White sneakers are officially cancelled… Okay, not really, but this spring we are making space for more interesting shoe styles. This season, shoemakers and savvy shoppers alike are prioritizing sneakers that would make your average passerby stop and stare. New lines center on the whimsical and unexpected, featuring high-impact design elements, such as Mary Jane straps, luxe suede, and glossy patent faux leather.
Alongside these vibey styles, several sneaker trends from the archives — like gorpcore, chaotic color blocking, and toe shoes — have, once again, taken their rightful place in the spotlight. “Nostalgic trends continue to grow,” Dana Cohn, Macy’s director of editorial content, tells Refinery29. “Slim, retro styles have been trending. There’s been a lot of elevated materials, like suede, in a variety of colors.”
Though they certainly make an impression, these sneaker trends are surprisingly wearable (I can confirm, because I’ve already begun adding them to my closet). Keep reading for the most interesting spring sneakers to slip into.
Shiny Silver
If there was one standout sneaker style to come from this latest fashion month, it would be metallic silver sneakers — hands down. Show-goers adopted the glitzy shoe trend across cities, leaning in particularly hard on the streets of Paris, France. Savvy American retailers are catching on, embracing sparkly footwear within their respective spring collections.
“Silver has become more of an everyday look, versus a statement,” notes Cohn. The trend is so versatile, she says it can be worn with everything from punky styles to streetwear, but her personal favorite is “styled in contrast to denim and softer colors.”
Toe Sneakers
This time last year, the Nike Air Rift was nearly impossible to find in stores. The unconventional sneaker positively flew off the shelves and Nike responded with gusto. For the spring season, the athletic brand has amped up it’s distribution, supplying shoppers with multiple iterations and more than enough colorways to tide them over.
Their popularity paved the way for other toe-centric sneakers — like Vibram’s FiveFingers style — to follow in their footsteps. Though originally released in the early 2000s, the kooky shoe style has returned to the mainstream for the first time in decades, rising to the top of every quirky girls spring shopping list.
Luxe Suede
Ever since Miu Miu released their viral New Balance collab in September 2025, suede has been on the rise, dominating designs across categories. Everything from trench coats to handbags to boots and skirts have gotten the frilly touch. Suede sneaker options multiplied overnight, cropping up in collections from high-end labels, such as Bottega Veneta, Dries van Noten, Isabel Marant, and, of course, Miu Miu’s sister brand, Prada.
“We’re seeing a lot of suede sneakers in neutral and warm colors like tan, brown, blue, and burgundy,” says Cohn. “These are easy, everyday styles that feel really elevated.” And when styling these suede shoes, Cohn says it’s best to embrace their preppy nature by “mixing these with classic separates like denim, blazers, tees, and layered jewelry.”
Mary Jane Sneakers
Mary Jane sneakers have dominated trend reports for the last four years running. Thankfully for MJ loyalists, the same will remain true in 2026 — and Cohn backs this up. According to her, the trend shows no signs of slowing down. “We’re still seeing Mary Jane sneakers, especially with sporty details like mesh,” she says.
Just this week, Imade a trip to the shopping mecca, spotting no less than a dozen different styles on Macy’s shelves. Brands ran the gamut of price points and demographics, with styles available from Puma, Dolce Vita, Sorel, Vionic — I could go on.
Chaotic Color Blocking
Dopamine dressing has officially reached the footwear space and shoe designers are prioritizing styles that spark joy and inspire child-like wonder. Sure, plain white sneakers remain a reliable staple, but recently, beloved brands such as Adidas, Saucony, Reebok, and more have begun intentionally embracing the most chaotic color stories imaginable. Burgundy and mustard, lime green and eggplant, electric violet and tangerine, pink and crimson — today’s trending color combinations seem to be chosen for no other reason than the fact that they clash fantastically.
Introducing these delightfully deranged sneakers to one’s closet requires wearers to embrace whimsy within their wardrobes. Combine electric hues, graphic patterns, and mixed prints to make these sneakers feel right at home. TLDR; The more whimsical, the better.
Patent Leather
If you’re looking for an up-and-coming spring sneaker trend to hop on before anyone else, look no further than patent pleather. Though its popularity pales in comparison to more mainstream styles, like suede and Mary Janes, glossy sneakers are slowly working their way into the footwear space.
More “elevated materials,” as Cohn calls it, “have been trending,” making appearances on designs from Aldo, Adidas, Puma, and beyond. I just added a pair of patent leather Adidas Sambas to my own curated sneaker lineup — but believe me, this under-the-radar trend won’t be so for long.
Gorpcore Revival
Before there was cottagecore or balletcore or coquette, there was gorpcore. First coined in 2017, alongside the normcore craze, this function-focused look was one of the original social media aesthetics. Nearly a decade later, the trend cycle’s circular nature has swept the look back to the forefront, bringing its staple shoe style — hiking sneakers — along for the ride.
Longtime activewear labels, such as Salomon and Merrell, will only continue to tighten their grip in the months to come, via several well-placed fashion collabs. This time around, however, they’re being adapted, not only by streetwear-loving hypebros, but by fashion girls as well. Said fashion girls will primarily pair these all-terrain shoes with juxtaposing pieces, like frilly sundresses and midi skirts, embracing a more eclectic vibe.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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