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Our Sneaker Predictions for 2024

Our Sneaker Predictions for 2024

Members of the Stadium Goods staff share our trend predictions for 2024, and also a few of the sneakers we’d love to see come back.

Matt DeSciora

A new year means new trends and releases to get excited about in sneaker culture. What the next twelve months have in store for our little corner of the world is anyone’s guess at the moment, but that’s not stopping us from thinking about some storylines that could potentially play out in the not-so-distant future.

We asked some of the sneaker-obsessives on staff here at Stadium Goods for their predictions for the trends, collaborations, and releases they expect to see in 2024 and, as you’re about to see, the answers were… varied. One person thinks a return for the laid-back Nike Air Baked could be in the works, while another sees shoes like the Nike Air 1/2 Cent catching on with a new generation of collectors. Another SG staffer thinks it’s likely that cozy footwear options like UGGs and clogs are going to be big in 2024.

Ultimately, it’s anyone’s guess as to where the culture is headed in 2024, but that’s what makes this hobby so interesting. There’s never a dull moment in sneaker culture, and we’re all along for the ride—wherever it takes us.

These are the Stadium Goods’ staff’s predictions for sneaker culture in 2024.

The Return of the Nike Kobe Line

Last summer, Nike announced it had reached an agreement with Kobe Bryant’s estate to relaunch the late basketball legend’s Nike Kobe sneakers in 2023 and beyond. There have been a few notable releases following the announcement, including the highly anticipated drop of the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Reverse Grinch” in December 2023. Now, even more styles are set to hit the market in the coming months. Our Social Media Manager Charlie Franco thinks the upcoming Kobe releases should bring a lot of excitement to not only Kobe’s signature line, but Nike signature basketball shoes as a whole. Read on.

Hype for Signature Basketball Shoes Will Flourish in 2024

According to Charlie, “I think 2024 will be a great year for Nike Basketball sneakers. There are so many great models right now: the Nike Sabrina 1 was probably the most exciting new basketball shoe of 2023. Ja Morant has been wearing amazing colorways of his debut shoe, the Nike Ja 1, and the Nike LeBron 21 improved upon [some of the already great] features of the Nike LeBron 20.

And it isn’t only Nike signature basketball shoes to look out for in 2024, as brands like adidas with Anthony Edwards’ AE 1 and Puma with LaMelo Ball’s line continue to pick up steam.

Comfort-First Footwear Reigns Supreme

Without a doubt, comfy footwear like Uggs, slip-ons, slides, and clogs have all had their moment in sneaker culture of late. Zack Schlemmer, our Content Manager, thinks that will continue to be the case in 2024. “There’s a major movement right now of comfort over style. Everybody’s throwing on UGGs and slides and mules instead of the hyped, maximalist sneakers,” said Zack. It’s hard to argue against him, as the UGG Tasman is currently one of the top selling styles at Stadium Goods and one of the most-seen sneakers in city and suburban streets.

From the ‘90s, With Love

If the last few years have been any indication of where sneaker trends are heading in the future, then we can expect to see even more retro sneakers from the past returning in 2024, according to our own Davidde Dunn-Pilz, Manager of Commercial Operations at Stadium Goods.

“Anything from Nike’s ‘Total 90’ collection (Nike’s now-defunct soccer footwear line from the early 2000s) would make a killing with current sneaker trends,” says Davidde. When asked for other examples of sneakers that would fare well with today’s trends, Davidde listed the Nike Air Zoom FC, Nike Air Baked, and Nike ACG Cairngorm Low as some personal favorites he’d like to see be reissued in 2024. As you can see by the fact that you probably had to google all of those models, he has an eye for the more obscure yet totally awesome styles from the past.

More Great Nike Retros

The Nike Air Trainer line has been very popular lately, and according to Evan Cournoyer, a sneaker industry veteran who works as a Partner Success and Business Development Manager at Stadium Goods, there needs to be even more releases from the old school collection in 2024. “The Nike Diamond Turf 1 and/or 2 are at the top of my list of sneakers that should come back this year,” says Evan. “The Posite category in general, too, but for me the Nike Air 1/2 Cent is the number one shoe Nike needs to bring back, because it hasn’t been retroed since its debut in the mid-to-late 2000s.

With new Nike Air Foamposite One releases in the works for 2024, including the potential return of the model’s coveted “Galaxy” colorway, along with the success of recent Penny Hardaway retros like the the Air Penny 1 and Air Penny 2, it definitely isn’t out of the question that Nike would also bring back other models from the Penny line like the 1/2 Cent this year.

Real vs. Fake?

The final sneaker prediction for 2024 belongs to Nick Engvall, Senior Editorial Director, Marketing and Creative at Stadium Goods, who thinks there could be an increase of counterfeit sneakers entering the market in 2024. “In 2024, the footwear industry will continue to level out with more diverse buying patterns and we will see an increase in counterfeit sneakers in ways we haven’t seen before. The market will begin to be flooded with fake sneakers of smaller brands like On Running, Hoka, and ASICS as consumers shift buying habits towards more variety in their sneaker collections,” says Nick. It’s an interesting take, one that doesn’t get talked about as much as it should, considering how easy it is to produce counterfeit sneakers in modern times.

Of course, there is a surefire way to not get fooled into buying fake sneakers, and that’s to shop your favorite styles at Stadium Goods, where we guarantee authenticity on all of our products. Just a little shameless self-promotion at the end here.