It wasn’t so way back that the signal of a covetable sneaker was its relative heft, maybe greatest epitomised by the Balenciaga ‘Triple X’, a shoe so weighty that every step proved a exercise. And, whereas the supersized sneaker stays ubiquitous – Balenciaga lately added the ‘3XL’ to its roster, and Marni’s collaboration with Hoka was blown-up like a cushion – there was a shift in direction of the narrower, slimmer low-pro coach, outlined by its knife-thin sole and light-weight building.
The ten greatest low-pro sneakers for women and men
A model of the low-top sneaker in Prada’s S/S 2025 runway present
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Prada)
Living proof: the rise of Adidas Unique’s ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Taekwondo’ sneakers, the latter initially designed for martial arts within the 2000s, which of their razor-slim design are starting to compete with the prevalence of the ‘Samba’ (the latter’s renaissance in 2023 was maybe a pre-cursor to the low-pro pattern). On the runway, Prada’s ‘Collapse’ sneaker first appeared as a part of a S/S 2025 menswear present which co-creative administrators Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons described as capturing a temper of ‘freedom, youthful optimism and power’ – a temper mirrored within the vibrant footwear, which had the looks of being flattened by way of put on. At sister model Miu Miu, the ‘Gymnasium’ sneaker was its girlish equal (there, Mrs Prada talked concerning the ‘simplicity’ and ‘readability’ of adolescence).
Right here, the Wallpaper* fashion crew selects its ten favorite low-pro sneakers for women and men, from Abra’s surreal ballerina slipper-sneaker hybrid to vibrant Seventies-inspired kinds from Adidas, Miu Miu, Prada, Nike and extra.
Abra
Suede Ballerina Sneaker
Based by Spanish footwear designer Abraham Ortuño Perez – who has beforehand consulted for manufacturers together with Loewe, JW Anderson and Coperni – Abra is outlined by an irreverent, oftentimes surreal strategy rooted in 2000s runway exhibits and Harajuku avenue tradition. Living proof: these hybrid ballet shoes-cum-sneakers, all tied up with a bow.
Prada
‘Collapse’ Re-Nylon Suede-Trimmed Sneakers
First showing as a part of Prada’s S/S 2025 menswear present, the ‘Collapse’ sneaker takes its identify from its super-flat building and barely-there sole, as if already worn-in. ‘We needed to create garments which have lived a life, which can be alive in themselves,’ mentioned co-creative administrators Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. ‘There’s a sense of spontaneity and optimism – they mirror instinctive however deliberate selections, freedom.’
Dries Van Noten
Suede Low-High Sneakers
Impressed by footwear kinds of the Seventies, these perennial low-top sneakers by Dries Van Noten – designed simply previous to the eponymous designer’s exit from the label final summer time – can be found in an array of iterations for women and men, from luminous hues to basic suede and fake snakeskin. Such is their attraction, the model can barely maintain them in inventory.
Adidas Originals
Silver ‘Tokyo’ Decon Sneaker
Now, operating shoe expertise rests on vertiginous stack heights and bouncing carbon-plated soles, although Adidas Originals’ ‘Tokyo’ sneaker seems again to an easier time: the Seventies, and Japanese trainers of the period. This limited-edition model in metallic silver is probably its most distinct colourway, although variations in sizzling pink and ‘sulfur’ yellow are equally eye-catching.
Loewe
‘Ballet Runner 2.0’ Low-High Trainers
Echoing the rounded ‘flipper’ form of Loewe’s ‘Campo’ footwear – a defining silhouette of the latter a part of Jonathan Anderson’s tenure at Loewe – these ‘Ballet Runner 2.0’ sneakers additionally recall the Spanish home’s ever-popular ‘Move Runners’, although right here squashed flat to the ground like ballet slippers.
Pimples Studios
Leather-based and Suede Sneakers
In typical Pimples Studios fashion, these leather-based and suede sneakers give a Seventies silhouette a futuristic spin – full with a wave-like sole and playful color combos, from Crayola-like primaries to chill slate gray.
Miu Miu
‘Gymnasium’ Suede and Technical Sneakers
Since its first collaboration with New Steadiness for S/S 2022, Miu Miu continues its run of viral sneakers with the ‘Gymnasium’, a super-lightweight low-pro in leather-based and mesh. It appeared first in the home’s S/S 2025 runway assortment, a breezy, eclectic outing from Miuccia Prada impressed by the ‘simplicity’ and ‘readability’ of youth.
Stefan Cooke
Slashed Hybrid Shoe
Not a sneaker, per se, however Stefan Cooke’s ‘hybrid’ pulls inspiration from classic sneakers, bowling sneakers and dance slippers in its slim streamlined silhouette and ultra-fine sole. It’s accomplished with designers Stefan Cooke and Jake Burt’s signature motif: a ‘slashed’ diamond, paying homage to these discovered on Argyle sweaters.
Our Legacy
‘Sneak-in’ lace-up
One other sneaker-cum-shoe hybrid, Our Legacy’s ‘Sneak-in’ lace-up is essentially unadorned (a scarcity of perceptible branding, bar a small tag on the tongue, makes it maybe probably the most understated on our line-up). Every pair is constructed from Italian cow leather-based with a ‘comfortable, silky’ end, designed to purposefully misery over time.
Nike
‘LD-1000’ Sneaker
The Nike LD-1000 was first created in 1977 for long-distance runners, its gently flared heel made to help the heel and calf (as such, it has the thickest sole in our line-up). Now reissued in a daring array of hues – together with this pleasing ‘College Blue’ – it echoes the season’s temper of ease and nostalgia.
Supply: Wallpaper
