The 24 Best Products of 2024
From running shoes to Ray-Bans, two dozen of the most impressive drops of the year
Here at The Goods, you won’t find us rounding up meme-able cultural moments or award-circuit films as 2024 comes to a close. (We’ll leave that to the pros.) What we can and will offer you, however, is the sum total of our year, a year spent obsessing over anything and everything…well, anything and everything product-related. We’ve spent the better part of 12 months immersed in the latest and greatest releases as or before they hits shelves (or e-commerce sites), meticulously procuring and testing literal hundreds of wireless headphones, running shoes, cast-iron skillets, Harry Styles cardigans and all other manner of items over the past year and generally sinking all of our time and energy into product, and on the back of this work, we offer you the fruits of our labor: the 24 best products of 2024.
We’ve committed to this annual undertaking not because it means scoring a coveted drop before it launches or being propositioned with the occasional freebie, but because we want to continue to deliver quality product journalism on all the biggest, best and most important releases across the space — and because, as cynics, we’re fairly resolute in our stance that a ton of stuff on the market is junk. You need someone you can trust to deliver accurate, in-depth news and insights on whether the purchase you’re considering is actually worth your hard-earned dollars.
Below, you’ll find two dozen items meticulously hand-selected by our team of editors, spanning collab bedding to multi-thousand-dollar watches to 3D-printed sneakers to toasters. Each has earned a coveted spot on this list for a reason: aesthetic dominance, functional superiority, total idiosyncrasy. Read on for the 24 best products of 2024.
On Cloudboom Strike LS
There are many ways to make a shoe, and the materials, function and design all play a part in precisely how a pair of footwear comes together. It’s entirely possible that the shoes you’re wearing now are assembled in a way that’s in keeping with decades- or centuries-old traditions. Unless you’ve managed to get your hands on a pair of On’s revolutionary Cloudboom Strike LS, that is. The marathon sneaker, created via a proprietary spray technology designed to create a better fit with a more efficient performance, debuted to a dominant Boston Marathon win (congrats, Hellen Obiri), further proving that super shoe innovation is only getting started. Read more about the futuristic construction process here, or watch it in action here, and keep your eyes peeled: the super shoe supposedly hits shelves soon.
Kith & Giorgio Armani: The Archetype
Not on our 2024 bingo card: collab factory and streetwear punching bag Kith and legendary Italian fashion designer Giorgio teaming up for the first-ever collaborative collection from Aramini. Not that we’re at all angry — entitled The Archetype, the joint effort delivered four distinct capsules of vibey, personality-driven apparel that are shockingly solid and the personification of quiet luxury you’d actually want to wear.
Craighill Sidewinder Knife
And the award for most creative EDC goes to…the Sidewinder! In conjunction with Chen Chen, the latest from designer Hunter Craighill’s eponymous label challenges the typical OTS design with an interlocking mechanical hilt that produces one of the most unique (and fun) sheathings we’ve ever seen. The 2.5” 12C27N steel blade is perfectly solid, but the real treat is in opening and closing the pocket-sized work of art. Take that, adult who told you not to play with knives!
Piaget Polo 79
The original Piaget Polo, released in 1979, felt like the sort of historic timepiece that was best left in the past. A quartz-powered gold bracelet that pushed the ‘80s power watch as close as it could get to pure jewelry, would Piaget really be able to bring that sort of design into the 21st century with any success? Looking at the Piaget Polo 79, released earlier this year as part of the company’s 150th anniversary celebration, that qualm has certainly been silenced. The coveted drop upgraded to a larger 38mm case and ultra-thin automatic movement, with a 18-karat yellow gold refresh to boot, buoying what became one of the most coveted releases of the year. Hopefully, you have $73,000 laying around.
Made In did it again this year with their Ceramiclad Cookware Collection. The drop features some of the first cladded ceramic cookware essentials like pots and pans. Their pieces are made in the US and come with 5-ply stainless steel clad — how could you not head into the new year with these?
