The 18 Best Retro Sneakers That Will Forever Be in Style

THERE’S NOTHING like getting new, swell kicks to up your sneaker game. But that rush of satisfaction is often fleeting—with trends that come and go, the sneaker style deemed hot for today will probably be out by next season. (Remember what happened to chunky soles?) If you want to score on some shoes that’ll never go out of style, the solution might seem oxymoronic but is incredibly easy to execute: retro sneakers.

Generally speaking, there are two types of retro sneakers. The first is the bona fide ones whose distinguished origins date back decades ago to the ‘90s, ‘80s, or even ‘70s; created by legacy brands such as Nike (Blazer Mid, Air Jordon, Killshot), Adidas (Superstar, Gazelle), Vans (Old Skool, Style 36), and Puma (Super Liga), these sneaker styles have since been revived and even remixed to perform better—sans compromising their signature old-school flair, of course. The second category is the retro-inspired sneakers, produced by newer labels such as Koio, Greats, and Rothy’s; although they lack the heritage and history of the first kind, their vintage design—color-blocks, side stripes, leather and suede upper, or rubber gum outsole—lets them easily pass as retro sneakers to stir up a nostalgic appreciation for footwear styles back in the good ole days.

Having made multiple comebacks since the 2000s, retro sneakers have thus far reached the height of popularity amongst men of all ages, which is why brands have jumped at (re)designing vintage-inspired kicks. Their unique magnetism confirms that old-school design motifs and details in retro sneakers will simply never go out of style. So if you want to cop some of that for your own, our selection of the 18 best retro sneakers for men below will prove why these oldies are goodies.

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