Step into the holiday season with some of the hottest sneaks on the market
Celebrations, holiday revelry, and day-to-day gatherings have resumed with caution. Suffice it to say, having been sheltered for so long, most of us have surrendered to the new normal and may have forgotten how to dress to impress. Piecing together outfits may get taxing but a quick-fire way to streamline a look is to start from the bottom up—with footwear.
Shoe companies have been incorporating new styles and materials for futuristic designs. The big hitters, top shoe companies, and luxury brands have been taking culture-shifting swings and are finding ways to make us fall in love with classics as well as innovative and exciting silhouettes. Like last year, 2022 gives us refreshing and fashion-forward ideas, from platform heels to designer shoes with larger-than-life, in-your-face aesthetics but highlights comfort.
Today’s designers are highly influenced by the concept of dopamine dressing, which saw models flaunting colorful and eye-catching kicks across fashion capitals.
To make everyone’s lives easier, here are some of the best sneakers to get before the year ends.
Good shoes take you to good places—Seohyun
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The ever-popular Jordans
In an ode to Virgil Abloh, who died on Nov. 28, 2021, Louis Vuitton has curated a best-of collection for fall/winter 2022, debuting among the greatest hits of its late artistic director for menswear the LV Trainer 2.
This new iteration reinterprets in high-top form the first sneaker ever introduced by Abloh when he started at LV in 2018. The original, chunky, and low-top, was drawn from skateboarding culture.
This time, however, the sneaker takes off from the world of basketball, referencing the Air Jordan VIII with its strap running over the tongue. On the padded tongue lies a custom basketball insignia, which can also be found around the rear and on the medial side. There’s more padding around the collar in true Air Jordan fashion, with more of the house cues infiltrating the design.
Available in black and white colorways in-store and online.
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Riding in Italian style
One of the new releases to be presented at the Salone del Mobile 2022 is a special edition of the Tod’s Tabs sneaker. The cult product known for its rubber pebbles on the heel will feature soft white monochrome leather as well as inserts of leather and suede in contrasting tones.
The shoe is part of a collaborative collection of Tod’s and Colnago, “Made in Italy” brands founded on the values of tradition, craftsmanship, and innovation. It has been released together with a windbreaker and a high-tech bicycle.
Also from Tod’s, but not part of the collection, is the 1T Sneaker that features a bold silhouette of suede and fabric, smooth leather inserts, and maxi gommino sole. It embodies retro elegance with cutting-edge design.
Available in all Tod boutiques worldwide.
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Wear it like Brad Pitt
Among the most talked about link-ups today is the adidas x Gucci AW22 collection, with Alessandro Michele pulling out all the stops to synthesize wearable sportswear with high drama and glamor. The Italian fashion designer takes inspiration from his memories of the ’80s and ’90s for this contemporary and nostalgia-driven collection.
Among the items that caught everyone’s attention is the men’s Gazelle sneaker in white leather with suede trim, which Brad Pitt wore when he attended the premiere of Columbia Pictures’ Bullet Train at the Le Grand Rex on July 18, 2022, in Paris, France.
These Gazelle sneakers use white leather with details in Demetra—crafted from animal-free raw materials that are primarily from sustainable, renewable, and bio-based sources—and have Trefoil print, label, and stripes.
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Stylish but still environment-friendly
A reinterpretation of classic running shoes in a cross-gender and contemporary way is the Salvatore Ferragamo sneakers. Bright color combinations and vintage style are enhanced by a slender silhouette and comfortable fit, alternation of fabric, suede and leather inserts, as well as rubber running sole, with customized tread from heel to toe. Key features of the model are responsible and high-tech materials alongside Ferragamo’s signature craftsmanship.
It stands out for its responsible essence like the Econyl upper and a fiber regenerated from fishing nets and other nylon waste. The suede inserts are made by giving second life to manufacturing scraps. The fussbett and back lining are in leather, tested, and verified to have been produced using a chrome-free tanning process. The sewing thread is made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled polyester, and the Strobel felt contains recycled pre-consumer polyester fibers.
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Radical, revolutionary, and now for women
Conceived by creative director Matthew M. Williams as his dream sneaker, the original TK-360 is an exploration of function and form, with its hold, custom-molded silhouette featuring a classic stretch knit upper that is fully integrated with the sole.
First introduced for spring-summer 2022, the sneaker immediately became a Givenchy essential.
For fall-winter 2022, the house presents the TK-360+ sneaker, a variation that also crosses over into women’s wear.
Similar to the original, the TK-360+ is constructed in a single piece, fusing technical and visual innovation. Its distinctive shape now features dynamic, grid-like grooves, fresh eglors, and contrasting accents of pink ando wicket text. Enhancing the impression of forwarding movement, a unique tread motif ensures an exclusive footprint while Givenchy lettering completes this avant-garde style.
Now available in-store and online in tonal versions (ultraviolet and black) or in white, silver grey or black with gradient gridwork.