When writing this post, I could NOT get this jingle out of my head, but with the revised lyrics, "style like a pump, looks like a sneaker." For it's true, this spring sneakers have become THE hot shoe and their purpose goes way past the gym or tennis court.
The street sneaker trend started last year with the return of Vans and Chucks and variations of these shoes in fun textures and fabrics. Well the trend has only improved, offering more silhouettes, fabrications, and options to fit most any foot or personal style. While high-tops, lace-ups, and slip-ons are all en vogue, I am only featuring lower-profile shoes in this post because I find them more flattering and more versatile. A low shoe that can be worn without socks (or with Peds or socks like these which hide from view) can be paired with ankle pants, flared jeans (which are also back in style this spring), wide-leg trousers, midi skirts, pencil skirts (yes, seriously!), sundresses, and shorts of every length. This is a great shoe choice for travel as you can spend all day on your feet but still look on trend and style it with most everything in your suitcase.
This is not your gardening sneaker, and this is not your Keds or Tretorns of yore. This is a shoe that can easily replace your sandals on weekends, but also your heels for a night out or your slingbacks with a summer dress. Treat them as well as you would your leather pumps, and realize to have the style and comfort you deserve, you'll likely have to pay more than expected for athletic shoes. Choosing a unique material, pattern, or metallic is actually more versatile than a neutral; let your shoes this spring be an accent piece like a statement necklace or a colorful silk scarf. Don't match, complement or contrast with purpose.
Consider this your cue to drop the beat-up elastic-backed ballet flats or the frumpy "comfort sandal" for an upgrade that's high on style but still comfortable. A few styles I've been admiring, and how to style them for spring:
3. bernie mev. 'Verona' Slip-on Sneaker: I bought a pair of bernie mev. shoes last spring and adore them. Super cushy insoles, and the body of the shoe is made of elastic strips woven together in a basket pattern. This makes the shoe stretch and give with your foot and movement, but also provides support and a bit of ventilation. I had a hard time choosing which color of this shoe to put in the collage as there are so many great options. While the Leopard and the Black Patent/Silver combos are pretty awesome, the Pewter (pictured) is a good basic that would look great with a black midi skirt or white boyfriend jeans and be comfortable enough for all the sight-seeing on your spring and summer calendar.
Inspired by this post, I ordered the 'Brenna' Slip-on sneaker from Banana Republic in Super Silver. Last summer I wore the heck out of my shiny silver Birkenstocks but wish I had something more substantial to wear for Casual Fridays and crowd situations where I wanted my toes protected. I'll be sure to report back in a future post on what I think of them - they'll either be featured in an upcoming post or rated a "fail" in a shopping recap!
Shop the Looks Featured in this Post:
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