Now that sky-high platforms have plateaued a bit in fashion, it’s time to finally give our somewhat tortured feet a rest by slipping into sneakers that, beyond just being comfortable, are just as hyped up as any shoe trend, if not more. To provide us with all the insights we need on the pairs sneakerheads are scooping up like candy, I called on an expert from one of the sneaker world’s most knowledgeable sources: StockX.
Drew Haines is the director of sneakers and collectibles at StockX, a trusted online marketplace where experienced collectors and novice first-time buyers alike go to buy and sell their sneakers (among other items). To push our sneaker collections in the right direction this season, she combined her firsthand knowledge from the job and data from StockX’s 2023 Current Culture Index to determine which six trends are experiencing the highest highs at this very moment, from the gorpcore style worn by Rihanna at the Super Bowl to the tried-and-true kicks that’ll never ever go out of style. Scroll down to find out which pair from the group you’ll be resting your feet in this spring. Trust me—they’ll thank you.
“Twenty-twenty-two was a banner year for Salomon,” says Haines. “It was the fastest-growing sneaker brand on our platform last year, with trades up more than 2000% compared to 2021.” The French sneaker brand’s gorpcore aesthetic attracted a slew of celebrity superfans, including Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, and most recently Rihanna. Specifically, the singer and Fenty Beauty founder wore a pair of Salomons created in collaboration with MM6 Maison Margiela during her Super Bowl halftime performance. Her exact style is called the Cross Low Drawstring. “The week after the Super Bowl, searches for ‘Rihanna’ on StockX were up 147% compared to the week prior,” Haines shares.
“The Nike Air Force 1 is a timeless sneaker that is easy to style and forever a classic,” says Haines. “While the white colorway is the most popular, the Air Force 1 has a rich history of collaborations and creative partnerships [that] help keep the silhouette top of mind year after year.” At StockX, Haines shares that the most talked-about collaboration style right now is the recently launched Low SP, designed in partnership with Tiffany & Co.
“Classic soccer sneakers from Adidas have performed extremely well on StockX over the last year,” says Haines. “Web searches for the Samba and the Gazelle saw triple-digit increases on StockX in 2022, and year-over-year trades grew 553% and 222% respectively.” According to Haines, the Samba is particularly popular, following a handful of successful collaborations with brands like Gucci and Wales Bonner and a bevy of celebrity fans, including Olivia Wilde, Zoë Kravitz, and Hadid.
According to Haines, retro runners will soon become the primary sneakers of spring 2023. “Running shoes from the ’90s have been reintroduced with new colorways, and people are wearing them as an everyday sneaker,” she shares. “New Balance’s 530 silhouette—which the brand first released in 1992—is a perfect example of this trend, [with] the classic white and navy colorway [already being] one of the best-selling New Balance sneakers on StockX right now.” Other prominent running silhouettes this season include the Asics Gel-Kayano 14 as well as most styles from Hoka and On. Emily Ratajkowski is often seen in Hokas, and Jonathan Anderson is collaborating with On for Loewe.
“New Balance sales are up more than 100% year-over-year on StockX, which is largely thanks to the popularity of the brand’s 550 silhouette,” Haines explains. “The rise of this silhouette started with a collaboration with Aimé Leon Dore that dropped in 2020.” Since, it’s had an impressive run of success, with sightings on Bieber, Laura Harrier, and Kaia Gerber. To this day, the 550 remains the number one top-sold New Balance sneaker style on StockX.
“We’re seeing an uptick in demand for sneakers from major fashion houses,” says Haines. “Louis Vuitton was the ninth fastest-growing sneaker brands on StockX in 2022, with a 141% uptick in sales in 2022 vs. 2021.”
