Forget Loafers, ’90s Tennis Shoes Are Making a Surprise Comeback for Summer 2026

Reported by Vogue.

There is something deeply satisfying about a shoe trend that requires zero explanation. The white canvas plimsoll — flat, clean, aggressively unfussy — is back for Summer 2026, and honestly, it never had a good reason to leave.

According to Vogue, the style has been quietly cycling through cultural history for over a century: gym floors in the '30s, skate bowls in the '70s (with a rubbery Vans-era upgrade), and then a full canonization in the late '80s and '90s, when minimalism ruled and Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Julia Roberts were all spotted pairing white canvas shoes with blue jeans or leggings like it was the only logical conclusion. It also had a strong second act during the indie sleaze years, which means this is less a comeback and more a recurring character.

Why Now

The conditions are genuinely right. Trainer silhouettes have been trending slimmer across the board, and the broader appetite for anything pared-back and '90s-coded isn't slowing down. Prada's Spring/Summer 2026 collection made white plimsolls a centerpiece, and Celine's runway offered a white derby with a not-so-different energy. British Vogue senior contributing fashion features editor Julia Hobbs goes further, suggesting these shoes are positioned to dethrone the ballet runner — pointing specifically to Prada's Drill fabric sneakers and classic white Vans as the ones to watch. Vogue fashion writer Olivia Allen put it plainly: "In an age of chunky dad sneakers, a classic white tennis shoe offers a welcome sense of '90s-inspired simplicity."

The sell is almost annoyingly easy. No orthopaedic promises, no lifestyle branding, no complicated silhouette to commit to — just a clean, flat shoe that happens to photograph beautifully against everything from wide-leg trousers to summer dresses. Yes, the ankle support is nonexistent. Yes, you will have flashbacks to middle school PE. That's apparently part of the charm.

The loafer had a long, excellent run, but sometimes the most radical thing a shoe can do is absolutely nothing at all.

Read the original at Vogue.