The 14 Best Breathable Shoes for Men 2023

Aug 23, 2023

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Heat and humidity are no match for these.

You, me, and everybody else who's experienced the heat and humidity that comes with being outside sometimes knows what it's like to have shoes that suffocate your feet. Seriously—what feeling is worse than having your feet (which play a huge part in regulating your body temperature, BTW!) feel like they can't breathe through your shoes and socks, and are just festering up sweat until you can finally air 'em out?

The solution to this problem is a simple one: Get a pair of breathable shoes. They're more common than you think, although, you wouldn't really know it by how many shoes seem to hold your feet within a prison of humidity. But brands like Nike, Adidas, and Asics have perfected the art of combining durability with breathability, so you don't have to sacrifice one thing for another. No flimsiness, no sweat. Even designers like Gucci and Common Projects have breathable styles, while crowd favorites like Veja, Cariuma, and Hoka have pairs that you'll love. Below, we've gathered 14 of the best breathable shoes on the market. All you have to do is take the jump to make your feet feel better forever.

Cariumas are a long-standing favorite because of how lightweight they are. But walking-on-air effect aside, these sneakers are pretty damn breathable, too, thanks to their canvas construction.

Not only are these shoes comfortable to run around town in, but they'll air out your feet and let the breathe while you're doing it. The eucalyptus tree fiber is breezy and light, and even has thermoregulating properties.

A knit sneaker is great for keeping your feet warm, but not hot. These aren't the kind of shoe you're going to grimace at when winter comes—they're protective and comfortable, but not overbearingly hot.

Nike has mastered the breathable sneaker over the years, and the Air Max 270s take the cake in terms of letting your dogs catch some air. These are so thin and flexible, it'll be like wearing really, really protective socks.

These are washable, durable, and highly breathable, but honestly? As soon as Pedro Pascal gave them his seal of approval, we were sold.

Or, if you're more of an Asics guy, there's no going wrong with a good ol' Gel-Nimbus 24. Perforation in the upper makes for an even more breathable sneaker than most.

Hoka is quickly becoming a household name in the world of sneakers, and it's really no question as to why. Their most popular style, the Clifton 9, is breathable as hell, thanks to the engineered knit upper.

For a running shoe that doubles as a lifestyle shoe, On has a pair that's perfect for putting that pep in your step. These have athletic tech in their 100% recycled polyester upper that allows for ventilation and breathability all day long.

A leather and webbing combo makes these '70s-inspired Gucci picks an absolutely infallible pair, both in terms of style and breathability.

Made in part with ocean plastics, these shoes with a breathable knit upper are perfect for runs, walks, and any other kind of pace of life.

You, like the rest of the world, have undoubtedly been seeing that Veja logo more and more over the past couple of years. The lifestyle shoe's most breathable iteration has an Alvomesh upper, fabricated alongside leather and suede for an effortlessly cool look.

Thanks to perforated polyester ripstop, these shoes are crafted specifically to be breathable as can be.

The ultimate land-to-sea option, that will keep your feet perfectly dry on land and, ironically, just wet enough in the water.

You don't have to sacrifice the full-grain leather look in favor of breathability. Common Projects proves you can have the best of both worlds, with their style that's equally luxe and breathable.

Trishna Rikhy is the Associate Style Commerce Editor at Esquire. Previously, her writing has appeared in Vogue Runway, PAPER Magazine, V Magazine, V MAN, and more. She is based in NYC, but can probably be found wherever the strongest cup of coffee is.

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