The Best Sneakers of 2023 (So Far)

Sometimes as we compile these lists at the year’s midpoint, as we survey what’s been impressive and exciting in the year of sneakers with still six months of it to go, there is some stretching. When June arrives and we reflect on what’s happened in the year in footwear up to that point, there are picks and favorites that we know won’t look as strong come the year’s end. We still include them, because that’s part of the exercise, but we do so knowing that by the time the calendar expires, they may not be close to the best sneakers of the year. 2023 feels different.

The first half has been as exciting a chunk of time in sneakers as any in recent memory. The cynicism around hype and limited edition footwear that’s bubbled since the start of the decade has made consumers more critical and less likely to fawn over every collab shoved down their throats.

There is more brand parity. There are more sneaker models that we can highlight without being accused of trying to be too cute or offbeat with our picks. Overall, the hobby of sneaker collecting feels right now to be focused on more diverse styles, brands, and partners, which has resulted in a great and varied batch of sneakers for this year. These are our picks for the best sneakers of 2023 so far—a good number of which could still be standing when the time comes to solidify the best sneakers of the year in December.

Release Date: March 24
Price: $220

The Adidas Samba has been having a moment. The classic black with white stripes and white with black stripes pairs have sold out on the brand’s website, people have had to enter raffles to get the shoes from retailers, and Adidas is pumping out cool collaborations on the sneaker left and right. The biggest project this year so far is Kith’s rendition of the Samba that was a three-way collaboration with Clarks and Adidas.

What sets these Sambas apart from the pair you wore in the ‘90s, played indoor soccer in, or wore to a Bouncing Souls show is their sole, a thick crepe sole platform taken from Clarks’ design language. Kith head honcho Ronnie Fieg has a rich history of selling and designing Clarks over the years, as well as working with Adidas, so it made sense that he was the one to mash them up. The Samba and Clarks connection might seem random on the surface, but there’s a huge crossover between the two models and the subcultures they thrive in. Both Adidas and Clarks are huge in Jamaica, where reggae and dancehall scenes have adopted the models—the former with much thanks to Bob Marley’s love for Adidas. There’s also a huge love for Clarks Wallabees and suede Adidas in the UK’s football casual movement. The quality of this collaboration is top-notch, which you’d expect from Kith, as is the resale value, which was a shocker for Samba fans—pairs might cost you $1,000 right now depending on the size and color.–Matt Welty

Release Date: May 6
Price: $130

Nike SB’s journey from pop culture–inspired collabs to officially licensed projects has included linkups with Ben & Jerry’s, the Grateful Dead, and even Polaroid. This year, the Swoosh’s skate division teamed up with Mexican soft drink brand Jarritos for an SB Dunk Low decked out in the green and orange colors of the Jarritos logo. With hemp canvas overlays, a two-tone outsole, and official Jarritos branding on the right heel, the shoes also feature a hidden detail. Both the tan hemp and the green textile Swoosh materials on the upper can be torn away to reveal orange underneath. 

While some may argue that certain unofficial Nike SBs from the past like the “Heineken” Dunks did it better, there’s something to be said for two powerhouse brands coming together and managing to deliver something that appeals to fans of both. –Riley Jones

Release Date: May 6
Price: $160

It isn’t often that you see a Saucony collab pop up on a “best of the year” list. But seeing Jae Tips’ Grid Azura 9000 on this countdown shouldn’t come as a surprise. The loud colorway, which channels a Bespoke Nike Air Force 1 that Jae Tips created in 2019, commands attention. Its mix of bright colors like Grimace purple and bubblegum pink across the upper may also remind fans of his popular New Era fitted hat collaborations. “Remember Who Fronted,” a wink at all of the nonbelievers he’s encountered on the way to his first sneaker collaboration, is  written in white lettering on the midsole. Mix in details like floral print on the mudguard and zebra stripes on the Saucony logo, and you get organized chaos in sneaker form. It probably shouldn’t work. But it does. He even added to the overall experience with a series of pop-ups across the United States that started at a flower shop in New York City’s Lower East Side and continued on to include stops in Louisville, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta. 

