If the idea of wearing one of the best fancy sneakers for men turns you off, we get it. Much of the market is still crying out for a design reset, and has become flooded with overhyped (and over-bulky) designs, covered in logos and jangling with tchotchkes.
But that’s exactly what sets the best luxury sneaker brands apart. While their peers chase viral moments and befuddling collaborations, these labels still focus on what made premium sneakers worth buying in the first place: thoughtful, elegant designs in elevated materials, that carry a sophistication above the level of everyday athletic styles, and will also last far, far longer.
There’s an added bonus to these sneakers’ simplicity: it makes them much easier to deploy. At the office, they’ll bring an energetic element to business-casual looks. But off duty, they’ll still buddy up well with denim, cargo pants, shorts, and pretty much anything else you’d wear on a weekend. (Some of them can even pair with truly smart looks—though if you’re thinking of pairing a suit with sneakers, do check out our advice on the subject.) Of course, elevated materials also means elevated pricing, but if you’re ready to invest, we’d recommend you do it with one of the eight designers below, all of whom have proven their worth and style chops, year after year.
The Best Fancy Sneakers for Men, According to GQ
Prada
While a lot of blue-chip designer labels are relatively new to the sneaker game, Prada has been consistently churning out winning sneaker styles—like the beloved Americas Cup—since the late 1990s. Its offering tends to be split into two halves; on one side are the clean, crisp, and minimally-styled shapes, on the other are the more progressive, trend-leading variations, for guys looking to flex a little harder.
Right now, the winners on that front are their Montecarlo, Collapse and Speedrock styles, which have both contributed to the overall slimming down of sneaker silhouettes that has taken root across menswear. Honestly, many Prada sneaker styles have created hordes of imitators at almost every price point. But if you can afford the original, look no further.
