Do you still wear a sneaker? Last season of London Fashion Week, it was fascinating to see the percentage of sneakers on the front row halve from it's dominance a few seasons back (okay, so this is qualitative research, using our eyes!). But post-Covid, the want for a heel (even if just a kitten) has krept back. BUT. The desire for the perfect flat that wasn't a sneaker was possibly stronger, which supercharged the Venetian-inspired slipper brand Le Monde Béryl to become THE flat of the walking woman in the past few years.

So the fact they have launched its latest creation, the Slim Runner, as a luxury sneaker is a bit of a shocker. It also marks the brand's first fully unisex design. The new design represents a shift for the brand, with its Slim Runner taking inspiration from 1970s running shoes but features luxurious materials and surrealist detailing.

In the highly competitive luxury sneaker market, the Slim Runner embodies Le Monde Béryl’s distinctive approach. Brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, and Dior have long dominated the conversation, turning sneakers into coveted items until recently when this has fizzled out. In this landscape, Le Monde Béryl audaciously says "it's not over yet" and is carving out a niche for itself by offering a sneaker that is sporty yet elegant, designed to be as at home at the Venice Biennale as it is in everyday life.

"Our latest design echoes the original inception and evolving principles of Le Monde Béryl where shoes are designed with integrity to celebrate both movement and beauty," founders Lily Atherton-Hanbury and Katya Shyfrin say. This ethos is evident in the sneaker's use of Bevilacqua velvet and satin, materials rarely associated with athletic shoes. The Slim Runner comes in four distinct styles, including Bevilacqua leopard velvet, tiger velvet, black satin, and chocolate satin.

You read that right! Tiger velvet! Chocolate satin. These are sneakers, but not as we knew it. So maybe we'll see that front row back up to 90% sneakers after all.