This review article focuses on the challenges and recent advancements in electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolytes. The HER is a crucial process for sustainable hydrogen production, but it suffers from sluggish kinetics due to the additional water dissociation step. Traditional catalysts effective in acidic media often lose performance in alkaline environments. The article highlights the fundamental electrochemistry of HER in alkaline media and outlines the requirements for efficient and stable catalysts. It discusses the limitations of current electrocatalysts and proposes prospective solutions, such as modifying the morphologies and electronic structures of catalysts to tune their active sites. The synthesis methods of advanced nanostructures based on carbon, noble metals, and inexpensive metals are described, along with their heterogeneous structures. These structures provide ideal systems for analyzing the role of structure and synergy on alkaline HER catalysis. The article concludes with future perspectives on improving the electrochemical efficiencies of catalysts by tuning their active sites.This review article focuses on the challenges and recent advancements in electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolytes. The HER is a crucial process for sustainable hydrogen production, but it suffers from sluggish kinetics due to the additional water dissociation step. Traditional catalysts effective in acidic media often lose performance in alkaline environments. The article highlights the fundamental electrochemistry of HER in alkaline media and outlines the requirements for efficient and stable catalysts. It discusses the limitations of current electrocatalysts and proposes prospective solutions, such as modifying the morphologies and electronic structures of catalysts to tune their active sites. The synthesis methods of advanced nanostructures based on carbon, noble metals, and inexpensive metals are described, along with their heterogeneous structures. These structures provide ideal systems for analyzing the role of structure and synergy on alkaline HER catalysis. The article concludes with future perspectives on improving the electrochemical efficiencies of catalysts by tuning their active sites.