Sole Mate
Self-confessed sneaker geek, blogger and founder of The Sole Supplier, George Sullivan looks at the trainer trends for 2019.
Stop, collaborate and listen, as a certain Vanilla Ice once advised. And among the many earth-shattering events of 2018 was the fact that trainer brands are now collaborating – and in the most left-field ways. This was the year we saw Vans with NASA branding, and limited edition Adidas x TfL trainers, a partnership with Transport for London inspired by the London Underground. According to the experts, we’re only going to see more of these left-field partnerships as brands attempt to grab themselves a slice of that lucrative youth and street culture.
Unlike previous seasons, we’ll also see consumers swapping statement sneakers for more minimal designs: single-coloured, neutral trainers are naturally smarter – meaning you could even get away with wearing them to work. The next lot of ‘it’ colours to be splashed across 2019’s sneakers are predicted to be sage, chocolate browns and powder blue.
Another buzzword of the past couple of years has, of course, been ‘sustainability’ and, combining both style and comfort, eco sneakers made from recycled polyester, organic cotton, wild rubber and natural hemp are only expected to, well, grow in popularity. What’s more, materials like merino wool minimise odour, regulate temperature and wick moisture – meaning they can even be worn without socks! On the other hand, trainers you definitely will want to wear with socks are coming too: are no longer reserved for puffa-clad mountaineers, hiking shoes get the full fashion treatment this season – think trusty, lace-up boots, but with a more stylish, bulky silhouette. Just the thing for making that arduous ascent up the escalator to the top of the mall escalator or that new rooftop restaurant.
This feature was first published in Luxury Plus magazine