There are certain visual cues that call to mind PE classes: glossy wooden floors, chalky vaults and gym frames fixed to walls, among them. Slipping on a plimsoll, their squeaking soles skimming lacquered slats, is another memory that will, for many people, summon school-time sports sessions. In which case, the trending jazz shoes and plimsolls that have swept the runways in recent seasons, will look rather familiar.

Granted, the new interpretations are more elevated than the flimsy pairs we shoved into cubby holes after class, but they share the same silhouette: three- or four-eyelet lacing on the upper and in some cases, a canvas fabrication.

Read more: The Key Autumn/Winter 2026 Trends To Know Now

Serge Gainsbourg was a lace-up flat enthusiast in the 1970s, and nearly six decades on, his styling formula of wearing them socks, with blue jeans or tailored trousers, still holds weight. At Celine, Michael Rider emulated Gainsbourg’s French nonchalance by introducing leather, slipper-like pumps with laces, alongside white and black palazzo pants, leggings and miniskirts, as well as cherry-red heeled versions with barrel-leg jeans.

Spring/summer 2026 was when PE-leaning plimsolls entered the mainstream, but in 2024 Simon Porte Jacquemus was ahead of the curve when he released a collaboration with Repetto. The pairs he showed – styled with preppy ribbed socks on the runway – preempted a fully-fledged movement, which influenced several brands to release their own versions.

The recent shows have seen the plimsoll trend proliferate among attendees, who have demonstrated the shoe’s versatility with their varied styling. From denim to skinny trousers, skirts and dresses of all lengths, lace-ups make for elegant companions – and a more substantial alternative to ballet pumps for the colder months. Scroll on for ways to style them now.

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