Runners, or basic athletic shoes have recently picked up some heat and are now starting to become a bigger trend in the fashion world/ There are so many different types of

runners that work well with outfits. Even the use of New Balance 1600s, one of the ugliest shoes I’ve ever seen, can look good with the right outfit. Brands such as Asics and New Balance are your go-tos. Asics have plenty of popular models, but the Gel Lyte III is probably the best fashion-wise, albeit a bit overused. The second best has to either be the Gel Saga or the Gel Lyte V. Now for New Balances, there are plenty of good fashion forward models, like the 1300, 998, or the 574, but generally, the shoe tends to be chunkier, so if you’re not a fan of chunky shoes I’d avoid. Nike also releases some decent runners like the Flyknit series and the 2013 Air Pegasus. These shoes do have a certain collectability to them, as collaborations between boutiques and designers are fairly frequent. The next pair of limited runners that are on many people’s radar are the New Balance 1600 “Daytona,” a collaboration between New Balance and veteran shoe designer, Ronnie Fieg. Fieg has collaborated with many shoe brands such as Asics and New Balance. Any collaboration between Fieg and Asics/New Balance will sell out instantly, and can fetch insane prices (see one of his older Asics ex. Salmon Toes). The “Daytonas” will release on Black Friday and will most likely sell out in a few seconds. The availability of runners is pretty widespread, as you can find some decent runners at Finish Line or Foot Locker. For the real meat. though, which are collaborations between designers/boutiques and brands, such as the New Balance x Bodega ‘HYPRCATS.” In order to have landed a pair of the “HYPRCATS” You would’ve would’ve had to get them straight from the source, Bodega, (a boutique in the Boston area), their website, or other select retailers. The shoes also have a limited production run, so the chance of landing a pair after release for retail is pretty slim. Overall, runners are great and very stylish when worn correctly and can be the stand-out piece to one of your outfits.