When Trainers Went High Fashion

When Trainers Went High Fashion

The trainer, or athletic sneaker as some call it, has been a staple of streetwear since the 1980s, and everyone from the city mouse to the country mouse has owned a pair at some point or another for the singular reason that they look cool. While the trainer technically exists to assist in athletic performance, athletic shoe sales around the world are exceedingly high due to reasons that have nothing to do with playing sports or exercising. The shoes are so popular that everyone is hunting for more high-end collections on dresshub.com

Run In Style

Does anyone really think all those shoes were used for running? Instead, the reality is that the trainer is a fashion statement, and has been one for over three decades. Interestingly, haute couture — that land where fashion meets art and dizzy excess had once seemed impervious to the trainer’s charms, and as such, the world’s finest runways long avoided requiring their models and fashionistas to bend down and lace up a pair.

However, all that has changed recently as trainers were finally embraced by high fashion. From Chanel to Givenchy, here are a handful of design houses that turned to the bedrock of streetwear to define this season’s look.

The Puma trainers I wore whilst walking in Venice were simply loved by many tourists. They matched so many outfits I wore.

1. Chanel

Chanel spring fashion show way back in 2012, was couture at its finest. The show was a world unto itself, where white and light competed for attention. Forests and glaciers met a visionary apocalypse that saw spry, airy models jaunting and skipping without the seriousness that couture so often requires. Corsets, midriff-revealing blouses, and skirts were presented with an energy that made them appear almost like athletic wear, which may be why the design house chose Massaro to make custom couture trainers for each outfit.

Made out of snake, lace, pearls, and tweed, the trainers were a perfect fit for the collection, which resembled something like streetwear from a wintry planet. Models also wore elbow pads and knee pads, which added to the vibe that action was taking place.

It was Chanel that began this high-end trainer trend. The trainers cost nearly $4,100, which in the realm of fashionable, high-priced sneakers makes these Massaros even more desirable.

2. Givenchy

Riccardo Tisci is Givenchy’s creative director, and he recently collaborated with Nike to rework the 1980’s Air Force 1  a shoe he loved as a young basketball player. Nike shoes have long been a staple of streetwear, urban style, and youth culture. Tisci reworked one of that brand’s most classic designs, and the trainers have achieved something close to a work of art. Sleek, street-ready, and in color palettes that force a double-take, Tisci’s Air Force 1s are further proof that the trainer has been granted full access to haute couture.

Last summer in Venice the trainer returned with a vengeance, for Gen Z.

3. Dior

Like Chanel, Dior dabbled with high fashion trainers to complement their couture. The bedazzled slip-ones were much more sneaker-like than the high heels that usually dominate runway shows, but they also had an element of the aqua sock in their look as well, which made them even more eye-catching.

Decidedly more comfortable looking than many of the footwear that has preceded them, these high-end trainers run $1,100. While they look a little bit like water shoes, the trainers have proven to be popular among die-hard Dior fans this past year, 2021.

This means Dior may continue delving into sneakers in future collections.

4. Missoni

Converse has long been a fashion staple as almost every rock star and celebrity continues to sport a pair of Chuck Taylors on a regular basis in what can only be called the American uniform of “cool.

” Well, that cool has found an haute couture outlet as this past year found Converse teaming up with Missoni to create a high fashion Chuck Taylor trainer.

The two brands have now released nine different limited-edition shoes, and the latest versions feature Missoni’s signature chevron prints. While there is no word on whether more collaborations of this type will be forthcoming, the success of the shoes has certainly drawn the attention of other design houses looking to branch out with their brand. In other words: trainers seem to officially have made the leap into the highest echelons of fashion.

Nostalgic Fashion

It’s the return of the 1980’s trainer fashion. And any vintage-inspired is what Tik Tok fans are hunting for.

A love for sneakers and a love for high fashion are no longer mutually exclusive obsessions. Thanks to design houses like Missoni and Givenchy, you can don your trainers and your couture, and look great while also being comfortable.

For the latest trends in what is the shoe of the last pandemic year. High-end trainers are here to stay. Even it means running around your house.