Not Suede, Not Leather—The Extra Chic Trainer Trend Spotted All Over London, Milan and NYC

Contrary to popular belief, trends don’t just come into existence out of nowhere. They’re conjured up months in advance of when you actually see them cropping up on the streets and in stores, decided upon based on shopping insights, consumer data, media engagement and the magic that is a designer’s intuition. In the case of the satin trainer trend, however, it almost did feel sprung upon us.

Or, at least that is my own experience after spying them in the flesh on a whim in a scenario that feels ripped right from the pages of a Richard Curtis screenplay. Indeed, during a winter’s stroll in central London, I wandered into Selfridges’ luxury floor and came face-to-face with a shoe trend that truly took my breath away. It was something right out of Love Actually, but instead of Emma Thompson’s mindless perusal through the boutique racks, I found myself staring down a pair of satin Miu Miu trainers hidden away inside the iconic department store.

It felt kismet, like everything I had ever done had led me to discover this secret gem. So, you can only imagine my surprise when I suddenly saw the same pair crop again on the feet of a stylish content creator the next day when I was aimlessly scrolling through Instagram. And again, when I was perusing the new in section of leading online fashion stores like MyTheresa and Farfetch.

Now, I don’t usually believe in love at first sight, especially when sartorial affairs of the heart were concerned, but the act of seeing these sumptuous satin trainers in quick succession after never noticing them previously felt like no coincidence.

Was this the admiration people talk about when they feel like they’ve found a forever piece? I’m usually one to be more pragmatic with my investments, deciding to bite the bullet and purchase something only after I’ve undergone the tedious mental arithmetic of working out the cost per wear and the precise number of pieces they could be paired with. But as a fashion writer who has made their passion for shopping and love for identifying covetable and nascent styles, you can surely sympathise with how besotted I became with the style.

It’s a desire that my chic colleagues can attest to, after rushing back to my desk to share my eureka moment and proclaim that this exact fabric and shoe shape would soon be everywhere. Which brings us here; explaining to you, dear reader, not only my logic, but the rationale for why satin trainers are the latest shoe trends to back.

Of course, part of this harks back to what I was saying about trusting someone’s gut instincts. As someone who has worked in the industry for over half a decade, it takes a lot for me to feel genuinely excited about something bubbling up on the horizon. This is especially as I know what it takes to manufacture a trend, with celebrity endorsements often paid for and never an accident.