Lisa, kudos for telling how many sneakers you have! Quite the collection, and I am sure they are all fab. If I had a larger house (and a walk-in-wardrobe.. *dreaming*.) I would definitely have a larger collection of.. everything, really. I try to downsize and constrain myself to curb my hoarder tendencies and prevent chaos. Does anyone remember the clutter photos I posted earlier? If I don't actively fight my urges it quickly ends up like that..

I have become a sneaker wearer over the past several years. My previous job did not allow me to wear dressy heeled footwear because of all the walking I had to do on a daily basis. Fashion sneakers became my default footwear, which was a huge change from the dressy heels that were a wardrobe staple for me. I haven't counted exactly how many pairs I have, but it's a safe bet that I have more than 6 pairs.

Synne - yes, I guess I stepped right into that, didn't I? It's not a point of pride to own so many, that's not the point. Storage is a huge issue for me too - and that's already a problem. I wear them all the time, and love the look. Many are several years old, and they almost all get worn regularly. I suppose that I dress differently from many woman here on the forum, which is, well, what it is - *shrugs*

No, I didn't read it as boasting at all! I remember from an earlier discussion that you (and Janet?) rather wouldn't tell how many shoes you had in your collection (and that made me sooo curious of course! ). Anyway, I think I have told you before that I LOVE your shoes. They are often the icing on the cake of your pretty modern classic & edgy outfits.

I have to limit my fashion sneaker buying because their season is somewhat limited. November through March I'm in boots pretty much exclusively (and fleece-lined Vans on milder days, but they aren't warm enough for my to rely on them in true winter weather). In the spring, I'm still likely to reach for boots, especially chelsea and other pull-on styles, because it gets sooo muddy once the snow melts. As soon as it's dry enough, usually late May, I'm in sandals until it starts to get too chilly for them. So sneakers see occasional use in the spring and summer and heavier use in September/October. I wear them interchangeably with my two pairs of oxfords (the black and burgundy below). More and more, the distinction between polished sneakers and casual oxfords seems to be blurring, and I like that! Angie's new Cole Haans are a good example.

My feet are happiest in my two pairs of minimalist canvas sneakers (the yellow and the grey floral below) and those see the heaviest wear. The Vans, NBs, and Adidas aren't nearly as comfortable but for certain outfits I find myself wanting a chunkier, more grounded look and reach for my thicker-soled options in those instances. But they will probably all get replaced with minimalist alternatives as they wear out over the next few years.

I really miss having a pair of canvas slip-on sneakers for the summer, but haven't found a pair I like that fits well.

I was thinking same as you until about 3 years ago. But since then I slowly started wearing sneakers more and more and now sneakers are all I wear. I have purged almost all other shoes. Just ordered red Ecco Soft 7 - they should be here tomorrow.

Lisa P, you should have many pairs of sneakers! You love the look, comfort level, wear the shoes to work all the time, and enjoy the variety. They suit you. It's your thing. Similarly, I have 25 bags. It's my thing

Irina, I wear low-tops in warmer weather, and hi-tops in cooler weather. Here is my sneaker collection. Most are ECCO and Converse, and I will happily add more! They are much more comfy than boots, loafers and sandals for my type of feet and lifestyle.

I am HARD on my shoes, so I've worn through many pairs already. I keep replenishing the ECCOS I have.

Ok, i own a lot of sneaker…most a fashion, some are “real” (finds are missing my white Nike running shoes)…some are more comfortable than others, but all are comfortable…i will also say that just because a sneaker is made by an athletic brand, it does not necessarily mean that that sneaker will be comfortable, or at least comfortable for you. For example, i sold my Stan Smiths a couple of years ago, because they just not right for me. i have a replacement for my blue bow tie sneakers on there way to me. Which is my 1 call out -unlike other shoes, when the rubber soles on sneakers give way their isn’t a way to fix them.

kkards - I'm eager to see your bow tie replacements! I've always loved those shoes, and am curious what else you've found.

I have eleven pairs of shoes/boots and two of those are sneakers. Almost all my footwear is casual, and I don't think sneakers are under- or over-represented in my wardrobe, really. I don't have more than three pairs of footwear in any given category--two pairs of booties, three pairs of sandals, two taller boots (mostly because they're the types of things that last forever), a pair of pumps, and a pair of ballet flats.

I definitely find them super-useful for casualizing dressier outfits, though. And I grew up wearing them daily in American public school, so they just feel like a default to me, really. i can't imagine not having any.

This is a really interesting and informative thread! I never used to wear sneakers because they immediately gave me foot pain. I do wear them now. I have an old school pair of Keds that work for me and I really like.
Like what is pictured with navy accents but the striping on mine is red, white and aqua.

