Fashion’s Betting the Boxing Sneaker Will Be the Knockout Shoe Trend of 2025

Ladies and gentlemen, a new trendy sneaker has entered the ring. In this corner, reaching mid-calf and higher, we have a statement shoe that packs a punch—it’s the... drumroll please—boxing sneaker trend.

Cut in a supportive, high-top silhouette that hugs close to the shin and set on a flat sole, boxing sneakers were initially designed with support and movement in mind so boxers can perfect their fancy footwork. But ask a fashion girl, and she'd recognize them more as the underdog shoe trend on Spring 2025’s runways; at Christian Dior, tall trainers were laced up to the knee, Chloé added heft and height to its "Kick" sneaker, and Loewe beefed up its viral Retro Runners to hit the high ankle.

That very same fashion girl—who may or may not take a high-intensity kickboxing class in a purple-lit studio—might already own a pair. She most likely owns an Adidas lace-up boxing boot that Fashion Month guests champion as they warm up for street-style snaps.

Like many trends that suddenly gain attention, the boxing sneakers trend didn’t emerge out of nowhere; these shoes are part of a larger group of archival sports silhouettes that are experiencing modern revivals, such as Adidas’ Taekwondo Shoe, initially designed in the 1980s for martial arts competitors and now a favorite of Jennifer Lawrence for casual strolls in New York City.

But designers have boxing on their minds. During her October runway show, Stella McCartney collaborated with Adidas to reimagine the Rasant sneaker, a high-top tribute to '80s-era boxing boots. Similarly, LaQuan Smith teamed up with Puma for a high-top version of its viral Speedcat sneaker, called the Speedcat Mid, released on March 15. If I were a betting woman, I would place my money on this one as a top contender for the Next Big Sneaker; last summer, Puma's Speedcat, originally designed in 1999 as a motorsport shoe, saw a 532 percent spike and surpassed Adidas' SL72 and Samba as Lyst's third hottest product of the season.

But of all the various sports for fashion designers to draw style inspiration from, why boxing? Perhaps they rewatched every dad’s favorite sports drama, Rocky, and paid close attention to Sylvester Stallone’s worn-out kicks. Maybe they’re predicting how fashion’s pendulum will swing; since slim, barely-there sneakers have become ubiquitous (see: the Adidas Samba), they might be foreseeing consumer fatigue and are offering a shoe with a bolder statement instead.

Or, it could be that designers simply feel feisty and want to give shoppers a bold shoe that pulls no punches. After all, boxing sneakers are not for everyone. Scorned by the knee-length Converse high-tops of their youth, some millennials might take a pass. Traditionalists might predict the shoe as a short-term fad, joining the wasteland of once-beloved, now-detested controversial sneakers.

But if you enjoy an unconventional shoe trend and are prepared to confront critics, boxing sneakers may be the perfect one-two punch you need.

Shop Spring's Boxing Sneaker Trend