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Styles · An idea under Athleisure

Retro runners for women

Low profile trainers, vintage track silhouettes, and trail runners.

Retro runners are running shoes from past decades, or new versions of them: low profile trainers in suede, canvas and leather, in white, grey, cream, blue and green. Wear them with wide trousers, heavy cotton socks and boxy coats.

New Balance began in the Boston area in nineteen oh six making arch supports, and in nineteen sixty it made the Trackster, the first running shoe sold in different widths. ASICS, founded in Kobe in Japan in nineteen forty nine, put its Gel cushioning into running shoes in nineteen eighty six, and the Gel Kayano followed in nineteen ninety three. Song for the Mute, a Sydney label, has made trainers with Adidas, among them a reworked Tokyo that looks back to low profile gym shoes.

Utopia in Toronto brings New Balance, ASICS, Nike and Jordan pairs, many of them collaborations and some pre owned. WDLT117 in Toronto brings Song for the Mute and Wales Bonner trainers made with Adidas, and Due West in Toronto brings Adidas x Wales Bonner Sambas.

Common questions

What defines retro runners?
Retro runners are low profile running shoes from past decades, or new versions of them, in suede, canvas and leather.
How do you style retro runners?
Pair low profile trainers with wide leg wool trousers or loose denim to let the streamlined toe sit naturally under the hem.
Which designers shaped vintage running sneakers?
New Balance began as a maker of arch supports and made the Trackster, an early running shoe sold in different widths. ASICS, from Kobe, put its Gel cushioning into running shoes and later made the Gel Kayano.