Gone are the days of boring, uninspired sports uniforms. With fashion houses like Chloe, Prada and Ganni dressing up sports shoes, it’s safe to say that trainers have become an investment piece over the last few seasons. In fact, the Balenciaga Triple S trainers are still one of the most googled sneaker styles ever and regularly sell out on the likes of Net-A-Porter and Browns.

The appeal is evident – they’re comfortable, fashion-forward and an easy way to dress down an outfit without sacrificing style. While they’ve generally been a favourite of the street style crew, big retailers like ARKET, Zara and more have added slick versions to their permanent collections, meaning everybody owns at least one pair now. They go with almost everything – jeans, cropped suits, leather trousers and oversized jumpers, floaty dresses – and take all the fuss out of choosing what to wear first thing in the morning.

Best Fashion Trainers

As with the rest of the fashion world, footwear isn’t impervious to the ebb and flow of trends. This season is all about the retro vibes, with Prada collaborating with Adidas to release some sleek metallic and monochrome Superstar kicks – see also Gucci’s 1977 tennis high tops which are a thing of beauty. While 90s dad trainers are still all the rage, and you don’t even have to invest in designer styles for those: influencers and editors can’t get enough of the mesh New Balance trainers. When in doubt however, you can never go wrong with a classic white sneak, and we love the Veja vegan trainers for a sustainable choice.

Of course as previously mentioned, Balenciaga completely changed the trainer game, so whether you want the sock trainers or the Triple S, now’s as good a time as any to invest, they’ve proven they’re not going anywhere.

Best running trainers

We chatted with Cathy, who runs a site dedicated to running, cycling and general fitness called JogBlog, about choosing the perfect running trainers. It’s worth investing in a great pair of shoes if you’re an avid runner and more serious enthusiasts should think about asking for expert advice – when Cathy first started out, she had to learn that the hard way.

She said, ‘I started out running with the cheapest pair of trainers I could find (£10 in a non-sports shop). That was a mistake – they were so stiff and uncomfortable! I then went to a specialist running shop where I ran on a treadmill so the staff could analyse my gait, then they brought out to me different brands of shoe appropriate for my running style to try on. After trying on a few pairs – I just ‘knew’ which were the right pair.’

Best trainers for the gym

Cathy shared, ‘For the gym, unless you’re doing high impact exercise such as the treadmill, then it doesn’t really matter what you wear on your feet and, as running shoes are expensive, I save my old ones for the gym to get value for money out of them!’

Best trainers for walking

It depends what kind of walking you’re doing really. If you’re doing a hike, then invest in a pair that’s got good support, like running trainers. If it’s for general walking around town, then anything goes really.

Best trainers for flat feet

Having problems with your arch? Look for styles that have been specially designed to provide extra underfoot support. Don’t let anything keep you from that workout.

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