Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson launched the now-signature Flow Runner trainers in the height of the pandemic. Debuted via the house’s escapist spring/summer 2021 look book, his new streamlined sneaker silhouette provided exactly the kind of practical comfort that was needed at the time. But these weren’t introduced as a regular “fashion trainer” – Anderson complemented them with taffeta trapeze dresses and puff-ball skirts, proving they have a styling power beyond their easy, everyday appeal.
And they were an instant hit. “Things will always sell,” he said, instinctively, in 2020, “if a brand is wanted.” New colourways and fabric combinations have followed in seasons since, which has helped to further bolster the popularity of these trainers, that have been spotted on Emily Ratajkowski and Mary-Kate Olsen. Four years on from their launch, Net-a-Porter reports that searches have been up an impressive 333 per cent in the last three months; affirming Anderson’s intuition. Shopping platform Lyst announced in July that Loewe was the most-wanted brand for Q2 of 2024, with a 29 per cent increase in searches for the Spanish fashion house.
The Flow Runner’s success lies in its unique, retro design, which is a sturdier take on its supple predecessor, the Ballet Runner, which was unveiled for autumn/winter 2019. Named after the waved sole that “flows” from the bottom and wraps around the heel and toe, the silhouette is inspired by ’70s track shoes and is given a contemporary update with an appliqué insignia of the Loewe monogram across the sides. First iterations arrived in white/navy, tan/dove-grey/red, and black/white, while the latest versions are available in raw denim, chocolate/almost optic, pink, and gold/black.
True to form, Anderson introduced more experimental finishes in his spring/summer 2023 menswear offering, where chia plants and catswort greenery (grown over 20 days before the show in a polytunnel outside Paris), sprouted from Flow Runners, as well as coats, hoodies and jeans. “A fusion of the organic and the fabricated,” he explained of his lively collaboration with Spanish bio-designer, Paula Ulargui Escalona. These Flow Runners were ephemeral, but their impact as a trainer is positively enduring.
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