As a seasoned vogue editor who considers LaGuardia Airport a second dwelling, I’ve spent years perfecting the ever-elusive casual-cool airport fit. And the secret, I’ve discovered, lies solely in a single’s shoe choice. For me, there’s no extra helpful choice than a pair of high-comfort silver sneakers. Their innate versatility helps notorious overpackers, like myself, optimize suitcase space and vacation outfit potential. I put on them on the plane after which all through the remainder of my journey, too, for sightseeing escapades, live shows, solo dinners, and extra.
Unlike most athletic sneakers, metallic kinds have an elevated aura that makes them really feel extra like a piece of knickknack than a function-first walking shoe. The proper pair of silver sneakers will maintain you comfy on 20,000-step days, however nonetheless really feel acceptable for fancy evenings out. (And, talking from first-hand expertise, they appear nice in each picture alongside the approach.)
My favourite pair of silver sneakers, the Adidas Court 3.0, have comfortably carried me by the bustling streets of London, Reykjavik, and Copenhagen in fashion. The proof is in the Instagram publish. If you’re nonetheless not offered, permit me to persuade you why silver sneakers would possibly simply be the hardest-working staple on your packing checklist.
A short historical past of the silver sneaker
Thanks to an inflow of fashion-forward shoe tendencies—like slender sneakers and hybrid kinds ( you, sneakerinas and Mary Janes)—assertion sneakers have by no means been extra standard. Chromatic designs, particularly, are considered one of 2026’s leading fashion trends.
Their industry-wide takeover first started in 2025, with what I like to name the Puma Speedcat increase. The retro, streamlined look lent itself nicely to a brazen metallic end, and the colorway rapidly grew to become considered one of the model’s main kinds amongst celebrities and customers. The development earned stamps of approval from celebrities like Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Emily Ratajkowski, and Bella Hadid.
Before lengthy, the flashy colorway started cropping up in collections from high-end vogue homes and athletic manufacturers alike, dominating the sneaker universe as a entire. Every main footwear producer obtained in on the development, spanning from Nike, Adidas, and New Balance to Golden Goose, Prada, Saint Laurent, and extra. Heritage kinds, like Adidas Sambas, Nike Air Max, and New Balance 740, all obtained the high-shine therapy. Finally, the plain white sneaker had a worthy opponent.
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