2026’s Best Sneaker Collaborations So Far
Though we still have a good portion of the year ahead of us, we decided summer's to be an appropriate occasion to review 2026's best sneaker collabs so far.
"Teamwork makes the dream work", they say. Though I find this saying rather corny, sometimes it rings true — like in the event of creatives joining forces to merge two established, often unexpectedly compatible visions. Now that we're well into Q2 of the year, it seemed a good time to review 2026's so-far best sneaker collaborations.
God knows there were plenty of options to sift through, seeing as collabs today are a dime a dozen. But following an informal internal pole, we ultimately settled on the styles below… for now. Time will tell if all of them can keep their spot, or if some'll bow out of a year-end's best-of to make room for models yet to come.
But so, without further ado, see here our contenders for best sneaker collabs of 2026 so far, in alphabetical order. To be continued…
"Delicate" isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind when thinking of performance sneakers, which is precisely why Cecilie Bahnsen’s continued partnership with ASICS works so well. The Danish designer softens the typically techy silhouette with semi-sheer layers and floral cues, landing somewhere between runner and runway. A contrast that, against all odds, keeps proving convincing.
Few partnerships have managed to stay this consistent for this long. Yohji Yamamoto’s work with adidas, under the Y-3 umbrella, continues to revolve around a very specific type of sneaker: slim, elongated, and noticeably more “elegant” than most of its category peers. Only because it hits so hard every time does it get to sit here, amongst more traditionally one-off get-togethers.
Denim on sneakers has been done before, not always resulting in greatness. Nike has been experimenting with it since the early 2000s, with in good and… not so good outcomes. What Levi’s brings here is a bit more legitimacy: proper denim, meant to fade, crease, and age like it’s supposed to, for an authentic treatment of texture, not just as a decorative gimmick.
Fan or not of Jacquemus’ clothes, there’s a broader consensus that, when it comes to the luxury brand's work with Nike, one cannot deny excellence. The French designer revived the activewear giant's oldest running shoe. That would've been an impressive feat regardless. But it's actually a really good comeback! Merci Simon!
On paper, this is not the most obvious pairing: Versace’s maximalist tendencies meet, or rather clash with, Onitsuka Tiger’s heritage sportswear DNA, and they land somewhere in between bold and restrained. It could’ve gone overboard, but the right elements of both were shed and preserved, respectively, to amount to a beautifully balanced sneaker-slipper hybrid with just enough touches of '80 nostalgia to keep things light and fun.
New Balance's link-up with District Vision almost feels like a long-overdue joining of shared mindsets rather than a purely product-based collab. The LA-based label approaches running through a more holistic lens, part tech, part mindfulness, which, paired with New Balance’s decades-built foundational expertise in style and performance, results in something really focused.
This feels less like a merch-first collaboration and more like a positioning move. On already had the engineering, the comfort, the clean look. Zendaya just helps frame it all differently. For the better.
Jil Sander’s take on PUMA taps straight into that ‘90s minimalism everyone seems to be chasing again: straight lines, stripped-back appearance, nothing extra. The difference is, this doesn’t feel like a throwback for the sake of it. It’s closer to the real thing: quiet, precise, and more loyal and disciplined than most of today’s '90s-inspired attempts at fashion.
Diemme and JJJJound meet on common ground: understated design and an appreciation for materiality. The result is a hiking-inspired silhouette that leans more refined than rugged, with earthy tones and minimal branding doing most of the work.
By now, Supreme and Nike SB linking up is hardly a surprise. Still, the formula holds, tapping into skate heritage while introducing just enough variation to keep things moving, or rolling, along into the future. Familiar territory, but one that still resonates, with paths still to trod.
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