There’s nothing like a fresh pair of sneakers to kick off fall and make you feel like a kid again. While we may have aged out of the need for indoor and outdoor shoes, the necessity for sneakers in your wardrobe rotation will never change. From tennis-inspired footwear to the new neutral shades, here are the top five sneaker trends we’ve spotted on the streets of Toronto and where to buy them.
Retro revival
If there’s one prevailing theme across all sneaker trends this season, it’s blasts from the past. Retro sneaker designs usually incorporate vintage elements from the past into current styles, such as the Adidas SL72 or Nike Cortez, both originally released in 1972 and having a major moment, or dad trainers — favoured by athletic types in the ’80s and ’90s, they’re now the it shoe of celebrities and influencers. New Balance reigns supreme here; its 530s, 550s and 574s come in delicious vintage colourways.
Tenniscore
Get inspired by the National Bank Open and Toronto’s growing obsession with pickleball and lean into court sport esthetics. White shoes are a must for any wardrobe, and luckily, Tenniscore footwear is full of them! For a more casual tennis-inspired look, try the Reebok Club C styles, the Puma Club 5V5, the New Balance BB80 court sneaker or the Nike Killshot.
Go neutral
There’s a new neutral in town — the neutral sneaker. Shades of ecru, beige and brown are everywhere, and they’re making it super easy to get dressed (they go with everything!). Putting an esthetically interesting twist on classics such as the Adidas Originals, Salomons and Converse — most of which you might be used to seeing in candy-coloured varieties — these earthy shades will be in heavy rotation.
Silver and yellow
OK, we did just say neutrals are in, but if colour is more your style, there are two that reign supreme this season: silver and yellow. Silver has been a trending footwear colour for a little while now, and it’s the sartorial equivalent of accessorizing with metal and silver hardware. Yellow — in particular the Mexico 66 by Onitsuka Tiger, which has seen a resurgence in popularity over the past year after a long history of being favoured by Olympians and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill — has emerged as the pop of colour of choice for celebrities and influencers in particular. For silver accents, try Nike or Asics, both known for the metallic accents on their dad-i-fied shoes. For a full silver statement, the Puma Clyde 3024s or these budget-friendly Steve Madden soccer-inspired kicks will do the trick.
Kick it coquette-style
Balletcore may have came and went, but remnants of the delicate style have made their way into 2024’s footwear trends. From ballet-style sneakers to bow-covered creations, coquette sneakers are in. The Rombaut Boccaccio shoes offer the perfect combination of athletic and whimsical, while the Simone Rocha hybrid ballet sneaker might be the original and best iteration of this funky trend. If buying a new sneaker isn’t in your fall budget, there are ways to DIY your shoes to give them a coquette upgrade — which seems to be a trend in itself. Swap out laces for ribbons, glue bows and pearls to your shoes or hang charms onto your laces for a little extra twirl in your step.
