Amped+Dangerous: WHEN DID RUNNERS/TRAINERS BECOME SO COOL?

Runners; Sport Shoes; Trainers; Sneakers. Whatever you want to call it - they are back and not in a sporty way either.

Walking around the streets of New York, I have never seen the humble sneaker being represented in such high volumes. And they are a fashion item across a variety of fashion genres and lifestyles. From the everyday supermarket worker to high fashion editors, sport shoes are being worn like they are running out of fashion (literally). Which it probably is, I guess. I point the finger at the amazing Susie Bubble for bringing the runners in to the fore front of fashion, via the amazing sports luxe trend from Spring/Summer 12/13.

I remember when wearing runners were so super daggy that I wouldn’t be caught dead in them. Think back to family holidays when you were younger, where you’re parents probably made you pack a pair of “decent” shoes - most probably ended up being to be your ugly school sports shoes - and after one particular Thailand trip (when I was about 7 years old), I remember swearing off runners - cause a) they’re not particularly comfy (heavy and blocky) and b) not very stylish - so I dont see any “win” here. And since that fateful decision I haven’t looked back - preferring to only wear Converse.

If you are in New York or have been in New York in the last couple of months, you would have seen the super neon mess running around this town. Almost everyone is rocking sport shoes, more often neon Nike pairs. My favourites have been matching neon trainers which couples wear together. On top of that you have a lot fashion inclined people wearing their Isabel Marant suede sneakers (and copies of these) styled with cute coloured denim and their favourite parkas and denim jackets. So it seems like to me that the ole running shoe has snuck in to mainstream fashion without anyone making a big deal about it - and now is going to remain as part of the everyday culture until some of us come to our senses. In saying this, this sneaky shoe trend is performing fashion justice: for all those ladies who wearing heels is more of an essential then a special day out luxury, their stylish neon runners will help their mangled feet return to its natural normal state.

I still prefer “tennis shoes” then chunky sport shoes, I think it takes some forward thinking to be able to pull off everyday outfits with your neon Nikes without running the risk of looking like a 9-5 commuter (you know what I’m talking about...). So below are some of my successful interpretations of the trend which might bring you some inspiration to your wardrobe.