Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.
Don't let the price tag fool you. Not all high-end sneakers are built alike.
High-end sneakers may be as ubiquitous as selvedge denim these days, but more variety means it's even harder for the cream to rise to the top. Designers like Gucci and Givenchy have long embraced the sportier side of footwear, while other labels have only recently joined the party—but that doesn't mean they aren't bringing cool, fresh streetwear into the world of luxury.
Then again, brands like Tod's and Berluti have been making the case for luxury sneakers for more than a decade, and have earned a special sort of street cred. Before you pull the trigger on yet another pair, here's a primer on some of the hottest investment-level kicks.
Best Everyday Luxury Sneakers
Maison Margiela eReplica Sneakers
Read more
Best Luxe Mid-Top Sneakers
Saint Laurent Mid-Top Sneakers
Read more
Coolest Low-Top Luxury Sneakers
Lanvin Curb Quilted Leather Jumbo-Lace Sneakers
Read more
Best Luxury Dad Sneakers
Dolce & Gabbana Airmaster Lace-Up Sneakers
Read more
Best Leather and Suede Luxury Sneakers
Brunello Cucinelli Leather Low-Top Sneakers
Read more
Best Luxury Streetwear Sneakers
Salomon x MM6 Maison Margiela ACS Pro Sneakers
Read more
Best High-Top Luxury Sneakers
Rick Owens DRKSHDW Off-White Sneakers
Read more
Best Go-To Luxury Sneakers
Common Projects Decades Sneaker
Best Go-To Luxury Sneakers
Common Projects Decades Sneaker
Common Projects is patient zero for the current minimal-luxury-sneakers craze. The Achilles has become a holy grail for recovering Jordan fiends as much as it has for aspiring fashion nerds. Its cross-cultural appeal predated the muddled "mix everything together" world of modern menswear, and it looks good with just about everything. Amongst a sea of competitors, it's a shoe has achieved that covetable "timeless" status.
Best Everyday Luxury Sneakers
Maison Margiela eReplica Sneakers
Best Everyday Luxury Sneakers
Maison Margiela eReplica Sneakers
Maison Margiela's designer footwear legacy has remained relatively untouched. Its most prominent product is an upscale reinterpretation of a standard-issue German army trainer sneaker, done up in white leather with suede accents and a gum sole.
Best Minimalist Luxury Sneakers
Koio Capri Sneakers
Best Minimalist Luxury Sneakers
Koio Capri Sneakers
Koio makes a completely minimalist sneaker, and it does it well. The shoes are made in Italy, and the company was founded by Germans who are based in New York City. You're really getting the best perspectives (and access) possible.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
If ever there was someone to design a runner that's luxurious as all hell, it's Tom Ford. Tom Ford, the brand, is absolutely steeped in luxury. Makes sense; Tom Ford, the man, is also absolutely steeped in luxury. And it could go without saying, but just in case: His sneakers are, too. Soft-as-hell suede is finished with a now-signature Ford design detail: a zig-zag-edged side stripe that’s something of a calling card for other in-the-know sneaker fans.best bright luxury sneakers
These are slightly chunky, done up on rubber soles with a mesh and suede upper. The Italian-designed sneaker sure do look make the feet in them look cultured.
Best Luxe Mid-Top Sneakers
Saint Laurent Mid-Top Sneakers
Best Luxe Mid-Top Sneakers
Saint Laurent Mid-Top Sneakers
Mid- and high-top sneakers always feel a bit sportier than low-top sneakers but that doesn't inherently make them any less luxe. Saint Laurent has a particular penchant for taking a sporty design up a notch, like it did with these mid-tops. The construction and materials (all calfskin leather) are a level up from any other mid-top you've worn before.
Coolest Low-Top Luxury Sneakers
Lanvin Curb Quilted Leather Jumbo-Lace Sneakers
Coolest Low-Top Luxury Sneakers
Lanvin Curb Quilted Leather Jumbo-Lace Sneakers
With these low-top sneakers, Lanvin has done what many brands try and fail to do: make a sneaker that is undoubtedly designer without doing too much. Rather than a logo or distracting pattern, Lanvin opts for slightly distorted sizing to make its all-white sneaker stand out. The low-top design is contrasted with a puffy leather upper and the brand's signature oversized laces. They're easily wearable, and the kind of sneakers you have to know to know.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Luxury Dad Sneakers
Dolce & Gabbana Airmaster Lace-Up Sneakers
Best Luxury Dad Sneakers
Dolce & Gabbana Airmaster Lace-Up Sneakers
You'd be remiss to overlook Dolce & Gabbana's chunky dad sneaker in your search of luxury kicks. Not only are the tailoring and fabrics up to a tee, but Dolce & Gabbana encapsulates all the modern, urban aesthetics on a luxury scale.
nylon, suede, leather. all gray color is tktkt . need a sneaker for walking but still want to be fancy af. the chunky heel makes for a softer landing during a long day of walking
Best Leather and Suede Luxury Sneakers
Brunello Cucinelli Leather Low-Top Sneakers
Best Leather and Suede Luxury Sneakers
Brunello Cucinelli Leather Low-Top Sneakers
The king of soft suiting and cozy cashmere brings that same appreciation for the finer things in life to sneakers, too. They’re made in Italy (naturally), light as air, and have a suede and leather exterior to keep your feet as happy as you are when you’re wearing Cucinelli.
