The two feasible approaches such as constructing a porous structure and doping with heteroatoms are used to improve the electrochemical performance of carbon as the anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). A facile colloidal crystal templating method to prepare mussel-inspired nitrogen-doped porous carbon derived from polydopamine (N-cPDA) for SIBs with superior electrochemical performance is demonstrated. The N-cPDA is synthesized by carbonization of polydopamine (PDA) that is polymerized in the presence of self-assembled poly (methyl methacrylate) particles. The N-cPDA exhibits a high reversible capacity of 301 mAh g ⁻¹ at 0.03 A g ⁻¹ and a long cycle lifetime, retaining 80% of the initial capacity after 900 cycles. Furthermore, the first-principle calculations are performed to evaluate the influences of the N-doped porous structure on the Na ⁺ diffusion barrier and electronic conductivity, which provides an insight into developing and designing the new anode materials for SIBs.