The 30 Best High-Top Sneakers to Buy in 2024: Nikes, Hokas, Jordans and More

Whether you’re an ancient basketball player, streetwear enthusiast, or scene kid from 2010, the Converse Chuck Taylor probably holds a special place in your heart. The sneaker’s simple canvas upper and rubber midsole was fascinating technology for turn-of-the-century athletics but the simply designed high-top has created a near-perfect template to open the door for collaborations. With an unmistakable silhouette, the brand can introduce and highlight almost any fabric restructuring and colorways due to the strength of the sneaker’s simple shape.

With plain canvas and mostly tonal color schemes the sneaker also inadvertently invites the personal modification and collaboration with the wearer, just ask someone shopping for an “Asking Alexandria” t-shirt in Hot Topic. My favorite collaborations: Brain Dead, J.W. Anderson, Kith, and my sister during her goth phase.

Surrounded in folklore, there’s hardly a high-top sneaker, even a sneaker in general, with greater cultural importance than the Air Jordan 1. The genesis of Nike’s most legendary footwear line, the AJ1’s long lineage from its athletic beginnings to its transcendence in modern culture, skateboarding and footwear in general has cemented the high-top silhouette as not only an on-court staple but a streetwear icon regaled by top athletes and influencers alike.

The sneaker is one of the most recognizable designs ever and one of the only models to continually be retro-ed on an almost yearly basis since its original debut in 1985.  Best colorways include the Chicago, first Off-White collab, Pine Green and All-Star 2017.

We're definitely putting the Prada Black Re-Nylon Garbadine High-Top Sneakers because it's a reflection of how far the couture world has come in the land of sneakers. It used to be the legendary fashion houses were barely touching sneakers at all. Now that's no longer the case as streetwear, sports, and couture are regularly merging to create this huge conglomerate of what we'll call "street luxury." Now, granted, some designer sneakers can be a bit over the top in terms of its design, but that isn't the case with the Re-Nylon Garbadine High-Top as Prada did a good job at honing in on the minimalistic elements of the shoe while still making it very clear that you are, indeed, wearing Prada.

Nike’s foray into the world of skateboarding was nothing short of controversial and iconoclastic, but no matter how you feel about the Swoosh’s place in skating, most skaters would show love to the Nike SB Dunk High. Almost as famous as its low counterpart, the Nike SB Dunk is high on the list of Nike’s best silhouettes. As circumstances would have it, a sneaker that was originally rejected by its target demographic took on a secondary role as a coveted commodity for sneakerheads looking to collect different colorways of their favorite dunk models.

The most famous moment in all of sneaker history even had to do with a dunk sneaker: the “Pigeon” dunk release which landed sneakerheads on the cover of the NY Post and the Nike Dunk at the forefront of sneakerhead’s minds.

Hoka One One (look up the pronunciation) has been on the up and up since the end of 2019, producing eye-catching silhouettes with a high emphasis on materials and functionality. Their utilitarian vibe corresponds with current styles as hiking and outdoorsy silhouettes from brands like Salomon have been enjoying a long stride as a footwear favorite with everyone from actual hikers to SoHo socialites. Hoka One One’s Tor Ultra Hi 2, like most of the brand’s sneakers, features a bulky and built out silhouette with a neutral set of colors, giving off the aesthetic of a military boot.

Despite their obtuse shape, the sneaker is incredibly light.

It’s the Air Jordan 1, but for skateboarders. A confirmed classic, timeless, iconic and evergreen. The Vans Sk8-Hi originally debuted in 1978, and ever since it’s been an iconic silhouette for skating performance as well as lifestyle. The sneaker features a matchup of both suede and leather overlays with a padded ankle collar and staple rubber waffle print outsole.

Skaters were originally drawn to the added protection of the high collar as well as the all-over stylish design and jazz stripe, a white banner that now graces most Vans styles was first seen on the Sk8-Hi. Classic colorway: Stick with the OG black/white colorway for a vintage dash of timeless style and performance.

