TOP OF MIND: This Week's Best Fitted Hats

We talk a lot about sneakers on Sole Retriever. Like, a lot. And that will never change, this platform was built by sneakerheads, for sneakerheads. Not that I’m biased or anything, but it’s the best place on the internet to find information about sneakers, especially if you’re trying to lock down a pair that’s hard to get.

But sneakerheads aren’t just into sneakers. We put our pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else, but then we spend 10 minutes making sure they lie just right and don't get tucked behind the tongue. I say all that to say this: It’s shortsighted for us to just focus on sneakers all of the time. We know you’re passionate about other things besides kicks.

That’s why we’re now branching out and covering some other things from different subcultures that sneakerheads also belong to, like music, movies, collectibles, video games, and more.

It’s just a more holistic approach to giving sneakerheads a wide array of content that supports their hobbies and interests, allowing you to tap into one source for info on all of the things you’re trying to enjoy.

One thing we know sneakerheads are also into is fitteds. That’s just day one stuff. While I was in college, I worked at Lids and witnessed the cultures colliding firsthand. I would see customer after customer walk into the shop directly from Champs across the mall hallway and try to find a fitted to match their new kicks. It’s a way of life and it hasn’t changed one bit all these years later. Alright, maybe it’s changed a little.

Now, the mall has transformed into a data center that supports our ability to ask an AI agent which fitted will match some new shoes we’re bidding on through a secondary market, ordering both via pre-order, waiting six months, and then putting together a fit that we don’t even leave the house in, but rather just post a fit check on social.

Regardless of how the game has changed, fitteds have experienced a resurgence in the past couple of years, and that has opened back up the floodgates for wild designs and customs. New Era, Lids, Hat Club, and the rest of the official fitted hat retailers are cashing in on the trend, putting out countless colorways and patch variations for every team under the sun, and some of them are even decent.

But the real heat is found on the indie market, where artists like Alan G aka Ay El Ay En, Jon Stan, and Sauce Pan Dan are taking the fitted game to the next level, garnering upwards of $200 for their creations and selling out instantly.

Some have even gone from bootleg to the boardroom, with John Geiger landing his infamous Misplaced Series on the front of official MLB licensed New Era 59Fifty caps available exclusively from Lids beginning this Friday, July 24.

Whether you’re new to the fitted game or have hundreds of them stacked up on the top shelf of your closet above your sneaker collection [raises hand], here are the best new fitteds out now or dropping this week.

Ay El Ay En - Realtree Los Angeles Dodgers

An LA staple, Alan G’s star-studded airbrushed fitteds have gone from IYKYK streetwear pieces to getting worn by actual Dodgers. He even got selected for Jordan Brand’s A.I.R. Artist In Residence series to customize kicks and clothes as well as a basketball court in LA. The drops are few and far between, so don’t sleep. These will sell out in minutes, not months. They drop Friday, July 24 at 1:04 PM Pacific.

John Geiger - Misplaced Series MLB 2.0

John Geiger’s Misplaced Series goes all the way back to his bootleg Misplaced Checks Air Force 1s that went viral and then caused Nike to sue Geiger before the two sides ultimately settled and became friends, with John even teasing a possible officially sanctioned Misplaced Checks AF1 in the future. But for now, Geiger’s in a different headspace, partnering with Major League Baseball and Lids for a run of Misplaced Series fitteds sporting offset logo triplets of many MLB teams and his own custom side patch

The hype is real for these, though I’ll apparently have to wait for Misplaced Series 3.0 in 2027 when John says he finally got an Orioles design approved. Enjoy, everyone else. These dropped early if you happened to be at Fanatics Fest last week, but release for the masses online at LidsHD on Friday, July 24 at Noon Eastern and in select Lids flagships nationwide on Saturday, July 25.

Mitchell & Ness - ‘Vintage Baseball’ Series Strapback

I know, I know, I’m already breaking the rules that I made up myself. The vast majority of the hats featured here and going forward will be fitteds. But I’ll tell you what… you pair classic wool with vintage logos and a roomy, old-timey fit and add a premium leather strap on the back instead of a shoddy plastic apparatus, and I’m all-in.

This Vintage Baseball series Mitchell & Ness dropped a couple of weeks ago is incredible, and it’s really hard to choose which one I want. Luckily, the good folks at Culture Kings are running a 3 for $99 deal on select hats, and this batch is included. I think I’m going classic lowercase ‘a’ Angels with the halo, pinstripe Mets, and either A’s or Dodgers. Again, no Orioles. The disrespect is crazy. We have three World Series titles, the best ballpark in the game, and a vast array of incredible logos to use. Old school cartoon bird would have gone crazy here.

Marvel - The Spider-Man Evolution Collection

A lot of times, these licensed IP fitteds can come out kind of corny. Think of the Sesame Street fitteds from a few years ago and how many white guys with dreads you saw tripping on mushrooms rocking a Cookie Monster cap with the brim bent straight up to the sky. All set. But there are rare occasions where they get it right, and ahead of everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man returning to the big screen, Marvel cooked up a really cool series of Spidey caps that celebrate each era of the web-slinging superhero. These dropped a week or so ago and a few styles are sold out but there are still some gems left, including the 1962 and 1984 models.

LAAMS x STFU Care Bears

LAAMS and STFU have both been going hard in recent years, and the work finally paid off in a big way when both individually got recognized by Nike, LAAMs with the AF1 Please Post Bills and STFU with customized Air Max Goadomes. This week, the two linked up for a collab with each other outside of The Swoosh, and the capsule included two outstanding fitteds.

The main attraction is a purple 59Fifty with LAAMS branding on the front and back and STFU’s signature airbrush work featured on four patches around the hat that flip the classic Care Bears into tripped-out festival furries. This is a premium hat with four monster patches featuring custom artwork, so remember that when you see the $200 price tag. If you want to touch the collab but don’t want to spend two bills or rock Care Bears, you can get the fire purple LAAMS x STFU fitted sans-patches for a cool $85. These were supposed to be in-store only so act fast, there are still select sizes available on the LAAMS webshop as we speak.

Drew London

Drew oversees content at Sole Retriever and hates writing in the 3rd person soooo I'm going to stop. Ran The Hundreds Blog in LA for a long time before moving back east to make cool commercials and funny tweets at [insert big agency]. Now I'm doing what I really love: talking sneakers, streetwear, and everything in between. Email me at drew@soleretriever.com with scoops and size 13 heat.