The 10 Best Soccer Sneakers

Right now, there’s no escaping the hype surrounding the World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Numerous releases are hitting the market; Nike is enlisting all its partners for a comprehensive collaboration series, while adidas has teamed up with Timothée Chalamet to shoot a campaign.

We want to take advantage of the current buzz to present our ten favorite soccer sneakers from recent years. We’re not necessarily focusing on functional aspects or how well the sneakers perform on the field, but simply on how much we like them. And we’re not ruling out the occasional collaboration either.

Credit: Footshop

Wales Bonner x adidas Samba

Let’s start right away with one of our favorite releases of recent years. British designer Grace Wales Bonner joined adidas in 2020 to bring her vision of a German sportswear brand with Caribbean influences to life. And much like Kiko Kostadinov did with Asics back in the day, this partnership was also meant to breathe new life into the Herzogenaurach archive. It’s thanks to her that the adidas Samba is now one of the most successful sneakers in the 3-Stripes lineup, and even during the current World Cup, countless fans swear by this low-top sneaker. By the way, our favorite version is the silver model, but the regular Samba is also a no-brainer for us—you can currently here available in various sizes and colorways.

Stone Island x New Balance Furon Elite

No less relevant for die-hard soccer fans is what’s known as “Terrace Culture.” It describes the culture of the fan stands and the Ultras. There, brands like Ellesse or C.P. Company are paired with sneakers from adidas or New Balance. The Boston-based brand has listened to these fans and brought the Holy Grail of the Terrace scene to the collaboration table: Stone Island. The brand enjoys the highest prestige among Ultras. Rumor has it that at some clubs, fans must first earn the Stone Island badge before they’re allowed to wear it freely in the stadium. The Furon Elite, a joint release from the two partners, offers not only plenty of heritage but also a good dose of technology. The breathable upper and the thermochromic artwork, which changes with temperature, make this model a sure bet both on and off the field. You can find this model here.

Nike Total 90

As obvious as it may be to include the Nike Total 90 in a top 10 list of soccer sneakers, its cultural relevance is undeniable. An entire generation that fell in love with the Y2K style of that era and wants to wear what their older siblings or parents used to wear naturally also has a soft spot for the soccer era of that time. The 2002 World Cup in South Korea immediately comes to mind: Brazil as an unbeatable powerhouse, Germany in the final, and the Nike Total 90 series on everyone’s lips. Just in time for the World Cup, Nike reissued the model last year and breathed new life into it with its new partner, Palace Skateboards. Here, too, you can’t go wrong in either the lifestyle or regular soccer segments. So if you want to wear your love for the game—along with a healthy dose of nostalgia—on your feet, you can here choose their favorite colorway of the Nike Total 90.

Puma King Indoor

And even more nostalgia awaits us with the Puma King. Back in the day, this sneaker was the weapon of choice for legends like Pelé and Maradona, and since 1968, it has epitomized soccer culture in action. Among connoisseurs, the sneaker has grown increasingly relevant over the years, which is why the German luxury brand Jil Sander reached out to Puma in 1998 to create its version of the King Avanti. Twenty-seven years later, Puma re-released the exact same sneaker in collaboration with Jil Sander, making it an insider’s pick for both Puma fans and high-fashion enthusiasts. It’s living proof that luxury and sportswear go hand in hand. As early as 1998, the groundwork was laid for collaborations like Supreme x Louis Vuitton, Palace Skateboards x Moschino, and adidas x Gucci. Anyone who appreciates this chic attitude can here get the King Indoor in various colorways here.

adidas Y-3 F50 Beast Pack

Once again, adidas—but this time with its sublabel Y-3. Under the guidance of Japanese fashion legend Yohji Yamamoto, Y-3 is today a perfect example of a long-standing collaboration that is timeless and surpasses itself year after year. The F50 TUNIT Beast Pack originally launched in 2006 and was reissued this year to mark its 20th anniversary ahead of the World Cup. It blends Japanese mythology with sportswear, a concept effortlessly highlighted by the Blue Dragon, Yellow Tiger, Red Eagle, and Silver Wolf colorways. The pack was an extremely bold, loud, and fashion-forward move back then, and today—in the age of fast-paced algorithms—it’s exactly what you need to stand out from the crowd. Fortunately, not many sneakerheads are deeply immersed in Y-3 lore just yet, which is why you can still find the adidas Y-3 F50 Beast Pack at adidas as well as from various retailers.

Arsenal F.C. x Maharishi x adidas Handball Special Edition

Okay, we’ll admit it: When it comes to soccer, adidas is the undisputed king. No wonder—the brand has soccer in its DNA and manages to breathe new life into older silhouettes through small, targeted collaborations—as was the case with the handball special featuring Maharishi and the London soccer club Arsenal F.C.. The team did its homework on the merch and teamed up with the London-based label Maharishi to combine the brand’s camouflage style with athletic pieces. The Handball Spezial itself was originally produced in 1979 for indoor handball, but over the years it has also been adopted by soccer fans and, since 2023, has been worn more and more off the soccer field in the lifestyle segment alongside silhouettes like the Gazelle and Samba. You can get the adidas Handball Spezial directly at adidas Shop them in numerous colorways.

Overkill x adidas ZX 8000

We already mentioned “Terrace Culture” and the success of brands like Stone Island above. Here in Germany, the situation is similar, except that—especially in the eastern part of the country—people wear an EQT or ZX model on their wrist as a compass. No other store can showcase this lifestyle better than Overkill in Berlin. Since its opening in 2003, the store has embodied this exact spirit and has been delighting ultras and sneakerheads alike ever since. For example, during the last European Championship, they managed to create a black-red-gold sneaker for the home game—arguably the most successful take on the “proudly German” colorways compared to other projects. Wearing your own flag has never felt less cringey. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the regular ZX 8000 either, since the sneaker rightfully bears the title of “timeless” and will forever remain an icon—especially for German sneakerheads. Here You’ll find the standard ZX 8000 in a wide variety of styles.

Umbro Speciali

Arguably the most minimalist sneaker on this list is the Umbro Speciali, released in 1992. The British brand, which is over 100 years old, created the blueprint for a simple soccer boot. The sneaker can be seen as a subtle counterpoint to other sneakers on the field, which often come across as colorful, flashy, and—to some—even over-the-top. Crafted with a fine leather construction in Italy, it was considered one of the lightest boots on the market at the time and was worn by legends like Roberto Carlos. We especially love the so-called “fold-over tongue” on the Umbro Speciali—paired with the high-quality leather construction, it looks more like a dress sneaker than a soccer shoe. If you want to see for yourself, you can check out the sneaker here Choose from a variety of sizes.

Credit: Dein-Fussballschuh.de

Nike Air Mercurial TN

“It doesn’t always have to be a collaboration,” Nike thought in 2024, combining the established soccer sneaker Mercurial Superfly with the legendary Air Max TN, aka Air Max Plus. Unveiled by Mbappé with the necessary marketing push, the sneaker became synonymous with just how close classic soccer has now come to the iconic street scene. But here, too, it’s not just the look that wins you over: the Zoom Air Unit, Vaporposite+ upper, Speed Cage, Flyknit collar, and Tri-Star studs don’t just sound like parts of a spaceship—they also work wonders on the field. On this list, the Mercurial could be considered the soccer sneaker with the best performance. Here You’ll also find the Mercurial—still without the TN upper—in various colorways.

Coca-Cola x adidas Predator Sala

Just as the ranking began with adidas, the grand finale also belongs to the Three Stripes. The reissue of the Predator Sala indoor soccer sneaker was announced earlier this year as part of the Coca-Cola collection for the World Cup. With its silver upper made of vegan leather and red 3-Stripe branding, the shoe is meant to evoke the Diet Coke can. And even though this model isn’t a classic soccer cleat like the original adidas Predator, it looks great and could be one of those sneakers that no one else is wearing at the stadium. You can still find the Coca-Cola Predator Sala available online at adidas in various sizes.

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