2026 GQ Sneaker Survey: Has Sneaker Culture's Momentum Slowed?

It’s 2026—is sneaker culture still kicking? That question lingered in the air through the last days of 2025, fueled by social media discourse amongst sneakerheads, content creators, and longtime vets of the retail and brand-collaboration world. It’s a rhetorical question without a real answer unless you’re looking exclusively at dwindling sales numbers and prices on resale platforms like GOAT, KicksCrew, StockX, and others. The real answer is a little more complicated. Sneaker culture is undeniably shifting; the peak era of Air Jordan collabs and retros ruling the market and fetching astronomical markups at resale has somewhat definitively come to a close. You can point to the resale industry, the pandemic, the Last Dance craze finally dying down a little, and oversaturation as reasons but the biggest factor in the shift is a bit simpler: things change. And here at GQ we have long believed that change is good. The tides have been changing in the sneaker scene for a minute and beneath the “what does it all mean?” discourse of 2025 there were glimpses at what the future holds—and in my opinion, it’s bright. New collaborators like LAAMS at Nike, Willy Chavarria at Adidas, and Auralee at New Balance gave us forward-thinking interpretations of shoes we’ve long known and loved, while tried and true voices like Nigel Sylvester and Bad Bunny put out some of the most exciting work of their tenures with Jordan and Adidas, respectively. Torpedo shoes started blowing up. Tyler, the Creator launched the insanely cool 1908 project with Converse. Vans came out of nowhere with exciting collaborations that made them a bonafide Brand To Watch for the first time in ages. Sneakers are, arguably, as exciting as ever—just not in the way they’ve been in the past. Looking ahead at what the next year has in store for the sneaker scene, we reached out to some of our favorite voices in the industry for their perspective on what 2026 will bring for sneaker trends, the resale industry, and which kicks they can’t wait to lace up for the next 12 months. What’s the sneaker trend you see taking off in 2026? Brendan Dunne, senior director of community engagement, StockX: I think that generally we’re going to see all of sportswear pivot toward soccer silhouettes for the World Cup. Almost every big sneaker company will be looking to capitalize on this moment, so there will be a gamut of cleats-turned-sneakers, streetwear collabs on kits, and brand events around the games. Andy Dutton, content creator, @__adsneaks: I think we’re going to see people lean even more toward comfort over nostalgia. Retro mesh runners have been steadily gaining ground, and based on what I see my students wearing and what consistently shows up on social media, that momentum isn’t slowing down. Major brands have invested heavily in their running category, and it’s translating into everyday style, not just performance. Paulina Lopez, content creator, @___paulina: I think 2026 is shaping up to be a year of more intentional wear. People are moving away from buying just to collect and toward sneakers that fit multiple parts of their lives and get after comfort, versatility, and personal style. There’s a continued merge of sport, lifestyle, and everyday wear, with more emphasis on storytelling and why a shoe matters to someone personally, not just how it looks. David Rivera, creative director, The Hundreds: Luxury “vintage.” Elegance softened by the human experience, something that feels lived-in but intentional. Think a perfectly worn pleated leather loafer that’s somehow still brand new. Margiela taping the toe of the Replica, or Love to Death’s canvas shoes that look like they’re on the brink of falling apart. I love seeing shoes gain mileage. Not sure I’m ready for fully “cooked” shoes straight out of the box, but the idea is definitely gaining traction. Simran Kaleka, founder, MadeForTheW: The trend I see taking off in 2026 is innovative design with a heavy emphasis on comfort. I feel like up until the past few years, classics and retro designs trumped everything, no matter how much it hurt to wear. Now I feel like it’ll lean more towards seeing fresh concepts with cushioned comfort to match, because you want it to be wearable. What’s the sneaker you’re most excited about wearing this year? Dunne: I’m still stuck on the Adidas EVO SL because I love running in it and think that even though it’s over a year old now, there hasn’t been that much done with the model on a lifestyle and colorblocking tip. I just got the absurd Hartcopy polka dot pair with the matching socks so I’m specifically excited to really clown it up in those. (The complementary socks are mandatory.) Dutton: Knowing a few things that are coming down the pipeline, I’m really excited about what Adidas is doing with the Adistar Control 5. It’s an incredibly comfortable model, and some of the upcoming colorways look really strong. The Asics Gel NYC 2.0 is another one that stands out to me. The updates