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Asics recently dropped a new version of the Gel-NYC, and it is a cleaner, more streamlined take. It maintains that runner-like shape and feel but without the technical aspects of a true running shoe.
It still has some shock absorption and is overall a solid choice for everyday wear. It takes inspiration from New York City’s industrial elements, and we appreciate how it feels casual and a little tech dorky but in a good way.
Menswear brand Nahmias is very surfy California, as are the shoes it designed with Puma. The classic shoe shape gets some subtly cool updates, like a gum sole, distressed leather trim, and crochet laces that are everything. (The laces also come with friendship beads, which you may or may not want to take advantage of.) If your all-white sneaker is feeling slightly outdated, let this Suede drop be your saving grace.
Saucony’s Grid Jazz 9 sneaker has been one of our favorites for a casual everyday sneaker that is neither too much of a running shoe nor too much of a flat-soled low-top. These are a little techy, but the colorway is muted. And they are extremely comfortable.
Nike’s Astrograbber returned to the scene thanks to fabric extraordinaire Emily Bode a few years back, but we think this pack means the shoe is back for real. This extremely old-school sneaker feels like it was just plucked right out of the ’70s in this muted Linen and Sail colorway. It has a waxed canvas upper with leather detailing and a dramatic waffle outsole.
Brooks and designer Jeff Staple teamed up to make this earthy, eclectic Cascadia sneaker that takes inspiration from nature and the city. It’s a busy pattern on a trail-y shoe, and we’re into it. I saw someone on Reddit call this collab “grandma curtain ass sneakers,” and although I think they meant it as an insult, I will be reclaiming the term.
If you want to edge out of your standard sneaker brand rotation, look to Mizuno. In particular, look to the Wave Daichi LS (LS for lifestyle) sneaker, which is incredibly comfortable and wearable. If the all black color wasn’t sleek enough, the pared-down upper and cool lacing system make the whole shoe even better.
The New Balance Abzorb 2000 was one of the great late drops in fall 2025, and the all-blue colorway was all but impossible to find. Not to worry: new colors of the retrofuturistic design are rolling in, all done up on those full-length SBS pods.
You don’t have to be a Jordans guy to appreciate that this collaboration with Levi’s is just plain fun. Jordan 3s? In raw indigo? I mean, yeah, they sound like a blue-bleeding nightmare in the rain but it’s all for the love of the game here.
Adidas and designer Willy Chavarria teamed up to make this slick, off-white pair of Jabbar lows. The whole shoe (of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, that is) is elevated to match Chavarria’s laid-back but luxe aesthetic. The leather is buttery soft and the oversized tongue is just irreverent enough.
Salomon’s XT-WHISPER was one of our favorite silhouettes from last year, and we still love it as a technical, comfortable shoe. It’s breathable, easy to put on, and this Vanilla Ice/Green Gables colorway is superb. The shoe is lightweight at 10 oz and a joy to wear.
Hoka is getting in on the performance-lifestyle sneaker game, and the Stinson One7s are proof of concept. This is a mashup of a trail shoe and a lifestyle sneaker, made with an H-frame and multi-directional lugs for function and a caged upper with speed laces for both function and looks. Chunky but functional.
If you told me a few years ago that On would be making a chic, streamlined sneaker I could genuinely promote wearing every day, I simply would not have believed you. But the CloudFlow 5 AD has proven me wrong, smoothing out On’s hole-y midsole below a slicked-back upper made with tonal 3D prints. The shoe is on trend but not trendy.
Maybe it’s too soon to feel nostalgic for the Balenciaga runners, but Adidas’s Adistar XLG 2.0 gets us pretty close. They’re fairly comfy, very extra, and an affordable alternative to Pharrell’s Jellyfish sneaker. They feel a little like wearing a semi-truck tire but, you know, cool.
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