, anyone with a flicker of interest in fashion could buy into Philo's Adidas look. Trainers are big business and iterations now come in every guise; performance-based, preppy, platform – but mostly practical. Not only have the powerhouses of Nike, Adidas and Converse upped their game, but a wave of new brands have been born, including vegan trainers (Veja), canvas plimsolls (Superga), low-carbon styles (Allbirds) and highly sought-after collaborations such as Chanel x Pharrell and Adidas x Gucci. Trainers have become the great leveller; accessible to anyone. Long before Covid and the 'WFH' wardrobe transformation, we yearned for comfort; hassle-free happy feet. For women, tottering at unnatural heights began to look out of date and out of touch. Even those who wore the highest shoes at work were switching into something more comfortable at some point in the day. Trainers have slowly become more acceptable as workwear, whether you're Prue Leith hosting Bake Off, Clare Balding presenting Wimbledon on the BBC or the Princess of Wales climbing a tree. In trainers, we take confidence in our height, we embrace public transport, we can be smart and comfortable (and cool) in one easy step. 'When worn in the right way, trainers are an acceptable level of smart for women' I wear trainers 80 per cent of the time: f){kind=link}
Reflecting on the sports shoe’s shift from casual footwear to one-size-fits-all-occasions
We owe the trainers phenomenon, in part, to one lady, Phoebe Philo. The former creative director of French fashion house, Celine, is easily one of the most powerful women in modern fashion history. It was her appearance at the end of her show way back in October 2010 that cemented trainers as the footwear phenomenon of the 21st century.
Philo took her bow at the end of the show, not in Celine footwear, but in white Adidas Stan Smiths with green detailing. And just like that, trainers were revered in a whole new way. Philo dressed for her big-moment-look in a way that was democratic rather than elitist, accessible rather than out of reach. Costing £85 (in 2023), anyone with a flicker of interest in fashion could buy into Philo’s Adidas look.
Trainers are big business and iterations now come in every guise; performance-based, preppy, platform – but mostly practical. Not only have the powerhouses of Nike, Adidas and Converse upped their game, but a wave of new brands have been born, including vegan trainers (Veja), canvas plimsolls (Superga), low-carbon styles (Allbirds) and highly sought-after collaborations such as Chanel x Pharrell and Adidas x Gucci.
Trainers have become the great leveller; accessible to anyone. Long before Covid and the “WFH” wardrobe transformation, we yearned for comfort; hassle-free happy feet. For women, tottering at unnatural heights began to look out of date and out of touch. Even those who wore the highest shoes at work were switching into something more comfortable at some point in the day.