Living in a cosmopolitan city is like living in a sneaker store—each corner presents a new opportunity to discover a new style or uncover a trusted favourite that might’ve been neglected in your wardrobe. This is certainly true for the biggest trainer trends for 2026. “Trainers have long been, and continue to be, both a practical and very culturally relevant category,” explains Brigitte Chartrand, Chief Buying and Merchandising Officer, Net-A-Porter.
“What makes trainers so covetable is that they sit at the intersection of sports and fashion,” adds Net-A-Porter’s Buying Manager, Lydia Zacharis. “Performance meets style with their combination of comfort paired with universal appeal and their ability to add personality to an outfit, given the variety of silhouettes, colours and fabrications on offer. Their versatility allows for innovation, limited drops, archival reissues and collaborations which remain very sought after”
For 2026, the biggest trainer trends invite us to break new ground. There are Frankenstein-esque silhouettes (hello, Mary Jane trainers) that fuse two opposing shoe styles to create some sort of monstrous trainer hybrid. Or, shapes that either tower in heel height or ride so far up your leg that they almost become obsolete as a runner. Then, there’s the addition of technical elements like velcro, rope and zip-ties, proving that no matter how evolved trainer trends become, they’ll never stray that far from their outdoor origins.
On the latter, 2026 is already shaping up to be a big year for designer trainers. With Chemena Kamali launching her first trainer as creative director of Chloé, a ballet-meets-boxing-inspired shape called the Kick, more brands are expected to follow suit with similar slouchy offerings that fuse effortlessness with practicality. Amongst the athleisure titans, slimline styles, including the Adidas Japan or Nike x Jacquemus Moon shoe, have already begun to rise in popularity, with the latter named as one of the top ten hottest products in the Lyst Index’s quarterly roundup.
If you want a little trade secret, Who What Wear UK predicts Puma’s Doelette style to be the most in-demand release of 2026, though it did technically arrive in late 2025. In this vein, experimental animal prints like deer, Dalmatian faux pony-hair will also be set to dominate. Watch this space.
If anything, these trainer trends remind us that the most luxurious thing of all is to embrace yourself in nature. Whether that’s choosing to wear trainers for your morning commute to work, investing in a pair of hiking boots for weekend trots through the countryside, or just opting for a nicer sneaker for your Pilates classes, trainers have never been more central to our modern life. So, whether you want to partake in the discourse around the five-finger Vibram or are just simply looking to lace yourself into something new (but more on that later!), uncover the 9 trainer trends set to define 2026 ahead.
The 9 Key Trainer Trends of 2026
1. Hybrid Silhouettes
Style Notes: It’s not just Jacob Elordi’s starring turn as Mary Shelly’s infamous protagonist that has us wondering about the power of creation. While the source material asks what makes a human, the hybrid shoe trend asks what makes a trainer? Is it sufficient enough to have a gum sole and a laced element? Or, does there need to be something deeper beneath the surface? Either way, these mutant silhouettes continue to dominate, from trainer-loafer hybrids by New Balance to the sneakerinas endorsed by the likes of Louis Vuitton and Vans.
Shopping experts also add that these unconventional hybrids also act as a gateway for new consumers to engage with trainers. “Whilst the popularity of sneakers as a fashion shoe has diminished over the last few seasons, with the increasing prevalence of alternative flats ie, ballet flats, Mary-Janes and loafers, they are still often the entry price point item into a luxury brand and thus a younger customer’s first interaction with it,” adds Chartrand.
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ADIDAS ORIGINALS
Taekwondo Mei Ballet Leather Sneakers
First launched in the early 2000s, the shape still feels incredibly modern, which is a testament to its timeless design.
Louis Vuitton
LV Sneakerina
As a brand with roots in travel, this is a design made for you to tread lightly around the globe in.
Onitsuka Tiger
Mexico 66 Tgrs
The silver accents and dual buckles make this a stylish iteration for those who enjoy wearing black trainers, but might feel the charcoal shade is too dark for year-round wear.
A style with an A-lister following, including Dua Lipa and Emily Ratajkowski.
