It may not have been a vintage year in all fields, but for sneakerheads, 2021 offered up some future-classic creps to cop. The year’s best-selling shoe, the Air Force 1, soon turns 40 and the Dunk is a perennial success story, but elsewhere on Nike’s roster were new models that pushed the Beaverton brand forwards. From space-age running shoes built out of plastic bottles to its numerous collaborations with designer labels, design studios and rappers – think Sacai, Fragment and Mr Travis Scott before his stock sank – the sportswear giant was always two steps ahead.

Elsewhere, adidas’ reissues always hold court, but perhaps the German label’s most significant release was a crowd-pleasing icon, the Stan Smith, made from something unexpected: mushroom leather. And Mr Kanye West brought us new Yeezys in every colourway, but we’d settle for a pair of his resin clogs.

Maison Margiela, a brand West knows a thing or two about, turned its hand to (hand-painted) Reebok classics (including the Classic). Reebok itself deserves a mention for its slip-on efforts. But perhaps the big industry story was the re-emergence of New Balance, which quietly grabbed the mantle of the sneakerhead’s sneaker brand when it opened its enviable archives and teamed up with cult designer Mr Salehe Bembury.

Below are our picks of the best sneakers to land on MR PORTER this year. It leaves 2022 with some big shoes to fill.

Selected by Mr Rae Fernandez, Senior Designer, MR PORTER

The first rendition of the Foam RNNR dropped in 2020 and only grew in popularity, this year topping sneakerheads’ most-wanted lists. As more colourways arrived, the quicker they sold out, reaching almost double (or sometimes triple) the original price on the resale market.

Selected by Mr Dan Rookwood, MR PORTER contributor

Double Swoosh, double tongue, double lace... Double trouble. I’m a sucker for the ongoing Nike x Sacai collabs and have acquired so many pairs (six this calendar year) that I now need to hide them from my wife. (“But do you really need to keep all the boxes?” Yes. Yes I do.)

There are now more variants of the LD Waffle hybrid than there are of the coronavirus, but they’re considerably harder to pick up. Tough to choose a favourite, but I do love the understated purity of this white-on-white pair – plain waffle, no toppings. Just wish I’d doubled up and got two pairs.

Selected by Ms Sophie Hardcastle, Deputy Style Director, MR PORTER

New Balance was not wrong when it decreed that its sneakers were “worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio”. It was funny, but also true and, to my mind, makes the case for them being the sneakers of 2021.

On the back of the anniversary to celebrate the reissue of the 990 series, 40 years after they first launched, the brand revived the 990v2 in many of the OG colourways, including this muted and, dare I say it, normcore beige, which became a must-have when it landed on site in April and still looks just as fresh now.

Selected by Mr Joss Long, Junior Buyer, MR PORTER

This was one of the more surprising collaborations of the year, but it was executed perfectly. It brought together two icons and each brand’s signifiers in a simple, but pure way. This hand-painted version was my favourite from the project, with its true Maison Margiela artisanal DNA.

Selected by Mr Jason Wong, Personal Shopper, MR PORTER

The New Balance x Stone Island MSRCELTD was one of the most-anticipated collaborations of 2021. The deconstructed exterior, the thoughtful display of design codes of both brands and the masterful mixing of innovative materials married good looks with function. Among all the Nike Dunks and adidas Yeezys, these were my sneakers of the year.

Selected by Mr Chris Hall, Senior Watch Editor, MR PORTER

I know, what am I thinking? This New Balance 990 V1 goes against all the principles of a 2021 hype sneaker. It isn’t a collaboration between brands (let alone three or more co-collabs, which seems to be the new standard). It doesn’t come in lurid colours that make sunglasses obligatory. Nor does its basic shape resemble something Mr HR Giger would have doodled in the margins of his sketchbook. It looks like… a running shoe, in tasteful grey (pigskin suede, natch), white and cream, with some discreet red details here and there. I could wear these out and no one would think them special at all.

But they are special, you see. The V1 marks the 40th anniversary of the original 990, a running shoe that’s become synonymous with New Balance itself – nothing less than an icon, really.

Selected by Ms Sophie Watson, Junior Fashion Editor, MR PORTER

Throwing it back to the athletic styles of the 1990s, these Dunks were remodelled for 2021 in a sepia mix of brown and fossil hues. Super-soft suede panels and teddy-bear tones make these a great choice for cosy-core looks.

Take note of Mr Justin Bieber, who wore these out to dinner in March (paired with a chocolate-brown hoodie and grey wide-leg slacks) with his wife, Ms Hailey Bieber, who has just been papped in a suspiciously similar pair while out and about in London. The his-and-hers appeal rings true for many of the Dunk styles and, if Ms Bieber approves, you better Beliebe we do, too.

Selected by Mr Joseph Furness, MR PORTER contributor

My young nephew adores my New Balance 574 Yurts because I let him use the functional whistle on the heel. My brother-in-law’s girlfriend, a free-spirited, meat-eschewing cat mum, covets a pair because she’s obsessed with the nature-informed design. My sisters-in-law recently exhibited their admiration by separately reacting to an Insta story with a single fire emoji.

My grandad likes my Yurts for being a sturdy silhouette by a familiar and reliable brand. My nan comments on the quality of the suede and mesh upper, even though she wishes I’d opted for the slightly more vibrant Forest Green colourway, rather than the Shark Grey.

My dad is pleased to hear that they are more affordable than most of the kicks in my collection, while my mum cares more about the box than the actual shoe. My two younger brothers dig them because they’re a souped-up version of the sneaks that the in-crowd in their hometown are rocking. And as for my super-supportive partner, well, she likes everything I wear – at least, that’s what she tells me.

In short, the New Balance 574 Yurt has mass appeal. But it’s not my sneaker of the year because other people admire it. I picked it because it was designed by my newfound hero: Mr Salehe Bembury.

Selected by Mr Jim Merrett, Chief Sub-Editor, MR PORTER

Back in the early 1990s – when I sported a centre parting and was a card-carrying member of Club Nike, the sportswear brand’s early marketing programme – this shoe blew my mind. Like its forerunner runner, the Huarache, the Mowabb was revolutionary. And it looked it. In terms of comfort and technology, it was far out in front, but its aesthetics were far-out, too. The lack of obvious Nike branding, the trademark Swoosh (and for a 12-year-old, knowing that people knew you were wearing Nikes was key), became branding in itself.

Three decades on, and tweaked to employ the best bits of previous reissues, it still looks like nothing else. Perhaps, given the rise of Gorpcore, not to mention sock-like footwear, menswear is finally catching up with this pioneering outdoor shoe. Although the fact that a sneaker launched in my lifetime is now considered a vintage piece hurts. (Not as much as the old knees do, mind.)