When you put this many colors and patterns on one sneaker, it’s always going to be polarizing. This isn’t a shoe for everyone. But Jae Tips didn’t want to play it safe. He wanted to break necks. It's safe to say he accomplished his goal. –Mike DeStefano

Release Date: Feb. 25
Price: $180

Doesn’t it feel good to celebrate a shoe outside of the same 10 silhouettes that so often pop up in your algorithm? Isn’t it refreshing to imagine a version of sneaker collecting where “classic” models are not just the golden era designs from the 1980s and ‘90s that Nike has hit us with for so many years? It may not be appropriate to call the Vomero 5 a classic just yet, but for now the shoe’s resurgence has made for an enjoyable moment that’s updated the timeline on retro footwear and given people permission to wear something that’s not a Dunk or an Air Jordan 1.

Truthfully it’s difficult to pick a singular Vomero 5 as the best one of this year. The retro of the 2011 running shoe has offered a wide range of potent styles—the blue is striking, the silver-Swoosh version just flashy enough—but not an apparent banger that stands apart from the pack. But the shoe has been big in 2023 as a whole, and it would be inappropriate to look at the year without a nod to its salience. If any version of the Vomero 5 deserves the nod it’s the Doernbecher, the most neck-breaking of all its recent colorways and the one that’s given the shoe its biggest event-style release. –Brendan Dunne

Release Date: March 17
Price: $220

Good things come to those who wait. It’s been over a decade since people noticed Action Bronson’s regular wear of New Balance sneakers. But his love for New Balance goes all the way back to his mother wearing them for orthopedic reasons, and he took notice. Since then, he’s been one of the people who has put on most for the brand, far beyond their recent thrust into the hype stratosphere.

So finally in 2023, after nearly a year of teasing, he put out his first sneaker with the brand, a 990v6. The first colorway of the shoe, which takes inspiration from pistachios on baklava, waves, has been divisive. Bronson says it’s meant to be like a piece of art, something that elicits a reaction. It also only comes with one set of laces, a pink pair, because he stands behind the quality of the strings and says that he doesn’t want someone to ruin them with a lace swap. The blue midsole, army greenish suede, and bright lime mesh is a one-of-a-kind combination for a sneaker. Some love it. Some hate it. But it’s distinctly Bronson. The sneakers were debuted at an AEW event last year in his hometown of Queens. There’s also a black and blue pair (more palatable for some) that’s releasing soon, called the “Lapis Lazuli,” which means “stone from heaven.” Both are great and point to a promising future for Bronson and New Balance. –Matt Welty

Release Date: March 7
Price: $400

For such a relatively simple shoe, the Tiffany x Nike Air Force 1 has been incredibly divisive—much blood was shed by the Complex Sneakers team over its placement (and even inclusion) on our list. That simplicity seems to be the major sticking point though. Detractors of the collab say they wanted something more (without being very specific on what they wanted) and that it just wasn’t a worthy follow-up to the legendary Diamond Supply Co. x Nike SB Dunk Low from 2005. On the other side of that argument is the point that when something is so iconic, the best way to follow it up is by going simple and premium, rather than trying to top it. And that’s where Tiffany’s collab on the Air Force 1 was able to shine, offering a modern take on the look that’s much more wearable in 2023. The accompanying rollout had some highs (like utilizing Carmelo Anthony in the official ad campaign and being worn by LeBron James in the tunnel with a matching varsity jacket) and lows (see Tiffany exec Alexandre Arnault’s questionable courtside outfit), but there’s no doubt it had people talking like few other sneakers in 2023. –Zac Dubasik

Release Date: April 26
Price: $150

Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 1 collaborations are reportedly on hiatus, finishing things up on a strong note with the women’s “Olive” Low. The fifth and supposed final Air Jordan 1 Low from the Cactus Jack collaboration to release kept things consistent with a reverse Swoosh, neutral tone color blocking, and pre-yellowed midsole. Its black and white upper is broken up with olive coloring on the Swoosh and outsole while red fills in the tongue and heel branding. But what really separates this pair from the bunch is its women’s-exclusive distinction, making it the only Travis Scott x Jordan sneaker to hold that title. Thanks to an extended sizing run, most men were able to get it on this pair, too, but it was nice to see a nod to the ladies for what could be Travis’ last Air Jordan 1 project. –Riley Jones

