Trend Report: Silver Keeps Surfing
via @aah1x
Colour trends come and go, and in 2023, if there’s one proving to go the distance, it’s silver. Whether or not it’s your favourite colour, it’s not hard to notice the ubiquity of the hue in fashion today. Silver has long been a popular colour in sneaker circles, continually used by many top brands. And it’s unsurprising that fashion’s renewed interest in silver has spilled over into the sneakersphere. With the upcoming set to release, it’s time to set the silver linings aside and unpack why the shade is as shiny as ever in 2023.
Silver Goes Way Back
We recently asked the Sneaker Freaker community what their favourite silver sneakers are. As expected, there were deep cuts and strong brand diversity. Multiple entries naturally took us back to the 80s with the adidas Micropacer and the Nike Vandal.
Other legacy brands like and have also long employed the shade on their shoes. Sneakers like the and the ASICS GEL-Kayano 14 being adopted for lifestyle purposes is no new phenomenon, but new life has inarguably been breathed into ‘tech’ aligned sneakers like these thanks to today’s trend cycle. Archives like show just how much Y2K silver heat there is to be unearthed and just how fast it is to be picked up.
Honourable mention goes out to last year’s anticipated retro, with the release also celebrating its quarter-life milestone.
Why So Silver?
Connotations are subjective, but the colour silver has some that are pretty universal. Of course, the colour silver is associated with all things futuristic and technological. Further to that, silver can have connotations of cosmic themes. From a purely visual perspective, silver is reflective and eye-catching, making it an alluring choice for those wishing to stand out. It’s also considered a neutral colour, making it versatile too. In one way or another, all of the above has applied to footwear at some point. Sneakers dressed in silver over 20 years ago look as futuristic as ever today, inarguably transcending them to timeless status.
As Seen on the Runways
We’ve established that silver has long been adored in sneakers – and it still is. Just look at how quickly the ‘Silver’ sells out and how much silver is making its way onto . Collaborations like the from November last year even took silver to the max. And within the wider world of fashion, it’s been experiencing a renaissance all of its own. According to statistics, the hashtag #silveroutfit has surpassed over three million views (and counting) on TikTok alone. Furthermore, #metallicoutfits has also been doing the numbers, clocking 595,200 views on the platform too.