It’s Official: These are the Hottest Sneakers of 2021

If you were to ask us to name our single favourite shoe this year, we’d definitely struggle. 2021 has been amazing for sneakers, with sought-after variations dropping across limited editions, general releases, collabs and retros. With so many sneakers dropping, calling out the top shoe can be hard, and also very personal. That’s where the Lyst Index comes in.

Lyst's yearly fashion report pulls together their users' searches to determine the hottest products in fashion. So, without further ado, these are the people’s top sneakers of 2021.

Classic, timeless and easy to style, if you don’t have a Nike AF1 in your rotation, wyd?

The AF1 deserves a spot on every sneakerhead’s shelves, simply because it’s one of the cleanest silhouettes around. And, Lyst users certainly agreed. During Q2, the humble Air Force was named one of the hottest women’s products in the world, with data showing searches for the shoe had increased 248% year-on-year, and over 4000 searches for the style taking place every day.

Okay, so we’re not about to rank "The 50" from start to finish - we've already picked our faves, but it’s no surprise that the collection is among the world’s hottest products. In case you were living under a rock this year, the collection saw Virgil Abloh design 50 versions of the Nike Dunk, which were released on the SNKRS app. In just 48 hours after the launch, searches spiked 236%, with some variations reselling for 4x their original value.

What a year the foam clog has had. The Yeezy Foam Runner is just one variation that’s seen huge success this year, amongst the likes of Crocs and Merells. The Foam Runner takes the top spot, however, and we’d expect nothing less from Kanye West and the Yeezy brand. Made from lightweight EVA and algae, the ventilated slip-on clog saw a 411% spike in search increases in Q3, as more colourways were released.

We love a low-key sneaker, and although the Forum’s entry onto the Hottest Sneaker List does surprise us a little, we’d call it a welcome edition. Adidas teamed up with Bad Bunny back in March, which increased the sneaker’s popularity. Searches for the style soared 103% the week after the Bad Bunny Forums dropped.

We can’t deny that the Dunk had a crazy year, but thanks to Skate Boarding's entry at the Olympics, the SB got to enjoy that success too. Interest in the SB climbed 182% year-on-year, with another 148% increase between July and August.

We know, we know. The adidas Samba doesn’t exactly scream "high heat," but if they’re good enough for Rihanna, they’re good enough for us. After Rihanna was spotted in a pair of Sambarose, searches for the Samba jumped 63% in July, and the style counts Jonah Hill, ASAP Rocky and Frank Ocean amongst its fanbase.

New Balance have had a hell of a year, with a lot of our fave New Balance collaborations using the 327 as a base. The sneaker saw a load of success on Instagram, and fashion editors and influencers couldn’t get enough of its retro styling. Searches have remained steady this year, peaking with a 96% increase during August. It was the perfect summer sneaker, after all.

Remember the FlyEase? It caused quite a stir when it was released back in February, and even made it into Lyst’s hottest products list during the first quarter of the year. The hands-free sneaker was hailed by the community as one of Nike’s best inventions of recent years, and opened a lot of doors for athletes of all abilities.

Can’t go wrong with a classic pair of Converse, can you? The retro-style Chuck 70 saw a lot of love this year after none other than VP Kamala Harris wore a pair on her February Vogue cover. Lyst users apparently went mad for the shoe shortly after, with searches up 10x vs last year and 100 happening every hour.

Platform footwear saw a bit of a trend in 2021, and the Converse Run Star Hike managed to sneak its way into the top 10. Inspired by the brand’s JW Anderson collab, the Run Star Hike was spotted on the likes of Bella Hadid and TikToker Charli D’Amelio this year, and was subsequently searched for 64 times every hour.

So, there you have it, Lyst’s top sneakers of 2021. Being honest, we think there are some surprises in there, and can definitely think of a few styles we’d love to have seen in the top 10. Let us know what you think of the ranking over on our Twitter and Instagram, along with which sneakers you’d love to have seen make the list.

Up next, these are the sickest custom sneakers on Instagram right now.