Also, I found a pair of Ryka dad sneakers in a clothing swap and laughed. Put them on for fun and fell in love. I wear these around the house a lot when I want to give my feet a break. Very structured and supportive but give me the air I want in the toe box. I realize what I need in a shoe, ideally, is some way to have them firm either in front of the ankle or an actual ankle strap and then plenty of room to spread and wiggle toes. I can't stand the Everlane day shoe, nor woven sneakers, nor mesh. I seem to want to avoid the top of a shoe pressing on my toes, however lightly. My Ryka are white with some grey and red. Not exactly what is pictured but close enough.

I have a pair of "patent" Adidas OutLoud dad sneakers that I also love.

Then I like something that seems like a cross between a leather sneaker and a Euro walking shoe. I have two black and patent Waldlaufer shoes, not identical but almost.

A Wanted lace up red shoe with lots of tread. Mine is like the picture but instead of beige, have black laces and black soles.

And then I guess this isn't a sneaker but I recently got a dadawen black patent wingtip on a low wedge white sneaker sole. I knew they were a hit when hubby scoffed at how anybody thought to put a wingtip on a sneaker sole. Marketing geniuses, that's who. I get endless compliments on them.

I have six pairs of sneakers and wear them constantly. It was very difficult for me to find sneakers that fit comfortably with my Superfeet Blue inserts, and I will not compromise on comfort. My sneakers are SAS or New Balance 990v5s. I also have a few other pairs of boots and shoes, but find that I rarely reach for them.
I think sneakers are more than a trend. Once someone gets used to walking in complete comfort all day in a pair of sneakers, it's hard to go back to any other style of shoe.

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and collections of sneakers.
I’m happy for those who likes them and enjoys wearing them.
As for me, I have to be really mindful of what I buy. I have 34 pairs of shoes. For someone who used to have much smaller number of shoes, it’s a lot. Six of those are office shoes and one pair of evening shoes. Who knows when I will be needing them. I have a pair loafers ordered and perhaps I could use a break

Scrolling through the whole thread, I’m struck by the differences between fashion sneakers and those made for sports. Is it just me, gradually becoming more perceptive, or is that gulf widening?
Kkards, that makes two of us with(out) Adidas. I’m still thinking about your comment “just because a sneaker is made by an athletic brand, it does not necessarily mean that that sneaker will be comfortable, or at least comfortable for you”. That’s very true. I wonder if it’s this—athletic shoes are available for a very broad range of fits and supports, but each individual one is designed for a more specific range than fashion shoes, so when they fit your needs, they are really good, but when they are off, they’re just bad. What do you think?

I find sneakers to be really useful. I currently have five pairs: 2 for running/distance walking/working out (both Mizuno) and 3 for fashion (pink New Balance, black winter Cons, and blue Ecco sneaker booties). I don't wear any kind of ballet flat - not enough structure for my feet, and they don't stand up to the walking that I do. (I do have one pair of flats/slippers but I wear those only in my house).

I love sneakers and really could do with another pair. They fit with my tomboyish style, and also, I've become much much more about comfort in the last couple of years. When you find sneakers that work for your feet, it's fantastic.

What an interesting thread, thank you Irina! I like sneakers and I mostly wear fashion sneakers. I have some I wear for the warm seasons and some for autumn and early spring. I can also wear my “autumn” sneakers winter time when we have mild winters…. In fact, the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever had are sneakers from Hogan (the style is called Interactive and has existed since 1997). I discovered them for myself about 12 years ago and since then, I have had a few pairs in my wardrobe. They are quite pricey, so I try to find them on sale or in outlets selling older collections. I have just ordered a dark blue shiny suede pair with dark grey/black soles. I love the color combination and hope they will work out as always….

I like sneakers, but they are a tough fit for my long, narrow, low volume feet.

I currently have five pair: three fashion sneakers and two gear pair. One of the gear pair (New Balance) is not really a great fit. The other pair hardly gets any wear because I’m rarely in conditions where I need them. My fashion sneakers are Eccos and I love them. The majority of my sneaker wearing is in the spring & summer; in fall & winter, I prefer my boots and oxfords.

Vildy, I love those wingtips on a sneaker sole!! I agree with you: Marketing genius! How’s the fit?

It's funny, I really only use the word sneakers to refer to what others call fashion sneakers. Actual athletic shoes are called, well, whatever I'm using them for. I always have a pair of running shoes (for paved roads) and trail runners (for hiking and trail running) and use them exclusively for that purpose. They are comfortable and functional, but the trail runners in particular do less than nothing to make an outfit look good IMO. I would feel straight-up ridiculous wearing them with jeans or other town clothes, so they don't really fit into my mental category for sneakers. (Note: DH does not have this problem. He wears the exact same trail runners as I do with just about anything short of a full suit. I could roll my eyes, but most of his male colleagues do the same.)

