One might assume men are less susceptible to trends, especially those born on social media platforms like TikTok — but The Lyst Index, a quarterly report done by shopping app (and technology company) Lyst based on the searches, purchases and social media posts of more than 200 million consumers, proves otherwise. Men gravitate toward a mix of the new and old, its ranking of the 10 “hottest” products of Q2 2022 (April 1st through June 30th) revealed.
At the top of the list sits Adidas’s collaboration with Wales Bonner: a green and white Samba sneaker with wicker accents. Frankly, its positioning is impressive considering the sneaker doesn’t give in to the hype cycle, meaning it doesn’t rely on a high profile musician or brand but rather the talents of an emerging designer with her own eponymous brand. Plus, there’s nothing over the top about the sneaker — from afar, it looks like a standard Samba (which is close to a Gazelle, which Gucci just re-did).
Products in the Guide
In second was Birkenstock‘s basic Boston clog, a style that’s been around since 1979 but has never ranked on this list. Why now? Well, Bostons are more popular than ever, courtesy of limited-edition iterations done by the likes of Stüssy, the Mule Boyz and beyond. Generally speaking, they’re a good slip-on summer shoe, too, and Q2 sits covers most of the season. Another slip-on follows close behind: Gucci’s Horsebit Loafers, a mainstay on Lyst’s list — even at $890.
Further down the list you’ll find surprising entries like Levi’s super-affordable 469 Loose Fit Denim Shorts, a pair of jorts with a 12.25-inch inseam. (Most shorts nowadays are five or six inches max.) Available in three washes, light, medium and dark, they’re here because they’re affordable and popular on TikTok, where the 2000s are ripe for reinterpretation by Gen Z, aka folks who didn’t have to suffer through the era’s popular fashion.
More early aughts designs appeared on this list, though: Nike’s iconic Air Force 1 and Polo Ralph Lauren’s classic Chino Cap. Both feel a little foreign in today’s context, but they’ve endured nonetheless. (Plus, the style’s been buoyed by Nike’s plans for a version of the Air Force 1 that needs cleaned less often and folks’s penchant for customizing their own pairs.
