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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

The Sneakers That Mattered Most in 2025

The Business of Fashion crunched the numbers, polled readers and spoke with leading sneaker authorities to identify the shoes that defined the market this year – and pointed the way to what’s coming next.
If there’s one takeaway from a year’s worth of big sneaker releases, it’s that sneaker culture may be fragmented and in flux, but it is alive and well.
If there’s one takeaway from a year’s worth of big sneaker releases, it’s that sneaker culture may be fragmented and in flux, but it is alive and well. (BoF Team)

The sneaker of the year conversation rarely leaves anyone happy.

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Further Reading

The Collab of the Year With Bimma Williams

Collaborations ruled the sportswear world in 2025. Some were good, some were bad. We talk about them all with Collab Lab’s Bimma Williams following the release of his new report about the business.

The Death of Sneakers Is Overstated

The sneaker aftermarket and sneaker culture might not be where they were during their peak years in the early 2020s, but that doesn’t mean that it’s over.

About the authors
Mike Sykes
Mike Sykes

Mike Sykes is the Sports and Fashion Correspondent at the Business of Fashion. He is based in Washington, D.C. and is laser-focused on covering the sportswear world where it intersects with fashion, tech and more.

Lei Takanashi
Lei Takanashi

Lei Takanashi is a Correspondent at The Business of Fashion (BoF). He is based in New York City and covers menswear, streetwear, young consumer trends, and the intersection between fashion and culture.

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