Pairing sneakers with skirts and dresses
Something strange has been happening in the land of high fashion over the last season. Once a strictly gym only footwear choice, trainers have against all odds, risen the footwear ranks to become the must-have item of the season. Confused, yes so were we, but hear us out on this one.
It started on the streets, with cool kids in the know competing over who could score the most exclusive trainers and has slowly trickled into the mainstream. This season the trend came full circle in Paris, against all odds, during the couture shows. Whilst the Chanel couture trainers are only available as a full outfit (definitely not ones for your morning jog), the fashion world has sat up and taken note.
Admittedly it is a difficult trend to buy into. New Balance may be considered the crème de la crème of the trainer world but we’re grown women for god sake! Far from wanting to look as though we’ve raided the footwear of our teenage brothers, it’s a sleek, simple style that we want; all the comfort and street cred of a trainer without the garish logos, fluro motifs and scruffy demeanour. Enter Neon, the insider’s secret for the slickest trainers on the market.
The words sophisticated and trainer would seem to be mutually exclusive, however NEON is blurring all the boundaries in the most elegantly understand manner. Launched in January this year, founder Sarah Jayne Newney rose through the ranks as a footwear buyer before taking a leap and turning her hand to design.
Earlier this month we sat down with the fabulous Sarah for a large coffee and a discussion about the ubiquitous trend. “I noticed a real gap in the market for a luxurious, stylish and yet comfortable trainer. I am always on the go, I like to look good, with my finger on the pulse of up and coming fashion trends and market changes, creating a shoe that fit my look, and got me from meeting, to event, to exercise class was part of the inspiration for NEON,” she told us.
The entire range is produced at a family run factory in Northampton and Neon have adopted the endearing term, “Born in Britain,” to ascertain their dedication to British manufacturing. “After years of working with major retail brands, where materials and items were imported from foreign factories, we decided that with NEON we would do something different. A key element of the brand is its British heritage, from design through to production. We visit the factory regularly and have been able to adjust and amend our designs, even slightly to ensure that we are 100% happy with the final product,” comments Sarah.
Craftsmanship and luxurious quality are at the very core of the brand and each shoe is perfectly put together with a busy lifestyle in mind. Designed to comfortably and stylishly take you through your day, a layer of memory foam lines each pair to provide comfort and support whatever you’re schedule demands. That’s right, memory foam! It’s all the comfort of your bed in a shoe that will score you serious style points. All sounds a little fairy tale doesn’t it?
We’ll be the first to admit that we never thought we would succumb to the dark (i.e. comfortable) side but when we saw the range before us we were won over in an instant. Designed with us fashion conscious ladies in mind, the entire shoe, from the base to the laces are in a single block colour, using the same sumptuous fabric throughout. The hues range from crisp neutral black and peroxide white in a gorgeous soft nuback, very on trend metallic and a veritable rainbow of bold colours including a pool blue in fine grain leather, to suit any wardrobe.
Introducing the humble training shoe into your day to day clothing might feel daunting at first but a little risk will definitely pay off when you’re running from one press event to another! The key is to retain a sense of polish elsewhere in your ensemble, using the shoes to add a touch of nonchalance. Try pairing a metallic trainer with an all black ensemble of leather leggings and an oversized shirt, offset with a red lip for an achingly cool yet easy look. For a feminine touch we’ll be donning a sleek black pair to ground a full skirt and fine knit combination for an elegant, office friendly look. Of course the designs work just as perfectly for an insouciant off duty look. Channel your inner Parisian by teaming the bright red style with your favourite skinny jeans and a Breton striped t-shirt, adding gloss with lightly tousled hair and winged eyeliner.
Get your hands on a pair of fabulous Neon trainers here and put your name on the waiting list now, to ensure you’re well ahead of your friends in the style stakes.
Photo courtesy of: www.kenzas.se