2. New Sports
Style Notes: Trainers will never deviate from their functional usages, so it’s only fitting that designers mine the environment and exercises that they shine. So far, we’ve seen asphalt circuits serve as a source of inspiration through the form of the F1-inspired Puma Speedcat, bars and beams with Miu Miu’s Gymnasium sneakers and the track and field with Maison Margiela’s sprinter sneaker.
“Given the wider nostalgic revival seen in fashion, retro silhouettes continue to dominate; however, we have seen a shift towards both ballerina styles and sportier, technical options tapping into trekking, basketball and boxing,” Chartrand adds. “Both Dries Van Noten’s best-selling sneaker and Chloe’s Kick, for example, took a ballet turn for Spring/Summer 2026, with Gucci’s Shift style, Prada’s Collapse sneaker and Miu Miu’s Gymnasium trainer innovating in this space too. Michael Rider’s Celine debut featured boxing high-tops and more literal sport elements were also seen in Margiela’s Sprinter, Puma’s Speedcat, Balenciaga’s City and Nike’s Astrograbber styles,” she continues.
So, what’s next? As someone who grew up playing the sport, the popularity of Asics transports me right back to the days of Saturday morning netball, so I can only imagine this sport becoming a repository. (Seriously, how chic would a bib-esque top by JW Anderson be?) I can also see more preppy pastimes like horse riding and polo come to the forefront. (Jilly Cooper would certainly approve.) And given the reign of hybrid shapes, why not something novel like a hydrophobic style approved for swimming pools? (Perfect for London Fields Lido come summer, no?)
Shop the Trend:
ASICS
Gel-Kayano 14 Metallic and Rubber-Trimmed Mesh Sneakers
Play centre field, and take centre stage, with this icy colour palette.
LOEWE
Ballet Runner 2.0 Logo-Appliquéd Leather, Canvas and Suede Sneakers
So many celebrities, like Jennifer Lawrence, already adore this trainer style.
A more affordable alternative to Maison Margiela’s Sprinters, albeit without John Galliano’s seal of approval.
H&M
Suede-Detail Trainers
The low-profile and relaxed shape helps give this pair a martial arts slant.
3. Mesh Accents
Style Notes: The naked dressing trend has almost reached all frontiers, but not trainers. While mesh ballet flats, à la the viral Alaïa style, have become part of the contemporary footwear canon, the same leeway hasn’t been extended to the sneaker category. Bridging minimalism with utility, mesh trainers are shoes that are polished, refined and ready to take you where you need to go. (As long as the terrain doesn’t include muddy hills, pesky gravel or burning cement, that is.)
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Dear Frances
Mesh Lace-Up Sneakers
Made from the London-based brand’s signature Italian mesh, this style whispers wealth without flaunting an exaggerated logo.
Stine Goya
Ballet Mesh Sneaker
Straight from Copenhagen, this pair from Stine Goya is like catnip for cool girls.
The Row
Owen Mesh Sneakers
Stars like Taylor Swift own this style from The Row, making this trend veritably celebrity-approved.
DRIES VAN NOTEN
Suede Low-Top Sneakers
Dries Van Noten sneakers are some of the most coveted styles of the year. This pair is no exception.
4. Textures Over Colours
Style Notes: 2025 was certainly the year of colour. But for 2026, it’s texture that’s taking a starring role. We’ve already seen this emerge through the latte-hued suede iterations that are proliferating the market, but as time goes on, expect to see more sumptuous variations like the faux pony-hair or shearling accents. “Mixed materials, for example, nylon combined with leather or suede and ‘worn-effect’ or distressed leather have also been coming through,” notes Zacharis. “Suede as a fabrication has been particularly popular this season,” Chartrand adds, too.
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COS
Minimal Pony-Hair Leather Trainers
From the moment I laid eyes on this style, I knew it’d be a best-seller. Now, after countless sell-outs and restocks, I’ve been proven correct.
ZARA
Contrast Running Sneakers
The definition of off-duty elegance.
COS
Minimal Suede Trainers
Navy blue suede has become my latest obsession, and I’m extending the yearning to this sumptuous style.
Axel Arigato
Tact Shearling Runner
We adore merino wool jumpers and borg fleeces, so why not curry the same favour with this shearling pair?
