My spring/summer trainer picks

Spring is (sort of) here.

I say that, typing from underneath a blanket while it's peeing it down outside. But, I did see the sun last weekend and some of the flowers in the garden are *finally* blooming, so it must, at the very least, be on the way.

As we emerge bleary eyed from our Winter coats and cardigans and begin the arduous task of pulling out our Spring/Summer clothes, I've started looking at my feet, and more importantly, what I'm putting on them as it starts to warm up. I'm die-hard leather boots and Converse wearer, so it always feels odd when I move from chunky shoes and hi-tops to something lighter, this year is no different. 

Something that I have noticed in recent years is the shift towards more bright and colourful trainers. If you check out Instagram or Tik-Tok you can't move for fit checks from girls in brilliant colourways that coordinate perfectly with their outfits - it's a whole vibe and I'm here for it.

Adidas have totally dominated the feet of the stylish for the last few years, but since Rishi ruined the Samba for everyone and then Farage got in on the action by wearing a pair of Gazelle's and cemented the death of their street cred, it made me wonder, where do we go from here?

Don't worry, I have some options for you...

1. Adidas SL72

The "new" Adidas trainer du jour is the SL72. I put new in quotations as it's another vintage style trainer reimagined for Gen Z in new colourways and with lighter materials. I have a pair in red and let me tell you, they look sooo good against leopard print. I'm also tempted to buy them in a bright blue or a yellow/orange mix, but I'm wearing them in first to see how they do before I commit to multiple pairs. I find that with Adidas trainers they rub the back of my heels so I'm glad the trend is to wear them with socks as that takes the edge off the rubbing and saves me buying 1,000 Compeed plasters. As the name suggests, the SL's are super light and they really feel like you're not wearing anything on your feet.

2. Puma Palermo

The cheaper and similarly styled alternative to the Adidas Samba is the Puma Palermo. Again it's another 'return from the archives' situation as the Palermo is a 1980's terrace design loved by football fans from back in the day. It's leather and suede with a gum sole so a bit more chunky than the SL72's but just as comfortable. I have found that Puma trainers tend to squeak a bit when you first try them on, so they need a bit of wearing in to stop the mouse soundtrack following you around, especially when you're walking up and down stairs. They also are quite flat on the bottom, so if you have higher arches, I'd suggest trying something else as these could hurt your feet if you wore them solidly for a day.

3. Nike Phoenix Waffle

Nike do comfort, the always have. My most worn trainers are from Nike and they always get the half-sizes just spot on for my weird 4 1/2 feet. The Nike Phoenix Waffle is comfort. They have a chunky sole that almost flairs out at the sides and makes you feel like you're walking on air as you bounce along the pavement. The colourways are a little more understated, but I love the little hints of happy along the sides and on the iconic swoosh. Because they are a bit more understated, they'll go with the majority of items in your wardrobe - that's a plus!

4. Nike Woven Mayfly

My OG fave. They're currently not available to purchase and I'm desperately holding onto the two pairs I purchased in 2016/2017. I'm crossing my fingers for a resurgence of these gorgeous suede woven beauties so I can grab more. They're incredibly comfortable, go with everything and are real head turners too. They're the second most asked about item in my wardrobe, (1st place is taken by my Coach Rexy skinny tote bag) and I love that they're just a bit unusual to anything else out there. Despite being made of suede they're surprisingly durable as well as being super light and breathable thanks to their woven sides - they were 1980's marathon running trainers, after all. They look so good with Summer dresses as well as cropped trousers and just about anything else you want to throw on. Their chalk shade means that they work with any outfit style and colour too - I love them (can you tell).

There you go. Hopefully that helps if you're on the search for a new pair of trainers as we move, veeery slowly into Spring/Summer.

If you have other faves, give them a shout out in the comments below so we can all help each other find some cute footwear.