Sneakers (or sneakers) have long since conquered the street. They are no longer a garment reserved for sports but can be used in all types of situations and with the most varied garments. And all age groups wear them daily: from children to seniors. Within this boom, laceless sneakers are having a good time. Fashion experts assure that those who choose this footwear do so for a matter of comfort and sociologists point to the search for efficiency in our daily lives, also when it comes to dressing. Podiatrists warn of the importance of the shoe supporting the foot and remember that you must choose the appropriate footwear for each activity.

“It’s a matter of comfort.” This is how sneaker expert and editor at GQ Spain Néstor Parrondo explains the boom that slip-on sneakers are experiencing on the streets of any city. Being comfortable is the argument of all the fashion experts consulted by this medium and also by those who wear them. Because the rush of everyday life requires solutions to avoid having to entertain yourself. “I have three children and I need to get out of the house quickly,” explains Scarlet Tapia, a 38-year-old domestic worker. “I just do this (step on the back of the shoe with the toe of the other foot), and I take them off and put them on,” she demonstrates in the middle of Tapia Street. A year ago she tried this type of sneakers and since then she admits that she doesn’t take them off. Julieth Ortiz is 29 years old and works at a notary. Today she also wears sneakers without laces “to go faster.” She says that when she wears more conventional sneakers “they come untied and I waste a lot of time.” That is why for a year now she has opted for those that do not have a cord when she is “in a hurry.”

Women are the majority in this fashion of putting on shoes without wasting time, although all age and gender groups sign up. “I don’t even have to bend down to put them on,” praises Francisco Rodríguez, 79, while he comfortably has breakfast on a terrace. Rodríguez says that he has never liked laces, so he is delighted with this trend that has shoes without laces or with “fake” elastic ones, explain his users.

Does choosing footwear that takes off and on in seconds for comfort portray us? For UOC sociologist Francesc Núñez it is a question of “efficiency” and obtaining “the maximum result with the minimum effort.” Núñez believes that it is this efficiency that governs our society, so if there are things that make your life easier, you choose them. “It’s a way to tune in with the times.”

From the field of fashion they are also clear: this footwear succeeds because it is comfortable and this is an increasingly valued maxim. It is also important to dress with uniqueness, and sports shoes, increasingly diverse, varied and colorful, allow this. Parrondo explains that before we were obliged to always wear shoes, but the “social etiquette” has been lowered precisely because of this convenience. In addition, he assures that sneakers are an economical way to “get into fashion” and individualize ourselves. Because more and more models appear. And to the variety of colors, this twist of laceless sneakers has been added. This sneaker expert says that this type of footwear appeared in 2016, but that it has taken off spectacularly after the pandemic. And many sneaker brands have signed up to make sneaker models that don’t need to be laced. For Parrondo, more and more people are encouraged to wear sneakers because they do not tend to hurt the foot as happens with shoes and boots. “Sneakers will never give you a bunion,” he jokes.

Elena Carrascosa, president of the general council of podiatry of Spain, believes that when wearing footwear you should not only look at comfort because the health and proper support of the feet are “fundamental aspects.” She believes that in some cases immediate comfort can lead to “neglecting” other important aspects such as arch support, stability and cushioning. Therefore, she recommends that the ideal is to find “balance” between comfort and support. Because this last aspect is what worries podiatrists the most. “If a shoe is loose it can be the origin of deformities,” warns Xavi Ruiz, professor of the podiatry degree at the University of Manresa. As with everything, it also depends on the time of day that you wear these shoes and if it is a pathological foot, he points out. Despite this, she says that normally the laceless models are light and lightweight and the strength of the elastic can be enough to support the foot. And he warns that support is very important in developing feet, such as those of children and young people. Poor support, he explains, can cause friction on the skin, instability – something worrying in older people – or developmental problems in the foot, in the case of minors. For Carrascosa, it is advisable to alternate shoes that offer different types of support and cushioning.

Fashion used to be very uncomfortable, but now it is more relaxed and comfort is sought. Fashion stylist and content creator Mayte de la Iglesia also believes that the search for “comfort” is the factor that she uses the most when choosing this footwear. “It is made of a very technical material and has good grip… you wear it as if it were a sock.” In younger people, she attracts individualization, wearing a special model, she assures. But sneakers have also fully entered the mainstream of older people, to whom they are sold as footwear that allows you to put it on without touching the shoe. For the stylist, laceless sneakers are another way for brands to innovate. The designer Juan Avellaneda also believes it, who considers that it is the way that brands have so that citizens “continue consuming.” We are increasingly a more “comfortable” society, he says.