A New Sporty It-Sneaker Era Is About to Begin

Last week in the heart of Paris, Nike gathered 40 top athletes including Serena Williams, Sha'Carri Richardson, and Chloe Kim for a runway show unlike what editors see at the city's bi-annual fashion week. This wasn't a catwalk for inspiring a top-to-bottom wardrobe overhaul (though there were some impressive pieces by Sacai and Marine Rose mixed with functional leggings and sports bra looks). It was for birthing the next generation of It-sneakers.

The event kicked off Nike's involvement in the 2024 Olympics on the surface: unveiling the team kits for several US sports, which were designed using motion-capture footage of the athletes for optimum fit and function, and revealing new footwear equipped with Nike's Air Max technology. (Before even reaching the runway, guests navigated a winding exhibit detailing the Air Max's many evolutions since its first iteration in the 1970s, all the way through to a chunky Zoom Pegasus debuting next year.)

Each athlete walked the runway in an Air Max model that's currently on the market; later, the show concluded with a glimpse at futuristic prototypes designed for each of their sports. As the past and future gold medalists left the stage to reveal models of their new kicks—enhanced with aerodynamic soles and lightweight materials—my mind wandered to the streets outside the Air showcase and all the way back to New York. At home, I could envision these tricked-out sneakers taking on a second life—because some Nike pairs already were.

The same week, I'd watched from my phone as Kaia Gerber walked around New York City in a pair of Nikes with grippy, cleat-like soles. Two days later, Katie Holmes debuted Nike's upcoming Bode collaboration on one of her casual neighborhood walks. Both their sneakers were originally designed for competition and found their way into everyday life.

Juliana Sagat, lead footwear designer at Nike, knows that the brand's upcoming track, basketball, and even marathon shoes could take on a purpose beyond their intended playing fields. It's baked into their design. "When the design team creates a new Nike product, we obsess form, function and feeling. They are equally important in performance and lifestyle," she told me. Breaking records and winning medals is the main priority in sneaker design—crossover into street style is a frequently common bonus.

The time is ripe for an It-sneaker shakeup. After years of slim, retro runner sneakers ruling the market (cough, the Adidas Samba), chunkier and more overly athletic sneakers are on their way back in both runway collections and everyday styling. Some celebrities are incorporating thicker-soled shoes back into their outfits already: Taylor Swift spent Coachella's opening weekend wearing a pair of chunky black sneakers, while Gerber, Kendall Jenner, and Gigi Hadid have recently been spotted on laps around Manhattan and Los Angeles in more amped-up footwear.

A Hadid or a Holmes or a Gerber probably doesn't have aspirations to qualify for Olympic trials. But if Nike's soon-to-drop sneakers are anything like the ones starting to appear in street style, their origins might not matter. Athletes and It-girls ultimately want the same thing: a comfortable sneaker that feels like walking (or running) on air.