The trainers to buy this autumn (and what to wear them with)
It was all so simple back in the Noughties. White plimsolls made everything look cool, whether you wore them with a trouser suit or a floral frock. But now? The most fashionable feet have put their white trainers in storage. Along with tucking in your top and wearing invisible socks, white trainers mark your outfit out as being terribly millennial. While all trends will cycle round again in a year or so (we’re certainly not advocating throwing out a pair of bright white sneakers) right now the style set are wearing one of these fresher trainer trends.
Whether hot off the Paris Fashion Week catwalk or a street style phenomenon, these sneakers will elevate any outfit with an unexpectedly sporty edge. The good news is that trainers are a comfortable and practical choice. Most offer grip on rainy pavements (essential in autumn) and have a supportive framework, due to their technical design. Although if you choose a casual shoe, beware: it doesn’t mean the rest of your outfit can be similarly slouchy. These sporty shoes look best juxtaposed with a contrasting style, whether that’s sharp tailoring or sweet, soft ruffles.
Read on to identify which trend will suit you best.
Puma Speedcats
If Vogue declares a trainer as on-trend, the fashion pack take note. Describing Puma’s Speedcat as “the next big thing” has ensured this style will dominate the coming season. Streamlined sneakers are still having a moment – think of the popularity of Adidas’s Samba (until Rishi Sunak trampled all over that trend…).
However, any shoe with a smaller visual footprint is elegant and easy to wear and the Speedcat is certainly sleek. Originally inspired by the styles worn by Formula 1 drivers in the 1980s, the Speedcat appeared on the spring 2025 catwalks of Ahluwalia and Feben at London Fashion Week last month and was styled with trousers in similar tones for a chic monochromatic look.
The light and elegant shape is almost jazz shoe-like and, combined with the trick of continuing one colour up from your feet, will make your look particularly polished.
Staud Cotton blend sweater, £330, Net-a-Porter; Ponte trousers, £85, Boden; Speedcat OG sneakers, £90, Puma
Boxing boots
Molly Goddard’s summer collection saw hybrid boxing boots teamed with acres of tulle while at Dior last month, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri showed her own distinctive take on the boxing boot. Knee-high, sports-soled and worn with bodysuits and bare legs, it was a giant leap away from more obviously easy to wear trainer trends. But don’t step away from the style.
“I love the juxtaposition of a traditional feminine silhouette with a powerful athletic-inspired accessory,” says Emily Fitch Miller, a creative director and stylist. How best to style them? “Look at the boxing boot as a lightweight version of a chunky ankle boot and style it with feminine pieces like bohemian dresses, slip skirts and delicate lace,” continues Fitch Miller. “My advice would be to always think about the contrast of femininity and athleticism when styling these boots, so don’t wear them with something that’s already a sportswear piece, such as tracksuit pants.”
Tweed textured blazer, £75, Marks & Spencer; Tulle skirt, £140, Mint Velvet; Adidas Box Hog 2.0 Boots, £75, JD Sports
Colourful retro
Switching out white trainers for a colourful pair is the quickest style update you can make this season and there are a veritable rainbow of shades to choose from. Combined with retro detailing, these trainers bring a little levity to your look.
Editor Alexandra Stedman is a fan of bright styles. “I consider myself a neutral dresser but love to accessorise with colour, which is why I often go for retro, comfortable trainers,” she says.
Denim waistcoat, £95, Aligne; Organic cotton dress, £120, Damson Madder; Mexico 66, £130, Onitsuka Tiger
Key styles to consider are Gola’s Elan, described as “an old school gum sole… reminiscent of days in the school gym”, Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66 (which combines design details from the brand’s 1961 original) and Adidas’s SL72, a modern revival of the 1972 version.
Miu Miu also debuted a blue lace-up plimsoll in Paris last month, styled with orange socks, a trick Stedman appreciates. “I have been wearing my orange Adidas Gazelle indoor shoes for the past two years but this season I’m styling them with socks in more autumnal colours like khaki and burgundy.” Show off your colour mixing skills and match with a midi dress.
Chunky dad
If you prefer something more substantial from a sneaker, chunky dad trainers are an eternally fashionable choice. Asics’s Gel-Kayano is popular with Instagram’s biggest influencers, along with the ubiquitous New Balance 530. There have been so many cruel trends, leaving women suffering for fashion (pointed-toe stiletto heels, anyone?) it’s refreshing to see so many on-trend trainers that don’t leave you limping at the end of the day.
Designed as a running shoe for road surfaces, the Asics shoe has arch support from a specially formulated foam midsole while the New Balance 530 has “abzorb” foam cushioning and breathable mesh. Whether you’re actually running, or on the school run, these are the kind of design details we love to see.
If you’re put off by the heft of these trainers, they blend brilliantly with trousers, rather than short skirts, and their size make them an ideal foil for wide leg jeans and trousers. Teamed with pinstripes and suiting, they feel like a particularly powerful option for workwear.
Tencel shirt, £130, With Nothing Underneath; Pinstripe trousers, £69, Monsoon; Gel-Kayano 14, £155, Asics
Hiking trainers
These may look similar to the chunky dad style, but for trainer aficionados, the details are different. As high-performance hiking staples infiltrate high fashion (think of North Face’s Nupste puffer jacket or Patagonia’s Retro-X fleece jacket) it’s natural that our feet would follow suit.
Hipsters have been fans of “gorpcore” staples for some time now and wear these outdoor-appropriate outfits head-to-toe (although often looking more suited to a trek over high peaks than a stroll around Hackney).
However, look to Lily Collins for chicer inspiration on how to wear hiking trainers. Earlier this month, Collins teamed her cult XT-6 trainers, created by French performance sport brand Salomon, with a trench coat and black trousers. Salomon’s are a repeat wear for the actor. Earlier this year she wore the style with an oversized shirt and also paired the XT-4 OG Topography trainers with camel trousers and a chocolate brown coat for a similarly polished look we will be taking notes on.
Claudie Pierlot Wool blend coat, £649, Selfridges; Silk crepe de chine trousers, £415, Joseph; Salomon XT-6 GTX trainers in safari, £180, Asos
