If you’ve been thinking about adding a new pair of trainers to your rotation, you may have noticed that the sneaker new-in sections look markedly different from how they did just a few years ago. The chunky white soles and slim, colourful lace-ups have stepped aside, making room for something altogether more playful. This season, trainer trends have taken an unexpected turn—and the last thing you’ll spot on many of the freshest styles is a set of laces.

Instead, toggle fastenings, buckle details and velcro closures have come to the fore. Yes, velcro trainers—the kind many of us slipped into at six months old and promptly abandoned once we mastered tying our shoelaces. Having relegated these nostalgic styles for years, I was genuinely surprised to see this unassuming detail re-emerge across so many of this season’s most covetable designs.

From Adidas and Puma to Isabel Marant and Acne Studios, velcro fastening details now secure some of the chicest trainers around. A technical touch that taps into the wider shift towards sporty, utilitarian design, the resurgence of velcro actually feels perfectly in step with fashion’s current mood.

Far more interesting than your average lace-up, these trainers bring a playful edge thanks to their nostalgic undertones. Paired with bold, energetic designs—Puma’s spiked silhouettes with asymmetric velcro straps or Wales Bonner’s leopard-print, Mary Jane–inspired pair that fashion insiders are already fawning over—they feel like a refreshing update to a capsule wardrobe.

Poised to become one of the season’s most talked-about silhouettes, read on to discover the velcro trainer trend below.

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