If you were wondering if French women wear sneakers —and even in the streets of Paris, the answer is: yes, definitely! Sneakers or trainers are an essential shoe style that is found in every French woman’s closet.
If you went to Paris, you might have seen that uncomfortable high heels are not very “French”. Hardly any French woman decides to choose high heels for the whole day. Instead, in Paris, it’s far more common to see women wearing comfortable flat shoes such as ballet flats, loafers, and sneakers.
Indeed, since Paris is a city where the locals walk everywhere, sneakers are probably the most stylish and comfortable shoes to wear every day. It’s impossible to not see several pairs of white sneakers topping off chic outfits in the street of Paris. And since sneakers no longer carry the casual, lazy day stigma they did in the past, now, a simple pair of white sneakers can look stylish whatever your look.
Which sneaker style to look for?
To complement dress-down pants and make their outfits look smarter, French women opt for sneakers that make their feet look thin, small, and classy. On the contrary, French women avoid any type of sneakers that are too wide, cushy, or comfy-looking such as chunky “dad” sneakers, running shoes, or multi-color sneakers.
As for the color, the French prefer to opt for a white, light beige, or light grey pair of sneakers as anything that is too colorful is considered garish. Basically, they wear discreet-looking and versatile sneakers that can go with any type of outfit. Keep scrolling below to see the chicest pair of sneakers to add to your wardrobe this season.
The chicest sneakers to shop right now
- Sézane Jack trainers
- Gucci Ace watersnake-trimmed embroidered leather sneakers
- Veja Esplar metallic-trimmed leather sneakers
- Veja Espalar leather sneakers
- Isabel Marant Bryce metallic and suede-trimmed leather sneakers
- Saint Laurent Andy logo-print leather sneakers
- Givenchy City Sport leather sneakers
- Nike Air Force 1 Shadow leather platform sneakers
- Adidas Stan Smith
- Bobbies Bonnie sneakers
How French women style their favorite sneakers
One of my French style tips is to mix dressed-up pieces like a trench coat or a blazer with more casual items like a pair of white sneakers. It’s the perfect balance to make your outfit look “chic-décontracté” (smart casual).
Opt for minimal plain white sneakers which make your feet look thin, small, and classy. Keep scrolling below to see the five ways French women dress comfortably and elegantly by combining elegant outfits with casual shoes like sneakers.
1. With a trench coat
2. With a black suit
3. With grey dress pants
4. With white pants
5. With a camel wool coat
The best French sneaker brands
Below, I’ve gathered a list of the best French sneaker brands that I know. For more shoe brands, check out my list of the 20 best French shoe brands you need to know.
- Bensimon (bensimon.com)
- Bobbies (bobbies.com)
- Faguo (faguo-store.com)
- Garçonne & Chérubin (gcparis.com)
- Lacoste (lacoste.com)
- National Standard (nationalstandard.fr)
- Newlab (newlab-brand.com)
- Pairs in Paris (pairs.fr)
- Panafrica (panafrica-store.com)
- Sézane (sezane.com)
- Veja (shop at veja-store.com, nordstrom.com or net-a-porter.com)
Et voilà! I hope this guide will help you find the perfect pair of sneakers! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.
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I’m not quite sure what you mean when you say the sneakers should be small and flat. One has to buy the size they wear for them to fit. Maybe American women have larger feet than French women. I am enjoying reading your posts.
Thank you Sherry for your question/feedback <3 There are several types of sneakers out there and some of them can be very wide/large, cushy, of comfy-looking such as chunky “dad” sneakers for example. Whereas other sneakers can make your feet look thin (because they are well-fitted shoes and not too wide/large). Of course, you need to choose the size that fits you. I'm not talking about the length but more about the shoes' width. I hope that helps 🙂
This is the second post I’ve read from you thus far. I am enjoying! Though I am not French, nor have I ever been to Paris, I love the chic and “effortless” style. I am in the midst of reinventing my wardrobe, (adding pieces with more intention), as well as my style. I’ve never really paid attention to my own style (or lack thereof), and find these types of guides so informative. I know what I like when I see it, and I see that I continually gravitate towards Parisian flair.
Thank you very much Kenya <3 I'll try to create more French-style guides in the future! Let me know if you're thinking about any topic you would like me to write on 🙂
Just bought my first pair of white sneakers following your advice and really looking forward to wearing them this Spring. As someone who has never had a confident dress sense, I’m finding your advice really helpful and encouraging, so glad I found you, thank you.
Thank you so much Clair! Let me know if you have any other questions, and I hope you’ll enjoy wearing your white sneakers this spring 🙂 xo
I also like wearing white sneakers. I have some skechers that look like the gucci stripe design with a gold heel patch. At the moment I like them with belted Levis 501 vintage blue jeans rolled up a little and a white v neck t-shirt . But they go with denim shorts or a mini skirt too. I am enjoying your blog, especially since the world is ‘closed down’ and the Paris I sampled in 2018 is not available to me right now. In New Zealand we are somewhat limited with shopping but more and more sites are allowing shoppers from here.
Merci beaucoup Christine <3
Do you wear white sneakers even in November, or do you switch to same style but grey or black? Thank you
Bonjour Susan, thank you very much for your question! Personally, I always wear my pair of white sneakers even in November, and for a more polished look in winter, I usually switch to ankle/Chelsea boots. xo
Bonjour – I would never have put Trainers with a Black Suit – and they look the same as mine – Nike ……..only wear them going to the gym for exercise…….. So thank you for that……Always love seeing and reading your Fashion Ideas. I have read that some of the colours in fashion for Autumn is Cobalt Blue and Purple – two of my favourites…….
I have always worn trainers (sneakers) with jeans and it is taking some time for me to adjust to wearing them with a long coat or smart pants, never mind with a dress :). I am getting there slowly but surely and love the comfort of this fashionable item on my feet.