As far as sneaker releases go, it’s safe to say that 2022 has been an absolutely powerful year so far, and we’re only nearing the end of March. From fresh SB dunk releases courtesy of Nike, high-heat YEEZY restocks and even new silhouettes emerging from the growing gorpcore trend, we’ve seen it all. While it may seem a little early to offer up a retrospective look at some of the drops we’ve seen this year, instead we’re going to take a deep dive first-hand into some of the hottest brands on the block right now.

We’ll briefly touch on the history of the labels, some notable silhouettes and of course mention if there’s anything to keep an eye out for in the future. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best sneaker brands of 2022!

Image via Feature
Nike

It goes without saying that Nike, along with Jordan brand deserves a place in this list. There are few sneaker labels out there as consistent as the Swoosh, as it’s been pushing out high-heat sneakers for roundabout the last 50 years. From classics such as the Air Max 1 and the dunk right through to innovative designs such as the Air VaporMax, Nike rarely misses. We’re already seeing rumours of some pretty huge releases ahead of us in 2022, with undoubtedly the most-hyped being the re-release of the legendary Air Jordan 1 High OG “Chicago”, although this news has yet to be officially confirmed.

Image via JJJJound
New Balance

New balance rose back into the limelight in 2020, when the label hit the market hard with a series of heavyweight collaborations that breathed a new lease of life into classic silhouettes such as the 990, 992 and 991. Kicking 2022 off with a bang, the American footwear brand continues to remain a solid option for sneakerheads, and it seems like there’s some great things on the way too. We’ve got further collaborations with Montreal-based design studio JJJJound inbound as well as the highly-anticipated launch on the 990v6 – bring it on!

Image via Yeezy Mafia
YEEZY

While YEEZY releases may be more common than ever before, sneakerheads are still absolutely loving Kanye West’s namesake brand and all the high-heat it brings along with it. There’s plenty to come from the label including brand-new colourway of the YEEZY Slide, as well as new editions of the controversial Foam RNNR. things seem to be heading in the right direction already, as so far this year we’ve already been treated to re-releases of several classic colourways such as the YEEZY boost 700 Wave Runner and the YEEZY 350 boost V2 “Oreo”. Yeezy season is well and truly here to stay!

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Salomon

We touched briefly on the rise of gorpcore and outdoor-oriented streetwear earlier on in this article, as it seems to be a huge focus for the industry as we push on further into the year, and one of the brands known for driving this trend is none other than Salomon. founded in the French Alps all the way back in 1947, it’s been producing high-end trail running sneakers for decades, with silhouettes such as the XT-6 and XT-4 finding fame in recent years. The brand-new Salomon ACS pro advanced is another fresh silhouette that’s turning a lot of heads, often selling-out instantly and appearing on the resale market for over double the RRP.

Image via adidas
adidas

You can’t go wrong with the classics, and that’s infinitely true for none other than adidas. As one of the biggest sneaker brands in the world, the three stripe label has made a considerable impression on the market over the years, launching iconic silhouettes such as the Superstar, Gazelle and the NMD R1 to name but a few. As we storm into 2022 the German brand shows no signs of putting the brakes on, with collaborations in the works with bad Bunny, Pharrell Williams, and of course the hugely-hyped NMD S1 silhouette that has taken the scene by storm. It’s set to be a big year for the label!

Image via Balenciaga
Balenciaga

As far as high-fashion sneakers go, they can often be disappointing, with huge price tags not necessarily meaning groundbreaking design. however this is definitely not true with Balenciaga, as the highly-respected fashion house is known throughout the sneaker industry for its signature designs. Both the Triple S and the Track have developed cult followings over the years, and the team over at Balenciaga have kick-started 2022 with a bang, launching the brand-new Defender silhouette, arguably the wildest design we’ve ever seen! While they might not be the easiest wear, we have to give credit where it’s due for the innovation.

Image via Converse
Converse

While Converse is suitably the underdog in Nike’s family of brands, there’s no denying that the label has been killing it as of late, knocking out vintage releases and contemporary collaborations left right and centre. Rumours of a collaboration with Californian streetwear imprint Stussy have already been circulating, and highlights from the start of the year include team efforts with both Carhartt WIP and CDG PLAY. If you’re yet to own a pair of Chuck 70s then adding them to your rotation could be the best decision you’ll ever make!