Tennis shoes\u2013and I\u2019m calling them \u201ctennis shoes\u201d despite the fact that no one actually wears them to play tennis\u2013have undergone plenty of evolutions over the decades (case in point: there\u2019s a pair from the 1910s<\/a> going for a few hundred on Etsy right now).<\/p>\n In the 1930s, people wore them as \u201cgym shoes\u201d. In the 1970s, people wore them to skate bowls (though by then, they had chunky, rubbery souls and were more sneaker-esque, thanks to Vans). And, by the late \u201980s and \u201990s, canvas plimsolls\u2013especially the white ones\u2013had become a casual staple in line with the minimalist tastes of the era. See: Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Julia Roberts, who were all fans of wearing white canvas shoes with their blue jeans<\/a> or leggings<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ron Davis\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Barry King<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Those who, like me, are decrepit enough to remember the indie sleaze years, will recall that white canvas plimsolls were a big thing back then, too. All of which is to say: it should come as no surprise that they\u2019re back\u2026 again. What with trainer trends leaning increasingly slimline, combined with a feverish predilection for anything pared back, classic and \u201990s-inspired, it was only a matter of time before the fashion set dipped a toe into these throwback shoes.<\/p>\n See also: Prada\u2019s spring\/summer 2026 collection, where white plimsolls reigned supreme, or the not dissimilar white derby that was spied on Celine\u2019s spring\/summer 2026 runway. British Vogue<\/em>\u2019s senior contributing fashion features editor Julia Hobbs even thinks such trainers<\/a> \u201care about to topple the ballet runner,\u201d citing both Prada\u2019s Drill fabric sneakers and classic white vans.<\/p>\n Celine spring\/summer 2026<\/p>\n <\/span>Estrop\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n
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