12 best trainers: the best sneakers for fashion and beyond
The best trainers for those who want shoes with style.
The process of picking out the best trainers for you can be surprisingly stressful. If you’re anything like us, you’ll make several ‘definite’ choices, only to renege on them the minute you’ve reached any level of certainty.
It’s really difficult to identify the blend of comfort and style that you need from an everyday pair of trainers.
It’s not the same as picking out a pair of running shoes, for which you need certain criteria – personal taste has more of a role to play here – after all, people are going to see them on your feet far more often than the shoes you’re only wearing down the gym or when jogging outside.
Here’s our top 12 – let us know if there are any others you think we need to include, and upvote your favourite pairs.
READ MORE: Our pick of the best Adidas trainers
READ MORE: These are the best running shoes around
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12. Lacoste Carnaby Evo
A proper ‘goes with anything’ trainer, the Carnaby Evo has a neat pared-back look, and does skimp on comfort. It's the kind of trainer you can wear to work without compromising on smartness, but they’re also a safe bet in more or less any other situation. The premium leather trainers are available in white as well as black, if you’re after a crisp look that recalls older Lacoste models.
11. Axel Arigato Clean 90
Swedish brand Axel Arigato has provided a strong take on the classic white trainer, so clean and unspoiled you almost don’t want to touch it. There’s also a black leather version if all-white isn’t your thing, but the all-white wins points for versatility. If you’re looking for trainers for a range of situations and looks, there’s plenty to be said for these. The company might have only been formed in 2014, but it’s quickly making its case.
10. Nike Air Max 720
You thought we were going to make it through this list without a single Air Max mention? How naïve of you. The Air Max 720 is up there with the best of the bunch, with even more air underfoot than you’re used to. Even if the ‘walking on air’ ideal might feel like a stretch, these have few equals when it comes to comfort in an everyday trainer. You have a choice of eight colours too.
9. Puma Tsugi Kai Jun
The Tsugi Kai Jun sees Puma attempt to capture a trainer that can be worn daily when you’re out and about and at the gym. It’s one of a number of designs that slips on like a sock, making it feel like you’re walking around your living room even when you’re taking a stroll outside. It’s available in glacier grey or black, ensuring things don’t get overcomplicated.
8. Reebok Club C 85
Reebok has always been a master of prioritising comfort in trainers that also look the part. If you want a shoe that you can wear day to day and look good doing so, a Reebok Club C 85 fits the bill. The intense white/green two-tone contrast gives you an 80s throwback feel, while it’s also on the market in various black and white variants, to give you a strong look whether wearing them to work or on your days off.
7. Common Projects Original Achilles
To call these minimalist would be an understatement. The Common Projects Original Achilles are the classic white trainer kicked up a notch to the point that they’re essentially whiter than white. The simplicity means they’ll fit with more or less any look, and it’s easy to see why these are credited with leading the revival of the clean white trainer trend. Clean is the operative word with the Original Achilles...