Samsung Smart Speaker Music Frame
The smart frame took the interiors world by storm a few years back, but in the years since, there’s been little iteration of the design. That is, until Samsung had the genius idea of cramming a Dolby Atmos-powered speaker in their seeming non-descript 13.8” x 13.8” digital photo frame. The resulting device allows for a streamlined, minimalist and totally connected experience, with device integration, Q-Symphony sync and a powerful 3-way speaker. It’s a perfect use of space and sound and a functional masterpiece. Bravo.
New Balance Junya Watanabe MAN x 1906L “Black”
In this post-sneaker society we live in, it makes complete sense that the hottest footwear drop of the year would be a loafer. Not just any loafer, though — this absolutely freaked New Balance 1906 L “snoafer,” first spotted at the Junya Watanabe show during this year’s Paris fashion week, took the internet by storm in early 2024 before inevitably selling out upon dropping. Sure, the silo is wacky and more than a bit cringey, but innovation the likes of which we’ve really never seen before. More general release colorways are inbound, but for now, your chances to cop are limited to the resale market.
Aaron Levine
After decades of puppeteering how the average American man dresses, legendary designer and menswear scion Aaron Levine his finally set out on his own, launching an eponymous brand late this year. The inaugural collection is everything we could’ve hoped for — wavy as hell, comfy as hell, slouchy as hell and endlessly wearable, it’s a capsule for your favorite dresser’s favorite dresser and a providential omen of great things to come from Levine & Co.
Yeti French Press
You already have a Yeti vessel to carry your coffee, so why not pair it with one that’ll brew your coffee? Available in 34- and 64-ounce sizes and five different colors, Yeti’s French press doesn’t revolutionize this type of coffee maker; instead, like their coolers and drinkware before it, it features several little tweaks that make all the difference. Since it’s designed to go far beyond the kitchen, the lid twists to lock in place while you’re waiting for the brewing to finish; their GroundsControl Filter promises to halt the brewing process after plunging, while the double-wall insulation promises to keep it piping hot; and you don’t need to worry about a metallic taste in your joe thanks to the DuraSip ceramic lining. Oh, and it’s versatile too: You can throw in a MagSlider lid to turn it into a simple pitcher.
Oura Ring 4
The Oura Smart Ring Gen3 is our sleep tracker of choice, so we were pretty hyped when the next installment was released this fall. Your phone tracks some of your health data, but it’s hard to get good results from something that just sits in your pocket. Your smartwatch is better, but do you really want to wear that while you sleep? The Oura Ring was designed to solve those problems, and the Oura Ring 4 is the most compelling version yet, with a tough and handsome titanium build, sleeker design (including less intrusive sensors), and a brand-new algorithm, which greatly improves battery life and its accuracy in tracking over 20 biometrics. This might be the sign you need to get that smart ring — but remember, you also need to add a membership to truly take advantage of Oura, and that’ll add $6/month or $70/year to the price.
Flamingo Estate Rich Cream
Flamingo Estate — a glam 7-acre home and apothecary located atop the hills of Los Angeles — ventured into skincare this year with the release of its all-over multipurpose moisturizer. We suffer from horribly cracked, dry and distressed skin every winter, and after slathering on a tube of the Manuka Rich Cream upon its release, we immediately knew it’d be a skin-saver this season. Made with clean, hand-harvested ingredients like olive oil, regenerative hemp flower oil and Manuka honey extract, the ultra-creamy balm has our skin feeling (and smelling!) deliciously good.
Rimowa Original Cross Body Bag
Ever look at a hefty aluminum carry-on and think, “I wish this were a crossbody bag?” No? Rimowa doesn’t care — the German Maison is releasing a miniaturized version of their instantly recognizable grooved luggage anyway. The Original Aluminum Cross-Body Bag (currently available in classic Rimowa chrome and a sleek black) features the same top-of-the-line specs — color-matched leather interior, logo badge, quick-open locking system — in a 2.4-pound package, with a leather handle and detachable body strap to tote how you see fit. The JSX lounge won’t know what hit ‘em.
Sonos Ace Wireless Headphones
Sonos’s ventured into the headphones space earlier this summer. Dubbed the Sonos Ace, they’re aesthetically compatible with the rest of the Sonos line. If you’re a Sonos user, these solid, comfy headphones — that sync with your home theater system — are a complete game-changer.
