adidas Sambas to Nike Vomeros. Uncovering the year’s greatest iconic silhouette.


Some sneakers are eternal, transcending trends, generations and culture itself. From the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/air-force-1">Nike Air Force 1</a> to the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/stan-smith">adidas Stan Smith</a> and <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/clyde">PUMA Clyde</a>, certain shoes have etched themselves into the fabric of history, becoming synonymous with movements and capturing the zeitgeist of their era.
Nostalgia, comfort and, naturally, timeless design all contribute to a sneaker’s staying power. Retro runners and court classics continue to hold their place, while the rise of the ballerina shoe movement proves there will always be a place for sharp minimalism. When you look across the sports landscape, classics endure. <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/predator-elite">adidas Predators</a> still grace the soccer pitch, Air Jordans are adapted for the gridiron and <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/air-zoom-vomero-5">Nike’s Zoom Vomero</a>, born on the track, thrives as a staple of both performance and lifestyle.
Below, a guide to the best retro sneakers that have stood the test of time and continue to make an impact in 2025.
 
<h2>Popular Retro Sneaker Brands</h2>
 
<h3><a href="https://www.goat.com/brand/nike">Nike</a></h3>
Innovation may power Nike’s future, but its past breakthroughs run just as deep. From the days of Bill Bowerman creations like the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/cortez">Cortez</a> and <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/air-waffle-trainer">Waffle Trainer</a> through Bruce Kilgore’s <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/air-force-1">Air Force 1</a>, <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/designer/tinker-hatfield">Tinker Hatfield’s</a> revolutionary Air Jordans and the maximalist ’90s designs of <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/designer/sergio-lozano">Sergio Lozano</a>, <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/designer/christian-tresser">Christian Tresser</a> and <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/designer/eric-avar">Eric Avar</a>, Nike’s design legacy spans decades of performance and cultural relevance.
2025 has seen a spate of classics return to cultural relevance, from Bode’s take on the 1974 <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/astro-grabber">Astro Grabber</a> to updated soccer styles like the Total 90.

<h3><a href="http://goat.com/sneakers/brand/new-balance">New Balance</a></h3>
<a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/574">574</a>. <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/990">990</a>. <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/998">998</a>. <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/997">997</a>. <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/550">550</a>. To outsiders, New Balance’s numerical naming system might read like a math problem, but to insiders, it’s a code for all-time classics. No other brand is more synonymous with the Dad Shoe aesthetic, which the Boston label continues to evolve with fresh designs and contemporary technologies.&nbsp;
As the brand is always keen to stress, New Balance is not a heritage brand, it is a brand with heritage. This sentiment neatly summarizes the work of influential designer Charlotte Lee, whose recent hits include the ’70s-inspired <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/327">327</a>, <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/1906l">1906L</a> “snoafer” and retrofuturist ABZORB 2000.

<h3><a href="http://goat.com/sneakers/brand/air-jordan">Air Jordan</a></h3>
The early Air Jordans are not so much classics. Instead, they redefined what a sneaker could be: performance gear, status symbol and cultural artifact all at once. This year sees Jordan excavate a number of classics from the back catalog, including the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/air-jordan-5">AJ5</a> ‘Grape’ and <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/air-jordan-3">AJ3</a> ‘Cobalt Bliss.’

<h3><a href="http://goat.com/sneakers/brand/adidas">adidas</a></h3>
It speaks volumes that many of adidas’ classic silhouettes remain just as popular today as they were upon initial release. Take the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/samba">Samba</a>, a sneaker legend that has never really gone out of style, but has exploded in recent years, spawning fresh updates in new shapes and colorways. Similarly, the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/stan-smith">Stan Smith</a> maintains the DNA of the original tennis classic while seamlessly evolving with subtle design tweaks and sustainable materials.&nbsp;
Alongside it, the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/gazelle">Gazelle</a> continues to ride a wave of retro revival, beloved for its minimalist suede upper and timeless versatility. It would be remiss to not mention the Campus—once a basketball staple, now a streetwear icon optioned in platform sizes. In short, adidas’ heritage silhouettes aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving across generations.

