Shoes that perform — and look good

Once strictly divided into two worlds — high-performance gear for athletes and stylish sneakers for the street — sportswear today is undergoing a transformation.

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FROM C1 THE RISE OF HYBRID SPORTSWEAR: WHEN FUNCTION AND FASHION COLLIDE

A new wave of footwear blurs the lines between function and fashion, with brands rethinking what it means to dress for movement.

The shift has been led, in part, by headline-grabbing collaborations. In 2020, Dior x Air Jordan sent sneaker culture into overdrive with the "OG Dior", a $2,200 high-top that fused court design with couture pedigree.

Balenciaga joined forces with Under Armour in late 2024, unveiling a capsule that reinterpreted archival sportswear through the lens of the Spanish fashion house's signature aesthetic — think exaggerated silhouettes, utilitarian shapes and an almost dystopian edge. The collaboration blurred the line between gym kit and avant-garde fashion, pushing the idea of "performance" into high-concept territory.

And no one could have predicted the frenzy stirred by Miu Miu x New Balance, a 2022 collaboration that saw the American sportswear label's frayed 574s grace both fashion week runways and the feet of Gen Z tastemakers.

The hype only continues: A Miu Miu x New Balance collection created in partnership with American tennis player Coco Gauff drops in September.