{"id":624312,"date":"2026-04-22T21:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/624312\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T21:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:11:09","slug":"super-foamy-sneakers-are-everywhere-how-do-they-stack-up-fashion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/624312\/","title":{"rendered":"Super foamy sneakers are everywhere. How do they stack up? | Fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Floaty foam-based footwear has been spotted on celebrities for years, from Aubrey Plaza in Hokas and Harry Styles<\/a> in New Balance to Zendaya\u2019s ongoing deal with On running shoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A desire for \u201cpractical functionality\u201d has driven technical sportswear to street pavements, says streetwear reporter Lei Takanashi from the Business of Fashion in New York.<\/p>\n

Aubrey Plaza wears a suit with Hoka sneakers to the Ulla Johnson fashion show during New York fashion week in February. Photograph: Michael Loccisano\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cHoka, one of the largest purveyors of these types of shoes, elevated them among fashion consumers by releasing lifestyle sneakers with brands from Marni to Comme des Gar\u00e7ons,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Another influence is the rise of \u201crunning club culture\u201d, says Lucila Saldana, footwear and accessories strategist at trend forecaster WGSN.<\/p>\n

While the trend is firmly mainstream, its staying power is \u201ctied to deeper behavioural shifts\u201d, Saldana says. Hoka and On, in particular, have popularised stacked sports shoes as everyday \u201csymbols of a wellness-driven, effortlessly functional lifestyle\u201d.<\/p>\n

John DiZane, senior director of buying at sports retail chain Foot Locker in Australia, says his customers are demanding more footwear innovation, \u201csometimes faster than the brands are moving\u201d. He points to high-performance sneakers\u2019 responsive foam, high stack, carbon or nylon plates as desirable features. \u201cCertain consumers feel really comfortable using that kind of footwear for their every day, not just for when they\u2019re running,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Rocker-style New Balance sneakers with a thick white foam sole. Photograph: Edward Berthelot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Nike was the first to create a lightweight \u201csuper shoe\u201d \u2013 the ZoomX Vaporfly 4%, released in 2017. Its carbon-fibre plate helps propel runners forward, reducing energy loss through the midsole. Eliud Kipchoge<\/a>, the only person to run a sub-two-hour marathon, was wearing modified Vaporflys in his record-breaking 2019 race. Now, nine out of the 10 fastest marathon runs<\/a> in history have been achieved by athletes wearing super shoes.<\/p>\n

double quotation markResearch does suggest that the foams in super shoes lose their edge more quickly than daily trainersAli Ball<\/p>\n

Super-padded lifestyle sneakers often share features with super shoes. They may have carbon-fibre plates, soft rebounding foam or a \u201crocker\u201d design, for example.<\/p>\n

However, Eoin Doyle, an exercise physiologist and lecturer at Australia\u2019s Macquarie University, says these shoes can be unstable. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the biggest things I\u2019d caution about: how high a midsole is and how thick the midsole is,\u201d he says. High midsoles decrease lateral stability, \u201cand that\u2019s a bit of a risk, especially for rolling an ankle\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pharrell Williams steps out in stacked sneakers during Paris men\u2019s fashion week in June 2025. Photograph: WWD\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Not all foamy sneakers are built the same, says Daniel Bonanno, Associate Prof in podiatry at La Trobe University. \u201cSome high stacked shoes actually have a wider base and foams that are of a higher density,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re still highly cushioned, but having that more stable foam creates a more stable platform. So you get the benefits with a lower risk of instability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trampoline-like foam, Bonanno says, can reduce pressure on your feet. \u201cThere are people that have certain types of foot pain that are aggravated by high pressure, so they\u2019re probably going to see a benefit from a soft, high stack shoe,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

People who pronate (roll their feet roll inward when they step) or supinate (roll outward, placing weight on the outer part of their feet) may find that ultra-soft foam exaggerates issues as it tends to collapse over time, says Bonanno. \u201cIt makes the mechanics worse in either direction,\u201d he says, which \u201ccan put more stress on tissues that are not acclimatised to those levels of stress\u201d.<\/p>\n

Yellow Marni x Hoka sneaker shoes (right) outside Ottolinger at Paris fashion week in March 2025. Photograph: Edward Berthelot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Foamy sneakers are usually very lightweight \u2013 \u201cif you\u2019ve ever tried one or held them in your hands, it almost feels like a feather,\u201d says Doyle \u2013 but that lightness can mean \u201cthey\u2019re not really designed for longevity\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s got a very, very lightweight upper it\u2019s not going to be as durable, and I think that\u2019s probably going to be less suitable for your everyday walker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doyle cautions against spending big on carbon-fibre plated styles too, as some only last around 500km. Most other sneakers will last longer, he says.<\/p>\n

Stylist Jeanna Krichel wears Hoka Tor Summit sneakers in January 2024 in Berlin. Photograph: Jeremy Moeller\/Getty Images for Hoka<\/p>\n

Ali Ball, journalist at Runner\u2019s World UK, says: \u201cIf lifespan is measured in optimal performance, then research does suggest that the foams in super shoes lose their edge more quickly than daily trainers.\u201d She points to a 2023 study<\/a> by the University of Castilla-La Mancha, which looked at the foam in advanced footwear. They found Eva styles, a type of foam used in both Hoka and On shoes, \u201cretained approximately 67% of their initial shock-absorbing capacity after 160 to 240km, but less than 60% after 400 to 800km\u201d.<\/p>\n

There hasn\u2019t been a lot of research on soft, padded styles worn for everyday use, Doyle says. With super shoes, runners have reported lower muscle soreness and better recovery after runs, but recent studies report increased pain<\/a> felt by slower runners and increased loading in the knees<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Black denim straight-leg jeans paired with white mesh Hoka Clifton 8 sneakers at New York fashion week in February. Photograph: Edward Berthelot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s probably a lack of understanding about what the shoe is actually designed for,\u201d says DiZane. \u201cCarbon-plated fast running shoes probably shouldn\u2019t be used for lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he also says \u201ca lot of brands are doing a really good job of \u2026 having the same foam for something that\u2019s more wearable day to day\u201d.<\/p>\n

Bonanno\u2019s advice is to switch up your footwear, no matter the style. \u201cIf you can have variety in your shoe choices, that\u2019s generally a good thing because different shoes apply different stresses to different parts of your body. It avoids overloading,\u201d he says. \u201cThe only caveat would be if someone has an injury and a certain shoe is providing a lot of relief. Then I\u2019d say keep wearing that shoe until you overcome that injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is good news if what Zendaya wears matters for how you spend your money: the Euphoria star has moved on from stacked styles.<\/p>\n

Saldana says fashion in general is shifting towards low profile and retro runners: \u201cThere\u2019s a return to embellishments and romantic details in sportswear.\u201d<\/p>\n

On 16 April, Zendaya launched her third shoe for On, made in collaboration with stylist Law Roach, called Cloudnova Moon. It\u2019s a low profile, crisscross ballerina style with velcro straps \u2013 the antithesis of a bulky, foamy sneaker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Floaty foam-based footwear has been spotted on celebrities for years, from Aubrey Plaza in Hokas and Harry Styles…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,63,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-624312","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}