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.
UPDATED: This week in trainer news, there's a new collaboration between Nike and Netflix, which brings us Stranger Things-inspired sneakers to celebrate the highly-anticipated third season of the show. The Nike x Stranger Things Air Tailwind ‘79 has a retro look in keeping with the show’s 80s setting. They have an off-white mesh upper and suede heel and toe, plus a red Nike swoosh there's also Stranger Things branding on the tongue and '1985' on the heel.
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 10 – let us know if there are any others you think we need to include, and upvote your favourite pair.
- The best running shoes, tested by our marathon-running expert
Best trainers 2019
The classics are classics for a reason. You’ve been able to get your hands on Converse’s Chuck Taylors since… well, since before you were born. The folks behind the design have recognised you can mess with a good thing as much as you want, as long as you keep the things that made it great to begin with. The All-Star 70 high-top trainer marked one of the early tweaks that modernised the original, while keeping the good bits very much intact.
The 1980s: best decade for trainers? It’s hard to say for sure, but these classy, understated 80s inspired adidas trainers make a solid case for it. The Continental 80 comes with the old trefoil logo, giving things a proper retro feel and evoking an entire era, while the wide range of colourways ensure simplicity is put front and centre while ensuring an extremely wide choice to suit your personal taste.
Available in more than a dozen colours, allowing you to cater to your personal style, the Mexico 66 collection can be as expansive or as no-nonsense as you want it to be. Its classic 60s design should ensure it stands the test of time looking forwards as well as back, inspired by the shoes first unveiled in 1966 ahead of the Japanese team’s trip to the Mexico City Olympics two years later.
Variety is the spice of life, and these trainers – part of New Balance’s extensive Made in UK collection – blend simplicity with choice. Available in red, blue, purple, green or mustard yellow, they are modelled on the 576 design from the late 80s and carry that combination of simplicity and statement looks with the choice of a solid colourway with an unintrusive amount of white to bring it out.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
