7 Best Cheap Sneakers in 2024
Gone are the days when sneaker fans had to spend lavishly to look up-to-date. Scoring a pair of dope sneakers without squandering is much easier than most think. This is why we’ve put together a user-friendly guide to help you pick the best sneakers on the market.
We've admitted the task of wearing, testing, and dissecting cheap sneakers so you do not have to. We also owned up to assessing them and choosing which ones definitely aced our scrutinization. Look over our selection in this article.
How we test sneakers
- To avoid biased feedback, we use our money to purchase these cheap sneakers.
- For authentic results, we subject them to a whole slew of tests and comparisons by wearing them indoors and outdoors in different real-life settings and activities.
- We meticulously gather more information inside our independent lab. We do all sorts of testing such as breathability, flexibility, and stainproofability. In addition to that, we also bust the shoes open with a saw to bring light to all the technologies and elements included in each of them.
One characteristic we find an absolute must for cheap sneakers is durability. We test this feature with our Dremel test. Basically, we observe how much a sneaker gets damaged upon applying a drill with an attachment to its various parts, including the upper, outsole, and sock liner.
Best cheap sneakers overall
What makes it the best?
Pros
- Classic NB silhouette
- Budget-friendly
- Suitable for all-day wear
- Real suede
- Highly durable
- Stable and supportive
- Great for wide feet
- Easy to style
- Numerous color options
Cons
- Lacks breathability
- Stiff and firm platform
- Tongue shifts a little
Best cheap classic sneakers
What makes it the best?
Pros
- Clean and minimalist style
- Unbelievably affordable
- Real leather and suede
- Comfortable in-shoe feel
- Long-lasting construction
- Lighter than average
- Highly flexible build
- Good grip for casual use
Cons
- Poor breathability
- Tongue slides to the side
- Not for all-day wear
Best cheap leather sneakers
What makes it the best?
Pros
- Mighty plush
- Great investment
- Leader of the pack
- Supportive
- Aesthetically well-rounded
- Enduring
- Affordable
Cons
- Downgraded upper
- Dirt-magnet
Best cheap lightweight sneakers
What makes it the best?
Pros
- Fashionably sporty
- Well-cushioned
- Stable and planted platform
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Above average breathability
- Superb grip
- Suitable for driving
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- Relatively stiff
- Fits a little tight
- Not suitable for wide feet
Best cheap basketball-inspired sneakers
What makes it the best?
Pros
- Iconic style
- Great for all-day use
- Generously padded and comfy
- Nice and flexible
- Sufficient arch support
- Very durable toebox
- Accommodating toebox
- Lots of colorway options
- Affordable
Cons
- Needs breaking in
- Average breathability at best
- Not for rainy days
Best cheap canvas sneakers
What makes it the best?
The Vans Old Skool is a surprisingly cheap canvas sneaker that is a joy to wear. It retails at $60, which is nearly half the price of the average sneaker at $115. This price also makes it cheaper than 95% of the sneakers in our database.
After several days of testing it in our lab and on the streets, we found it to be a brilliant shoe. While its iconic and time-tested look is already a given, it's the sneaker’s breathability, quick break-in period, and price which led us to choose it as our best overall cheap sneaker.
After walking and skating with it on hot summer days, we noticed that its canvas was highly breathable. What we particularly enjoyed was the fact that the air flowed well from several directions, whereas modern sneakers often depend on mesh panels in key areas. We tested this further in our lab by performing our weatherproof test. When we poured water over its upper, the liquid seeped through the canvas, going into the shoe’s interior. While this shows that it cannot be used in wet conditions, it also demonstrates how breathable the sneaker is.
While it may be tempting to wear the Vans Old Skool everywhere, we warn that it isn’t able to handle stains well. We conducted a stain resistance test by applying both wet and dry marks on its upper to see how well they could be cleaned. While dry marks were removed well, wet stains proved to be very difficult to clean because they penetrated the canvas. Thus, we don’t recommend the Vans Old Skool if you want a sneaker that stays in pristine condition.
Pros
- A classic silhouette deserving of any wardrobe
- Easy to wear in
- Super comfortable
- Fits true to size
- Incredibly breathable thanks to the all-canvas upper
- Clean aesthetics
- Very durable outsole
- Brakes well on the board
Cons
- Not very durable in comparison to other modern skate shoes
- Collect stains easily
Best cheap skate shoes
What makes it the best?
Setting side by side with the average price of all the low-top kicks in our database, Adidas Busenitz is 29% more affordable. But that is not even the squeaker! Despite its competitive price of $80, the things it offers are fascinating: water tightness, easy maintenance, and, most of all, sturdiness.
We subjected Busenitz to casual use and skating, and we noticed that it could flawlessly handle wear and tear. Little did we know that this was the least it could handle. When we brought Busenitz inside our lab, we pressed a drill with a wire brush attachment to its upper. To our surprise, it came out without any damage, not even a scratch!
Another thing that shocked us was its ability to keep off water effectively. If not for the sneaker’s tongue, not even a bit of the water we poured would enter the Busenitz. When it comes to maintenance, we also discovered from our stain-proofing test that Busenitz is a breeze to clean, whether it is marked with wet or dry stains.
Our only concern is that it took us a while before we broke into the Busenitz. We confirmed the sneaker’s stiffness when we tried to bend it using our bar clamp, and it didn’t flex much. If you share the same concern, we suggest picking up more flexible sneakers.
Pros
- Incredibly durable
- Fits true to size
- Grippy as anything
- Technical shoe for responsive skating
- Surprisingly weatherproof
- Classic silhouette
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Takes a long time to break it
- Narrow in the toe box
- The big tongue isn't for everyone
- Not very breathable