They just keep getting bigger and bigger. No, not mortgage rates or iPhones, but designer sneakers. The mad scientists at haute labels such as Gucci and Balenciaga have been stuffing their soles like turduckens as sneakers increasingly cross over from actual exercise equipment to exercises in over-the-top design. Yet while these inflated kicks are populating premium department stores and boutiques, sportswear institutions like Nike and Adidas are perfecting soles that are as light as a feather. Here, we’ve ranked the latest options in sneakers, from the barely there to the boldly bloated.
8.0 oz (per shoe)
Zoom Fly SP Sneakers, $150, nike.com
11.5 oz
Adidas Originals Yung-1 Sneakers, $120, adidas.com
12.7 oz
Rick Owens Sisyphus Sneakers, $972, rickowens.eu
1 lb 2.4 oz
Run Away Sneakers, $1,330, Louis Vuitton, 212-758-8877
1 lb 4.9 oz
Chain Reaction Sneakers, $995, Versace, 212-317-0224
1 lb 6.4 oz
Track Sneakers, $850, Balenciaga, 310-854-0557
2 lb 1.0 oz
Flashtrek Sneakers, $1,590, gucci.com