Recent market reports may suggest that a sneaker slowdown is on the horizon as trends swing back towards more formal dressing – but you wouldn’t know it from looking in shops and on the street. Decades after sneakers moved from courts and running tracks to catwalks, they remain a footwear essential, whether your look skews sporty, sophisticated or street.

As the category has grown, so have our choices. While luxury brands continue to debut new styles each season, vintage models from heritage labels are enjoying a renaissance – including UK-based Gola, which has become an “It” girl favourite. Plimsolls are also making a comeback, no doubt encouraged by classic American brand Pro-Keds’ highly anticipated relaunch last year.

“2026 is about intention – sneakers that feel familiar, functional and relevant. We’re seeing a major return to heritage runners, but with a luxury refresh,” says Sara Wong, director of buying, accessories and Reselfridges at Selfridges in London.

“Consumers are craving authenticity, and heritage brands have it built in. They tap into nostalgia but feel current through refined materials and sharper proportions. The sneakers performing best are the ones people already recognise, reimagined with better materials and a clearer point of view,” she says.

To prove it, numerous fashion and luxury brands have rolled out hype-worthy collaborations, from New Balance x Miu Miu to Onitsuka Tiger x Versace. After French brand Salomon likewise partnered with MM6 Maison Margiela for several collections, it went a step further in January, naming MM6 Maison Margiela’s designer as its new creative director to more tightly fuse fashion with performance.

Technical trainer brands have also benefited from this return to old-school cool. American label, and runners’ favourite, Saucony made the difficult jump from performance brand to lifestyle staple, while StockX cited Japanese sports label Mizuno, which recently collaborated with the Milan concept store 10 Corso Como, as the fastest growing sneaker brand of 2025.

“The trail shoe is no longer [just] functional footwear but rather, the new city uniform. There’s real fatigue around hype-driven, overdesigned sneakers. Younger consumers are gravitating towards brands with history, purpose and performance credibility. Salomon and Asics have benefited hugely from this shift, as their technical DNA feels honest and uncompromised,” says Wong.