The Shiny, Silvery Retro Runner Is Back From the 2000s—and Better Than Ever

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Back when Blockbuster was alive and well, and Netflix was just a niche little DVD service trying to compete with Redbox, there was a style of sneaker that was dominating the trend cycle. It was the early-to-mid 2000s, and the silver, tech-y runner was everywhere. Two decades later, it’s back—and bigger than ever.

In the aughts, styles with a shiny, mesh-y upper and thick rubber sole reigned. Think of the Nike Air Spiridon Cage 2, Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4, or Asics Gel Kayano 14 (which debuted in 2003, 2007, and 2008, respectively), or the New Balance 1906R, a newer style inspired by the early-2000s aesthetic. Back then, it was all about a retro appeal and metallic flair, sans TikTok stylists or Instagram influencers advising you on what to pair with your silver sneaker of choice. I don’t have to tell you how big Y2K style is in this day and age; the era’s style has been back for a while, with the #Y2K hashtag on TikTok having over 4.4 billion views, low-rise jeans overtaking the high-rise look of the 2010s without mercy, and wraparound sunglasses, graphic tees, parachute-style pants, and matching velour sweatsuits finding their way back into the mainstream.

And those shiny, silver-y, techy sneakers that you thought you left behind in 2010? They’re the most coveted shoe money can buy right now, whether you’re pushing the Y2K agenda or not.

“Old-school runners and Y2K fashion definitely go hand-in-hand,” says Federico Barassi, Vice President of Menswear Buying for SSENSE. “Fashion has a lifecycle, so when we look at the current Y2K fashion overall, it’s a product of the younger generation discovering style trends for the first time. What’s retro to us is completely new to them. They haven’t had their fashion moment with these shiny, metallic runners yet, so it’s all coming full circle.”

Despite being rooted in Y2K origins, though, these shiny shoes are taking on a new life of their own. The biggest names in fashion are producing styles that don’t feed into popular silhouettes from the 2000s; instead, modern, contemporary sneakers are getting a metallic makeover. Jian DeLeon, Nordstrom Men’s Fashion Director, correlates the return of metallics with the prevalence of metallic fabrics on the runway. He cites Wales Bonner x Adidas—which featured a metallic silver Samba that sold out almost immediately—and Eckhaus Latta’s shiny jeans and jackets as reflecting (literally) the strong-rooted hold Y2K style has on contemporary fashion.

“The ASICS Gel-Kayano series has always been both an originator and leader of this trend, contrasting metallic accents with breathable mesh uppers and an overall streamlined aesthetic,” says DeLeon. “New Balance and Nike have similarly brought back archival silhouettes in line with the trend, whether it’s sleek runners like the 1906 or extremely versatile shapes like the Vomero, which is also popular in colorways that aren’t necessarily metallic.”

You can certainly style a silver sneaker to be a throwback look straight out of a Lindsay Lohan flick, but the beauty of their exploding popularity in 2023 is that they’re coming out in a range of silhouettes. The Samba, for one. Slip-on sneakers and chunky sneakers, too, that feed into a gorp-core, baggy, oversized streetwear look. You can wear ‘em with a suit. You can wear ‘em with jeans. You can wear ‘em to the club or the bar or the office.

“Whether it’s for comfort or styling purposes, these runners add a different twist to the wardrobe, giving young people the opportunity to create their own identity around fashion,” says Barassi. He adds that brands like New Balance, Saucony, Adidas, Nike, and Salomon are best-sellers for present-day consumer demand.

“It’s part embracing the past and part irony, the fact that so many people are chronically online today gives the look a new context,” reflects DeLeon. “In the past it was because there was this idea of how ‘the future’ would dress, and it was embracing synthetic fabrics and a sci-fi aesthetic that was sort of outlandish and campy, like the outfits from Zoolander. But now that they’ve been given time to be appreciated by a newer generation, they’re putting their own twist on it.”

There’s no time like the present to add a silver sneaker to your wardrobe—you’re only a couple decades late. But, then again, you’re right on time.

GT-2160 Sneakers

Mexico 66

1906R

Samba Sneakers

Shadow 6000 Sneakers

Xt-Wings 2

Speedverse PRG Sneakers

Ozmillen Shoes

Spiritain 2000 Shoes

P-6000 Premium Shoes

ProGrid Triumph 4

V2K Running Shoes

Gel-Kayano Legacy Sneakers

Trigrecca Glitter Sneakers

Runner Sneaker

America's Cup Sneakers

John Sneakers

Athene Low Sneakers

Dadstar Metallic Sneakers

Chunky Sneakers

Silver Mesh Sneakers

Silver Makura Sneakers

Marathon Runner Sneakers

Nucleo Sneakers

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