Aditi Bharade
- Sneaker brands are hopping on a new trend, which toes the line between fashionable and ugly.Snoafers mash chunky sneakers with formal loafers, creating a comfortable office-ready sneaker.Brands like Nike, New Balance, and Converse are launching versions of the snoafer.
The newest sneaker trend is a lovechild of a chunky sneaker and a corporate loafer. The result is a sleek and comfortable — if geriatric-looking — shoe.
The biggest names in the sneaker world, like Nike, New Balance, and Converse, have released or are set to release loafer-sneaker hybrids this year.
The creative director of Atmos, a Japanese sneaker retailer, posted a picture of the new Nike Air Max Phenomena on Instagram on Monday, saying it is set to be released soon.
The bottom half of the black shoe looks fits right into the Nike Air Max family with its chunky sole and air units. The top half, a loafer silhouette which sports a subtle silver Nike logo, looks like it would belong an office.
The new shoe design comes at a crucial point for Nike, which has been criticized for leaning too heavily on its retro styles and not innovating.
Nike's competitors got to the laceless snoafer trend before the shoe giant did.
On June 10, Converse released its All-Star Coinloafer, a slightly less chunky loafer-sneaker with a white top and black sole. The shoe brand has dabbled with loafer-adjacent designs since the start of the year.
On Monday, New Balance announced two new colors for its New Balance 1906L Loafer model — "Black/Royal Blue" and "Metallic Pink." Other colors of the model were released earlier this year.
The New Balance loafers look more like quintessential sports shoes than the Nike or Converse models, with only their shorter tongue and lack of shoelaces pointing to their loafer roots.
Representatives for Nike, Converse, and New Balance did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Other brands that have hopped on the trend this year include Hoka, Ugg, and Puma.
A comfortable corporate shoe
Carol Davidson, a New York-based image consultant, said the loafer-sneaker trend could be partially attributed to workers heading back to the office.
"With more people returning to the office, a more streamlined loafer sneaker will have an appeal, as it feels more elevated than just a sneaker," she said.
Davidson said she could see it becoming a summer trend, as fashion leans "toward more polished clothing and footwear" in the fall. She said the loafer sneakers would work nicely with a casual summer shirtdress or wide-leg trousers.
Edith Chan, a Madrid-based stylist and image consultant, said snoafers are versatile and easy to wear for errands and casual work environments.
"For office professionals, creatives, or those who love the effortless chic vibe, these shoes are perfect," Chan said.
Teng Chan Leong, the CEO of Malaysia-based marketing consultancy Skribble, said the snoafer fits Gen Z's preference for oversized tops and bottoms. His company has worked with brands like Adidas.
"The sneaker-loafer trend seems to be the industry's response to marry functionality and form, especially for today's consumer who is seeking for something that stands out, fashionable, and yet highly comfortable," Teng said.
He also said "feminine sneaker-loafer hybrids" point to a "rise in interest of women in the sneaker culture."
The shoe trend follows another hybrid trend this year — ballerina sneakers. This trend meshed the design of ultra-feminine ballet flats into the body of a sneaker.