The brand with the Three Stripes is not necessarily known for its relevance or prevalence on the basketball court, but the time-tested brand does have some heat still tucked away in the archives. The adidas Forum 84 launched in 1984 initially to some hype thanks to Patrick Ewing and features its most notable “Knicks” colorway ($65) which sees the silhouette in a mostly white colorway with blue and orange accents throughout.

Since then, the sneaker has had some help from the likes of Eric Emmanuel and Keith Haring, two recent drops that have brought some attention to the archival silhouette. Three Stripes for the court: Keith Haring or Eric Emmanuel.

The Nike Air Force 1 High features one of the brand’s best selling sneakers in a high-top format. The low silhouette has garnered a reputation as a sneakerhead’s ultimate go-to, a “buy one pair every six months” type of sneaker which speaks to the reliability sneakerheads have come to enjoy over the years since the sneaker’s late ‘80s debut on the court for Nike. The high-top iteration of the silhouette includes a high ankle collar with an adjustable strap that crosses in front of the tongue.

As easy as it might be to stay away from high-end designer sneakers, it's time to give the Balenciaga Speed Trainer its due. As a high-top sneaker, the sock-like design separated it from other sneakers—sock-like design seemed to rule sneakers for a moment, most notably the Reebok x Vetements sock sneakers...which I still see in my nightmares.

In short, Balenciaga, for all of their lack of sneaker savvy or sneaker cultural relevance, did a good job capitalizing on the sock sneaker moment and created one of the better high-tops from that weird moment in sneaker history. Best of Balenci: Keep it classic in the black/white colorway and, for the love of God, stay away from the ones with the laces.

Straight out of the mythology of New Balance is their magical Numeric High-Top, which has experienced a resurgence in these past couple of years. Whether you remember the actual start of New Balance entering the high-top game or are just now being introduced to it, the product of New Balance was the stuff of instant legend. We've got Aimé Leon Dore specifically to thank for that very resurgence as they were the ones that brought them back in the 2021. *Bows Down.*

Starting out hot from his switch to adidas, Kanye blessed us with the Yeezy 750, and then followed the Yeezy 500 amongst other countless numbers of silhouettes and versions to come from the collaborative efforts of West and members of the brand with the three stripes. Hyped up off the anticipation of West’s first move since Nike, the 500 was hailed for its high-top style and its high-top price point, coming in at around $220. The drop was an expensive but accurate representation of what the two had cooking. And yes, Yeezy's are still incredibly popular despite the two no longer working together.

No matter your feelings about the brand Common Projects, their ability to produce a clean, high-end silhouette is far from arguable. Their simple design mixed with super high-quality materials has made them the clean and classic go-to of the designer sneaker world. (A similar case might be made for Golden Goose, but that’s for another time.) Common Projects takes a super basic sneaker design and elevates it past the point of functionality by adding a serving of extra luxe to make it something worth bragging about.

The Tournament Leather sees a classic high-top sneaker in a variety of simple colorways with tan accenting and high-quality grade leather which covers the upper. A nice detail is a zipper on the heel with both stylistic and functional design. Sometimes all-white or black isn’t a bad thing.

At the heart of Nike is one of their lesser-known lines, All Conditions Gear—better known as ACG. Among these outdoorsy and hiking-focused silhouettes is the Nike Air Mowabb, a sleeper pick from deep in the archives that carries the energy of an @organic.zip IG story and some of the biggest IYKYK vibes ever. The sneaker is bulky, busy, and features a variety of design components like a huarache ankle collar, sock liner and upper with premium materials.

The Air Mowabb stands out for a couple of reasons, primarily it looks the best in the colorway of “RATTAN/BRIGHT MANDARIN-BIRCH” which is now widely referred to as “Mowabb.” Additionally the Air Mowabb clashed with the creative designers from Comme des Garcons, another three-lettered acronym brand that subtly replaced the “ACG” branding hit on ankle collar of the Mowabb with “CDG” a perfect detail that makes the simple collab all that better. Outdoors and high fashion. Who would’ve thought?

If you’re tickled fancy by outdoorsy sneakers, trail-running, and super treaded outsoles then Salomon is a brand you’re probably familiar with. If not, it's probably worth warming up to—with recent collaborations with streetwear juggernaut Palace, the brand’s Quest 4d Forces 2 and Xt-6 ($200) sneakers are some of the hottest streetwear accessories right now.

