Who What Wear lists six summer trainer trends

Who What Wear published a summer footwear guide on May 21 that identified six trainer trends it said are taking over 2026, with slim and hybrid silhouettes at the center of the list. The article, written by Ava Gilchrist, framed trainers as an everyday fashion staple rather than a shoe reserved for sport. It said summer dressing is pushing shoppers toward lighter, lower-profile and more experimental shapes. Rachel Makar, senior director of merchandising at resale marketplace StockX, told the outlet the leading looks are tied to a broader shift away from “safe, predictable footwear.” ### Which trainer styles did Who What Wear actually name? Who What Wear’s May 21 article listed six trends under its summer 2026 guide: “Sheer Bliss,” “There’s Something About Mary...,” “Slim Pickins,” “Glossed Up,” “Higher Ground,” and “No Strings Attached.” The labels point to mesh or translucent trainers, Mary Jane-inspired hybrids, slim sneakers, glossy finishes, elevated soles and lace-free or alternative fastenings, according to the article’s category headings. (whowhatwear.com) The piece also said shoppers are moving beyond the older habit of choosing a single brand-first sneaker identity. Instead, it presented the category as more segmented, with materials, shape and fastening details doing more of the trend work for summer outfits. ### Why are slim trainers getting so much attention? Who What Wear said slim trainers are among the defining footwear shapes of 2026, and its broader coverage has described the look as light, low-profile and built around barely-there soles. (whowhatwear.com) In a separate 2026 sneaker trends article, the outlet tied that direction to spring/summer runways including Celine, Prada, Dries Van Noten and Fendi. Who What Wear’s March guide to minimal trainers also said dressers in Paris, Oslo and London were moving away from louder, chunkier sneakers in favor of pared-back styles with muted colors and fewer visible logos. That framing helps explain why the summer list puts “Slim Pickins” near the core of the season’s trainer conversation. ### What does the article mean by hybrid trainers? (whowhatwear.com) Who What Wear’s summer guide highlighted hybrid styles as a second major direction, and Makar told the outlet that slim and hybrid trainers are “different expressions of the same shift” in consumer taste. She said both respond to a desire for shoes that feel more intentional and less predictable. Who What Wear has been tracking that hybrid category across its footwear coverage this year. (whowhatwear.com) A separate article published last week said summer 2026 shoe trends are increasingly mixing comfort and fashion, while another 2026 trainer trends roundup described Mary Jane trainers as part of a “Frankenstein-esque” wave of mixed silhouettes. ### Are suede and chunky sneakers falling back? (whowhatwear.com) Who What Wear positioned the new list against older favorites by telling readers to “ditch suede trainers” for “far chicer alts,” according to the headline and standfirst of the May 21 piece. The article did not say suede or bulkier sneakers had disappeared, but it clearly presented summer 2026 as a season favoring lighter fabrics, slimmer profiles and more directional constructions. (whowhatwear.com) Earlier Who What Wear coverage made a similar case. Its minimal-trainer guide said “ostentatious, overly loud trainers” were fading from favor, while its technical-trainer article argued that some of the most hyped styles from recent seasons were beginning to feel dated by 2026. ### Who is this guide aimed at? Ava Gilchrist’s article was written as a consumer shopping guide for summer 2026, with category labels, styling cues and product-led framing aimed at readers deciding what to buy for warm-weather dressing. (whowhatwear.com) The piece described trainers as shoes to wear with cotton dresses, linen skirts and other seasonal staples, rather than only with athletic clothing. (whowhatwear.com) Who What Wear’s next step for readers is direct: the full guide remains live on its fashion site, where Gilchrist breaks down the six categories and links them to current shopping options for summer 2026. (whowhatwear.com)