15 Raf Simons Sneakers You Should Know, Ranked

It’s no secret that chunky sneakers have been the wave for the past year or so. Sneaker trends ebb and flow, but when did this specific movement first crop up? A craze as ubiquitous as oversized sneakers rarely appears overnight. Long before Balenciaga dropped the Triple S or Kanye released the Yeezy 500, Belgian menswear designer Raf Simons was already hard at work, releasing vibrant and unorthodox sneakers. With the release of the Ozweego 1 in 2013, Simons cemented himself as a major figure not only in high-fashion, but also in sneaker culture and streetwear at large.

Both before and after the release of the Ozweego 1, Simons has consistently released some pretty monumental kicks. Before his collabs with Adidas, the designer had already put out some unstoppable sneakers, like the Velcro Strap High of 2010 or the flashy “De Stijl” hiking boots from his 2008 collection. We rounded up the greatest sneakers of his long history as a designer; check them out below.

These trainers were a huge milestone in Raf’s illustrious career as a designer. Released in 2009, the technical trainers foreshadowed the ever-changing sneaker landscape of the 2010s. Featuring pops of color against a relatively muted silhouette, the trainers were not hugely hyped following their release. It took the sneaker community years to acclimate to this genre of shoe, but ten years later, colorful “ugly” shoes are popping up on both runways and the streets.

Yeezy season approaching. The all-red Ozweegos caused a huge stir with their release in 2014. That said, we’re ranking them so low on the list for their lack of longevity. They’re amazing sneakers and a great use of the silhouette, but they’re very much a product of an era. These kicks are a result of the monochrome-red wave of the post-Red October period. They’re beautiful shoes, but we just don’t see a ton of tonal red kicks out on the streets these days.

One of these sneakers doesn’t look like the others! This is the rarest pair of kicks on the list, and although you don’t see them often, their influence is everywhere. Released in 2008, the “De Stijl” hiking boot features a Mondrian-influenced color palette splashed onto an unorthodox silhouette. It’s tough to tell if the boots look futuristic or antiquated, but they certainly don’t look like they’re from this era—or 2008 for that matter. A$AP Rocky rocked the kicks on a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2013. Despite their rarity, the boots paved the way for a lot of the color-experimentation that began burgeoning in sneaker design in the early 2010s.

Now we start to really get into the hits. The velcro lows are such an unbelievable low-profile sneaker, in both white and black. Crafted with beautiful leather, these shoes have cemented themselves as one of the most iconic releases of Simons’s career since 2010. Considering that these predate his first collaborations with Adidas, their staying power is especially extraordinary. It’s a gorgeous shoe, but one that’s becoming increasingly more difficult to get your hands on.

In the aftermath of Kanye West’s recent announcement of his upcoming Clog, we have been forced to reckon with the influence of the clog/water-shoe hybrid that is the Croc. But years before Kanye and Steven Smith could riff on the rubber shoes, Simons had already integrated a Croc-like strap into his sneaker design. The Response Trail sneaker from 2015 controversially featured a dense foam strap along its heel. And while some once dubbed these sneakers ugly, they’ve become a mainstay of Raf Simons x Adidas aficionados’ collections. This sneaker is increasingly difficult to find online, but their unique mix of technical and gaudy aesthetics lands them a spot in our top five.

The final three on this list could have all taken the top spot. The Velcro Highs are a revelation. They encapsulate everything good and wonderful about a pair of sneakers. They’re low-profile, but the thick velcro straps and ankle-height upper give them a flamboyant flair. Worn with long, wide pants, they provide an amazing canvas for draping and stacking. Worn with skinny, cropped pants, they glisten as standalone high-tops. They’re sneakers, but their high-quality leather gives them a pseudo-formal feel. They toe the line between sneaker and shoe, minimal and gaudy, clean and extreme. God bless the Raf Simons Velcro High.

It’s difficult to identify what I like most about these sneakers. Is it the accented, yellow stitching? Is it the blue and red metallic eyelets? The clean gray sole? The Response Trail Robot earned its number two spot on this list because of its ineffability. It's not a vibrant, colorful sneaker like the Ozweegos, nor is it a relatively muted, formal sneaker like the velcro highs and lows. Inspired by vintage astronaut suits, this iteration of the Response Trail is a God-tier sneaker. It’s low-key enough to be integrated into a plethora of different looks, while the metallic accents give it a standout visual style. A sneaker deemed too weird upon its 2015 release now seems rather subdued compared to the increasingly wacky pairs of the past half-decade. It’s an amazing sneaker, and one of the most wearable options on our list. Good luck finding them though!