After Defining the Flat Sneaker, Miu Miu Evolves It (EXCLUSIVE)
Miu Miu almost certainly did not plan to revolutionize contemporary sneaker tastes. And yet, its low-cut sneakers were so excellent that they almost single-handedly shifted greater shoe discourse towards silhouettes of the flattest sort, with everyone from sportswear giants to luxury peers perpetually scrambling to catch up.
Having set the pace for so many seasons, Miu Miu's shoes now evolve.
First seen at Miu Miu's Spring/Summer 2026 runway show on October 6 and debuted here by Highsnobiety, the latest iteration of its Gymnasium sneaker takes ballerina-sized steps towards the future of footwear.
It's still flat, but it's more than that.
Accompanied by new iterations of its world-conquering biker boots and huarache-style sandals, Miu Miu's new sneaker crystallizes the SS26 collection's paean to Italian craft — this season's key pieces include an artisan's leather apron with clogs to match — and sense of sunbaked summertime ease.
The new Gymnasium shoe upholds several quintessentially Miu Miu signatures, including doubled-up laces and sumptuously soft uppers — here, they're so plush that they practically collapse in upon themselves — but most notably, this sneaker is affixed to a new woven jute-style sole, yielding a sneaker that's as much espadrille as sporty lace-up, the idealized indoor-outdoor summer slipper.
It's clever but, in typical Miu Miu form, not prideful: just look at those unpretentiously neutral colorways!
This is how Miu Miu one-ups flat-sneaker convention. Rather than trip over fashion pitfalls like the anxious itch for constant reinvention, Miu Miu is content to flesh out its own rock-solid worldview, confident that no one knows it better than it knows itself. In the bigger picture, this is how Miu Miu firmly established itself as luxury's most vital maker: reliable iteration instead of constant transformation.
Previously, Miu Miu demonstrated this by evolving its signature New Balance sneakers into mules and even tennis shoes, neat tricks that never betrayed its POV because they only tinkered with established forms. Updating the Gymnasium sneaker into something that's both ageless and seasonal only further proves Miu Miu's point.
Don't fix what ain't broken, just give it a little twist. Make it an espadrille.
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