Bright trainers: on-trend, or American tourist?

[herbaceous]

My thoughts are turning towards spring shoes, and as my previous trainers - one pair Converse, one pair FitFlop high-tops - are beginning to fall to pieces, I am rather drawn to the bright trainers all the young people seem to be sporting with leggings or skinny jeans

However, as I'm approaching 50 , I realise I'm danger of looking tragic rather than directional. Do you think there are any top tips to avoid the former? Does one need long thin legs, for example? In which case I'm done for...

They're fab spaceal!

Thanks Coco - my 4 year old DD approves too, not so much my DP who's less convinced by the whole trainer thing.

I'm going to try loosening off my Converse too...

Maybe it won't work for everyone but a few people I have told have also done this and it has worked. Can't believe it's taken me nearly 20 yrs work this out

Ps. I presume you've tried the heating them up with a hair dryer and then putting them on your feet with several pairs of thick socks. Wear them like this in the house for a bit. This really does stretch leather shoes well, but it seems to work for non leather too.

I have big and wide feet. It's a recurring problem.

Thanks oigetoffmycheese, will try the hair dryer trick!

these are quite a normal thing
OP where have you been?

i have Spaceals in the photo for the gym and two other pairs for just weekends.

Where have I been? Just around and about London, in non-fashion circles, observing that some people wear a certain sort of trainers with certain sorts of clothes and look good, while others wear other sorts of trainers with other sorts of clothes and look dreadful. I want to ascertain how to be the former, not the latter.

As a full-time student, with no income, I can only afford to buy one pair, preferably heavily discounted, so want to make the right choice!

I have narrow feet, so Converse are fine in the width department, but their flatness does my collapsing arches no favours. I rather like spaceal's trainers, I must say. baaaaaaaa.

improbablesaint

That was mean and unnecessary

OP I've found this thread and suggestions v useful! And I'm a "young" person!

Thank you QueenBean! I was a bit by that eye-rolling comment, too. Maybe as improbable saint is evidently such an expert in these matters, she could impart her wisdom, rather than making snarky comments?

My current thinking is erring towards black(ish) Nikes, or adidas, with white soles and swoosh. But they do seem a bit 'now' (or, no doubt, 'last month') so this could be an error.

herb I wore mine for the first time today and am v pleased with them, though need to experiment with leggings, possibly skirts and other jeans.

I got them from Start Fitness in the end (felt a bit stupid buying trainers for 'fashion' in a proper running shop but think I got a bit of cred back by talking about my actual running trainers). Anyway they were £45 and they're Nike In-Season TR4. Think various online places have them. One annoying thing is they have a kind of extended tongue thing inside which seems a bit odd but it's not uncomfortable or anything.

Egads. I note that Next, and the like, are now doing their own versions. Does this sound the death knell, or perhaps means they'll be around for at least the whole of the summer?

Christ. Man up OP

I have some bonkers Air Max but being thick of both ankle and calf they look awful on me. Converse sit better on my foot, lower down, so I need some sort of hybrid.

Well, I went to Sports Direct - always a depressing experience - and was just bamboozled.

I rather like these more sober numbers or, in high contrast these crazy guys.

herb the 'sober' ones are the same as mine but a different colour way. FWIW I prefer those to the 'crazy' ones . When I went in to SportsDirect the bloke started trying to sell me new running shoes with kevlar (?) bullet proof soles. He went on and on and on, trying to impress me with his technical knowledge. I think he thought he was working in a proper running shop

I know that the sober ones will be much more useful, and not clash with anything non-black on my lower half, but I am very drawn to the red ones. I can't really afford both...

OK guys. As I know you've all be simply agog, I wandered into Offspring, and found these beauties in the sale.

Rather marvellously, they combine blue, neon and black - the three colour ways I was trying to decide between.