Long live the trainer trend

Heelys. Oh, the one-minute wonder of my youth, and yet I somehow can’t forget the excitement they brought.

For those who may have been kept in the dark during this sensational period of history, Heelys were a brand of trainer that had a removable wheel embedded in each sole. No longer did I have to endure the long walks (or so they felt,) around the garden centre or the supermarket with my parents—I could glide through them, just like the children in the adverts.

Similarly to many children’s inventions, Heelys didn’t work quite the way they were meant to. In theory, the concept is easy and straightforward, but you take an eight-year-old (and a very clumsy one at that) and put her in public on a pair of half trainers, half roller skates—it’s a parent’s nightmare really.

As you smoothly glide, you get caught on the rubber and almost always go flying. I insisted on wearing them everywhere we went; the cinema, the bank, the park, on holiday. Unfortunately, the final straw and goodbye moment was when I went flying (for the millionth time,) down the Spanish Steps in Rome—it was quite traumatic, and I can see why I was banned from then on.

This memory came back to me while contemplating the trainers I was next wishing to purchase. I thought about the days at school when we all wore plain white plimsoles, or the plain school trainers every girl would own.

As I now walk through London, I scan through the foot catwalk, spotting an array of trainers in different colours and brands. Glitter and pompoms. Studs and spikes. I am now looking at people’s trainers as much as their handbags.

The trainer game is at its all-time highest, and without the need of the gym to rock a pair, (you wouldn’t want to take to the treadmill at this price either,) brands such as Gucci, Jimmy Choo and Prada are releasing their own ranges.

According to recent research, the percentage of women in the UK who bought trainers has overtaken the percentage of women in the UK who bought heels. I have gradually become one of those girls since taking my first job in London. Gone are the days of arriving to the office in heels, and hello to the look of a dress and a pair of trainers.

It started with one pair, but I must say I have quite a collection including a velvet pair, and a pair with spikes and stripes. They match quite literally everything. They’re comfortable—especially on the dreaded commute. They support my feet and therefore my overall posture. And… they are bang on trend. What’s not to like?

The Heelys may be a thing of the past, but the trainer hype continues—just slightly safer this time.