As we edge cautiously towards 2021 there are some big questions on everyone’s lips: Are we about to be dragged into World War III? How can we stop the entire planet from burning to a cinder? And, much less importantly, what’s the next big thing going to be in the world of sneaker trends?

Unfortunately, we’re not really equipped to answer the first two; such matters are far beyond our menswear-focused realm of expertise. However, gazing into the FashionBeans crystal ball for the first time this year, we can have a damn good go at answering the third.

From haute-couture collabs to revisiting the year 2000, these are the sneaker trends to know over the next 12 months.

High-Fashion Hookups

This time ten years ago, you’d have been laughed out of Paris by tall, thin, good-looking people smoking tiny menthol cigarettes for suggesting an Air Jordan x Christian Dior collab, and yet here we are. In 2019, the Sacai x Nike LDWaffle was arguably the biggest release of the year, and with the aforementioned Air Dior sneaker, plus another from Adidas and Prada set to land later this year, the trend for high-fashion collaborations is only going to get bigger.

Haute-couture houses hooking up with sneaker brands is symptomatic of a larger, overarching sneaker trend. It’s yet another step towards streetwear becoming fashion’s new normal – something which has been taking place for several years now.

Still, for anyone convinced it was just a flash in the pan, this should serve as further proof of streetwear’s staying power in the fashion arena.

More Gore

Function going fashion was one of the major menswear moments of 2019 and 2020. Models were paraded down runways in technical outerwear, pockets were everywhere and Gore-Tex surpassed fleece and corduroy as the hottest fabric around. Dressing for an ice climb in the Karakoram had never looked so good.