EBay: Experts Predict Sneaker Customization, Expanded Sizing in Near Future
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What will the future of sneakers look like?
EBay recently sat with experts who weighed in on how the next few years could look for sneakers, and most expect past styles to reemerge. Sneaker collector Anthony Levine said that trends are cyclical and noted the dad shoe hearkening to ’90s sneaker styles. He expects the prevailing 1990s and 2000s trends to remain, but make way for styles from the 2010s to return.
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Sneakers in the late 2000s and early 2010s were at times minimal in design with subtle details, like those from premium brands such as Gourmet and Creative Recreation and from high-end designers like Rick Owens and Kris Van Assche, and sat higher on the ankle, borrowing from 1980s and early 1990s footwear trends. Mass brands like Nike and Jordan leaned into their high-top styles like the Nike Blazer and Nike Dunk SB styles, as well as the Air Jordan VII and VIII sneakers that were retro releases in the late 2000s.
Luxe Collective creative director Josh Reais said he expects high-top sneakers come back and mentioned Louis Vuitton’s trainer sneaker boot as an indication of the return — and of comfort prevailing.
Reais said: “I think when it comes to sneakers, comfort will always be key, so sport sneakers will inevitably be a timeless staple, both in the high-end price range with Chanel CC Logo Sneaker and Prada Neoprenes, but also in the low end with brands like classic Converse or Vejas.”
Aside from the silhouette, fashion and technology expert and Modern Brands founder Tricia Hoke predicts that more sneaker customization is coming, and customization that goes beyond what’s capable on say Nike ID.
She said: “I do think that eventually we’ll move to a place where people will get a yearly body scan or body test, for example at a physician’s office, and they will be able to apply this data to customizations on their everyday products.”
Hoke also believes sneakers will be made available in quarter sizes in addition to half sizes. We’ve seen more specific footwear sizing from brands like Atoms that produces full, half, quarter and three-quarter sizes and mixes and matches sizes for commonly mismatched feet.
In addition, Hoke sees a change coming for sneaker manufacturing. She told eBay that she predicts manufacturers to become the new retailers and brands will no longer be in-charge of production. Instead, the retailers will manage branding, design and development while regional manufacturers will produce and ship products.
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