Release Date: March 10
Price: $190

From the moment that Corteiz’s Alcatraz Island logo lit up the side of Niketown London back in January, it was clear that the bubbling UK streetwear brand was going to make sure its first sneaker collaboration was unforgettable. The rollout continued in March when Corteiz founder Clint released a video campaign directed by Walid Labri that imagined news anchors reporting on the pandemonium surrounding Corteiz’s Air Max 95 collab. Little did we know, the ad was foreshadowing a very real mayhem to come. Regional pop-ups in London, New York City, and Paris that took place throughout March and April had mobs of fans running through the streets in an effort to score a city-exclusive colorway of the Corteiz 95s. 

London’s pair was olive green and black, New Yorkers were given a grey option with pink detailing, and the Parisian pair was grey with blue accents. Each one shares unique elements like a fence-like plastic overlay on the topmost panel of the upper, Corteiz script on the medial ankle collar, the brand’s star branding on the lateral toe, the Alcatraz logo on the tongues, and camo liners. Depending on who you ask, every colorway is the “best” of the trio, a true mark of a well-executed design.

But Corteiz didn’t just make three great pairs of Air Maxes—it used its moment in the spotlight to restore the feeling of a bygone era in sneakers that took place in the streets and not just behind a keyboard. Corteiz’s longevity as a brand is to be determined, but its debut sneaker collab will be remembered for years to come. –Mike DeStefano

Release Date: March 11
Price: $210

It would have been easy to roll out the memes of Michael Jordan laughing about people buying the same sneakers over and over again in reaction to the “White Cement” Air Jordan 3s returning once again in 2023, but that wasn’t the response. Instead, the “Nike Air”-heeled pair of the sneaker Jordan famously wore in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest was greeted with open arms. Anticipation seemed to only grow as details emerged on the “Reimagined” treatment the shoe would wear, which includes yellowing on the midsole and heel tab for a faux vintage look. The shoes were even fairly accessible—not exactly an easy cop, but they were there for those willing to put in a little effort.

The only real knock on the shoe came via some spotty quality control. Social media complaints of inconsistent elephant print overlays, accompanied with pictures of the offending examples, cast a slight shadow over the shoe’s release. These incidents appeared to be relatively isolated in comparison to the large number of “Reimagined” Air Jordan 3s on the market, but were possibly the lone negative to one of the year’s best sneakers. –Zac Dubasik

Release Date: March 17
Price: $225

Change an Air Jordan too much and you end up with something foreign that alienates the brand’s core fans. Change an Air Jordan too little and you end up with a shoe that may be too familiar—that’s worked over the years as Jordan is based on nostalgia, but it’s become tired at times decades after the launch of Michael Jordan’s signature line. The key to a great Air Jordan then is to change the shoes just enough while giving the people who’ve been collecting them for years something new to get excited about. No shoe this year has better embodied that than the Nike SB version of the Air Jordan 4, an intra-brand crossover that preserves what makes the Jordan 4 good while pouring in new bits to make it even better.

The release celebrates how skateboarders have appropriated basketball sneakers for their use by subtly tweaking the Air Jordan 4. The upper is more flexible while the toebox is shaped to reference the original, 1989 silhouette. The color blocking is recognizable, using the same equation as the “Military Blue” Jordan 4, but the colorway is a departure, introducing green accents and an always-appropriate gum bottom. The SB x Air Jordan 4 serves in part as a tribute to Sandy Bodecker, the late Nike legend who founded the brand’s skateboarding division in the early 2000s and worked as a developer on the Jordan 4 decades before that. From its historical background, which connects different eras and brands within Nike, to its carefully altered appearance, the Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 strikes a perfect balance between the old and the new. –Brendan Dunne