The Hypebae Best: The Top Sneakers, Collaborations and Footwear of 2025
From Collina Strada’s PUMA Mostro to Nike’s team up with KNWLS, these are the hottest footwear drops of the year.
Before we step into the year ahead, we’re back with our annual installment of Hypebae Best to showcase our favorite sneakers and footwear of 2025.
Leading the pack were standout collaborations that blended heritage sportswear brands with fresh design perspectives from emerging female talent, of course. Collina Strada‘s PUMA Mostro stole hearts with oversized floral tongue flaps and nostalgic graphics, while KNWLS‘ debut collaboration with Nike reimagined the Air Max Muse as a pointed-toe, ballet flat. Saucony and METAGIRL brought early 2000s nostalgia into the future with pearls, lace and hand-sculpted 3D details, and SHUSHU/TONG and ASICS combined feminine frills with performance-ready silhouettes.
Hybrids and statement heels also made waves, in line with a growing market for unexpected silhouette combinations. Crocs x Jean Paul Gaultier‘s Bae Clog took casual comfort sky-high, and Melissa‘s collaboration with Diesel delivered new sculptural, genderless designs with the launch of the Quantum Sneaker X. Boots had a big year, too, with Timberland x TELFAR‘s city-ready team up, the revival of Marc Jacobs‘ Kiki boot through the lens of Dr. Martens and the welcomed arrival of London‘s it-girl footwear label Lili Curia.
Read on to see the best footwear releases this year, as chosen by our editors, and while you’re here check out our favorite fashion moments of 2025.
SNEAKER COLLABORATIONS
PUMA x Collina Strada Mostro
Puma
PUMA turned the collaboration switch to red hot this year with team ups including Jil Sander, Rombaut, Ahluwalia, Swarovski and BLACKPINK’s Rosé… to name a few. However, the pair we raced to purchase was definitely its sophomore collaboration with New York label Collina Strada. The brands delivered a refresh of the classic Mostro sneaker with oversized flower-shaped tongue flap, a second interchangeable flap and a deliciously nostalgic graphic print.
KNWLS x Nike Air Max Muse Ballet Flat
Knwls
For Spring/Summer 2026, KNWLS made a bold leap from London to Milan Fashion Week with a headline grabbing, debut collaboration with Nike. Dubbed “Synergy,” the collection fused KNWLS’ signature sensuality and fierce tailoring with Nike’s technical sportswear expertise with apparel including a corset inspired by the Nike Flyknit sports bra. The standout from the team up was the Air Max Muse ballet flat, reimagined with a pointed toe and corset-style lace ups in pink, green and black colorways.
Saucony x METAGIRL ProGrid Paramount
Saucony
Saucony introduced its debut collaboration with designer METAGIRL, reviving the early 2000s ProGrid Paramount with a futuristic, lore-inspired update. METAGIRL is celebrated for her feminine, handcrafted sneaker customs that use lace, pearls, frills and gemstones to challenge the male-dominated sneaker world. The collaboration blends delicate detailing with performance design, reflecting Saucony’s effort to highlight women’s voices in sneaker culture. The reworked model pairs a Triumph 4 sole with a hand-sculpted 3D printed heel shell. Named Daughter of the Moon, the shoe channels a dreamy Y2K fantasy.
SHUSHU/TONG x ASICS GEL-KINETIC FLUENT
Asics
Off the back of their highly celebrated collaboration in 2023, SHUSHU/TONG and ASICS returned as one of the most sought after footwear releases of the year. Together they rework the GEL KINETIC FLUENT in two main colorways, blending SHUSHU/TONG’s feminine aesthetic with ASICS’ performance roots. The design balances softness and structure through mixed materials, classic ASICS stripes, cushioned soles and delicate lace frills.
Susan Fang x Nike Air Max Muse
Nike
Susan Fang‘s namesake label is known for its dreamy shapes, soft colors and detailed craftsmanship, all driven by a wish to spark joy, memory and connection. Whether using hand-shaped flowers, 3D printed elements or fractal-based design, the brand centers on balancing nature and technology. This vision appeared at Nike’s Victory Lap Show during Shanghai Fashion Week, where Fang reimagined the Air Max Muse and Air Superfly as feminine pieces. Our favorite from the line up? The white and silver Air Max Muses which feature baby pink laces and floral charms.
Salomon x Ama XT-Whisper Void
Salomon
Last year’s Salomon x Sandy Liang collaboration snagged a much-deserved spot on our Best of Footwear list, and for 2025 the sportswear brand delivered another female-centered collaboration that couldn’t go unnoticed. Salomon partnered with the artist Ama (formerly known as Ama Lou) to reimagine its XT-Whisper Void silhouette. What started as a simple tour partnership has grown into a true creative exchange, with Ama and her studio, I Came Home Late, co-designing the sneaker. The shoe mixes Salomon’s trail heritage with Ama’s storytelling style and arrives in a dreamy blend of pearl white, coral orange and seaweed green.
adidas Originals x AVAVAV Megaride Moonrubber Shoes
Adidas Originals
This year, adidas Originals and AVAVAV returned for round three, with Beate Karlsson continuing to turn the Three Stripes into her own creative playground. AVAVAV reworked adidas Originals staples through her offbeat lens, including a Modified Superstar in two distressed colorways and the oversized Moonrubber Megaride with its wavy, sculpted sole. The collaboration was once again complimented with an apparel release, including cozy knits and a sharply cinched puffer for a collection that reshapes what sportswear can be.
