The chunky-shoe trend isn’t going away anytime soon.
That’s according to Lyst, which put the Balenciaga Triple S at the No. 1 spot in its ranking of the hottest sneakers of the year. In an exclusive for GQ, the retail tracking platform analyzed search, sales and page views to find that Demna Gvasalia’s $950 trainers were 2018’s ultimate streetwear status symbol — with their retro-futuristic silhouette, recognizable colorway and ultrathick stacked rubber soles.
The luxury fashion house, which landed fourth in the index’s most searched brands by male shoppers, saw two of its products make the list — the other being the socklike Balenciaga Speed. Nike’s lightweight Air Vapormax and the distressed Golden Goose Deluxe Brand Superstar came in second and third place, respectively. (Nike also ranked twice, with the Air Max 97 trailing the Speed at No. 6.)
Additionally, Lyst’s year-end data determined that men’s shopping habits continue to revolve around sneakers. In fact, male shoppers spent $253.18 — more than double (or 111 percent) of the $120 reported last year. Overall, the average amount of money they shelled out on a single product this year was $259.07.
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While Balenciaga earned top honors in the sneaker category, celebrity-favorite Gucci held onto its top spot as the hottest brand for the second year in a row. (Another major debut from designer Alessandro Michele was the jewel-covered hiker-influenced dad sneakers seen at the brand’s fall 2018 runway show at Milan Fashion Week in February.)
Nike and Off-White were also honorable mentions. The sportswear giant jumped into second place from last year’s unranked status, while the streetwear label’s founder, Virgil Abloh, separately made headlines for dressing Serena Williams in her return to the U.S. Open and debuting his first collection as artistic director of Louis Vuitton Homme.
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