Jordan shoes from 1985 sell for record-breaking price, Sotheby's says - "A pair of Michael Jordan's game-worn shoes from 1985 sold for more than three times the estimated auction price on Sunday, breaking the world auction record for sneakers, according to Sotheby's."
- Nike & PlayStation unite on these limited edition sneakers - The Verge.
- Nike pulls sneaker after Kaepernick objection, prompting Republican fury - "‘Betsy Ross Flag’ features 13 stars in a circle is embraced by white nationalists – Republicans criticize move, calling it ‘anti-American’."
- Nike's new self-lacing basketball shoes go on sale Sunday for $400 - "The Adapt BB 2.0 is easier to put on, and more comfortable on-court."
- Nike's Self-Lacing Shoe, the HyperAdapt 1.0 - Wired.
- Puma is recruiting beta testers for its self-lacing sneakers - "The Puma Fi beta program is taking applications until April 28th in select countries."
- Rare Nike 'Moon Shoe' up for auction at Sotheby's could fetch $160,000 - CNN style.
- Rare Nike trainers sell for $437,500 - "A pair of rare Nike trainers designed by the sportswear giant's co-founder has sold for a record-breaking $437,500."
- RUN STEALTH WITH MIDNIGHT FOG NIKE APPLE WATCH & NIKE AIR VAPORMAX - Nike News.
- Runtopia Reach's Smart Shoes Analyze Your Stride - Wired.
- Should you take your shoes off inside the house? - Studies show you could be walking all sorts of germs into your home, but is that any reason to leave your trainers at the door?
 - Sneaker Cleaning Kit - "This set comes with two bottles of our ultra-effective cleaning fluid and a specialist cleaning tool."
- SNEAKER FILES - since 2006. "On-line sneaker and fashion magazine. Our features include contributions from key industry experts, an updated sneaker release date calendar, plus a deep archive of facts and details about vintage footwear."
- Sneaker Freaker: tracking the evolution of trainers - in pictures - "The Ultimate Sneaker Book, a 15-year anthology of the cult magazine retraces every collab, custom and retro reissue, from Air Force to All Stars, Michael Jordan to Yeezy."
- sneaker news - since 2006. "Jordans, release dates & more."
- sneakerhead - a person who collects, trades or admires sneakers as a hobby.
- Sneakers for That Sprint Down the Aisle - The New York Times.
- Sneakers So Nice, You Can’t See the Pants - The New York Times.
- String theory - the knotty science of shoelaces - The Guardian.
- The factory making shoes out of plastic bottles - "By 2050, there is expected to be more plastic in the world’s oceans then there are fish. However, some of world’s biggest sportswear brands, such as Adidas and Nike, are trying to turn plastic waste into a raw material for clothes and shoes."
- The nasty truth about trainers - "More than 23 billion pairs of shoes are made every year, of which a large proportion are trainers; more than 300 million pairs are thrown out in the same time period. Most trainers are made from problematic materials including nylon, synthetic rubber and plastic. They are shaped by energy-intensive processes such as injection moulding, foaming, and heating - and then bound together with environmentally damaging chemical solvents."
- The Sneakerheads Racing to Save Their Kicks From Decay - Wired.
- The Store With the Golden Sneakers - The New York Times.
- These sneakers change color in different temperatures - Business Insider.
- These Vibrating Shoes Guide Your Steps as You Play Tourist - Wired.
- TOP CHOICES FOR TRAIL RUNNING SHOES - Wired.
- Ugly trainers: which pair are you? - The Guardian.
- Unboxing Nike's self-lacing Adapt BB sneakers is like opening a smartphone - "And best of all, they're ready to hit stores."
- Vaporfly shoes will help me reach my marathon dream. Should I use them? - "After years of trying to beat the three-hour barrier, new technology could get me there. Or is that cheating?"
- VASQUE TRAILBENDER II Review - "They won’t be a perfect fit on all feet, but these ultra-cushioned trailrunning shoes handle both roads and dirt with aplomb."
- WE TRIED ON NIKE’S NEW SELF-LACING SNEAKERS - "Hands-on with Nike's self-lacing, app-controlled sneaker of the future."
- What do you wear when you're too old for Converse? - The Telegraph.
- Who would pay £615 for a pair of dirty Gucci trainers? - "The brand is selling a range of sneakers with a ‘distressed effect’. But they certainly aren’t dirt cheap ..."
- Why are men so obsessed with trainers? - The Telegraph.
- Why are Nike trainers washing up on beaches? - "Over the past year, from Bermuda and the Bahamas to Ireland and Orkney, hundreds of pairs of unworn shoes have washed up on beaches. But how did they get there, and why are scientists so interested in where they are being found?"
- Why the chunky trainer trend might be bad news for your feet - "Trainers are the rare combination of fashionable and practical. But with soles getting thicker, podiatrists warn: don’t mistake them for gym shoes."
- Would you pay more for sustainable sneakers? - CNN.
- Yeezy Boost 350 V2: Why shoppers lined up for Kanye West's new sneaker - CNN style.
Top 150 High-End Men's & Women's Sneaker Brands: A-Z
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 - 3.1 Phillip LIM - since 2005. Men's.
 - Acne Studios - since 1997. Men's.
 - Acne Studios - since 1997. Women's.
 - ADIDAS - since 1949. Men's.
 - ADIDAS 3D-printed running shoe - only available in New York City, London & Tokyo. Men's.
 - ADIDAS Yeezy Boost 350 by Kanye West - men's.
 - ADIDAS - since 1949. Women's.
 - Air Yeezy - men's. All Air Jordan, Adidas & Nike Yeezy models.
 - ALBERTO GUARDIANI - since 1947. Men's.
 - Alejandro Ingelmo - since 2006. Men's.
 - Alejandro Ingelmo - since 2006. Women's.
 - Alexander McQueen - since 1992. Men's.
 - Alexander McQueen - since 1992. Women's.
 - ALEXANDER WANG - since 2005. Men's.
 - Allbirds wool runners - men's & women's. "Turns out superfine merino makes the world's most comfy shoes." A remarkable shoe that’s soft, lightweight, breathable, and fits your every move.
 - Allen Edmonds - since 1922. "An American Original." Men's.
- ALVIERO MARTINI - since 1987. Men's.
 - ALVIERO MARTINI - since 1987. Women's.
 - AMI - since 2011. Men's.
 - Andrew Marc - since 1982. Men's.
 - Angelo Galasso - since 2009. Men's.
 - Anine Bing - since 2012. Women's.
 - ANN DEMEULEMEESTER - since 1985. Men's & women's.
 - ANYA HINDMARCH - since 1987. Men's.
 - Aquazzura Firenze - since 2011. Women's.
 - Ark K Copenhagen - since 2014. "We love sneakers, so we make them ourselves." Men's.
 - Ark K Copenhagen - since 2014. "We love sneakers, so we make them ourselves." Women's.
 - Armani - since 1975. Men's.
 - Armani - since 1975. Women's.
 - ASH - since 2000. Men's.
 - ASH - since 2000. Women's.
 - ASICS - since 1977. "sound mind, sound body."
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 - BALENCIAGA - since 1919. Men's.
 - BALENCIAGA - since 1919. Women's.
 - BALLY - since 1851. Men's.
 - BALLY - since 1851. Women's.
 - Balmain - since 1945. Men's.
 - Balmain - since 1945. Women's.
 - BARBARA BUI - since 1987. Women's.
 - Belstaff - since 1924. Men's.
 - Belstaff - since 1924. Women's.
 - BERLUTI - Paris since 1895. "The ultimate expression of luxury for men."
 - Bettye Muller - women's.
 - Bianca Mosca - since 1946. "The ultimate 'kicks' in handmade Louisiana alligator." Can be customized online for color, stitching and initials.
 - Billionaire Couture - since 2005. Men's.
 - BjÖrn Borg - since 1984. Men's.
 - BjÖrn Borg - since 1984. Women's.
 - BOTTEGA VENETA - since 1966. Men's.
 - BOTTEGA VENETA - since 1966. Women's.
 - BRIONI - since 1945. Men's.
 - BROOKS - since 1914. Men's.
 - BROOKS - since 1914. Women's.
 - Brunello Cucinelli - since 1978. Men's.
