Approach Shoes Are Fashion’s New Favorite Anti-Sneaker

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Last summer, I detailed the rise of sneakers from Salomon—a French trail-running and outdoor brand—amongst fashion’s best-dressed insiders. I saw the styles as outliers in the sneaker world at that time, which was largely dominated by ultra-slender styles made less for workouts and more as alternatives to loafers and sandals. But now, a new hiking-adjacent trend is bubbling up, proving that the vibe shift is here to stay. Meet the approach sneaker.

I say “hiking-adjacent” because, typically, approach sneakers are designed to be worn, as the name suggests, in the approach to the mountain that hikers are about to climb. Key tactical details like a protective rubber toecap and laces that run down the entire front of the silhouette guarantee the best fit, giving them a downtown-cool-girl-meets-techy-hiker vibe.

Proenza Schouler Arcadia Sneakers — A shot of the Arcadia Sneakers from Proenza Schouler. | Credit: Proenza Schouler

While they only just appeared on my social feeds this month, the style already has a cult following in the hiking and outdoorsy communities—one that brands like Loewe and Prada are clearly privy to. Both brands, alongside New York darling Proenza Schouler, and others, have released similar fashion-ified editions. In some cases, technical mesh is replaced with lush suede and leather, and they come in trend-forward colors like, in Loewe’s case, royal purple and chocolate brown. In others, the style’s true dorky charm shines through with muted tones and clunkier silhouettes.

In a sneaker landscape where the dominant styles are inspired by traditional sports like tennis and taekwondo, the approach shoe offers something fresh, freaky, and a little off-kilter. Like the Salomons, they offer an in-the-know alternative for shoppers who want a break from the norm. “Trekking” is now a verb in the fashion lexicon—even if the trek in question is just to the grocery store, and not up the side of a cliff.

Ahead, shop a few options from around the internet. Don’t be surprised if every insider you follow is wearing a similar style this summer.