There’s a specific blueprint for trending trainers right now. Features include (but are not limited to): a slimline silhouette, rounded toes, skinny soles and a thin lace upper – and perhaps the addition of contrast accents in suede, leather and/or nylon. These are traits that unite Prada’s Montecarlo Re-Edition 2005, Dries Van Noten’s retro iteration, Bottega Veneta’s Orbit Flash and Maison Margiela’s Sprinter. Each are unique in their own right, imbued with their respective house codes, but they all certainly borrow from the same playbook.
Prada’s are an anniversary re-release inspired by a pair that debuted 20 years ago as part of its Linea Rossa line, while Bottega’s are a narrower, softer and lower version of the brand’s Orbit sneakers, which Matthieu Blazy introduced during his tenure. As for the Sprinter? They take cues from vintage running shoes, with a supple upper and cleated rubber soles.
It’s not uncommon for trainers from different brands to adopt similar designs – chunky “stomper” trainers once dominated the market – but the slimline styles that are popular right now are somewhat difficult to distinguish from one another. While Sambagate (aka the surge in Adidas Sambas several years ago) prompted an influx of similar-looking styles, there hasn’t been a notable catalyst for the retro trainer movement – except, perhaps, the never-ending fashion appetite for ballet flats, which has morphed sneakers into something more ballerina-esque (but, crucially, these aren’t sneakerinas).
As ever, high-street retailers have also cottoned onto the current trainer mood: Cos stocks “minimal” leather trainers in the same vein, while Massimo Dutti recently introduced pairs in metallic leather and velvet. There are endless colourways and finishes to choose from. Pick your fighter.
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