Trainers
Aug 31, 2023

I'd Never Spend £600 on Designer Trainers—Here Is the Brand I'd Buy Instead

by Remy Farrell

I'd hazard a guess that you have at least one pair of trainers in your wardrobe. Even the most high-maintenance and well-polished dresser knows the value of a pair of truly comfortable shoes, and for the times that loafers or sandals just won't cut it, those moments probably require trainers. Lazy weekends, running errands, long walks—no matter what's on your schedule, there's no more reliable shoes than trainers for getting you comfortably from A to B. They're one of the hardest working pieces in your wardrobe, but if you haven't invested in a good pair of trainers recently, you might have missed what's currently happening trend-wise south of our ankles.

White trainers are classic (and if the recent spike in sales of Adidas Sambas taught us anything, it's that there are a hundred different ways to wear white shoes), but in a surprising move away from quiet luxury, fashion people are suddenly gravitating towards bold, statement and graphic trainers to brighten simple outfits. And there's one brand in particular that's climbing up the searches to rival even the biggest celeb favourites: Hoff.

Hoff trainers: Hailey Bieber in statement trainers

Photo:

Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Style Notes: Hailey Bieber ticks off three trends in one outfit by sporting a bomber jacket, baggy jeans and brightly coloured trainers.

Hoff trainers: Bella Hadid in statement trainers

Photo:

Raymond Hall/GC Images

Style Notes: Bella Hadid's hiking-boots-meet-trainers are exactly the kind of "ugly dad shoes" making their way back onto the market.

Hoff trainers: Jennifer Lawrence in statement trainers

Photo:

Gotham/GC Images

Style Notes: The pop of green from Jennifer Lawrence's Adidas trainers lift her otherwise dark outfit.

If you like New Balance's colour palette, Adidas's comfy soles, and Salomon's gorpcore appeal, you're going to want to check out Hoff. The Spanish brand specialises in colourful trainers with standout silhouettes, and judging by just how quickly searches for "Hoff trainers" have risen on Google, they might be set to rival the minimalist trainers we've come to rely on. After a cursory glance on the M&S website (yes, they're stocked by high-street retailers too) I noticed pairs being viewed and added to basket even whilst I was scrolling—a good sign of a surefire winner.