<h3><a href="http://goat.com/sneakers/brand/asics">ASICS</a></h3>
ASICS’ interpretation of retrofuturism is unrivaled, so it’s no surprise the Japanese brand has experienced something of a cultural awakening in line with style’s continued obsession with Y2K aesthetics. From the <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/gel-lyte">Gel Lyte</a> and <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/gel-kayano">Gel Kayano</a> lines to the ever-evolving 1000 series, ASICS designs tap into nostalgia without sacrificing innovation, making their throwback retros feel just as progressive as their originals.

<h2>Top Retro Sneaker Silhouettes</h2>
 
<h3><a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/gel-1130">ASICS Gel 1130</a></h3>
First released in 2008, the ASICS Gel 1130 was introduced as a more accessible counterpart to the brand’s iconic Gel Kayano line. With a performance-first mindset and a distinctly retrofuturistic look, the silhouette drew design cues from both the Gel Kayano 14 and the ninth iteration in the Gel 1000 series. The Gel 1130 made its return in 2021, just as the sneaker world rekindled its love for late-2000s runners. Its revival also coincided with ASICS deepening its collaboration with avant-garde designer Kiko Kostadinov, bringing new energy to the singular style.

<h3><a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/samba">adidas Samba</a></h3>
What else is there to say about the Samba? Created in the late ’40s for icy soccer fields, the silhouette has moonlighted as an indoor futsal staple, a terracewear essential and, most recently, global style icon. From the 1990s Britpop movement to becoming an unlikely go-to among skaters, its rugged versatility has kept it perennially in rotation.
In the 2020s, the Samba entered a new sphere of influence, becoming an icon of street style and one of the most in-demand sneakers on the planet. From extended-tongue iterations to luxury collaborations, the Samba feels ageless, forever rewriting its own legacy.

<h3><a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/990v5">New Balance 990</a></h3>
New Balance released the 990 in 1982 as part of its premium Made in USA series. Timeless, retro and easily wearable with anything from streetwear to suiting, the storied line is constantly expanding, with the 990v6 debuting in November 2022 to mark 40 years since the original design.

<h3><a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/air-zoom-vomero-5">Nike Vomero 5</a></h3>
Nike’s Vomero 5 has never faded from public consciousness but came back into full focus when British label A-COLD-WALL* fine-tuned the silhouette in 2018. Designer Samuel Ross stripped the shoe of its conventional branding and added&nbsp;
industrial-inspired detailing, resembling something akin to a relic from another planet.&nbsp;
The collaboration sparked renewed interest in the Vomero 5 in both streetwear and luxury, leading to a surge of new colorways and general releases.

<h3><a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/silhouette/740">New Balance 740&nbsp;</a></h3>
Originally released in the early 2010s, New Balance reintroduced the 740 following a successful collaboration with hip-hop artist Aminé. The sneaker collides mesh with leather overlays, leaving designers ample room for color experimentation. Its paneled design and chunky silhouette capture New Balance’s retro sensibilities, channeling the brand’s heritage in performance running.

Asics Gel 1130 'White Pure Silver Black'

Bad Bunny x adidas Gazelle Indoor 'Core White'

Action Bronson x New Balance 990v6 Made in USA 'Amazõnia'

Nike Wmns Air Zoom Vomero 5 'Photon Dust Metallic Silver'

atmos pink x New Balance 740 'Pink Vacation'

adidas Samba OG 'White Black Gum'

New Balance Wmns 574 'Nimbus Cloud Peach Glaze'

Nike Wmns Cortez 'Baroque Brown'

Nike Wmns Air Zoom Vomero 5 'Photon Dust Pink Foam'

Teddy Santis x New Balance 990v6 Made in USA 'Inkwell'

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Best Retro Sneakers of 2025

Best Retro Sneakers of 2025