Is nothing off limits these days? For anyone born after 1989, the early 00s will feel like a not too distant past; a teenage era hardly worthy of revisiting for its inventory of big baggy jeans and butterfly clips. And yet, Y2K fashion is booming. Said jeans are reclaiming wardrobe space, gleaming wraparound shades have reaffirmed themselves as a summer staple, and those mesh-covered retro sneakers synonymous with Y2K style? They've never been hotter. Yes, you read that right – the exact same shoes once laced-up beneath your popper sports trousers are back on top, and somehow, they don’t look remotely dated. Now millennials have personal style on their side and a whole new generation can give their hot take on the runner trainers trend, they feel modern, fresh and genuinely cool.
Fondly dubbed ‘dad’ shoes have been gaining traction for a while now, thanks to performance-oriented footwear juggernauts like Asics, Salomon, and Nike. But it’s the latter’s latest crop of Y2K-indebted retro sneakers that are driving the trend to the top in 2024. With the arrival of Nike’s V2K Run, the brand is giving something more than what’s come before. Nike are, of course, gifted when it comes to knowing exactly which parts of the past to revisit from the archives and it’s like they’ve snagged the coolest elements, and sprinkled a dash of what they know just for good measure. The result? A runner that's a little sportier perhaps. A little more mesh. Chunkier soles. Bolder colour. The overall aesthetic is slicker and more futuristic than their dadly predecessors. As likely to paired with a slouchy summer suit as they are your favourite Princess Di-inspired cycle shorts and sweatshirts combo.
