For years, sneakers have been locked in an arms race of sorts – bigger soles, more bubbles, endless layers of foam. They became furniture. Things you carried on your feet rather than wore. Which is why the sudden return of slim sneakers feels so refreshing.
Thin-soled, low-slung and almost impractically simple, they’re the antidote to bloated, overdesigned chunky sneakers. Some are revivals, some are high-fashion interpretations, some are just old martial arts shoes rebranded as lifestyle staples. All of them prove that, sometimes, less really is more. Here are the key models to know.
Autry Windspin
Autry has carved out a space for itself by doing the opposite of what most sneaker brands do: it makes shoes that look like they’ve been pulled from an old sporting goods catalogue and left there for decades. The Windspin continues that retro-American energy, but pared right down to a slim, low-slung shape. It’s essentially a basketball shoe that’s been put through a hot wash, with just enough suede panelling to stop it looking like a plimsoll. If you like your sneakers to look like they’ve already survived the 1980s, this is the one.
Oliver Cabell Form 1
Oliver Cabell’s comfort-first sneaker sits adjacent to the slim trend rather than inside it. The Form 1 uses a breathable knit upper, a pressure-free fit and a wide toe box for natural movement, then adds orthotic-level cushioning and adaptive support for long days on your feet. The sole is impact-absorbing with a zero-drop profile, so it feels stable and grounded rather than bouncy. Think of it as the minimalist’s recovery shoe – pared back in looks, generous where it counts.
Puma Speedcat
The original slim sneaker. Launched as a motorsport shoe in 1998, the Speedcat was designed for racing drivers, not pavement-pounding city dwellers. Thin sole, flat profile, suede upper – it’s essentially a sporty lace-up driving shoe. In the early 2000s it became a nightclub staple, beloved of men who paired it with a shiny shirt and dangerous amounts of hair gel. Now, two decades later, it’s back – still as sleek, still as impractical, still perfect if you want a trainer that looks nothing like the bulbous monsters everyone else is wearing.
Adidas Taekwondo
There are slim sneakers and then there’s the Adidas Taekwondo, which is barely more than a sock glued onto a sole. Originally made for martial artists, the shoe’s stripped-back design gives it a kind of monk-like purity. Just smooth leather, stitched stripes and not much else. The kind of shoe you can slip on without thinking and instantly look like you know something about minimalism... just as long as it's styled with care.
Dries Van Noten Stripe sneakers
Dries Van Noten doesn’t do trends so much as moods. When he applies his painterly eye to a slim sneaker, the result is something that feels less like footwear and more like an idea about footwear. This slimmed-down sneaker takes the lo-fi proportions of a retro runner, then dresses it in graphic, colour-blocked uppers that sit halfway between a gallery wall and a track meet. It’s thin, it’s lightweight, it’s the opposite of performance-driven – which makes it oddly perfect for right now. A sneaker for people who’d rather their shoes start conversations than finish races.
Adidas Tokyo
Originally released in 1964 to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics, this shoe was never meant to be a fashion item. It was a stripped-down training shoe, all flat sole and slim lines, built for athletes in short shorts and vest tops. Fast forward six decades and the Adidas Tokyo now looks like the perfect antidote to the over-engineered bulk of modern chunky sneakers. It’s simple, clean, and not trying to do anything clever. Wear them with tailoring, selvedge denim, or just socks and shorts. They’re so unfussy they’ll get away with anything.
Puma Mostro
The Puma Mostro is what happens when you design a sneaker during a sugar rush. First released in 1999, it borrowed bits from surf shoes and sprinting spikes, then strapped it all together with Velcro. The result is a low-profile, alien-looking shoe that somehow feels very current again. It’s slim, yes, but also oddly aggressive – like a cat that could scratch your face at any moment. Reissued in the age of quiet luxury, it looks anything but quiet. If you want your slim sneakers with a side of chaos, this is the one.
Axel Arigato Daze Runner
Axel Arigato has built its reputation on making sneakers that look like they’ve already been accepted by the cool crowd. The Daze Runner is its take on the slim sneaker trend, and it’s pitched perfectly between retro and modern. You get a lightweight silhouette with just enough detailing – suede hits, mesh panels, sharp angles – to keep it interesting. Crucially, it’s thin and flexible, avoiding the clunky excess of the oversized sneaker era. This is the option for people who want slim sneakers but don’t want to look like they’re trying too hard.
Common Projects Driving sneaker
Common Projects is best known for its Achilles Low, the minimalist sneaker that launched a thousand copycats. But the Driving shoe is even slimmer, closer to an Italian driving loafer than a sports trainer. It’s low to the ground, almost slipper-like, with the brand’s trademark gold serial number stamped on the heel. This isn’t a sneaker for running or even prolonged walking – it’s a sneaker for sitting down somewhere expensive and ordering a Negroni. Functionally pointless, aesthetically precise. Exactly what you’d expect from Common Projects.
Nike Total 90
If the Puma Speedcat was the unofficial shoe of nightclubs in the 2000s, the Nike Total 90 was the official one of five-a-side pitches. Worn by everyone from Rooney to Ronaldo, it was a football boot first, lifestyle shoe second. But its slim profile and synthetic upper made it weirdly adaptable to everyday wear. Two decades on, it now feels like a nostalgic nod to an era when all you needed was a pair of T90s and a Nokia. Slim, speedy, unapologetically early-2000s.
Bottega Veneta Orbit Flash
Leave it to Bottega Veneta to take the humble slim sneaker and turn it into something that looks like it belongs in a design museum. The Orbit Flash has the proportions of a lightweight runner, but it’s dialled up with futuristic detailing, sculpted soles and technical materials that make it feel both featherlight and substantial at the same time. It’s a slim sneaker, yes, but also a piece of architecture for your feet. If most thin trainers feel like throwbacks, this one feels like a glimpse of the future.
Next up: The best minimalist sneakers to buy in 2025.
