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As collectors, sneakerheads often don’t want to scuff, crease, heeldrag or otherwise mess up their kicks. Beater shoes, or more specifically beater sneakers (referred to in the sneaker community simply as “beaters”) solve for this by assigning a specific pair for all “risky” sneaker activity.
What Beater Shoes Are
Beaters are shoes that are meant to get messed up. Beater sneakers are used for sports, gym or any activity where the shoes are guaranteed to take damage.
Black, durable uppers and react insole:
these made for some great beaters!
Sneakerheads will designate a pair of beaters to be worn exclusively when the odds are high that the shoe will get dirty.
Beater selections are frequently worn-out shoes assigned the purpose of taking damage so your collectible kicks don’t have to! The kicks are usually dirty, and might have holes or tears in them, or be missing laces.
These kicks get a beating from the gym, taking out the garbage, walking in the rain, going for a run and any number of activities. Beater shoes are a stand-in to wear during any activity that one would not want to subject their more valuable sneakers to.
Best Beater Shoes
The best beater shoes are the ones that can take a beating and still look good. They should be durable, versatile and comfortable. Dark colored uppers will help hide scuffs and stains.
Some of the things to consider for a beater shoe include:
1. Durability
A good pair of beater shoes should be able to take a beating. A sneaker with thicker knit uppers, suedes and/or leathers can help absorb damage over time. A durable midsole is also desirable here as it will help the shoe last longer and take more damage.The kicks should also not stain easily.
In the past, I’ve chosen pairs with black or dark colored uppers so that scuffs and stains would not be as readily apparent. Black midsole/outsole combos also help as far as keeping the midsole looking nice. The best beaters look relatively un-beaten even as they are continually taking damage.
2. Style
These served well as beater kicks
once my order for the 2020 retro was in!
As sneaker collectors, even our beaters need to be nice! One way to do this: take an older pair of worn heat and put it to work as a beater. For example, I used my old 2010 Air Max 90 Infrareds as beaters once I purchased the 2020 retro.
Alternatively, one can buy a pair specifically to designate as beaters and simply choose a stylish pair. The goal is getting something that shows up on a sneaker collectors radar at a relatively low cost. For example, a newer pair of Nike runners on clearance will look good while still being affordable.
Getting a pair with a black or otherwise neutral upper will help the sneaker work with whatever you happen to have on. Remember, we aren’t planning extravagant outfits to go with beaters, so they need to work well even when just thrown on quickly for a task.
3. Comfort
A good pair of beaters allows for comfortable wear despite dirt and damage! Many sneaker collectors use pairs with Ultraboost and Nike React as beaters for comfortability.
4. Convenience
A good rule of thumb is that the sneaker should slide on and off easily without feeling loose. If I’m keeping some beaters by the door, I need to be able to get them on quick. When finished, I need to be able to get them off fast without spreading dirt everywhere.
What My Beaters Are
I look for pairs that are going to be comfortable that I don’t mind taking damage. In the past, this has included the Nike Bruin React, Air Max 90 Infrared, Air Max 95 Neon, Tailwind 79, Adidas Iniki and Ultraboost.
Comfy, Durable, My current beaters!
Currently I’m using the Nike Infinity React Flyknit 2 as my beaters. I like them because they aren’t really a “sneakerhead” shoe, but collectors still acknowledge them.
Additionally, the technology used in the midsole is quite good and makes them extremely comfortable. I got a pair for my wife and she claims they are helping save her knees and back at work! The flyknit uppers also are breathable and comfortable, yet thick enough to withstand basic damage. The chunk of react at the bottom is very durable and hasn’t bottomed out like many other fancy midsole technologies I’ve experienced in the past.
My general policy with sneakers like Air Max 90s that have an inherently limited lifespan is to beat up my older pairs once a new retro is announced. As mentioned earlier, this procedure is how I wound up beating down my pair of 2010 Infrareds.
The Air Max 90 is comfortable, easy to get in and out of, durable, and replaceable with a new retro every few years. For me, they made the ideal heater-beater! Kicks like these don’t last forever so it’s best to get your wears in, especially if you have a newer retro (in my case the 2020 version) on the way!
Beater Boxes
A beater box is typically a box of sneakers that have been worn to varying degrees, sold at a bulk discount on sites like eBay.
If you are ok with cleaning up what is essentially a box of someone else’s beaters, either for resale, donor parts or to actually rock, a beater box could be a way to achieve that. Buyer beware, as there’s no telling just how beat something is until you get it in hand. Additionally, beater boxes typically don’t include individual shoeboxes or other accessories that many sneaker collectors care about.
On the other side of the transaction, if you have a few beat pairs and are having trouble getting rid of them, a beater box can be a way to get multiple pairs off if you’re prepared to offer a discount.
At the end of the day, beaters are a good way to keep your nice kicks clean by being a utility sneaker. Anytime you are going somewhere or doing something that will damage a pair of sneakers, pull out the trusty beaters and live without fear!