2025 Is Breaking Up With Sneakers: Inside The Casual Shoe Revolution
Kicked to the curb
By Bianca Licina | 14th August 2025This footwear revolution we’re living through? Definitely not on my 2025 bingo card.
If you’d told us five years ago that sneakers wouldn’t be the it shoe, we’d have laughed while lacing up our fresh white kicks. For nearly a decade, sneakers have ruled the footwear scene, evolving from crisp minimalist whites to chunky dad styles to the Samba takeover. But now, they’re stepping into a new era – one where they’ve been nudged ever so slightly to the back of the style queue. Fashion moves fast, and in 2025, the once-untouchable sneaker has been quietly… dethroned.
The shoe shake-up we didn’t see coming
The comfort-first reign is over, replaced by a surprise coup led by flatter and less supportive counterparts. Yes, the shoes your mum wore in the ’90s, the ones you swore you’d never touch, are suddenly the ones you can’t stop seeing – and wanting. They’re chic, they’re polished, and they’re making a case for elegance over ease. Turns out, we’re willing to trade a little arch support for a lot of style clout.
Who is on the roster?
So, what’s stepping in to fill the sneaker-shaped gap? This footwear revolution has been fuelled by fashion’s biggest names dropping flats that are anything but basic. Ganni’s slingback flats, for example, have become so ubiquitous it’s hard to spot the difference between the real deal and the dupes. And Maison Margiela’s cult-status Tabis – once considered strange, even a little too quirky – now feel almost… normal.
These styles have set the pace for the trends dominating right now. Ballet flats are still in heavy rotation, delivering that quiet luxury vibe so many of us can’t get enough of – the gateway drug, if you will, out of sneaker city. Loafers, once the domain of businessmen, Hamptons housewives, and impossibly cool editors, are now everyday staples. Even boots have muscled into the casual shoe space, with riding boots and cowboy boots striding confidently into our Monday-to-Sunday wardrobes.
The message is clear: flat is in. But flat no longer means sporty or dull – it means polished, playful, and chic AF.
Sneakers still have a seat… just not the throne
Don’t get us wrong – sneakers aren’t disappearing. They’re just learning to share the spotlight. Fashion darlings like the Miu Miu suede New Balances and Puma Speedcats are keeping the category fresh, but the maximalist, chunky sneaker moment is mellowing into streamlined, minimalist designs. The sneaker story isn’t over – it’s just moving into a quieter chapter while the new style icons have their turn in the limelight.
So, are we ready to swap move sneakers toward the back of the closet? In 2025, it looks like the answer is a resounding yes. Step aside, trainers – we’ve got a new lineup to walk us into the future.
Shop our fave casual shoes
Imagery: @jacquiealexander, @martineakersveen, @lissyrodyy