Best Luxury Streetwear Sneakers
Salomon x MM6 Maison Margiela ACS Pro Sneakers
Best Luxury Streetwear Sneakers
Salomon x MM6 Maison Margiela ACS Pro Sneakers
These are called Out of Office, but you can absolutely wear them in the office—and anywhere else, for that matter. MM6 is a go-to purveyor for all things luxury streetwear, and these blue and white kicks are no exception to the rule. The hits of light blue and navy make them stand out from a sea of neutrals. signature quick lace ;m two heel tabs ; technical meets luxe; midfoot cage
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best High-Top Luxury Sneakers
Rick Owens DRKSHDW Off-White Sneakers
Best High-Top Luxury Sneakers
Rick Owens DRKSHDW Off-White Sneakers
Rick Owens does edgy luxury in a "let's turn some heads" way. While you may not be up to walk around in his six-inch platform boots, these high-top leather sneakers might be an interesting addition to your closet. The shape is a blend of a sneaker and a boot, and that oversized rubberized toe is signature Rick. This pearly off-white color is one of the easiest to wear.
Thanks to outrageous silhouettes, price tags, and hype, the Balenciaga sneaker is in a world of its own. The runner is a Balenciaga staple, and this one leans into the total irreverence with a small smattering of colors: pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue. This does TKTK
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Outdoorsy Luxury Sneakers
Moncler Lite Runner Sneaker
Best Outdoorsy Luxury Sneakers
Moncler Lite Runner Sneaker
Moncler's Lite Runner brings a sense of craft and provenance to a classic runner shape. By and large, the sneakers feel like more hands-on, high-end reinterpretations of things you've seen before. In other words: Familiar, but not quite.
Best Staple Luxury Sneakers
Prada Downtown Leather Sneakers
Best Staple Luxury Sneakers
Prada Downtown Leather Sneakers
Prada’s sneakers are split between an impulse towards total minimalism (think: low-profile tonal white plimsolls) and the highly technical, from construction right down to the look of the things. But either one you go for looks truly purposeful, which makes them an interesting shoe to incorporate regardless of what floats your boat aesthetically.
Best TK Luxury Sneakers
Golden Goose Dad-Star Suede & Leather Sneakers
Best TK Luxury Sneakers
Golden Goose Dad-Star Suede & Leather Sneakers
Husband and wife Francesca and Alessandro Gallo founded this sneaker brand on a common passion for sneakers and art. Its flagship products are Italian-made sneakers with the breaking-in done for you. Why not splurge on designer kicks that already feel like your favorite pair? At least if you scuff them further, they won't look any worse for wear.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best TK Luxury Sneakers
Celine Homme CT-04 Leather Sneakers
Best TK Luxury Sneakers
Celine Homme CT-04 Leather Sneakers
If anyone can make an all-white leather sneaker look like the coolest, sleekest thing on the market, surely its Hedi Slimane. If you have the money to burn, these are virtually impossible to compete with.
Best Knit Luxury Sneakers
Loro Piana 360 Flexy Walk Wish Wool Sneakers
Best Knit Luxury Sneakers
Loro Piana 360 Flexy Walk Wish Wool Sneakers
You know those cozy AF Loro Piana cashmeres that you wish you could wrap your whole body in? Well, you can at least wrap your feet in them. The luxury label has a pair of leather-trimmed knit sneakers that feel oh so soft.
Best Embossed Luxury Sneakers
Givenchy Giv 1 Croc-Effect Leather Sneakers
Best Embossed Luxury Sneakers
Givenchy Giv 1 Croc-Effect Leather Sneakers
The Giv 1, with its (not too) chunky silhouette and, in this particular take, a shiny croc-embossed upper, is a must-have for casual footwear enthusiasts and sneakerheads alike.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Built-to-Last Luxury Sneakers
Hender Scheme Manual Industrial Product 01 Sneakers
Best Built-to-Last Luxury Sneakers
Hender Scheme Manual Industrial Product 01 Sneakers
Made out of a natural, vegetable-tanned leather that will get darker over time, this is an investment shoe if we've ever seen one.
The brand may be best known for its supple Gommino driving loafers, but Tod's isn't a one-trick pony. Aside from (very good) apparel, the Italian label also does chunky boots, sturdy lace-ups, and sneakers that run the gamut from minimal to—like this pair—maximal as all hell. Take your pick, of course, but right now, for our money, the gorp-y, hiker-y vibes are tough to beat.