Step up: Men’s sneakers to stay ahead of the style race

Loathe them or live in them, trainers have become a modern wardrobe staple, even for those who have never seen the inside of a gym, or run a lap in their entire lives. Provenance notwithstanding, new sneaker styles appear every week, thanks to a drop culture that runs like fast fashion, to feed the sneaker lust, keeping sneakerheads in a permanent state of anticipation, and sneaker makers in healthy profit. In this supply overdrive, trainer trends bubble up on social media and then pop back into oblivion faster than you can say “Jools Lebron who?”. For the discerning grownups in the room, the trick is knowing which trends are important to adopt and which are too micro to even matter. First up, do note that retro styles are making a triumphant return, proving that what goes around in your youth can come around endlessly — just like those questionable first romances.
Perhaps triggered by Luca Guadagnino’s summer hit Challengers, which featured vintage tennis shoes, retro trainers remain very much in the forecourt of fashion. Vibrant colourways that pair perfectly with everything from dad jeans to tailored trousers is another angle on the nostalgia trend. Optimistic brights and man-child pastels channel the 1990s, a fashion decade which saw the pops of neon, pastel and metallics which are revived at the fall’s menswear collections at Loewe, Issey Miyake Homme, and Louis Vuitton. Bright colours spark joy, quite literally — seeing brightly coloured shoe can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is associated with feelings of pleasure, reward, and happiness.
Say hello to the ‘Stealth Wealth Dad Shoe’ — the ultimate style statement for those who want to look effortlessly chic while enjoying a meditative stroll through the park or the mall. These comfy, chunky shoes scream “prestige” and “ankle-support” in luxury finishes and quality construction, and is part of the wider trend for the minimalist, quiet luxury movement. It’s all about understated elegance, refined simplicity, and high-quality materials in muted colours or wholesome neutrals. Only subtle branding is required for quiet luxury, so look out for shoes with low-key logos or no logos at all.
Finally, let’s not forget the chunky monster shoes that have stomped their way into our closets and public spaces. These unapologetically oversized trainers are here to conquer social media and challenge podiatrists, and are the sportif variant of the Ugly Shoe phenomenon that has seen Crocs become a multi-billion business. Think wonderfully weird Franken-shoes which may come in a mashup of shoe genres, such as the Martine Rose’s Nike Shox R4 Mule (2023), a collaboration by the British fashion designer on a version of the classic Nike sneaker. Think of any “trainer” from Balenciaga for this season. It’s a fun way for you to buy into the bolder trends without committing to a whole new outfit.
This season, step out fearlessly and embrace the trainer trends that lets you express yourself, as the Madonna hit goes, one snazzy sneaker at a time. Here we present you with the four important trends in fashion trainers this season:
VINTAGE REVIVALS
The erstwhile British PM “Dishy Rishi” Sunak’s dabble with the Adidas classic Samba shoe might have kicked off a craze for vintage-inspired designs, appealing to nostalgia for simpler times. Like all style icons, the Adidas Samba was designed to meet a need: It was made to help football players train on icy and ground in 1949. Fashion adopted the shoe as a low-key blend of casual comfort and throwback, low-profile design, which have resisted the overdesign of trainers over the last few years, and perfect if you are looking for something thinner, flatter and closer to a plimsoll or skate shoe.
CHUNKY MONSTER SHOE
Funky chunky sneakers continue to be hot with the fashion influencer set, because they offer a bold, look-at-me aesthetic. South Korean fashion boys especially are pairing their chunkiest, most technical workout shoes with statement pieces such as super wide-legged jeans and voluminous coats — a bulky shoe always works to balance out the excess of fabric. These maximalist sneakers actually revel in how dementedly overdesigned they are.
BOLD UNLIKELY COLOURS
Clean bright colours, pure pastels and unique prints occur frequently in fall runways, and this trend also prevails in sneakers. Gucci, for instance, put out modernised classics in rich jewel tones, such as claret, ultramarine, chartreuse green, and camel yellow in glossy and glittery finishes. The brightly coloured items, in outerwear, bags and accessories added a hit of fashion to an otherwise ensemble, and this is the way colourful trainers should be styled – with a classic outfit of contemporary fit.
STEALTH WEALTH DAD SHOE
This trend is for the adults in the room, a turning away from the excesses and hysteria of, well trends, and a return to basics. Classic trainers (with a twist!) are big news this season, and they’re the perfect shoes to style with anything from smart tailoring to your favourite Japanese selvedge denim. This one is for the dads who have long loved the comfort of the trainer trend, and can now find luxed-up versions of their beloved trainers. Heritage brands like Berluti now offer sneakers that preserve their house codes – understated and polished – but also integrate the minimal designs of 2000s. Think of this look as “heritage minimal,” with all the codes of a Good Class Bungalow reduced into clean lines, shorn off details and a sturdy rubber sole