I used to wear nothing but Saucony Jazz low-pro - love them, nice and narrow yet comfy and so many really lovely colours.... but then we moved house and I damaged my ankle/instep by manically running up and down many stairs in old and new house for weeks, carrying heavy boxes of books, pictures china etc (too anxious to not to start shifting stuff to the new house before moving day and we only moved 7 streets away)... finally, after a year of bad foot pain, found Brooks Ariels which made foot/knee 100% better again. at first I thought they look horribly clunky but now I don't care/think they look ok especially since I'm always in jeans, and ease of walking is so much a top priority after worrying i'd never be able to do a long walk again...
I second the no-Merit stance, it’s gorgeous packaging and no colour at all. Recently switched to mini sizes of Westman Atelier and omg the woman knows her shit!
also trainers-wise: I thrifted silver dries van notens off vinted and now have those and red-yellow-white Casablanca x New Balance collab (also thrifted) in my garage of trainers. both work as neutral colours, both are un-white enough and trendy enough for those who know (had ppl come to me and swoon over Casablancas!) and go with everything and anything!
I’m sorry, white trainers are out??? WHY DID NOBODY TELL MEEEEEEEE?????
I love my Stan Smiths and will not be parted from them. I find that, as a middle-aged mum with a penchant for 50s dresses, I need to wear trainers to stop strangers on trains asking me for a tissue. I mean, yes I do have a tissue, but do I really want to look like the kind of person who would have one? I don’t know.
(Wrong season now but I yearn for a pair of DM Chelsea boots, for the same reason. Unfortunately my ginormous calves make me look like a pig in them, covering my actually quite reasonably sized ankles.)
Great post Esther. I don’t care about being fashionable, but desperately don’t want to be mumsy. Can you talk about dresses next?! I just don’t know what I like anymore.
We went to Japan a few years ago and everyone there wears Onitsuka Tigers. They have a shop in London which is ridiculously popular. Both our daughters now wear them religiously and swear they are the best trainers ever. They come in great colourways but are very slim fitting which is no good for those of us with bunions!
Oh God, Gazelles, Speziale, and Sambas in every colour but especially green have been my go-to for at least ten years. My favorite are olive green with yellow stripes and thankfully they're almost impossible to find now because I've bought most of the dead stock lol.
They're a bit wide I think, I wear them with Adidas socks to be a bit thicker - I'm usually either a 4 or 5 in trainers and have these in a 5. The shop assistant when I bought them said people either love the fit or hate them, so I'd say give it a go! X
Shoe laces: biglaces.com have a massive range of all sorts of laces. I bought some cotton ones to replace the nasty very nylon-y ones which came with my Campus, and my husband is currently enjoying electric blue ‘proper’ (round) laces with his dark brown suède brogues (he also has a phenomenal sock game). Think they were pretty quick to send out as well.
So glad you wrote this, timing couldn't be better! I am currently looking at which trainers to buy next. I am 54 with 3 teenage sons who allegedly don't seem to notice which trainers "girls" wear. I am trying to avoid looking mumsy, so will take my cue from all the comments on here - thank you!
Best style column I've read on substack!! New balance 996 are my current loves - I'm 44 with 80 year old feet. In summer I loved the vans white lace up.
I tried the coloured adidas but my 13 wears them (pink!) so I feel it's her thing and I'm leaning her to it.
Today I wore 12 year old bright red gazelles. Got compliments too, I have others in various colours but none in pink. I keep them in their original boxes and look after them well.
I think brown/tan is quite *in* right now.
NB I am quite old but trainers have long been my thing.
I'm 71 with bunions and arthritis so the white trainer with Sumner dress look is a godsend which I have no intention of changing as it is so very difficult to find comfortable shoes or sandals.The freedom that age brings is immense ladies. I actually do not like the pastel or multiple colour trainers - to me they look childish. As that old advert said- act your age not your shoe size. Also coloured trainers don't seem to have made it to Scotland yet! Feel happy with what you wear and dont give a toss what anyone else thinks. Definitely don't follow trends. Yes that can be fun but more often a desperate attempt to look relevant.
I just want shoes to fit properly and be comfortable and it feels like a lottery every single time you buy some these days. I’m sure shoes never used to be this uncomfortable. So my filthy and scuffed but comfortable trainers become the default even when they are past their best.
I feel I’ve tried a lot of styles over the years. Currently the scruffy pair are Pumas but in the past have been NBs. I seem to be the only person in the country who can’t get on with the fit of adidas styles. Plus my 18yo has so many pairs of spezials in lovely colours I feel weird wearing the same style as her.
As a side note on clothes, I’ve also been pondering lately what sort of lives some brands think we lead. I love Me&Em but how much travelling do they think a typical person does to require a whole set of clothes for it?
I used to wear nothing but Saucony Jazz low-pro - love them, nice and narrow yet comfy and so many really lovely colours.... but then we moved house and I damaged my ankle/instep by manically running up and down many stairs in old and new house for weeks, carrying heavy boxes of books, pictures china etc (too anxious to not to start shifting stuff to the new house before moving day and we only moved 7 streets away)... finally, after a year of bad foot pain, found Brooks Ariels which made foot/knee 100% better again. at first I thought they look horribly clunky but now I don't care/think they look ok especially since I'm always in jeans, and ease of walking is so much a top priority after worrying i'd never be able to do a long walk again...