The high-top versions of the Salomons are just as high-tech, incredibly durable, and somehow incredibly attractive to non-hiking sneakerheads looking to give their style a more technical edge without shelling out for ACRONYM and other brands hawking high tech for a high price.

The Reebok Shaqnosis was a no-brainer. The brand doesn’t have much to offer in terms of palatable high-top sneakers, but this wavy design from ‘96 plus the cosign from the big man is certainly enough for real heads to recognize the legitimacy and impact of the Shaqnosis. Taking an interesting concept to fruition and using a simple black and white color scheme are just some of the attributes that make this sneaker a winner.

The seamless transition of the graphic from the upper to the midsole and also considering that 1996 was the first year of Shaq’s long-reigning tenure as a Los Angeles Laker are just a few additional details that round out the shoe as a successful concept. Yes, they’re still available, you just need to know where to look.

Maybe the only non-major brand high-top sneaker to be included in the list, the John Geiger 002 is a clean and classic high-top sneaker that features a unique lacing system to help the silhouette stand out from other minimalistic, designer sneakers out there. If you haven’t heard about John Geiger, well now’s your chance to tune in—the Pittsburgh creative has had “big things coming” for the past few years and has yet to fail in delivering a well thought out and fantastically designed project.

All prejudice from the Dior x Air Jordan 1 collaboration aside, the Dior B23 high-top sneaker is not only a good model but a successful execution of repeating patterns and the use of translucent materials on footwear. The sneaker looks like the Off-White x Converse Chuck Taylor but less translucent (smart) and more high end (something Off-White also failed to do), so let’s hear it for Dior one time.

The sneaker features a Dior logo repeating pattern with other versions featuring floral arrangements and even dinosaurs. The price is a little too spicy but if you got it like that then this is the sneaker to spend it on.

Quite possibly the university shoe to ever be a "university shoe" of the last century or so has been adidas Forum Mid—specifically the "White Royal" Colorway. Not much changes from the standard Forum Mid (which many still consider to be a high-top because it's right on that line between being both) except the vintage looking 1980s basketball-gym inspired white and blue color that is every so slightly washed out.The best thing about this sneaker is that it continues to withstand the ultimate test of time, and we can assure you that this specific "White Royal" colorway will literally be around forever.

Turn your focus to the Collegium Pillar Destroyer High-Top Sneaker—undoubtedly a top high-top sneaker you can cop at the moment. From the clash of natural Italian rubber, suede, and leather, this silhouette seems to channel comfort on every twist and turn of the sneaker. The sneaker is an excellent go-between and a sleeper pick between casual and couture thanks to its neutral design and clashing overlays.

Personal advice from: Don’t sleep too hard on these and miss out on the opportunity to get a truly great shoe.

Let us first state that this is an investment piece—as in the majority of us will not be putting these into our closets. That said, the Nike Mag (famously mislabeled as Nike Air Mag) is the granddaddy of maybe all sneakers but most certainly high-tops. A futuristic spin on what “sneakers are supposed to look like in the future” courtesy of Back to the Future Pt. II, the sneaker saw an initial release in 2011.

Following up in 2016 Nike reintroduced the silhouette, this time with self-lacing, an opportunity to bring the sneaker from the film to life and for Nike to introduce their E.A.R.L. (Electro Adaptive Reactive Lacing) technology to the sneaker world. For most, the Mag is the grail of grails and if it isn’t then you probably don’t care about sneakers too much.

There is arguably no non-Nike athlete signature shoe as iconic as Allen Iverson's Reebok Question. The sneaker has been having a bit of renaissance lately, with the brand re-releasing a myriad of colorways and collaborations of the classic model. While there's certainly plenty to choose from in terms of Question models, the blue and white iteration of the shoe has been quite popular for Reebok.

As we've said before, adidas doesn't always venture into the high-top lane, but when they do...the shoe is a sick one. The history of the adidas Top Ten is a rich one—originating in the 1970s as a performance shoe suitable for all five positions on the basketball court. While the Top Ten is no longer a performance shoe, many people still buy for it stylistic reasons because, well, it is a classic shoe that was worn by many basketball players such as Rick Berry and Doug Collins.

