Spotted in London, Lisbon and Barcelona: The It Girl Way to Wear Trainers in 2026
Call it the Miu Miu effect: double-lace trainers are in, and I’ve found five seasonless ways to style them.
The mountain of neatly stacked trainers in my room has escalated in recent years, and so has the colourful tangle of loose laces. Multiple Adidas Originals by Wales Bonner styles, Fenty x Puma Avanti, Nike x Ambush Dunk High and more have extra laces hidden at the bottom of the box, sometimes with a dust bag. The discovery both delights and daunts me because, while I stan the Miu Miu x New Balance double lace trainer drops that quickly sell out, the thought of relacing my own trainers again and again like that just seems tedious. I appreciate the choice and chance to switch colours, but I never get around to doing it myself.
I wear trainers with the day-to-night dresses, cosy knits, and fluid midi skirts that make up my winter uniform to insert a subversive sense of sports (I’m a football fan) to proceedings. The bigger the double knotted bow loops I tie in the laces are, the better for maximum security, relegating chunky, weather-proof boots, tabi flats, and polished loafers to the back of my wardrobe. But since stylish minds think alike, and I spy the same kicks in my collection on other women around London all the time, I’ve been wondering how I can personalise mine to make a one-of-one statement.
Having boldly customised trainers in a dedicated workshop before, the lace brooches and jewels hole-punched into the heel collar fell away during the first few wears so I wasn’t overly optimistic. That is until I had a eureka moment mid-scroll recently: double lace trainers. Yes, I’ve done a complete 180 on the visually striking yet minimalistic styling hack that is exactly how it sounds. Two laces threaded through the eyelets of each shoe separately, usually stacked one above the other, and tied separately. It’s a matter of self-expression and experimentation, yours or the designer’s (if the trainers come double laced), because you could have up to four different laces per pair and the contrasting tones, textures and thicknesses add various levels of flair. This aesthetic is giving old school PE kit and I’m into it.
Double lace trainers are another classic case of Miu Miu runway-to-real-life styling brilliantly orchestrated by Ms Miuccia Prada herself. The second co-branded Miu Miu x New Balance trainer silhouette, the 530 Sl, debuted on the spring/summer 2024 runway with mismatched laces that echoed the sandals and boats shoes from the same season. A hybrid trainer-mule version was first seen with the Autumn 2024 collection and now own brand Miu Miu double lace styles and colourful laces are sold separately. From campaign stars Coco Gauff and Little Simz to Lily Allen and Elsa Hosk, It-girls around the world can’t get enough of double lace trainers, inspiring other brands to follow suit to create their own versions. And these reinvented leather and suede running shoes also chime into the exercise mode’s current renaissance and the explosion of running communities.
Let me be honest when it comes to tying and styling double lace trainers. If you can be bothered, the opportunities to assert your individuality and get creative are endless. There’s nothing stopping you from borrowing the laces from your other trainers or choosing combinations that really pop against your favourite jeans or the dominant colours in your wardrobe. But if you can’t, or in the interest of time, there are plenty of double lace trainers to pick from. Go for the shades and placements you like the best and focus on tying each lace differently. I’m more in the second time-poor camp and have done the research so you can wear this cool styling hack immediately.
Don’t underestimate the versatility of double lace trainers either. There are no skirt or dress examples in the five winning outfit ideas that you’ll find below but trust that these trainers will make a splash however and whenever worn.
5 Double Lace Trainers Outfits To Have On Rotation In 2026:
1. Double Lace Trainers + Layered Top + Black Leggings
Style Notes: It’s not just the eye-catching but complementary colours of Felicia Akerstrom’s grey and white Miu Miu trainer laces that are mismatched, but the stacked placement too. So they’re clearly the outfit’s main character in front of a failsafe supporting monochrome cast that’s simply leggings and on-trend layered tops. Airport walks, train trips, and any sort of high step count travel call for a comfortable trainer-first outfit, and while this particular pair comes double laced, there’s nothing stopping you from swapping in another texture.
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Note the shearling trim for added warmth.
They've combined two tops in one so you don't have to.
The pilling resistant material makes these leggings seem dressier.
2. Double Lace Trainers + Red Cardigan + Cargo Trousers
Style Notes: This is the kind of outfit that will help you get over your “too matchy-matchy” colour ick once and for all. The bold red of Alice Satterthwaite’s cardigan and the white of her socks pop even more because, while they mirror the gorpcore-style speckled double laces of her trainers, the dark jacket and trousers offset everything. The extra long lace bows dangling down will swing when you walk and catch eyes. Anything but boring, this feels fresh when traipsing around town.
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These trainers come in eight contrasting colourways.
This red brightens up a dreary day instantly.
Perfect for giving looks a utilitarian slant.
3. Double Lace Trainers + Suede Blazer + Light Jeans
Style Notes: What Mimi Orere has styled here is a refined masterclass in bringing different leather elements together in one look. The epitome of “smart-casual” thanks to her effortless white-t-shirt and loose light blue jeans (foundational capsule wardrobe staples), the double laced trainers are the anchor, reflecting the suede of the chocolate brown jacket and the woven leather bag’s expensive-looking neutral shade. The beige pair of laces are leather too, adding yet another tactile texture into the mix, in pleasing contrast to the white laces.
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A beautiful beige that goes with any colour.
Suede is the best way to upgrade a classic blazer.
When you find a light blue denim wash as perfect as this, you snap it up.
4. Double Lace Trainers + Embroidered Jacket + Brown Trousers
Style Notes: From the beautifully embroidered jacket to the highly desirable Chanel 25 handbag and wide visor-like sunglasses, Rebecca Olivia’s outfit has a number of attention-grabbing details but it’s the double laced trainers that come out on top. There are not one nor two but three different lace colours threaded through her retro-inspired New Balance pair — one of them being a spirited flash of burgundy while the others pick up the brown of her trousers and the white of the trainers and her jacket.
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See, white trainers can look even better distressed.
This is the kind of trophy jacket that stuns with jeans and evening dresses.
Chocolate jeans are a delicious proposition to boost your neutrals.
5. Double Lace Trainers + Coat + Pinstripe Trousers
Style Notes: If in 2026, people still swap out their commute trainers for heels or boots when they reach their office, these double lace trainers are the exception. In possibly the most work-appropriate look of them all, the floor-sweeping length of Débora Rosa's wide tailored pinstripe grey trousers hide most of the mismatched laces. But it’s the peekaboo glimpse that animates the softly structured lines and chic maxi coat, allowing these tonal trainers to act as a stylish dressing-down device that subverts the formality.
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These orange, white and brown laces won't date.
The epitome of an anti-trend coat.
The ultimate work trousers with any shoes.
Shop More Double Lace Trainers:
This pink is so cute.
Embrace the zebra print trend with these.
These will will pop against white, black or even other shades of brown.
Laces can be ribbon too — not just cord, leather and cotton.
These are a maximalist's dream.