I second the no-Merit stance, it’s gorgeous packaging and no colour at all. Recently switched to mini sizes of Westman Atelier and omg the woman knows her shit!
also trainers-wise: I thrifted silver dries van notens off vinted and now have those and red-yellow-white Casablanca x New Balance collab (also thrifted) in my garage of trainers. both work as neutral colours, both are un-white enough and trendy enough for those who know (had ppl come to me and swoon over Casablancas!) and go with everything and anything!
I’m sorry, white trainers are out??? WHY DID NOBODY TELL MEEEEEEEE?????
I love my Stan Smiths and will not be parted from them. I find that, as a middle-aged mum with a penchant for 50s dresses, I need to wear trainers to stop strangers on trains asking me for a tissue. I mean, yes I do have a tissue, but do I really want to look like the kind of person who would have one? I don’t know.
(Wrong season now but I yearn for a pair of DM Chelsea boots, for the same reason. Unfortunately my ginormous calves make me look like a pig in them, covering my actually quite reasonably sized ankles.)
Great post Esther. I don’t care about being fashionable, but desperately don’t want to be mumsy. Can you talk about dresses next?! I just don’t know what I like anymore.
We went to Japan a few years ago and everyone there wears Onitsuka Tigers. They have a shop in London which is ridiculously popular. Both our daughters now wear them religiously and swear they are the best trainers ever. They come in great colourways but are very slim fitting which is no good for those of us with bunions!
Oh God, Gazelles, Speziale, and Sambas in every colour but especially green have been my go-to for at least ten years. My favorite are olive green with yellow stripes and thankfully they're almost impossible to find now because I've bought most of the dead stock lol.
They're a bit wide I think, I wear them with Adidas socks to be a bit thicker - I'm usually either a 4 or 5 in trainers and have these in a 5. The shop assistant when I bought them said people either love the fit or hate them, so I'd say give it a go! X
Is anyone wearing ballet flats? (My lions paw feet will not allow)
Shoe laces: biglaces.com have a massive range of all sorts of laces. I bought some cotton ones to replace the nasty very nylon-y ones which came with my Campus, and my husband is currently enjoying electric blue ‘proper’ (round) laces with his dark brown suède brogues (he also has a phenomenal sock game). Think they were pretty quick to send out as well.
So glad you wrote this, timing couldn't be better! I am currently looking at which trainers to buy next. I am 54 with 3 teenage sons who allegedly don't seem to notice which trainers "girls" wear. I am trying to avoid looking mumsy, so will take my cue from all the comments on here - thank you!
Best style column I've read on substack!! New balance 996 are my current loves - I'm 44 with 80 year old feet. In summer I loved the vans white lace up.
I tried the coloured adidas but my 13 wears them (pink!) so I feel it's her thing and I'm leaning her to it.
Today I wore 12 year old bright red gazelles. Got compliments too, I have others in various colours but none in pink. I keep them in their original boxes and look after them well.
I think brown/tan is quite *in* right now.
NB I am quite old but trainers have long been my thing.
The comments here are frankly making my week. I love you guys.
Anyway, my trainer of choice is currently the Salomon XMission 4 suede https://www.workingclassheroes.co.uk/footwear/trainers/salomon-x-mission-4-suede-shoes-dark-sapphire-taffy-rubber__224276 lots of nice earth toned colourways available so it feels like you’re doing colourful trainers without them being too statement. Also just super comfortable and bouncy. In my head I’m a gen Z east Londoner in them, even though I’m a 51 year old scruff bag heading to Waitrose in Hersham.
I'm 71 with bunions and arthritis so the white trainer with Sumner dress look is a godsend which I have no intention of changing as it is so very difficult to find comfortable shoes or sandals.The freedom that age brings is immense ladies. I actually do not like the pastel or multiple colour trainers - to me they look childish. As that old advert said- act your age not your shoe size. Also coloured trainers don't seem to have made it to Scotland yet! Feel happy with what you wear and dont give a toss what anyone else thinks. Definitely don't follow trends. Yes that can be fun but more often a desperate attempt to look relevant.
I just want shoes to fit properly and be comfortable and it feels like a lottery every single time you buy some these days. I’m sure shoes never used to be this uncomfortable. So my filthy and scuffed but comfortable trainers become the default even when they are past their best.
I feel I’ve tried a lot of styles over the years. Currently the scruffy pair are Pumas but in the past have been NBs. I seem to be the only person in the country who can’t get on with the fit of adidas styles. Plus my 18yo has so many pairs of spezials in lovely colours I feel weird wearing the same style as her.
As a side note on clothes, I’ve also been pondering lately what sort of lives some brands think we lead. I love Me&Em but how much travelling do they think a typical person does to require a whole set of clothes for it?
Love me and em but they are for very TALL PEOPLE!
So tall!
🤣
Thank you so much Esther! We are long time spikers, the feeling is entirely mutual xxx