There’s something about the best men’s tracksuits, comfortable as they may be, that just feels more purposeful than a sweatsuit. The fabric is denser and more structured, and there’s a jacket involved—one that you have to go to the trouble of putting on and zipping up, rather than just slipping over your head like a hoodie. And then there are all the baked-in associations. Tracksuits are uniforms for people who get shit done efficiently and ruthlessly: elite athletes, UK grime rappers, mall-walking senior citizens determined to stay in shape, tough guys stretching from the Polish section of Brighton Beach all the way to actual Poland. Oh, yeah, and they also look really, really dope—leisurely and relaxed, but still plenty smart and distinctive.
Tracksuits are so essential right now that literally every brand on the planet makes their own swishy, striking take. That might sound like a good thing, only the actual number of available options is so vast that it’s honestly sort of anxiety-inducing—and lord knows you don’t need any more of that at the moment. So we did you a solid and surveyed hundreds of versions, from the tiniest underground streetwear labels to the oldest luxury fashion houses to the biggest athletic conglomerates, and narrowed it down to these: the 19 best men’s tracksuits in 2023. Pick the one that’s right for you, get into it pronto, and give your tried-and-true sweats a well-earned break.
The Best Tracksuits Shopping Guide
- The Best Tracksuit, Period: Adidas Primeblue SST tracksuit, $140
- The Best Advanced-Level Tracksuit: Needles patterned tracksuit, $518
- The Best Retro Tracksuit: Gildan G1880 fleece tracksuit, $36
- The Best Velour Tracksuit: Celine logo embroidered tracksuit, $2,600
- The Best Tracksuit, Emphasis on the “Suit”: Todd Snyder chalk stripe tracksuit, $676
- The Best Tracksuit for Getting Papped In: Gucci GG jacquard tracksuit, $3,430
- The Best Tracksuit of the Moment: Wales Bonner “Samuel” tracksuit, $1,330
The Best Tracksuit, Period
What, were you really expecting something else? Since 1967, when Adidas debuted its first tracksuit on the lanky frame of German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, there’s been no sportswear ensemble more omnipresent in our culture. From Run D.M.C. to Korn, Henry Hill to Chas Tenenbaum, the sheer simple cool of the three-striped zip jacket and matching stretchy pants hasn’t just endured across five decades—it’s snowballed. And the fact that you can get in on all that timeless style for just over $100 total means there’s no other place we could’ve put this icon besides the very top of the heap.
The Best Advanced-Level Tracksuit
Needles has been one of the most widely admired and deeply inventive menswear labels in Japan for decades, but it wasn’t until A$AP Rocky began wearing their butterfly-embroidered track pants on the regular a few years ago that they had a genuine hit on their hands. Since then, they’ve iterated on those coveted OG pants—with their slouchy, wide-legged fit and thick side stripes—and the matching high-necked jacket in all manner of materials and patterns: rich velvets, retro geometrics, even faux snakeskin. Right now, though, our favorite version is this one, in a wild all-over print that’s been flipped in shades of rich navy and deep burgundy.
The Best Retro Tracksuit
Sportswear design in the ’90s wasn’t terribly subtle. It was loud visually, of course—with more searing neons than the Vegas strip—but also aurally, because it was generally made using the swishiest, crinkliest nylon available. This set hearkens back to a simpler time, when sweats reigned supreme and traipsed up and down the field in silent, comfy bliss. If you’re aiming to keep things low-key, Gildan’s fleece set is for you.
The Best Velour Tracksuit
Velour tracksuits were inescapable in the aughts: there were the extra baggy ones that rappers wore in music videos—always from their own labels—and the tight cropped versions from Baby Phat and Juicy Couture that Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan would cruise around the Hollywood Hills in. Celine’s updated take thankfully resembles neither. It’s plenty plush and shiny, but it’s a whole lot more flatteringly tailored than, say, the kind Slim Shady used to rock at the Grammys. Combine the bang-on fit with that subtle shade of baby blue, and you’ve got yourself an opulent tracksuit set fit for a king.
The Best Tracksuit, Emphasis on the “Suit”
Trying your darnedest to take this whole hybrid work situation as seriously as possible—while also, you know, still staying comfy? Todd Snyder’s elevated spin on a tracksuit can help. It’s cut from the same lightweight seersucker the designer uses to craft his always reliable suits, only transplanted onto a sportier silhouette. The subtle pattern announces that you really mean business; the elasticated cuffs show you’re sensible and adapting to the times.
The Best Tracksuit for Getting Papped In
What velour tracksuits were to the early 2000s, Gucci tracksuits were to the late 2010s. Alessandro Michele’s romantic, eccentric vision helped reshape the fashion world at large, but his luxe tracksuits have struck a particularly strong chord with famous types: everybody from Jay-Z and Rihanna to Conor McGregor and the Hot Mugshot Guy has been spotted out in one of Michele’s signature monogrammed two-pieces. This newer striped iteration is decidedly more understated, but it’s still plenty extravagant—with a pricetag to match—and is absolutely the kind of thing you should buy to celebrate your first front page hit piece in the Daily Mail.
The Best Tracksuit of the Moment
There must be something in the water across the pond, because the latest crop of rising British design stars all seem to share a deep affinity for the tracksuit. But few bring quite the same degree of excitement to the style as Grace Wales Bonner. Over the last few years, the British wunderkind has made the silhouette a calling card, imbuing her tracksuits with Savile Row precision and nonchalant ease in equal measure. Her ongoing collaboration with Adidas (an authority in the tracksuit space if there ever was one) tends to yield at least a couple of versions that consistently sell out with the quickness, but the tracksuits from her mainline collection remain a showstopper, the rare insider-y flex actually worth every penny—or, er, pence.
Plus 11 More Tracksuits We Love
Jerry Lorenzo made this tracksuit for the coach who’s forearm tattoos are just too sick to hide.
For most brands, tees and sweats are necessary basics, and not much more. But LA-based Lady White Co. is not most brands—even its tracksuit is cut with refinement from ultra-plush French terry.
Track coach by day, leather daddy by night.
A subdued shade of navy and retro side stripes gives this guy a well-balanced blend of versatility and freshness.
The great Issey Miyake’s iconic pleats take many shapes, but their tracksuit form might be the most compelling of the bunch.
PSA: the average closet in 2023 is severely lacking in fresh green garms. Help end the crisis.
Good gaud.
Velour should be luscious and decadent, both words that Tom Ford knows very, very well.
Dapper Dan built his name on bootlegs, but this eye-catching collab is very much the real deal.
And you thought skate brands were all hoodies and graphic tees.
In the fashion world, wearing this wild tracksuit is pretty much the same thing as launching a dirt bike over the Grand Canyon—it’s a daredevil move that’ll attract huge crowds.
