Designers collaborate with sports labels for smart sneakers

Colourful, smart and stylish sneakers are the latest fashion statement among

fashionistas. Sneakers are no more just sports or fitness shoes meant for athletes but they are new fashion fad.

International fashion brand like Dior has sneakers with four-layer mesh and bi-colour outsole priced at approximately Rs 64,000, are selling like hot cakes. Now Indian designers are introducing collections. Manish Arora, Namrata Joshipura or Kallol Dutta are all introducing trendy footwear.

Manish Arora’s Autumn/Winter collection at Paris Fashion Week had sports shoes in different silhouettes, fashion fabrics and high-platform heels; Joshipura's Spring/Summer collection at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2014 flaunted Adidas originals designed differently. For Kallol Dutta's show, models in dresses, tunics and saris flaunted blood-red sneakers.

Colour, soles and fabrics are being experimented with to innovate and introduce sneakers beyond sports. The Nike Sky Hi Dunks recently launched in India for women have been receiving positive results over the past few months. Bollywood actors are a big fan of this new trend. These sneaker wedges for women are priced at Rs 7,995 in black, teal and lavender shades. Recently, designer Tanya Sharma too showcased her entire Gaga range at Mumbai Fashion Week paired with the Nike wedges.

Adidas Originals also partnered with fashion designers Joshipura and Himanshu Dogra from The Play Can, Ratnesh Rastogi of January Ros and Bedwin from Japan to present its iconic tennis shoe in a new avatar. Adidas has also had a longtime collaboration with Jeremy Scott, whose wing motif is seen with transparent sections for a see-through look. Recently, the brand also unveiled its collection in collaboration with pop singer Rita Ora, starting at Rs 12,999.