THE JOURNAL
The fashion cycles of the running shoe can be hard to keep up with. One minute you’re on the front foot, wearing the sneaker that’s about to take off. The next, the whole world has moved on and you’re left sporting yesterday’s shoe. It’s an effort just staying on the treadmill.
Perhaps the biggest change in recent times is that it’s not always the names you expect that you’re seeing on fashion-forward feet. All of a sudden, technical kit from the likes of Hoka, Satisfy and On is a big part of the conversation – and not just on the running track. Meanwhile, luxury designers including Maison Margiela, Dries Van Noten and LOEWE are elevating the everyday runner.
“This divergence between casual and performance footwear is a hallmark of post-pandemic fashion,” says Daniel-Yaw Miller, the award-winning journalist who runs the Substack SportsVerse. “People want different identities for different purposes, rather than a one-silhouette-fits-all feel.” Which might mean you’re buying not one pair of shoes, but two.
“Nike and adidas are still everywhere,” reassures Tayler Willson, former editor of the sport and fashion magazine CircleZeroEight. “That won’t change. But there’s definitely a shift happening. People aren’t abandoning the big players – I think they’re just more curious. They want alternatives, the ‘what’s next?’ option that feels fresher and less churned through the hype machine.”
Read below for our thoughts on where your sneakers will be taking you.
01. The rapid rise of the approach shoe
Perhaps the shoe to climb fastest so far this year is the approach shoe. Originally pitched as a functional compromise between the sneaker and hiking boot, this practical shoe has since found a foothold in fashion circles.
Adam Cheung, style writer at British GQ, thinks the style draws from menswear’s ongoing interest in the outdoors. “They feel more wearable than a bulky hiking shoe, but they still carry that sense of purpose people increasingly look for in their clothes,” he says.
And it isn’t just sneakerheads who have fallen for the approach shoe. Designers have taken to the style, with LOEWE’s Grip one of the recent highlights.
“The long lacing systems, rubber toe protection and climbing heritage are all distinctive design details,” Cheung says. “But they’re subtle enough to reinterpret through a luxury lens. Unlike some performance products that are packed with visible tech, approach shoes are relatively simple. Luxury brands tend to like that because it allows materials, craftsmanship and proportion to take centre stage.”
“The Gorpcore thing never really disappeared, it just matured and went a little ninja,” Willson says. “The outdoor-climbing crossover is only getting stronger.”
02. The low-profile sneaker is keeping anything but a low profile
Over the longer term, the vintage-inspired low-profile style has also enjoyed an uptick. (Read our in-depth piece here.) The brands that have always done this well include Common Projects, which is already known for its minimalist designs, while classics by the likes of adidas Originals retain a cult following.
“The Samba boom definitely played a part,” Willson says, harking back to the silhouette that became the It-sneaker a few years ago. “It reminded everyone how good a slim, low-profile sneaker can look with the kind of trousers people are wearing right now. After years of chunky soles, big panels and big statements, people seem to want something quieter and easier to wear.”
“The low-profile sneaker trend shows no sign of slowing down,” says Summer Benjamin-Maclean, Assistant Buyer at MR PORTER. “We’re seeing this silhouette evolve into even lower minimal-sole sneakers.”
“It’s the style that fits best with where menswear is heading,” Willson says. “Refined, functional and not overly engineered.”
03. The high-end theory
An extension, perhaps, to the above, but some of the biggest names in the retro sneaker market right now are top-tier designers. “We have definitely seen the pendulum move from high-volume brands to something a bit more special,” says Sammy Skipper, Buyer at MR PORTER. He notes the many options available in terms of retro-inspired, low-profile running shoes that you probably won’t be running in any time soon, from the likes of SAINT LAURENT, TOM FORD and Zegna.
“Shoes that are closer to wearing slippers or socks have become a sartorial solution for a generation that wants to feel more grounded,” writes the journalist and trends forecaster Angela Baidoo in her recent piece on luxury sneakers.
04. The performance shoe steps forward
Today, technical hardware is increasingly finding itself deployed for civilian use and you’re as likely to see a pair of On sneakers in a design studio as on an athletics track. “I think it’s the influence of run clubs,” says. “People are merging what they wear for exercise – or what they would wear if they did exercise – into their non-leg days.”
