words by DEBORAH DRENOFCI
There may have been seasons in your life when all you needed was a wild dance to gain back the spark you perhaps lost. Then another season comes where you need to get back into your shell and restore the spark in solitude. It might be that you decide to put your life in order by becoming as athletic as it gets and join a hiking club, if such a thing even exists. But life’s seasons are not merely reflected in your mood and doings, they are also reflected in the shoes you wear. Shoes, just like eyes, are windows to the soul.
image via PINTEREST
When it comes to footwear, there is a particular category that seems to fluctuate most during trend cycles. Sneakers were already having their moment before the pandemic, with the whole hype bubble of Air Jordans, Dunks and Nike Uptempo, and during the pandemic they stayed right there with us, because where else were we going? Then the world opened up. Everyone was done being comfy and wanted to go out there. The Adidas Samba surge around 2023 kept the sneaker going, only slimmer and flatter, and it kind of set the tone for the ballerina flats. And from the ballerina flats obsession period, the sneaker disappeared, or at least moved to the background, which is expected after a period of market saturation. What remained was the simplicity offered by brands such as New Balance, Asics, or Salomon. After all, you still need a pair of sneakers.
image courtesy of ASICS
For a moment, there was this collective season of “let’s wear the pointy heels and grab a drink.” Perhaps this on-and-off relationship was not only because of the normal nature of a trend cycle or the downfall of the sporty look. Perhaps comfort had simply stopped being exciting. Instead, we were after the sophisticated chic of discomfort found in pointy heels and suede cowboy boots. So it might have been a matter of needing to reconnect with the ritzy way of dressing.
But the seasons don’t stop. During 2025, it seemed like everyone decided to go on a run and apparently remembered how much they love it. With running booming, sneakers entered again with the excuse that, well, you cannot run in stilettos, can you? Luxury, however, never really let go. Miu Miu and New Balance have been at it since 2022, and the SS27 collab introduced the reconstructed RC150 racing sneaker with contrasting laces that look surprisingly polished when paired with a blazer and a midi skirt. Think of Celine x Reebok, or the adidas x Arte Antwerp F50.
Most recently, PUMA and JiyongKim reimagined the CELL Geo, launching on November 7, with aged fabrics, frayed laces and distressed detailing that give a futuristic sneaker a past it never had. Such collaborations are a reminder that a sneaker or hiking shoe can become desirable not only because of comfort, but also because of the opulent stitching or worn-in details that add character.
image courtesy of MIU MIU
image courtesy of CELINE
images courtesy of PUMA
But this is not only about such collaborations. Fashion houses making cool sneakers is nothing new, and right now there are plenty to choose from. For instance, there is Dior’s Ribbon sneaker, simple, light, and easily worn with some classic trousers and a colourful cardigan. Vivienne Westwood’s Romper Bag sneakers, on the other hand, are bold and grunge, feminine and full of energy for a random night out, and even if it takes unexpected turns, you have plenty of chunky sole to kick your way out of it.
Then there is Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66 Boxing. If these ones could talk, they would say “Kid, today you will move mountains.” If you want to stick to a more timeless look, the Dior Roadie sneakers will do the job. In case you decide that today is the day to have some attitude, the Miu Miu Bubble will make sure that the world revolves around you, and only you.
images courtesy of DIOR
images courtesy of ONITSUKA TIGER and VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
image courtesy of MIU MIU
What has changed is the approach of the consumers. The way to style this category of footwear is the new trend in itself. Only this time, the sneaker is not just the comfortable season we fall back on. It has learned to dress up; for a dance, a drink, or a run.
And once you start running, why stop at the park? Take the Timberland, a boot that never needed a mountain in the first place. Born as a work boot for construction workers, it was adopted by New York’s hip-hop scene, from Wu-Tang Clan to The Notorious B.I.G., and during the 1990s, UK ravers made it theirs too. From the building site to the street to the dance floor. Remember that hiking club, the one that may not even exist? Most of us will never join it. But we would sure love to buy the boots.
So if shoes really are windows to the soul, ours are saying something right now. We are done sitting still, even if we have no idea where we are going. Whether it is a wild dance, a long run, a hiking club that may not exist, we just want shoes that can fashionably take us there.
image via PINTEREST