5. Calf-Grazing Lengths
Style Notes: If the phrase ‘high-top trainers’ is enough to send a shiver down your spine, you might want to look away. Instead of skimming at your ankle, one of the key trainer trends of 2026 will be styles that stretch far up to your calf. Inspired by boxing shoes, these silhouettes are already being offered by Onitsuka Tiger and Adidas. Proving that they have the mainstream endorsement, it will only be a matter of time till tasteful dressers swap their motorcycle boots for this shin-grazing length.
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Onitsuka Tiger
Mexico 66 Boxing
The pink stitching is such a subversive way for eschewing the masculine stereotypes associated with the sport the design is inspired by.
adidas Originals
Japan H Shoes
Fortune favours the bold, and so does fashion.
schuh
Morg Leather Boxing Boot in Black
6. Trail Run
Style Notes: For the uninitiated, one of the most popular trainer trends over the past few years has been shapes associated with the gorpcore aesthetic. Standing for “good old raisins and peanuts”, the name refers to a common snack used by hikers on lengthy trails. Whilst shoes used in these settings, like Salomons, were once exclusively relegated to these specific settings, they’ve since been worn in various other contexts, including, but not limited to, the streets of Paris Fashion Week, running up to Gail’s when working from home or visiting a trending cocktail bar like Hackney’s Bambi.
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SALOMON
Xt-6 Tpu-Trimmed Gore-Tex Mesh Sneakers
The most in-demand style of this set.
LOEWE
+ on Cloud Rubber-Trimmed Recycled-Mesh Sneakers
What happens when two pioneering fashion forces combine? You get the brainchild of Jonathan Anderson mixed with Swiss engineering. (And a covetable shoe to boot!)
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
+ Y-3 S-Gendo Trail Rubber-Trimmed Mesh Sneakers
The chunkier the better with this category.
Khaki shades are perfect for the natural environment these will be worn in.
7. Technical Elements
Style Notes: In the same vein, technical elements incorporated with these outdoorsy pursuits have become a cultural marker in their own right. Instead of laces, brands are looking for ways to incorporate wilderness rituals into their designs, like adding velcro details, zip tie fastenings and bungee cord accents.
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SALOMON
Udara Advanced Cutout Rubber and Mesh Sneakers
From the all-terrain lug soles to the ventilated panels, this style is ideal for most, if not all, settings.
schuh
Schuh Montana Leather Slim Sole in Brown
The contrasting elements add dimension to any outfit.
adidas
Barreda Mary Jane Shoes
The elasticated strap makes this slip-on style a superb addition to this group.
Asics
GEL-CUMULUS 16 SSCB
I don’t mean to play favourites, but this pair, which is made in collaboration with Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen, is my all-time most-liked.
8. Toe-Baring Silhouettes
Style Notes: If the mesh trainer trend is an invitation to inject a sheer element into your footwear, toe-baring silhouettes, like the ones popularised by Vibram, are a lure for those wanting to go completely uncovered. As polarising as they are, they’re only yet to reach fever pitch and garner collective appeal. For those who are dubious about embracing the trend, we need only convince you of its orthopaedic benefits. And as one of my chicest colleagues reminded me, how are they any different from wearing flip-flops? In fact, one might argue that your foot is more encased in this style compared to the pared-back strappy sandal.
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Vibram
Black Fivefingers V-Soul Shoes
Not for the faint of heart by any means.
Vibram Leather Overlay Ballet Flats | 38
Slip-ons for the most emboldened of dressers.
Nike
Nike Air Rift Unisex Trainers in Black
This tabi-esque split-sole pair from Nike is a great intermediary for those who want to dip their toes into the waters of this trend.
9. Wedge Sneakers
Style Notes: It’s the proclamation all millennials have waited to receive: wedge trainers have returned. From the iconic Isabel Marant wedge trainer to newer iterations from Chloé and Puma, Gen Z has adopted this silhouette with a vengeance. Prep your gilets, skinny jeans and ruffle-front blouses, this is one for the 2010s set.
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ISABEL MARANT
Bekett Suede and Leather High-Top Trainers
Isabel Marant
Suede Bekett Wedge Sneakers
Khaki and taupe hues are all the rage.
Isabel Marant
Bekett Suede Sneakers
Isabel Marant
Bekett Leather and Suede Wedge Sneakers
Archival inspired, but ripe for a comeback.
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