Mens 2016 Cloths trends (Be smart)

When it comes to trend-spotting, most if not all eyes are on the upper and lower body. But if you want to stay on your toes fashion-wise, then you need to keep at least one peeper on what’s happening below the (exposed) ankle.

Look no further. FashionBeans has searched high and low (but mostly low) to find five footwear styles that are a shoe-in for spring/summer 2016. So when a walk-off ensues, you’re ready to step to.

Velcro & Straps

Trainers have vastly increased their footprint in recent years.

“When Selfridges opened its men’s footwear space three years ago, trainers were without doubt secondary to formal and brown shoes,” says Luke Mountain, the department store’s awesomely named buying manager. “However, we’ve seen this turn on its head.”

Saying that trainers are a big trend for SS16 is not especially revelatory, though. So instead, we’re going to hone in on the trends within the trainer trend – ‘in-crep-tion’, if you will.

One of these gaining serious traction is Velcro. Acne Studios, Ami and A.P.C. were among the labels who served up tennis shoes fastened with the sticky stuff, perhaps as a way of putting a new topspin on the still-omnipresent Stan Smith.

It’s not a giant leap from there to the phenomenon of elastic straps on the vamp. “This is a huge trend on both trainers and formal footwear,” says James Lawrence, head of menswear design at ASOS. “Everyone from sportswear brands such as adidas and Y-3 to high-end designers like Givenchy have done these styles.”

To tie it all together, laces aren’t so much trending as trailing behind.

(Related: The best invisible lace trainers)

Monochrome & Tonal

There are two opposing factions vying for supremacy in the trainer market, and no, we’re not talking about Nike and adidas.

On one end of the spectrum, there are technical and statement trainers, with their bright colours and high-performance bells and whistles (not actual bell and whistles). On the other end, there are the more pared-back, minimalist styles. And for SS16 – dare we say it – the trend pendulum is arguably swinging more to the toned-down, tonal side.

“The market has been full of sneaker collaborations loosely designed around a story or theme, so I think there has been a gap in the market to produce more sophisticated and mature tonal sneakers,” says David Morris, shoe buyer at the sophisticated and mature e-tailer Mr Porter. “These sneakers appeal to consumers who want something a bit more subtle.”

ASOS’ Lawrence is also in step with this development. “Stone, dusty pink and khaki are the colours of the season and are perfect for tonal dressing,” he says. There’s an argument that these styles pair better with light, summery colours and fabrics. Certainly they won’t make you look like you’re going to the gym when you’re wearing shorts.