7 Best Breathable Sneakers, 100+ Shoes Tested in 2022
If you’re looking for a new pair for the summer season, it’s important to have breathable sneakers in the closet when the temperature rises. Aside from keeping your toes cool and comfortable, a reliable pair of shoes will protect your feet and ankles from the impact of walking on concrete paths or standing for long hours.
No matter if you're attending a formal gathering, or going out with friends on a weekend getaway, there’s a perfect pair of breathable shoes for your feet. Shoe manufacturers like Nike, Adidas, Vans, and Puma are constantly innovating their designs using various materials to produce more comfortable sneakers that suit everyone’s lifestyles.
With tons of options out there, getting into your summer sneaker hunt can be time-consuming. We can help you with that. Below are our top picks in various categories based on hours of meticulous testing of over 1000 breathable sneakers across different brands.
How we test sneakers
Carefully wear testing one shoe at a time, our team of sneakerheads put in the hours of research and performance tests. We also examine each model to its essential parts inside our independent RunRepeat shoe testing lab. As you can see, we want to be comprehensive in our approach which includes:
- Buying breathable sneakers for testing using our own money. This eliminates any taint of bias in all of our reviews.
- Thoroughly wear-testing each model, which involves not just a quick on-foot try but engaging in a variety of activities like a short walk to the grocery store, going on a date, or other similar activities.
- Take every sneaker for days of wear and tear use before giving our assessment on its fit, comfort, durability, etc…
- Taking into account the feedback from other shoe experts and reviews from regular consumers.
In the end, a final score is assigned on all breathable sneakers. Using our CoreScore system, you can immediately see which shoes are top performers by looking at their ratings, ranging from 0-100.
Best breathable sneakers overall
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all sneakers.
- Top 7% in sneakers
- Top 12% in Adidas sneakers
- Top 1% most popular sneakers
Pros
- Classic silhouette
- Numerous colorways and collaborations
- Easy to style
- Durable
- Weatherproof
Cons
- Runs large
- Lack of support
- Takes some time to wear in
Verdict
Best Nike breathable sneakers
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all sneakers.
- Top 11% in sneakers
- Top 6% in Nike sneakers
- Top 3% most popular sneakers
Pros
- Secure fit
- Nice in-shoe feel
- Like running on the clouds
- Breathable
- Durable
- Matches many outfits
Cons
- Tight toebox
- Weird sole
- Break-in period
Verdict
Best Adidas breathable sneakers
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all sneakers.
- Top 24% in sneakers
- Top 26% in leather sneakers
- Top 3% most popular 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
Verdict
Best Puma breathable sneakers
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all sneakers.
- Top 3% in sneakers
- Top 2% in Puma sneakers
- Top 12% most popular sneakers
Pros
- Exceptionally cozy
- Fashionable
- 10/10 craftsmanship
- Height booster
- Totally budget-friendly
- Easy to clean
- Breathable
Cons
- Narrow forefoot
- Lacks flexibility
Verdict
Best retro breathable sneakers
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all sneakers.
- Top 11% in sneakers
- Top 23% in Vans sneakers
- Top 10% most popular sneakers
Pros
- Fits true to size
- Super durable skate shoe
- Extra comfortable inner sole
- Flexible
- Relatively breathable
- Many colorways to choose from
- Still the same Vans we love
- Easy to clean
- Weatherproof
Cons
- Can be hard to put on
- Parts of it still susceptible to stains
Verdict
Best value breathable sneakers
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all sneakers.
- Top 8% in sneakers
- Top 16% in Vans sneakers
- Top 1% most popular sneakers
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
Verdict
Most popular breathable sneakers
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all sneakers.
- Top 30% in sneakers
- Top 22% in Nike sneakers
- Top 1% most popular sneakers
Pros
- Very durable
- Breathable
- The stuff of legends and rightly so
- Huge amounts of colorways
- Great price for a statement shoe
- Fits true to size
- Quality materials
- Easy to clean
- Stain resistant
Cons
- So stiff it asks for adjustment period
- Normal and wide feet find it too narrow
Verdict