“There’s a cultural shift behind it,” Willson agrees. “Running has become a lifestyle signal. People like the idea of wearing gear that can do something, even if they’re just heading to the office.”
Meanwhile, the trail runner has become a regular sight even in the city. “High-tech running and trail shoes have become everyday shoes now,” Willson says. “These shoes hit [a] sweet spot: real performance credentials wrapped in a design language that works with everyday clothes. They look modern and they’re insanely comfortable, which is what a lot of people are hunting for right now. Once you’ve spent a day in that kind of cushioning, it’s hard to go back.”
“The most convincing way to wear them is to embrace their functionality and build the outfit around it,” says Rachel O-Williams, Assistant Personal Shopper at MR PORTER. “A more relaxed fit is essential. Straight-leg or slightly baggier jeans and trousers create the right sense of proportion, allowing the chunkier profile of the shoe to sit comfortably within the look. From there, consider pieces that echo the same utilitarian spirit. Technical fabrics, subtle performance details or a cargo silhouette all work well.”
05. The German Army Trainer is on manoeuvres
“The German Army Trainer (Gat) is one of the few sneakers that’s barely changed in more than half a century,” Cheung says, referring to the distinctive style that can be traced back to the 1970s, commissioned for military use in West Germany. “From Maison Margiela’s Replica to countless interpretations by luxury and sportswear brands, its simple design has become a menswear staple.”
“I think the Margiela ones are fun because they bring something of the brand into the design,” says Lauren Cochrane, senior fashion writer for The Guardian and author of The Ten.
However, Cheung notes what could be classified as adaptive campaigning on this particular battlefield. “Adidas recently teased the BW Army Run, a reinterpretation that transforms the classic military trainer into a running shoe, suggesting the silhouette’s next chapter might be evolution rather than preservation.”
06. All hands on the deck shoe
“A smaller, emerging trend, but deck shoes are back again,” Skipper says. But don’t necessarily dwell on the nautical rubber-soled footwear of sailing regattas – or, indeed, the skate shoes you lost one of in a rowdy mosh pit. “We have them coming from Brunello Cucinelli, Common Projects and MORJAS,” Skipper says.
“The absence of laces feels less like a design omission and more like a luxury,” O-Williams says of the slip-on variant. “Few brands understand the balance between refinement and practicality quite like Zegna. Its Triple Stitch sneakers have already achieved near iconic status.”
O-Williams notes that while slip-ons slip into most outfits, their sweet spot is somewhere “between smart and relaxed where you want to look considered, but not overly formal. They come into their own when paired with tailored trousers, where the clean profile offsets the structure of the tailoring with a softer, more casual note.”
07. The next big thing?
It’s a competitive field. But which sneaker style or even silhouette do the experts predict to pull out in front? “Right now, you can see a few contenders bubbling,” Willson says, tantalisingly. “But whether any of them become the universal shoe of the moment is a different question.”
In many ways, expect more of the same. Or the same, only more so. Benjamin-Maclean points to the arrival of maximally minimal “lo-pro” styles from the likes of CELINE that lean into the ballet sneaker dominating women’s styles. Plus, the revival of other models.
“During Paris Fashion Week, adidas unveiled a full Stan Smith exhibition, with all their key collab partners debuting their take on the coveted style, many featuring the minimal sole we’ve seen on the Stan Smith Lo Pro,” she says. “We’re indeed expecting to see the return of the Stan Smith with lots of exiting partnerships coming over the next year.”
But Benjamin-Maclean’s big take is sneakers that offer a bit of everything. “There is a definite desire to learn into hybrid sneakers,” she says. “Approach shoes, hiking sneakers, sneaker loafers – anything with a point of difference. Parallel to this, icons like Rick Owens Sneaks, Margiela Gats, Common Project OG Achilles surge as customers continue to enjoy the classics.”
“I actually think we’re entering a phase where there isn’t a single dominant sneaker, more like a cluster of micro-movements,” Willson adds. “People are more open to alternatives now. They’re happy to rotate depending on the mood. There’s no longer one shoe to rule them all.”
“I don’t think there’s one that stands out totally,” Cochrane agrees. But if there is… “I do think it might be a more ‘performance’ shoe.”
“Such is the world of footwear, it’s likely that the shoe of 2026 isn’t even being talked about yet,” Willson says. The shoes he expects to shine “are functional, a bit odd and surprisingly easy to wear”.