sneaky chic

When I left New York for LA years ago, I vowed that I would keep dressing like a New Yorker--i.e., proudly wear heels to the supermarket and never, ever leave home in sneakers for any reason other than a morning jog. Initially, I remained true and wore my heels everywhere like a champ, but over time a few things happened that altered the course of my history: LA's omnipresent casual vibe began its inevitable subversion of my fashion thinking; I had kids; and sneakers (the right ones) became much cooler, colorful and, well, chic. And so it began, the integration of sneakers into my everyday mix. Make no mistake: these are not your school run-to-workout-to-running-around-doing-errands sneakers. They're bold, bright kicks that go, yes, from school runs to yes, laps around the supermarket to a hike up Runyon Canyon and then, marathon-like, on to photo shoots, clothing showrooms, meetings at Soho House, and other fashionable jaunts around town (further justification shown, above, and below). Thankfully, there's a myriad of seriously good options from New Balance (similar to above, but for a more aggro version, try these), Madewell, Nike (vintage style!) and Sam Edelman (sporty meets high fashion love!). Don't be afraid. They are so comfy, you might not want to ever take them off.

Photos: They All Hate Us, Marie Claire, Pinterest, Stockholm-Streetstyle