Athletic Footwear: The New Business Attire

     When you think of business attire you naturally think of suits, dresses, sophisticated leather dress shoes or heels, etc. However, this is just one more thing that a global pandemic has changed. The world of athleisure escalated in 2020 and has expanded to include, what I like to call, athbusiness as well.    

     When the world shut down in 2020, there was a massive shift from working in the office to working from home or in a more casual work setting. This changed everything, including what we wore to work. What was commonplace in the office went completely out the window. As the world has opened back up and people have started trickling back to the office, there are lasting impacts, even on what people wear on their feet. Patent leather shoes are a thing of the past. The new trend in business footwear is athletic wear.

     Athletic footwear for work, or athbusiness, is essentially an office running shoe! Which means cushion, comfort, style and support. No more squishing toes into pointy heels and dress shoes. A bonus, the athletic office shoe comes in an array of many  wonderful colours and designs, allowing one to express their personal style. Even CSA, hard-toe safety boots are transforming into more of a athleisure look.  

     For so long people had been able to choose comfort over professional. So as employees headed back to the office, the comfort idea stuck. More than a few companies welcomed back their employees by relaxing the dress codes. Meanwhile others continue to work from home or in a hybrid work arrangement, which blurs the lines between work attire and leisure wear. 

     This trend doesn't appear to be going anywhere. According to Mordor Intelligence (2021), the global athletic footwear market was valued at USD 99.61 billion in 2020, and is projected to grow by roughly 4.5% in the next few years. 

     Shoe Solutions carries a number of top athletic shoe brands, not only for athletes but the on trend, athleisure, working folks too.

• New Balance was founded in 1906 in Boston, Massachusetts. They are known for their high quality and innovativeness, as well as offering one of the largest selections of widths from X-Narrow to XX-Wide.

• Hoka One originated in France in 2009. The strength of Hoka is that they provide comfort, support, shock absorption and are highly fashionable.

• Saucony  is an American brand of athletic footwear founded in 1898. Using cutting edge technology they focus on providing you with running shoes that fit properly.

• Salomon  has been playing in the French alps since 1947. Their passion for outdoor sports, new technologies and craftsmanship is what drives them to make the best in quality footwear.

     Shoe Solutions has you your feet covered, from work to play we keep you active in the most stylish way! As shoes are often designed for specific activities, always be sure to chat with a professional to see if certain shoes will work with your foot type. Not sure where to start? Book a fitting or full foot assessment here and our staff will let you know if athbusiness is a trend you can jump on board with.

Chris McKenna, Fit Tech