Ever since low-key style icons Jonah Hill, David Beckham and Justin Bieber adopted “cozy boy style” and lifestyle gurus went crazy for the Danish concept for coziness, hygge, brands have placed a high premium on sheer comfort.
Sneaker makers Adidas and Nike have pounced on the cozy trend, introducing sock sneakers to the world and dealing a fatal blow to ankle blisters.
They’re what you’d think: athletic sneakers with sock-like knitted collars that wrap around your ankles, negating any need for laces and tongues. The shoes are typically made of a knitted pattern so the transition from sneaker to sock is much more seamless than you’d expect.
With menswear fully embracing the ath-leisure trend, top-shelf fashion brands like Lanvin and Balenciaga have even debuted sneaker socks. Buzzy Russian fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy even created a pair for Adidas, which have been a hit in Hollywood.
They’re arguable the biggest athletics-inspired, comfort-minded trend to make they way into high fashion since sweatpants.
Here, the 10 of the best sock sneakers on the market: