They've been trendy for a quite a while, at least among the sneaker-wearing young people I know, often with colored laces.

That's so funny. Ages ago I was so proud I was able to keep my tennis shoes clean and white despite working all day in the muddy garden. DH said "You know no one wears white shoes anymore, right?" "Well, 'xcept me!" Ha, only took two or three decades to come back in style....

LOL!! Was it ever not a "now thing"? If you mean athletic shoes, white has always been popular, although most come with some sort of colored markings as well. Nike's Air Jordans have always come in a white version.

If you mean the traditional tennis shoe type sneaker, like Keds, Vans or Converse, they have also always been available in white and popular in that color, although leather or faux leather is kind of a newer thing.

My first thought would be nursing shoes

This subject came up two or three years ago. One of the AM TV shows had a trendsegment on white sneakers being trendy.

Something that I have noticed from pop-up ads with really nice looking sneakers is that some are using wool as either the lining or the sole insert. I do not think I am actually allergic to wool but even after 20 minutes or so it abrades my skin enough that it turns red. Just something to be aware of especially if you either go barefoot in shoes or use very thin socks and also have a problem with wool.

A refreshing wholesome alternative to Satanic sneakers.

I doubt if the younger set are wearing the white walking shoes that many people think of when they see New Balance.

A recent rebranding thing were the athletic sneakers I saw the other night labeled as "boatshoes".

Athletic sneakers versions have crossed over into many areas outside the sports courts. It's really about the foot bed, sole and heel height. Boat shoe sneakers have been around forever. Many bikers have given up stiff boots for the comfort of sturdy sneakers.
Distance sport horse riders have been riding in all terrain "sneakers" (brown for practical reasons) for years. I know a real cowboy who lives in the saddle who wears white sneakers. His feet are too broken up for boots from his rodeo/breaking horses days. White has never gone out. Colors have been added but have never fully replaced white.

Many nurses I see in hospitals have switched over to clogs. I rarely see anyone in sneakers in the all day on your feet professions.

I always try to look for all white sneakers. I don't like all the bright stripes and extras. Usually Keds.

I’ve been wearing the classic Keds sneakers in white leather for years. Love my Keds, and the leather keeps them new looking longer then the canvas.

It's always been athletic shoes vs running shoes vs versus canvas tennis shoes or dock/deck shoes (like Vans, Converse, Jack Purcell) in my area. But,

For athletic shoes, as a male I tend to favor darker colors. The fabric pieces tend to be synthetic, as too the faux "leather" parts.

For when the world returns to normal and people resume travelling, allow me to offer a suggestion to those of you who will venture abroad. Along with leaving fanny packs and the like at home (a backpack is okay), also leave your white shoes at home. Buy shoes you like in a dark color, you'll look less like a geek from another planet to the locals.

This is still in my cupboard. Been a nurse 40 years, we all used it. Also worked great on sneakers.

“Along with leaving fanny packs and the like at home (a backpack is okay), also leave your white shoes at home. Buy shoes you like in a dark color, you'll look less like a geek from another planet to the locals.”

Not geeky looking at all...

I’ve been looking for some new tennis and came across the same white Reebok high top sneaker I wore in the late 80’s. I haven’t seen those in years. ETA: I loved those, they were so comfy

When I played tennis in San Francisco (perfect climate for tennis), I wore all white leather Tretorn shoes and bought white Tretorn tennis balls. Everyone else at the tennis courts was using the fluorescent yellow (actually chartreuse) or orange balls (which are admittedly easy to see and find), and so mine never got mixed up with other players, although frequently there was no one else on the courts when I was playing. I often wore white peau de soie tennis shorts that I had made for myself using fabric that a friend who was a flight attendant for TWA had bought for me in Hong Kong. I had given him some money to buy fabric for me in HK to make pants, and I was shocked when he came back with white silk satin. I told him I was not Rod Stewart! Anyway, I decided that tennis shorts might be a good use of the fabric, since I was not going to make long pants with that fabric. Typically, however, one does not want to have tennis shorts that have to be dry-cleaned.

My point is that I liked to keep everything white when I was playing tennis. Therefore I had to buy shoes and tennis balls from Sweden, where I guess they had the same ideas about tennis. At a certain point, it became pretty much impossible to find white tennis balls, but they may have made a comeback. I took a tennis class at UT Austin in 1987 and remember that I could not find white balls at that time😥.

Meow? :) You struck a nerve, Maddielee. Always have worn white to play tennis,

always will. That's about the only time I wear them for any length of time anymore.

My 6 yr old boy picked out white high tops a few weeks ago while I tried to talk him into getting black. Now I know he has better fashion sense :)

Lars, a friend taught me to wear white when playing ping pong because it makes it harder for the opponent to see the ball. BTW, I think your shorts sound great!

Gosh, two weeks ago, my DH bought himself a new pair of sneakers....white leather! Little did he know he was stylin'!

White leather sneakers haven’t been out of style, you just have to have the ‘right’ ones. Like the Veja ($150) that Meghan Markle was sporting last summer or the Stan Smiths that never seem to go out of style. There are others to the tune of over $500, often with other color embellishments, but you get the idea. And yes, they have been seen on the feet of many young French women, so they must be in style, right?

Avoid those clunky thick-soled ones for more mature adults though. .

I have a pair of white tennis shoes. I wear them to the store.....or out and about....they seem "fancy" to me. :0) I also wear black leather boots with leggings.....been in style for years.

My running shoes have to have breathable mesh...and get dirty fast.

I've worn white New Balance athletic shoes for over 30 years now. Not because of 'fashion', but for the comfort and support they give. And everyone I know who wears them does so for the same reason. 'Fashion' has very little to do with it. And calling an athletic shoe a 'sneaker' is borderline insulting!

Rusty

Tennis balls used to be white? Honestly I don't remember that. I played very casual tennis (and racketball) in the 70s/80's and I can't picture the ball. So my brain is filling in with fluorescent yellow, no matter what reality was. Isn't that odd.

LOL when I travel, regardless of where, I try not to act like a dork, but how the locals feel about how I dress? -- I care not. If I give anyone a discrete laugh, that's perfectly okay with me, no harm done. (I'd comply with dress codes as in fancy restaurants and religious places, of course -- that's part of not acting like a doofus.)

Judy, I was going to mention the sani-white my Mom used on her shoes all those years working in the dietary dept. of a mental hospital. They had to wear white uniforms too, not just tops, but white dresses, skirts, or slacks.

I just read somewhere that the white reeboks princess is back in style. I might have to get a pair as they were always comfortable.

Maybe it’s a regional thing but where I live, just as many people wear white tennis shoes as colored and age doesn’t seem to be a factor. .

I don’t think people snicker about white tennis, it’s the white socks with baggy shorts that I find endearing. To be honest, I like seeing people who wear what they want irregardless of what someone else thinks because they are obviously comfortable in their own skin.

nickel_kg, all tennis balls were white or black until 1972, which is when "optic" yellow was introduced, which I did not like. It looked like fluorescent chartreuse to me. I first learned to play tennis in 1969, and all balls that I ever saw then were white. I still have never seen black tennis balls.

I played tennis in school in the sixties and have to agree. All balls were white then. Actually grayish since this wasn't competitive tennis so they weren't changed out often.

I read somewhere that Wimbleton didn't switch to colored balls until the mid 80s.

I have always worn white leather sneakers. I love the comfort and fit and I think they look good. I guess I never worried about what other people thought of my shoes. I see plenty of them out there too.

thanks ya'll, so probably my tennis balls really were yellow!

I just got a pair of Cole Haan white sneakers.

My 38 year old DD ( very much a fashionista) lives in London. She said that everyone wears white sneakers. I do daily walking with friends and wear sneakers while doing so. Otherwise I greatly dislike sneakers for daily wear.

I struggle to find other comfortable shoes to wear casually with jeans or leggings, etc. It is generally not an issue during sandal season, but is frustrating at this time of year.

While at an appointment at a very large medical center in our area, I was amazed at the number of women wearing sneakers!

I think there may be a definition problem with what each person considers sneakers. I wear New Balance and while I also have a pair of New Balance running shoes I would never consider either one of them as sneakers. Anything with a thick sole is a walking shoe not a sneaker. A classic boat shoe used to look more like a penny loafer but the sole was made to grip and not slide. If you go to almost any travel site you will find a mention that the locals can tell an American by their white shoes, tan shorts, multi pocketed vest and fanny packs.

My beloved Stan Smiths make the cut for being worn with dresses these days. Those are the kind of sneakers we are talking about, more like court shoes, not running shoes.

These Italian Golden Goose sneakers are at the height of sneaker fashion. No one is going to confuse somebody wearing these with a person whose fashion choices are governed by comfort over style ;-)

My husband and I both have some white leather athletic shoes, if anyone is laughing at us, we couldn't care less...we may even be laughing at THEM! HA! We also own the mesh style athletic shoes that are more trendy but sometimes those are not very practical in 20 degree weather!

maifleur03 - one more give away of an American tourist - talking much too loud! I notice it immediately when returning from overseas vacations.

Ahh...but can you wear white ( sneakers ) shoes in the winter or only after Memorial Day? 😁

People in California and Texas have always worn white shoes in the winter, from my experience. The "no white after Labor Day" rule does not apply in warm climates. I think that rule has pretty much been abandoned everywhere by now.

I do not wear white shoes when traveling, however, because they show dirt worse than dark shoes. Also, people in foreign countries do not usually think I'm American, and they often ask me if I speak French, especially in Mexico and Italy, unless they've seen my passport.

^ I really was joking there ^ But I do know people who still abide by that rule.

My DD got married in October and certainly white shoes would have been traditional. She wore red spike heels. That's my girl!

I figured you were joking, because of the emoji, but I also do know some people who follow the old rules.

The decibels are a much greater give away than white shoes, which are worn by many people. I don’t wear them because they’d be filthy in five minutes.

I have so much trouble finding a shoe that fits that I can't be picky.

The shoes before the ones I have now were cheap Avia trainers from Wal-Mart. They fit and were comfortable but predictably not very durable. But when I went to replace them, my size was always sold out.

I ended up with two pairs of inexpensive Under Armor shoes from the kid's section in Kohl's. Looked there after a friend told me that she always bought her casual shoes (athletic/ trainers) from the men's section. In my case, all of the men's sizes were too big. Bonus was that shoes in the kid's section were $10 a pair cheaper than a similar UA shoe in the women's.

I bought solid black and then went back for another pair after wearing & liking the black ones. Second pair are white w/ some rainbow pastel details. My fairy princess dress-up shoes!

I miss the days when I used to buy my shoes in the children's section. I do not miss wearing high heeled shoes with an adjustable back strap during the winter when heels were required where I worked. Now with age my feet have stretched to a 5 1/2 rather than the 3 1/2 that they measured. Back then the only heels available were in adult sizes. I would love to be able to wear one of those light up children's sneakers.

I'm from the deep south, no white after Labor Day until Easter. Winter white is fine but not dead white.

The no white after Labor Day thing is a very arbitrary dress code that was established in the late 1900's to differentiate those with money - and could afford vacations - from those who could not. White was considered 'vacation attire' :-) But like many other style conventions, that has changed and it no longer has any validity to modern life. You can wear white whenever you like!

maifleur03 Some kid's shoes are unisex sizes. A size 5 youth equals a ladies 7. I'm a 7 and often buy kids sandals in a size 5. So you can still have the light up shoes if the sizes are marked youth and not child. I have a pair of light up sandals and i also have a pair of Wheelies I bought in the kid's dept.

I have to buy sneakers in the women's department because lately it is very difficult to find men's shoes smaller than size 8. I wear size 7 or 7½ (size 40 European) or size 9 or 9½ in women's. I have the same problem with hiking boots, but at least when I have to buy women's hiking boots, there are more color options, which I like.

Lars, you could wear the boys shoes if your foot is that small. I feel for you because my husband wears a size 8 men's, it's so hard to find that size!

When I've looked at boys' shoes, they seem to stop at size 6, but then most shoe stores that I go to do not even have children's shoes. It would be cheaper to buy boys' shoes, but I haven't found them in size 7. Sometimes I need 7½, and they definitely do not have that in boys' shoes, from my experience. There generally aren't as many options with children's shoes also.

The good thing is that size 9 seems to be fairly common for women, but then a lot of times that size is sold out. If a store carries size 7 men's shoes, they are rarely sold out. They are also usually the ones used for display, since they take up less space.