Nicole Kidman backs low-profile sneakers
- Nicole Kidman’s January airport look helped push spring’s low-profile sneaker story forward, joining Kendall Jenner in making slim, flat trainers feel newly mainstream. - The strongest hard number sits with adidas: Q1 2026 revenue rose 14% currency-neutral to €6.59 billion, while operating profit climbed to €705 million. - That matters because fashion’s sneaker mood has flipped from chunky “dad” shoes toward lighter retro pairs — and sales now back the aesthetic.
Sneakers are having one of those reset moments where the silhouette changes before everyone fully notices it. For years, the default cool sneaker was thick, stacked, and a little aggressive. Now the energy is different — flatter soles, slimmer uppers, lighter shoes that look closer to vintage track pairs than gym tanks. Nicole Kidman stepping out in a slim sneaker look didn’t create that shift by herself, but it gave the trend a very clear celebrity stamp just as spring wardrobes started turning over. (marieclaire.com) ### What did Kidman actually wear? The look that got people talking came at the start of the year, when Kidman traveled in an almost all-Chanel airport outfit and grounded it with low-profile sneakers instead of a bulky runner or a heavy boot. That matters because airport style is basically a stress test for trend adoption — if a shoe works there, it reads (marieclaire.com) the bottom. (marieclaire.com) ### Why does that feel different now? Because the last big sneaker cycle was dominated by chunk. Think dad shoes, thick retro runners, oversized soles, and shoes that announced themselves from across the street. Spring 2026 trend coverage keeps pointing the other way: low-profile sneakers, retro nylon runners, metallic finishes, suede, and slimmer shapes ar(marieclaire.com)nger the loudest thing in the outfit. (whowhatwear.com) ### Where does Kendall Jenner fit in? Jenner matters here because she has been one of the clearest celebrity bridges between sneaker eras. She helped normalize earlier adidas lifestyle pairs, but recent coverage also shows her moving through newer runners and sportier silhouettes, including Asics. That tells you this isn’t one single shoe taking over. It’s a broader swing toward lea(whowhatwear.com)(marieclaire.com) ### Is this just fashion media hype? Not really — the business side is showing real demand. adidas said on April 29 that first-quarter 2026 revenue rose 14% in currency-neutral terms to €6.592 billion, with operating profit up to €705 million and net income from continuing operations at €484 million. One company’s quarter does not prove one exact silhouette won, but it does sh(marieclaire.com)and franchises. (adidas-group.com) ### Why are low-profile pairs landing now? Part of it is fatigue. After years of oversized footwear, slim sneakers feel fresh in the same way straight-leg jeans felt fresh after the skinniest era burned out. But there’s also a styling reason — flatter sneakers work better with the long, clean lines that are back in fashion right now. Wide trousers, column skirts, relaxed tailoring, and minimal layers all look sharper when the shoe doesn’t add a giant foam block underneath. (whowhatwear.com) ### Are chunky sneakers dead? No — trends almost never disappear that neatly. Performance shoes, skate shapes, and some bulkier runners are still in the mix this season. The change is more about hierarchy than extinction. Low-profile pairs have moved from niche fashion-person choice to one of the main default options, and celebrity wearers like Kidman help that jump happen faster because they show the shape in real-life outfits, not just campaigns. (msn.com) ### So what’s the real takeaway? Kidman’s endorsement matters because it crystallizes a shift already underway. The fashionable sneaker right now is getting lighter, flatter, and less shouty — and unlike a lot of trend chatter, this one has both runway momentum and retail numbers behind it. (marieclaire.com)
