With soccer’s influence on sneakers and fashion at-large growing over the past few years, it should come as no surprise that the 2026 World Cup is proving more sneaker-centric than any previous tournament.
Releases tied to the sport’s pinnacle event started popping up early in the year and have building with more frequency as Thursday’s opening game has drawn closer. Through collaborations and in-line efforts, all the major brands have been tossing out options to rep futbol on-foot throughout the summer.
Footwear News takes a look back and forward at the very best World Cup sneakers below.
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Adidas Samba “USA Denim”
Release Date: Feb. 3
Price: $100
SKU: HP3551
Adidas no longer sponsors the U.S. National Team, but it does still have the rights to the once-polarizing starry denim jersey design it made for the squad at the 1994 World Cup. The kits were brought back sans-USA branding through both a Bape collab and an in-line collection with more apparel, including this actual denim Samba.
Ahluwalia x Puma VS-1
Release Date: April 22
Price: $150
SKU: 405836_01
For one of Puma’s most well- received collaborations in recent memory, Priya Ahluwalia, the British designer with Indian-Nigerian heritage, used the VS-1 to celebrate African soccer culture. The model launched last year while incorporating elements from two aughts-era Puma boots and had largely flown under the radar until Ahluwalia’s intervention.
Air Jordan 3 “Brazil”
Release Date: May 16
Price: $225
SKU: IV4871-400
Brazil will arrive at the World Cup this summer as the first national soccer team to ever wear a kit with Jumpman branding — and only the second team overall after French club Paris Saint Germain. This colorful Air Jordan 3 was made to match the Jordan away kit and has a spirit befitting “o jogo bonito.”
Clot x Adidas Mundial
Release Date: May 2
Price: $150
SKU: JQ6823
The Adidas Mundial was already known for its texture, and Clot flipped the switch by swaping in a quilted pattern of its logo as well as an espadrille sole unit.
KidSuper x Bape Sta
Release Date: June 11
Price: $325
Pictured her is the Mexico edition, but KidSuper and Bape have gone all out with a collaborative colorway of the Sta sneaker for all 48 teams in the World Cup. No other brand has achieved the same scale through this year’s circuit.
Nike Air Max 90 “Hypervenom”
Release Date: May 21
Price: $150
SKU: IR1978-844
Released as part of larger collection mashing up the Air Max 90 with other iconic Nike soccer boots, this dimpled and seamless Hypervenom edition with skull and crossbones is hard to top.
Palace x England x Nike Cryoshot Air Speed M
Release Date: June 12
Price: $200
SKU: IM0702-001
Seven brands each chose a different classic Nike soccer boot to have its studs encapsulated in a more walkable TPU shell as part of their larger X2 collections. One of the clear highlights is Palace’s more obscure choice of the first shoe to break into the top flight of English football in the late-’80s.
Patta x Netherlands x Nike Cryoshot Mercurial R9
Release Date: June 11
Price: $200
SKU: IM0589-001
Patta opted for a crowd-pleaser with Ronaldo’s Mercurial R9 and made it its own with Dutch orange accents to rep its home country.
Y-3 Adidas F-50 “Beast Pack”
Release Date: April 1
Price: $330
SKU: KK3650, HP9981, KK3651, KK3652
Y-3 and Adidas have been mixing football and fashion long before most, and for the 2006 World Cup they dropped a four pack of limited-edition boots featuring different beasts. 20 years later, they’ve returned with their studs trimmed to a level suited for everyday wear.
