For much of the last decade, sneakers were defined by visibility. Bigger silhouettes, louder colorways, scarcity, and hype drove attention—and attention drove value. That approach feels tired now. As sneaker industry analyst Dara O'Donnell puts it: "What is replacing it is not minimalism for its own sake, but a desire for sneakers that integrate more naturally into everyday life. Quiet is the new loud." 2026 doesn't feel like a radical shift or a disruptive new era. It feels more like a settling