La Ped, my language and experience is identical to yours . I actually don’t use the word “sneakers” anywhere other than here on the forum . I call my workout shoes just that ( or “running shoes “ , which made more sense when I actually ran ), or even just by their brand name . As in “ I need a new pair of ASICS” and the rest of the gear shoes as you do : by their intended use . Sneakers always sounds a little wrong to my ear as it’s not a term I ever heard used outside of children’s wear . I actually never know what to call fashion sneakers , so I default to that when I’m doubt . And I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing my athletic / gear shoes with jeans as part of an outfit . Husband is quite happy to do so though . All the power to him .

In the UK we call them trainers, but we don't count converse as trainers, we call them converse. Same with Vans. I don't have much of anything right now, but the last two pairs I bought were casual.

KATE, the fit is amazing. I know I said I don't like anything pressing on the tops of my toes but I think what bothers me is not continual snug pressure but intermittent pressure, like when you're walking.

These were brand new from Goodwill. I think the brand mis-size their shoes. I saw they were sold on Amazon. They were marked 9 and I wear more like a 7 1/2. But they seemed smaller than 9. They feel exactly true to size for me and they feel padded all over, including the top of the foot. Yet, you can't really see padding. They're weird but wonderful.

https://www.amazon.com/DADAWEN.....=ts&d

I alternate between two pairs of athletic shoes for working out, but otherwise prefer to compromise with slightly more polished versions of casual footwear. Do these first two even count as trainers (sorry, 'sneakers' ) if they don't even have laces?

1) Plain (slip-on) cream leather plimsolls - Seasalt Cornish Lane Trainers:
https://www.seasaltcornwall.co.....on-trainer

2) Somewhere between a flatform & loafer -
FitFlop Superskate Tassel D'orsay loafers:
https://www.johnlewis.com/fitf.....s/p3400869

3) More for sentimental reasons than actual use (my husband insisted we wear converse low tops for the boat part of our wedding) Canvas isn't practical in wet weather, though!

I have four in use and some demoted ones and a pair in waiting.

Your story reminds me of something… so I’m in Hipsterville right? One day a group was gathered and EVERYONE was wearing a shrunken fedora. And from that day on, I decided a herd of hipsters is called ‘an Embarrassment.’ Lol

I have several pairs of sneakers- 7 pairs of running shoes (trail/road/etc.), 2 pairs of gym sneaks, 6 pairs of "casual" sneakers I tend to only wear on the weekends (NB 420 in mint and taupe, a couple pairs of Converse, 2 pairs of Keds), and 3 pairs of "fashion" sneakers that I wear regularly (see Finds). I wouldn't call these three particularly comfortable for my feet, but I definitely feel more comfortable in sneakers, if that makes sense...not sure why. They are my go-to for smart casual summer dressing and I would have more (probably expand on the LoveShackFancy patterns) but I don't get a lot of use out of them year-round. But hey, I love my boots too : )

Sneaker head reporting for duty! They make sense for my lifestyle, since I WFH and often my only forays into the outside world are dog walks and school drop-offs.

I have a pair of slip-on leopard print, a pair of really loud multi-colored and super cushy ones, black hi-tops, boring sneakers for actual running, and then this fall I added another pair I absolutely don't need because it felt like a fun refresh for my fall style and was kinda the single thing that I had my eye on and was excited about.

In the summer I also have a pair of white canvas lace ups (with rainbows on their sides, natch, nothing plain for this gal!) and in the winter I have a pair of shearling-lined tan leather hi-tops. I can definitely see adding another fun pair of lined hi-tops in a fun color, because I go weeks in the winter where they are seriously the only pair of shoes I ever wear.

Lesley, where did you get your tan, shearling lined high tops? This is exactly what I would like to try.

Very relatable! Like several of you I put Converse in their own category. When I started walking a lot during the pandemic I bought two pairs of Converse Run Stars to add to my classic Chucks (which I’ve worn constantly since middle school). But aside from that I’m not much of a sneaker gal. I bought two pairs of Pumas ~5 years ago, both minimalist black leather, and they just weren’t really right for my outfits. So they’re in the back of my closet collecting dust. They were useful for some casual outdoor things but the new Run Stars have supplanted them. Though they might work well with my new full length jeans…

The Converse shroud wedges in Finds are in my closet awaiting some future when my style swings back around to skinnies and wedges. They don’t work in my current look but I love them.

I also have some gear sneakers, the Merrell barefoot glove, that I wear for long walks and mini hikes.

Angie has recommended the brand, Blackstone, and I got a good deal on a pair at Nordstrom.com a few years back. They are fab. (Full disclosure, I put Superfeet orthotics in them just like I do almost every flat pair of shoes I own...)