Everyone Chic Is Wearing These 6 Trainer Trends This Autumn

Despite all signs indicating the contrary, it’s actually quite a difficult time to be a trainer. As a category, trainers have been mutilated beyond recognition. These days, everything from a pair of satin ballet flats fixed with a pair of laces to technical-inspired loafers with meshed netting could be considered a trainer, leading to the style being wholly overlooked thanks to these half-baked iterations. But as the autumn trainer trends of 2026 indicate, the tides are slowly but surely turning.

Though we’re nowhere near going back to the days when wearing trainers was only fit for exercising and running errands, trainers have recently lost some of the qualities that made them a go-to for easy styling and casual wear. Now, with so many options available, trainers have been kept to the sidelines in favour of more classic options, be it a pair of ballet flats or flip-flops.

The appeal of this latter style also comes down to their subversive nature, especially when styled with typically athletic pieces. Indeed, when paired with a windbreaker and track shorts, a pair of heeled flip-flops feels thoughtful instead of athletic. Or, a pair of jeans and an oversized T-shirt feel far more in-the-know when styled with suede sandals.