Trend: Sneakers

ISTANBUL — People once used to wear sneakers while running on a treadmill at gym or while jogging. Today, however, they are designed in such a way to fit all combinations. While you can wear sneakers with skinny jeans for a casual style, you look stylish when you combine them with lace or a pleated skirt.

Sneakers bring an effortless and cool style and harmonize the fragile fabric of evening dresses with today's fashion. Marc Jacobs and DKNY included sneakers in their spring and autumn 2014 fashion shows. Fashion-lovers see new designs of sneakers with worldwide impact every day and they sell like hot cakes.

This year's hot model is certainly the Nike Air Max. It is not a coincidence that Nike Air Max is sold out and there are waiting lists for the shoes. A large amount of research was carried out to design these top sellers. One of Nike's designers, Tinker Hatfield, created the Air Max on March 26, 1987. The Air Max's sole is made of compressed air. With its structure that softens and protects against deformation, the Air Max staged a revolution in the sports shoes industry.

Nike designers created a new Air Max design for its 27th anniversary, immortalizing this design with the emblem engraved with date of the original shoe's launch, 03.26. Shiny with neon colors, the Air Max 1 highlights the revolutionary air technology integrated with a neon sole and a white and red upper.

The success of the brand continues with the new designs as the Air Max 1 in red and fuchsia is sold out.

Adidas also entered the fashion sneaker world with the sub-brand Stan Smith, named after the champion of the 1968 U.S. and 1970 Australian open tennis tournaments. The stylish and phenomenal design of tennis world is now coming to the masses thanks to another campaign with the participation of various artists and players. Beyond their success as tennis shoes, these sneakers have become a style icon among designers, fashion editors and collectors with its elegant and pure aesthetics.

Different colors and fabric combinations have been added to its classical white design with green ankle strips. From tennis courts to the streets, Stan Smith has become the best-selling Adidas shoe of all time. The white classical design is made of sustainable, and luxury materials and colorful versions in the spring and summer 2014 collections have become a must in our wardrobes.

The other player of this competition is Reebok. As a part of the race sneakers category, Zquick is inspired from race rubbers with distinctive geometry and special foam structure. Zquick provides maximum speed and road holding with its low and light sole. Thanks to its laser-cut outer sole, the sneakers stretch and expand with every step. Zquick further offers faster speed and maximum control. The shoe hides running technologies under its sole. Designers are now creating rather trendy and functional models.

Finally, the high ankle designs of long-lasting Converse shoes are again fashionable.

Colored with different prints, these models are among the season's favorites. The new generation sports shoes are making their way to become the style icon of this century with their mobility adapted for our fast lifestyle.

New symbol of cool style

Fashion designer Zeynep Ökmen explains the sports shoes trend:

Once the symbol of sport and comfort, sneakers have become indispensable in our lives. The number of clothes that you may combine with sneakers is beyond your imagination. The symbol of cool style, sneakers will fit with an elegant suit or a night dress. My favorite is the nice contrasting combination of sneakers with leather trousers or sequin pencil skirt. Not mention its comfort!