they made to an already great silhouette look great, and you already know the comfort is going to be there. Lopez: When it comes to what I’m most excited about wearing, I’m gravitating toward clean, easy silhouettes that feel authentic to me and my lifestyle. Shoes that I can wear all day, move through different environments in and that prioritize comfort without feeling overdesigned are what excites me most right now. And for me, it’s less about chasing hype and more about what actually fits into my life. Rivera: Nike Goadomes. I’m a big fan of a comfortable sneaker-boot. I’ve been wearing the ponyhair pairs all winter, and I’m seeing upcoming colorways that feel like they’ll still work into summer. It’s Nike leaning confidently into the gorpcore lane and doing it well. Kaleka: There’s so much heat dropping, but I always look forward to the Doernbecher pack touching down. The entire lineup this year is crazy but the one that truly stood out to me, is the Nike V2K Run—from the mismatched pair, the attention to design, and the storytelling behind each charm and detail to each tribute, it makes the shoe a combination of sentimentality and nostalgia in a silhouette that can be worn every day and one that brings back the creativity and fun that made us fall in love with sneakers in the first place. Which brand has the most juice heading into 2026? Dunne: It feels obvious to say but I think Nike has the most energy right now. I think they had a string of new models last year—the Vomero Plus, the Mind 001, the Ja 3, the A’One—that galvanized interest in new, performance shoes. Plus, we’re seeing positivity in the numbers — average resale prices for Nike and Jordan jumped 5% and 6%, respectively, on StockX last year. I think you also can’t ignore what Vans has been doing. They’re really cooking right now with stuff like the Souvenir Old Skool, and our data reflects that the demand is real. Vans ended 2025 with average prices up 42%, and average price premiums surged 28% on StockX. Dutton: This one’s tough, because a lot of brands really showed out in 2025. But with the World Cup happening this year, and Adidas already having a strong presence in fashion and the lifestyle crossover with their basketball line, it feels like they’ve got the most juice right now. Lopez: I don’t think it’s about any one brand having the most “juice” heading into 2026. The brands that are resonating are the ones showing up with authenticity, cultural connection, and consistency whether that’s through community, storytelling, or real-world presence/impact. Consumers are incredibly tuned in and can quickly tell what feels genuine versus what feels forced. Rivera: Nike, still. That momentum hasn’t gone anywhere. Then Hoka, Asics, and New Balance right behind. Vans feels like it has some renewed energy, and Anwar Carrots at K-Swiss is also exciting! Namacheko dropping a strong derby to start the year right. Kaleka: I think it’s going to be Nike having the most juice heading into the year, with Adidas not far behind. Being able to see how Nike has taken running silhouettes and transitioned them into lifestyle too, from the Vomero 5’s, the V2K Run’s and now, the year of the Nike Vomero Premium, being dualistic from running to everyday style. That’s a gift. Adidas has been able to do the same from the Adistar Jellyfish as well as the AdizeroEvo SL. I think you will see these everywhere this year. What is the state of sneaker culture in 2026? Dunne: It feels to me like we’re in a moment where the pendulum swings away from retro and back toward newness. I’ll caveat this by saying the foundation of sneaker collecting as a hobby will always be retro models, but it feels to me like we’re in an era where people are again willing to spend more of their money on new designs. Shoes that come to mind here are Nike’s Vomero Plus, Tom Sachs’s Nike work, and Steven Smith’s Ripple model at Crocs. Dutton: I think sneaker culture is still thriving—it’s just evolving. The market is more competitive than it’s ever been, and that’s a good thing. There’s a healthy blend of retro and innovation, which appeals to a wider range of people. There’s less obsession with hype for hype’s sake and more focus on comfort, wearability, and personal taste. Lopez: Sneaker culture in 2026 feels more personal and decentralized than ever. It’s less driven by a single hype moment and more by individual expression, local communities, and how sneakers live in everyday life. People still care deeply, but the definition of what’s considered “cool” has broadened and that to me feels like a healthy, exciting evolution for the culture. Rivera: The idea that sneaker culture is “dead” feels tied to a very specific moment we just lived through: resale stores popping up everywhere like pimples on a 14-year-old kid’s face. That era’s fading. Sneaker culture itself will never die. It’s too deep, too personal, and too rooted in self-expression. You just have to know how to filter the noise. At the end of the day, we’re still buying sneakers that we love.