 - Brunello Cucinelli - since 1978. Women's.
 - Burberry - since 1856. Men's.
 - Burberry - since 1856. Women's.
 - Buscemi - since 2013. Men's.
 - Buscemi - since 2013. Women's.
 - Buttero - since 1974. Men's.
 - Buttero - since 1974. Women's.
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 - Camper - since 1975. Men's.
 - Camper - since 1975. Women's.
 - CANALI - since 1934. "Canali has been a paradigm of tailor-made Italian luxury and men’s elegance for over 80 years. A refined aesthetic blends with a casual spirit in our selection of sneakers. Pair with jeans or casual pants to create your ideal leisure time look." Men's.
 - CAR SHOE - since 1963. "The Original." Owned by Prada. Men's.
 - CAR SHOE - since 1963. "The Original." Owned by Prada. Women's.
 - Carven - since 1945. Women's.
 - Cat Footwear - since 1904. Men's.
 - CESARE PACIOTTI - since 1948. Men's.
 - CESARE PACIOTTI - since 1948. Women's.
 - CHANEL - since 1910. Women's.
 - CHAPAL Paris - since 1832. Men's.
 - CHAPAL Paris - since 1832. Women's.
 - CHARLES TYRWHITT - since 1986. "Gents everywhere sport trainers with chinos, shorts, wool trousers - even with a suit. In Tyrwhitt-quality trainers, you’ll look like a refined modern dresser rather than a lost schoolboy." Jermyn Street, London. Men's.
 - CHEANEY - "Handcrafted in England Since 1886." Unisex trainers.
 - CHLOÉ - since 1952. Women's.
 - CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN - since 1992. Men's.
 - CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN - since 1992. Women's.
 - Church's - since 1873. "Sneakers can form the foundation for all types of looks. From relaxed styles in soft suede, to sleek leather items that belong at the bottom of a suit, the possibilities are endless." Men's.
 - Church's - since 1873. "The sneaker continues to have its moment, crafted in exquisite leathers and styled for more than weekend errands. Sumptuous calfskin and shimmering metallic finishes offer smart-casual sophistication." Women's.
 - C1RCA - men's & women's.
 - COACH - founded in New York in 1941. Men's.
 - COACH - founded in New York in 1941. Women's.
 - Cole Haan - since 1928. Men's.
 - Cole Haan - since 1928. Women's.
 - Common Projects - since 2004. Men's.
 - Common Projects - since 2004. Women's.
 - CONVERSE - founded in 1908. Men's.
 - CONVERSE - founded in 1908. Women's.
 - Corthay Paris - since 1990. "Contemporary Shoemaker." Men's.
 - COS - since 2007. Men's.
 - COS - since 2007. Women's.
 - CoSTUME NATIONAL - since 1986. Men's.
 - CoSTUME NATIONAL - since 1986. Women's.
 - CREATIVE RECREATION - since 2002. Men's.
 - CREATIVE RECREATION - since 2002. Women's.
 - CROCS - since 2002. Men's.
 - CROCS - since 2002. Women's.
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 - Damir Doma - since 2006. Women's.
 - Dashing Tweeds - men's.
 - DC SHOES - since 1994. Men's.
 - DC SHOES - since 1994. Women's.
 - Delman - since 1919. Women's.
 - Diemme - since 1992. Handmade in Onè di Fonte, Italy. Men's.
 - Diemme - since 1992. Handmade in Onè di Fonte, Italy. Women's.
 - DIESEL - since 1978. Men's.
 - DIESEL - since 1978. Women's.
 - DIOR - since 1946. "Dior Men sneakers deliver the ultimate in comfort and style." Men's.
 - DIOR - since 1946. "Dior sneakers balance the house’s couture spirit with contemporary trends and continuous comfort." Women's.
 - DKNY - since 1984. Women's.
 - DOLCE & GABBANA - since 1985. Men's.
 - DOLCE & GABBANA - since 1985. Women's.
 - Donald J Pliner - since 1989. Men's.
 - Donald J Pliner - since 1989. Women's.
 - Dsquared2 - since 1995. Men's.
 - Dsquared2 - since 1995. Women's.
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