Here Are The 10 Best Sneakers to Wear This Halloween
Nike, Vans, Maison Margiela and more have you sorted for the spooky season.
With Halloween just around the corner, costumes and kicks will soon become a very important decision. Sure, you can opt for a full horror film character look or a classic creepy disguise, but for those looking to keep it low-key this season, how do you scream you’ve arrived for Halloween?
This season brands such as Nike, Vans and 424 have delivered a host of treats for you to choose from. Drawing inspiration from Mexico’s Day of the Dead, traditional designs or even iconography such as slime, Frankenstein and spiders, sneakers have become ever-more important this year regardless of your celebratory outfit.
So to carve out the tricks from the treats, HYPEBEAST has rounded up ten of the best Halloween-inspired sneakers you should cop this season. Keep on reading below.
Nike “Day of the Dead” Collection
Mexico’s folklore celebration of the Day of the Dead is about as Halloween-centric as it can get. This year Nike has decided to pay homage to the day with special edition iterations of its Cortez, an Air Max 95 and an Air Force 1 Low. The Cortez “El Altar” features traditional graphics found Ofrendas, whereas the “La Catrina” AM95 draws inspiration from the female skeleton that represents a happy afterlife. Lastly, the AF1 “La Calaca” offers a reflective Sugar Skull pattern throughout its upper. Pick up remainging pairs in Nike stores throughout the US and Mexico, or online via Stadium Goods.
size? x Vans Sk8-Hi “Halloween”
The size? x Vans Sk8-Hi “Halloween” is the latest shoe to come from the duo’s long line of releases. This seasonal offering sports an archival Vans spiderweb print on its canvas upper, as well as black suede on the toe box and heel. The leather Jazz Stripes feature a purple and lime green slime-drip finish, the words “Trick” and “Treat” grace the laces, and a set of crossbones adorn the blacked-out sole unit.
Amiri Skel Toe Slip-On
If you’re looking to stunt and spook this Halloween, opt for the Amiri Skel Toe Slip-On. Featuring a hand-cut and sewn leather skeleton foot applique on its forefoot, this Amiri offering is both luxe and seasonal as it keeps the theme intact with its black and white colorway. The upper is made from suede and sits atop a vulcanized sole unit, while branding comes in the form of a stamp on the heel and a tonal license plate on the midsole.
Nike Air Force 1 “Skeleton”
Following on from last year’s hugely popular Air Force 1 “Skeleton” release, Nike brings back the head-turning graphic for 2019 and adds it to the much-loved black AF1. This dark iteration sees its leather upper become adorned with the print from its forefoot to the heel cup, and is contrasted by an equally eerie translucent outsole. Nike left no gravestone unturned with this release, as it reworked the tongue logo to spell its moniker out of bone-like letters and continued the print into the sock liner.
Y-3 Kaiwa
For the fashion-forward souls, Y-3’s Kaiwa sneaker in orange and black is your Halloween sneaker of choice. Supple leather has been used for the Kaiwa’s upper in exchange for its usual minimalist black neoprene design, which instead is only exposed at the rear and on the tongue. Other seasonal colors such as red appear on the suede eyestay, rear-quarter heel tabs and tongue branding. Complementing the look is a black and orange EVA midsole that delivers an avant-garde aesthetic with its unique shapes and molded overlays.
424 42Force Rubber-Dipped Sneakers
Come through dripping this Halloween with these 424 42Force orange and black rubber-dipped sneakers. The classic-inspired silhouette is finished in premium black leather and features detailing such as a 424 stamp on the tongue, a perforated toe box and tonal laces. However, it’s the dripping orange rubber that sets this pair apart and makes it a great addition to your Halloween get-up, giving you toxic slime vibes all season long.
Maison Margiela Fusion Sneakers
Maison Margiela’s Fusion Sneakers are part Frankenstein, part art. Each pair is covered in glue by hand, making for a unique drip design running down and across each foot. This pair is finished with seasonally-correct orange details, with ashy grey tones littered throughout providing a ghostly aesthetic. Finishing touches include duct tape, frayed knots, exposed mesh and visible stitching, which come together to add to its put-back-together look.
Nike SB Dunk Low Pro “Night of Mischief”
Nike continues to spin its web of Halloween-themed sneakers with the SB Dunk Low Pro “Night of Mischief.” The sneaker is the most on-brand choice in the list as it features a host of Halloween-inspired elements such as “Trick” and “Treat” embroidery on the heel tabs, purple web detailing on the mid-panels and Jack-o’-lantern perforations on the orange leather vamp. Elsewhere you’ll find a spider towards the rear-quarter, a ghost logo on the inside of the tongue, pumpkin-printed insoles and a contrasting green outsole.
Axel Arigato Catfish Lo
Swedish footwear label Axel Arigato brings one of its latest silhouettes — the Catfish Lo — into the limelight for Halloween this year. The chunky sneaker draws inspiration from ‘90s and ‘00s skater shoes, but elevates this aesthetic with premium black leather, suede and grey mesh. Two pairs are up for grabs that feature either green or orange suede panels — cop both for a two-toned on-foot look.
Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Shattered Backboard 3.0”
One of this season’s most highly-anticipated Jordan releases is the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Shattered Backboard 3.0.” Although this coveted colorway draws inspiration from an exhibition game in Italy in which Michael Jordan played during his rookie season, it’s season-appropriate release makes it one of this year’s most sought-after kicks for festivities. This time around, Jordan Brand adds crinkled black glossy leather and a vintage-looking yellow sole unit, which adds a worn-in touch that’s ideal for your Halloween fit.
