The Best Sneaker Brands to Have On Your Radar in 2022
Well we’ve certainly gone through multiple phases of sneaker culture over these past couple of years haven’t we? With the proliferation of loafers and other non-sneakers, the game has changed. But the sneaker still lingers and always will, so we rounded up a list of some of the best sneaker brands to have on your radar.
The Current State of Sneakers
Prior to the pandemic, online sneaker shopping was definitely a thing, but there was also a balance of people shopping in stores as well. Then 2020 hit and shifted the universe in a dramatic way. Now everyone was buying sneakers online/through apps because that was the only way to have a shot at getting not only the newest releases, but in some cases it was the only way of purchasing sneakers period.
You could also very well make the argument of the pandemic resulting in a load of “sneaker newbies” being introduced to the scene as athletic and athleisure popularity began to rise due to us primarily being stuck at home. 2020 (and even 2021) was also responsible for a renewed interest amongst people who had previously been sneakerheads/avid sneaker lovers, but had left the game for one reason or another.
Additionally, those two years brought forth a lot of new sneaker brands, collaborations, and third-party apps to shop from. So now we’re in August 2022, and you may be wondering what the current sneaker scene looks like. Well, there’s multiple answers to this question.
You obviously have the die-hard sneaker lovers who have been at it for years or even decades that are still heavily involved, but on the same token, you also have some of those die-hards who left in 2020 and 2021 due to frustration over both being able to obtain sneakers, and the sudden rise of “sneaker influencers” who were getting access to certain shoes and doing giveaways, thus limiting access even more.
You also have the 2020 newbies that have gone on to stay in the game, while on the flip side, you also have some where the interest has died down. Then there’s always what we call the “middle ground,” those casual sneaker wearers that only buy from time to time, or when needed.
Now despite waning interest in certain areas, and growing interest in other types of shoes such as loafers, sneaker culture is still very much around in a big way. Below are 20 of the best sneaker brands that you can check out if you are looking to add a pair or two to your closet.
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So as you can see, there’s plenty of sneaker brands available in 2022 to choose from. You could go with Nike and adidas, head down the luxury direction with Gucci, Hoka One One, and Maison Margiela, or go with a younger designer like Father Steve. Hopefully you leave this article on your way to buy a new pair of sneakers. In the meantime, be sure to keep up with us for our latest style articles and updates.
