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Evening Standard

Entertainment

Amy Francombe

Sorry, but white trainers are over — how it became all about silver

silver Wales Bonner Adidas StockX ASICs

Lately, it’s impossible to scroll without seeing a silver sneaker on your favourite influencer’s foot. Whether it’s fashion IT girls like Mira Al-Momani or Jordan Grant, London based designer Wales Bonner’s futuristic chrome take on the popular adidas Samba silhouette has gone undeniably viral.

Canadian mega e-retailerSSENSE even went as far as to declare them the shoe of the summer — and backed up their claim alongside a TikTok compilation of the multiple cool kids wearing them during Men’s Paris Fashion week. Unsurprisingly, they’ve sold out, but according to Drew Haines, merchandising director of sneakers at reselling platform StockX, they’re currently trading with an impressive 132% price premium – proving just how in demand they are.

Last month Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen debuted her latest collaboration with ASICS: a pair of silver Mary Jane-esque trainers which immediately sold out. “Cecilie Bahnsen’s bold collaboration with ASICS has proved hugely successful and has an average sale price of £247 on StockX – a 63% price premium on its retail price,” says Haines. “Silver sneakers like the AM90 Silver Bullet have always been a mainstay for sneakerheads, but we are seeing the trend reach even greater heights in recent months.”

It’s part of the growing hype for metallic trainers.

Although silver’s climb through the fashion ranks might have gone unnoticed thanks to the overwhelming Barbiecore noise, its takeover has been bubbling away for a while. Despite typically being viewed as the domain of the Christmas party season, the metallic has been cropping up on the runways and music tours — most noticeably in Michael Kors, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci Spring/ Summer 2023 collections, as well as Beyoncé’s generation-defining Renaissance tour wardrobe.

“The rise of silver trainers as a staple shoe can be traced back to wider fashion trends,” says Marta Indeka, senior foresight analyst at strategic foresight consultancy The Future Laboratory.

“Space age fashion has been having a moment, which eventually rippled down to silver and metallic accessories. The trend cycle tends to be slower for footwear than it is for apparel, so if metallic clothes have become common sight amongst fashion-conscious crowds, silver shoes have been slightly slower to take off.”

It’s true, although January data from WGSN trend forecaster revealed that metallic was the best performing colour across women’s sport shoes, it only feels like now the mainstream has fully caught up. What’s more, our sartorial instincts tell us the trend is only going to get bigger and bigger.

“The golden age of the chunky white trainer is behind us,” agrees Indeka. “That leaves room for playful designs and colourways that can elevate an outfit rather than blending in, providing versatility and comfort that consumers with squeezed budgets and a sustainable conscience are after.”

Although it might be hard to get your hands on a pair of Wales Bonner adidas sambas or Cecilie Bahnsen ASICS, it’s not impossible – you might just have to cough up a premium on wrestling platforms like StockX or Depop. Or failing that, check out these equally stylish silver sneakers below.