The Sneaker Trends That Will Define The Rest Of 2022

Used solely for protecting the feet in the past, shoes today hold much more figurative power: making or breaking an outfit. This must explain why we all have so many in our closets.

There are so many tiny details that can make a big difference in the basic silhouette of a shoe. Once a new detail pops up on the market, it seems like every designer suddenly has their own version. We see this happening most often in the world of classic sneakers. The world's most famous sneaker brands, from Nike and Adidas to Yeezy, are regularly churning out new designs that are influencing the market. And don't expect the momentum to slow down anytime soon. The market for sneakers is expected to be valued at $120 billion by the end of 2026 (via Statista).

If you are ready to become a sneakerhead and try out the latest trends, we have you covered! We have curated five of the hottest sneaker looks that will define the rest of 2022.

The color brown has made a huge comeback in the fashion world. Tyrell Harriott, founder of underground brand TYRELL, told The Zoe Report that brown "is muted enough for the people that are itching to add more color in their wardrobe without it being daunting." Of course, sneaker brands were excited to get on the brown train, offering the neutral option in many of their designs. One good example of this? New Balance with its classic 574 sneakers.

"Retro [styles] and much-loved silhouettes from years previous will make appearances [in 2022] as outfits take inspiration from decades like the 1990s and early 2000s," GOAT merchandiser Annie Burton said in an interview with Who What Wear. As with everything in fashion, what goes around truly does come around. With the comeback of Y2K fashion, early 2000s sneakers have been on everyone's radar. Details of vintage primary colors and chunky soles are a common retro theme on sneakers this year.

Platforms are the edgiest style of the year. The extra height is flattering on almost any shoe type, but particularly on sneakers. The platform sneaker trend seemed to blow up with the appearance of Converse's Chuck Taylor All Star Lift platform sneaker, which trended heavily on both TikTok and Instagram. There were more than 21,000 posts under the #converseplatform on Instagram alone. These shoes don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon and are on our list to be one of the hottest for fall.

Truly, low-top sneakers will never go out of style. Low-top sneakers first came onto the scene in the late 1800s with rubber soles and canvas tops (via Fact Monster). These are still worn on the regular today due to their amazing versatility. Wear low-tops with a dress to make your look more casual or use them to top off your errand-running 'fit. Beautiful, minimal low-top sneakers are made by almost every shoe brand and are a necessity for your 2022 wardrobe.

Just as you don't have to be exercising to wear athletic clothing, you also don't need to be a runner to wear running shoes. The running shoe that we wore in middle school gym class has now become a cool it-girl fashion staple. From Balenciaga to New Balance, every popular brand has come out with a fashion-forward running shoe. Influencers and celebs alike are taking notice, even fashion icon Hailey Bieber was seen wearing Balenciaga running shoes earlier this year (via Footwear News).