Forget your retro dad trainers and your all-terrain hiker styles: the coolest shape for sneaks this season is what the fashion set calls “low-profile” pumps — but that doesn’t mean they’re designed to go unnoticed.
Thin-soled and slimline, this silhouette owes more to ballet slippers and boxing boots than chunky running shoes. Their almond toes are perfect for peeking out from beneath jeans, tailoring and zeitgeisty corduroy. Some even come with ankle ties or Mary Jane straps in what has been dubbed a “sneakerina” hybrid, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
Gigi Hadid in New York, above, and Paul Mescal, below, wearing Adidas
GETTY IMAGES
Adidas Taekwondo Mei, £100
Adidas’s ultra-flat slip-on Taekwondo style earned cult status after being reimagined in silver by the British designer Grace Wales Bonner recently. They and the similarly martial arts-inspired Mei model now come in everything from classic white to cow print (£100; adidas.co.uk).
• Read more fashion advice and style inspiration from our experts
Puma’s classic Speedcat shape is back too, designed originally in 1999 for Formula 1 drivers to better push their pedals to the metal but now equally good for pounding the pavements thanks to the addition of OrthoLite cushioning. If you (like me) find very flat trainers, such as Adidas Sambas or Converse, hard on the hips and lower back, Speedcats are a better option, and they come in every colour from geezer red to a chic coffee brown (£90; uk.puma.com). Dua Lipa wears hers in black, but there’s a new limited edition in the latest animal print du jour, deer (£100; asos.com).
You might think Rishi Sunak killed Sambas off, but they and Adidas’s similar Spezial remain a good low-profile choice, better now in jazzy colours or even leopard print than classic shades (from £70; adidas.co.uk). If you already have a pair, update them with mismatched coloured laces for catwalk-level styling credentials.
On which note, Miu Miu’s suede and shearling low-profilers clock in at £900, and Nokwol’s suede Atlas homage comes in several shades of neutral browns and black — and with customisable charms and lace options (£149; nokwol.com). Along the front row, Dries Van Noten’s retro gym-kit low-tops are the top choice for both men and women (from £316; mytheresa.com). Axel Arigato’s Daze Runner is a good contender too (£220; axelarigato.com).
Axel Arigato Daze Runner, £220
If you’re interested in something more avant garde, Nike’s strapped and split-toe Air Rifts fall into the low-profile “sneakerina” category and come in everything from sturdy black leather to ivory satin with a bow on the front (£120; size.co.uk). They’re not for everyone, but devotees (hi!) know how comfortable they are. Less challenging perhaps are Puma’s strappy Speedcat ballet shoes (from £70; schuh.co.uk).
Onitsuka Tiger, £150 (onitsukatiger.com)
The resurgence of flat pumps owes something to the fact that early Noughties fashion is now old enough to count as vintage. What better summons the spirit of 2003 than yellow Onitsuka Tigers, as worn by Uma Thurman in Kill Bill (from £150; onitsukatiger.com)? This Japanese brand opened in 1949 with the aim of raising young people’s self-esteem through sport in the postwar years — perhaps there’s a message here for Gen Zers too.
link