The trainer takeover

Last year saw the humble sneak er out-do its glitzy counterpart–and we all heaved a sigh of relief

Last year saw the humble sneaker out-do its glitzy counter part

You may remember the sartorial shockwaves that rocked the fashion world in February last year when Victoria Beckham famously stepped out in – gasp! – flat shoes, claiming she could no longer wear her trademark heels. Branded a ‘fashion fallout’ and the ‘end of an era’, her ensuing flat footwear choices garnered great interest (spoiler: Adidas’ Stan Smiths came up trumps). Fast forward a year and the move from the fashion designer doesn’t seem quite so radical after all. They may have once been our shoe of choice, but high heels seem to have been toppled by their rather unassuming sporty cousin.

A sartorial shift

Recent research from leading market intelligence agency Mintel found that last year 37 per cent of UK women opted for trainers, compared with 33 per cent choosing heels - making 2016 the first year that women bought more sneakers than heeled shoes. Once a practical pick for sports and the gym, trainers have since become a wardrobe staple – and not just for millennials. Driving the trainer trend, in fact, are women aged 35 to 44, almost half of whom bought trainers last year.

‘Not since the ’90s have trainers enjoyed such high status in our wardrobes,’ comments Aja Wallis, fashion editor at online fashion store endource.com. ‘Last year we sold nearly five times as many trainers as heels.’ And it’s not the only retailer observing a shift. Adam Brown, digital content and social media executive at product comparison site footy.com, agrees it too has noticed a much higher than average search volume for women’s trainers of late. ‘Last year saw the rise of the “sneakerhead” and they have been buying trainers faster than they are coming out,’ he says. ‘A high volume of our traffic has been looking for trainers that you could consider fashionable as well as functional, moving away from more traditional trainers people were buying a few years ago.’

The rise of athleisure

Why have they endured? Trainers emerged back in the 1830s as a beach shoe but it was the late 20th century that saw them become a staple of fashion rather than function. Today, it’s gym culture and a consequential athleisure era that has propelled the trainer to such dizzying heights.

‘Around 2012, most

Last year saw the rise of the ‘sneakerhead’ and they have been buying trainers faster than they are coming out

big-name designers jumped on the Olympics bandwagon and incorporated sports luxe pieces within their collections, namely Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs and Victoria Beckham,’ explains fashion presenter and celebrity stylist Naomi Isted. Indeed, July 2013 saw the first major spike in the levels of new sneakers on the UK womenswear’s footwear market; the same season that saw Ashish put Reebok Classics on the catwalk and Moschino Cheap and Chic included trainers in its show. Cemented further the following year with a pair of glittering sneakers in the Chanel SS14 Paris show, trainers were appearing as effortlessly from Converse as they were from Jimmy Choo. ‘With the likes of Phoebe Philo and Victoria Beckham taking their show bows in flats for quite some seasons, it’s given the nod of confirmation that trainers are cool again,’ states Abbie Tanner, London fashion blogger at abbieloves.com. ‘Not only have they been a firm styling favourite on the catwalks – Karl Lagerfeld we’re looking at you and your SS14 couture collection for Chanel – but the rise in fashion bloggers opting for fresh white kicks over a stiletto means trainers have become the new street-style uniform.’

(Un)happyfeet

A shift in fashion, however, shouldn’t be the only reason for women to hang up their heels. Podiatrist Trevor Prior maintains wearing heels on a regular basis can have a number of health implications, too. ‘Heels completely alter the position and posture of the foot,’ he explains. ‘A common problem is tightness of the calf due to the heel and the position of the ankle. Constant pressure on the ball of the foot can damage the small joints and in some instances lead to hammer toe formation. Squeezing the toes into a tight toe box can also lead to toe deformity and cause corn/ callus formation.’

It’s easy to see the appeal of the trainer. Comfortable and practical, they’re as at home on the foot of an Olympic athlete as they are on a City girl running for a bus. They transcend all spectrums of society – and they don’t seem to be stalling. ‘It’s one of those rare trends where style and comfort collide,’ says Aja. ‘It’s win-win!’ Feeling inspired? Treat yourself with our pick of SS17’S freshest kicks…