Don't you just love a nice classic shoe? Especially one that looks like retro 1970s high-tops? While maybe not the most well known on this list, retro streetwear is currently one of the latest fashion crazes, so the old school theme fits right in line with what's hot at the moment. Obviously this shoe is an homage to the early days of ESPN's SportsCenter with the cream, red, and black colors, which makes them even cooler because how many sneakers are based off a classic sports show? Not many.

Yes we're back at Air Jordan 1s because you can't have a list of the best high-tops and only one AJ1—doesn't work like that. A versatile high-top has the potential to be the best shoe in your closet, and that's demonstrated by colorways such as the Arctic Orange Black Toe—a model that has had a lot of hype behind it in the past. Some may classify this shoe as a mid, but we disagree because we've personally owned this model and it fit us like a high-top. Could be a shoe-to-ankle ratio type of thing, but these very much wear like high-tops for certain folks, and that's why we're including them on here.

Look at the sleek material on this Jordan 1 Retro High-Top. The neutral cream upper, the suede grey overlays, and the laces make these 1s the perfect eye candy material that automatically transforms your outfit into a showstopper. Plus these shoe offers a lot of versatility in terms of lace swaps, so you can really create loads of different looks to make the shoe appear as though it is an entirely different model altogether.

The Rebounds don't get enough credit for being a quality high-top sneaker that can carry the load of your outfit all by itself. The padded cushioning makes the comfort level while wearing commendable, the ankle support is top tier, and they go in-line with the retro revival we mentioned earlier as there's something about that screams "1990s teen at a Nirvana concert." Comfortable, stylish—what else is there to ask for in a shoe?

It's no surprise Converse has started experimenting with couture in terms of their high-top designs as it was only a matter of time with how many streetwear and couture brands are linking up. One of their newest high-top iterations of the Run Star Legacy CX is just one of the many newer high-tops to consider adding to your wardrobe as it's ultra-comfortable with its foam cushioning and lightweight. You have to a bit of risk taker to want to indulge in wearing, but what's fashion without a little bit of risk?

Can't get enough of the Converse Hi and need some additional models to experiment with? Then you should definitely check out the Chuck Taylor All Star Terrain Drop which comes complete with a new hiking style and technological features that will have you taking the trails both safely and in style. The grip on the rubber outsole alone is worth the investment as the shoe literally molds to your foot while also being water and slip-resistant, but the fact that they look good is an added bonus as well. This is a must have for sure.

Cariuma remains underrated and undefeated within the sneaker universe for a couple of reasons. First of all, Cariuma shoes are handcrafted—meaning the quality of the shoes is bar none (if you've ever owned a pair of handcrafted shoes you know exactly what we're referring to here). Secondly, they are a sustainable and environmentally-friendly brand. Knowing that your clothing and shoes didn't negatively impact the environment is a good feeling to have. Lastly, they are cozy with lightweight memory foam technology and a durable vulcanized rubber sole, and quite eye-catching despite being a minimalistic shoe.

If the retro 1970s look is what you're aiming for with your high-tops (which most are because of their vintage history), then we can't see how you would go wrong with any Diadora pair. While the brand itself may not command the attention of a Nike or an adidas, Diadora does have a longstanding respect and fanbase amongst sneakerheads of all backgrounds. The waxed details of the Game L High is what makes this sneaker a cool one, offering a timeless appeal that transcends well beyond any trend or time period.

We've proven with this guide that you don't have to go luxury to get a great high-top sneaker—the shoe itself didn't start as a "designer shoe," and it's not that end all be all now. However, if you specifically are looking for luxury, the Sneaker Alta from Dolce & Gabbana is another designer shoe we feel does a good job at balancing couture and streetwear. It's not over the top to the point where you feel like you'd only see it on the runway, but it still stands out in a way that's very much "designer" if you catch our drift. You can find a pair of white and black high-tops anywhere, but you are going to spend $1,000, you want the street cred of people instantly recognizing who you're wearing. The Sneaker Alta gives you that bragging right as well.