Nike x Bode Astro Grabber SP “Black Coconut Milk”
If anything, we’re surprised it took this long for menswear darling Bode to tap some massive corporation — in this case, Nike — for a commercially available (and surely successful) collab. We’d be much more annoyed about it if the sneakers, which appeared in Bode’s recent F/W 2024 campaign and are reported to be a revival of the famed Nike Astro Grabber, didn’t look so damn sick. Molded in the image of retro turf shoes (soccer cleat supremacy), the predominantly black kicks feature a stark white swoosh and tons of retro flair.
Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer
As long as you’re not using these glasses (which look pretty much like ordinary shades and are available in over 100 style combinations) for evil purposes, there’s a lot of functionality here. You can take photos, ask Meta AI questions and listen to calls and music. Just don’t be a dick with the photo aspect, ok?
Filson x Birkenstock
A good brand tends to center itself around heritage, craftsmanship or design. Filson x Birkenstock boasts all three. The leather footwear capsule launched by Birkenstock’s fashion-forward sub-division, 1774, and the heritage Americana label this fall was a serious, if unexpected, treat, tastefully combining the outdoorsy aesthetics of the latter with the unparalleled comfort and craft of the former. The resulting trio of brand-new styles — the London Methow, Lahti and Skykomish — are already being considered among the all-time great cult Birky silo ranks. You can still track down a pair to grab for yourself, too.
Pleasing x JW Anderson Bunch of Balloons Knit Cardigan
We love Harry Styles’ low-key lifestyle brand Pleasing. One of their best drops this year was in collaboration with JW Anderson featuring sweaters, nail polish, key chains and most importantly this colorful cardigan.
Rowing Blazers Paddington Corduroy Hat
In case you’re as obsessed as we are with the English bear Paddington — news flash — you can now look like him too. Rowing Blazers dropped a Paddington collaboration this year and their corduroy cap features the tag Paddington wears when he arrives in London: “Please look after this bear. Thank You.”
Rhode Lip Case
Almost everything Rhode drops is incredible but their lip case has to be a highlight from this year. It’s chunky and functional so you can easily carry around any of the brands peptide lip treatments or lip tints.
The James Brand x Timex Automatic GMT
As far as affordable watches go, this titanium-cased wonder from the James Brand and Timex is essentially a budget GMT that, thanks to the EDC company’s deft design hand, feels like a watch worth twice its price. Instead of overloading the watch with double branding, the James Brand opted to keep the emerald dial super clean with their geometric logo balancing out the Timex name up top — the circle in place of “24” on the unidirectional rotating bezel and the lime green dot on the reflector ring are two other in-the-know nods to their brand. The Miyota 9075 movement is a “true” automatic GMT movement, meaning you can adjust the hour hand independently from the minute hand. And the first grey/black version of this GMT, which was launched this summer, is totally sold out — so don’t sleep on this colorful release, which is limited to 750 pieces (250 fewer than the first model).
Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1955 Customized 501 Men’s Jeans
We were all excited to see A Complete Unknown, where Timothée Chalamet returns to the big screen as Bob Dylan. If you want to take your love of Dyaln himself a little further you can get these Levi’s that dropped this year in anticipation of the movie and to pay homage to the singer. Not only are they the Levi model worn by Dylan but they’re also worn by Chalamet in the movie.
Hoka Speedgoat 6
Appropriately named, the Speedgoat 6, is a breathable piece of footwear that’s meant to handle most trail terrain. So get yourself a pair and commit to that new year resolution of getting outside more.
Le Fleur x Parachute Bedding
This is some of the best bedding we’ve seen this year. The color and design from the le Fleur team coupled with the obvious quality of Parachute bedding makes for a dream team.
Dolce&Gabbana For SMEG
We love Smeg. The iconic kitchen outfitting brand has an unparalleled retro look to it that livens up most cooking spaces. This year Dolce&Gabbana partnered with Smeg to create the Carretto Collection, which is inspired by Sicily. The drop features colors and patterns that you can’t really get anywhere else.
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