HEELS AND HYBRIDS
Jean Paul Gaultier x Crocs Bae Clog
Fresh from its headline making partnerships with Simone Rocha and Swarovski, Crocs continued its collaboration run with Jean Paul Gaultier. The collection spans the Classic Clog and, our favorite, the Bae Clog, each treated as a miniature couture canvas. And, we don’t just love The Bae Clog for our shared name… the platformed shoe arrives in two soft shades, “Dew” and “Plaster,” with a satin vamp and corset style lacing. This one is for the baes who don’t want to choose between style and comfort.
Melissa x Diesel “D” Quantum Sneaker X
This year, Melissa shifted its spotlight from Y/Project to Glenn Martens‘ Diesel for its newest collaboration, following closely on the heels of its partnership with Nodaleto. The result is a collaborative trio of silhouettes that balance futurism with fashion edge. The Quantum Thong arrived in translucent shades of blue, red, black and pink, while the Quantum Platform offered a sculpted open toe mule in similar tones. Our favorite from the lineup is the Quantum Sneaker X, a genderless, closed toe style shaped with a warped, modern profile and offered in green, red and black. Each design spans an inclusive size range and draws from textured finishes, elevated colors and subtle nods to Diesel’s iconic “D” monogram.
Onitsuka Tiger MEXICO 66 Boxing Shoe
Onitsuka Tiger
In 2025, Onitsuka Tiger proved once again that sports style can slip effortlessly into the fashion landscape. The label took its cult favorite MEXICO 66 and reimagined it as a sleek boxing boot, tapping into a trend already bubbling up among vintage-minded shoppers. Lifted from archival boxing styles and reworked for city wear, the design arrives in silver, pink, black, white and navy, complete with a foldover tongue, lightweight midsole and easy zipper closure.
ERL Flip Flops: “Low,” “Big” and “Huge”
ERL introduced its first flip flop with a sense of playful drama, a move that perfectly matched the label’s laid back California roots. Designed by Eli Russell Linnetz in Venice Beach, the style arrived in three exaggerated sizes called “Low,” “Big” and “Huge.” “Huge” pushed the idea even further with an eight inch platform available only by request. The debut built on ERL‘s quiet use of flip flops in earlier collections and landed at a moment when the humble sandal had resurged in popularity, making the silhouette feel both timely and true to the brand.
GANNI x New Balance 1906L
New Balance
New Balance‘s much debated sneaker loafer made its debut in January 2024, and after months of fresh colors and materials, the silhouette finally gained a new creative partner. Building on an ongoing collaboration with GANNI that had already produced bold yellow runners and multiple T500s, the brands unveiled a reworked 1906L. The design paired the comfort of a running shoe with the polish of a loafer, featuring a sturdy rubber sole and GANNI’s trademark snake print across the upper.
BOOTS
Timberland x TELFAR Tall Pull-On Boot
Timberland
The return of Timberland’s iconic yellow boots always feel inevitable in colder seasons, but this year they arrive with an unexpected twist, courtesy of TELFAR. The standout from the collaboration was the Tall Pull On Boot, a 26 inch nubuck style offered in wheat and black that could stretch over the knee or slump into a relaxed, sculptural shape to reveal its soft branded lining. The familiar rugged sole remained, but the attitude shifted entirely through TELFAR’s eye. The collection also included a A Mid Boot and a cutaway Slip On alongside three Timberland x TELFAR Shopper bags.
Lili Curia Lilith Tall Boot
Lili Curia arrived on the London footwear map this year, and it’s rise has been hot and fast; quickly becoming an IYKYK must-have. As a lucky owner of the Lilith Tall Boot, I don’t go a wear without getting a compliment on the unique, Victorian design. Additional highlights from the brand’s debut collection include the Babbette Pump, Ginger Mary Jane and Jules Ankle Boot, joined by the Tilda Boot with bowling inspired stitching and the Beau Loafer with corset like detailing. If you don’t already have Lili Curia on your radar, thank us later.
Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO Quilted Bag Detail Pin Heel Short Boots
Maison Mihara Yasuhiro
Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO’s three decades of inventive Japanese design have long been celebrated, particularly for it’s use of object play and subversion of silhouettes. The brand’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection followed suit, transforming unexpected motifs like rubber ducks, ice cream cones and toothpaste tubes into heels and sandals. Our highlight from the collection is the Quilted leather bag boots which feel both irreverent and irresistible in unison.
UGG x AMBUSH Heel Boot
Ugg
This year, UGG unveiled two collaborations with Yoon Ahn‘s AMBUSH. The debut partnership which launched in February reimagined a Mary Jane and a hybrid Penny Loafer. Fast forward to September, and the team were back again releasing five new pieces that ranged from a sheepskin wrapped heel to two men’s boots, all shaped by Tokyo’s street style. The standout from the collaboration, in our humble opinion, is the UGG AMBUSH Heel, a red boot with white fur and delicate chrome detailing on the laces.
Marc Jacobs x Dr. Martens Kiki Boot
Dr. Martens
Ending 2025 with a flashy finish, Marc Jacobs blessed us with a revival of its beloved Kiki Boot, filtered through the tough minded craftsmanship of Dr. Martens. Originally unveiled on the designer’s Fall/Winter 2016 runway, the boot became a street favorite for its sky high shape, sharp cutouts and bold hardware. In its second life, the style fused Marc Jacobs’ playful drama with the utilitarian grounding of Dr. Martens; offered in black and lavender.
