Congratulations are in order for Team Great Britain's middle-distance runner Keely Hodgkinson, who in a nail-biting race took home gold during the 800m race at the Paris Olympic Games just yesterday.
The 22-year-old English-born athlete dressed to impress for the occasion, stepping out onto the track in her navy blue Adidas Team GB uniform and a set of seriously stylish, vibrant orange trainers that our fashion-obsessed brains can’t seem to shake.
© GettyFor the gold medal-winning occasion Keely turned to her favourite Nike Zoom Victory 2 spikes, the same style she wore when setting the new British record in July, placing her as the sixth-fastest woman in history over the distance. Though Keely’s fancy footwear choice was more practical than stylish, we can’t help but think the look of the racy shoes contributed to her newfound fame, after all, if you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good, right?
Over the past few years, athleisure and sporting style ensembles have skyrocketed into popularity, with comfortable and stylish trainers taking the crown for the most favoured footwear silhouette for yet another year. So much so that fashion brands such as Jacquemus and Comme Des Garçons have collaborated with Nike on the regular while Adidas has made headlines by partnering with Balenciaga, Farm Rio, and Gigi Hadid’s brand Guest In Residence, to curate their own stylish capsule of must-have items.
© GOATOn the other hand, up-and-coming designers have made the wearable yet stylish aesthetic a key codon in their brand’s DNA, in particularly footwear designer Martine Rose who gained traction in the industry by collaborating with Nike to create a bright orange and yellow heel/sneaker hybrid, not too dissimilar to Keely’s track shoes she wore yesterday.
MORE: Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber talk Paris, pressure and Celine Dion at 2024 Olympics
RELATED: Olympics Fashion Through the years: 15 retro pictures to inspire your wardrobe
Obviously, bold-toned orange sneakers aren’t everyone's kryptonite, but for those in the know, they’re quickly becoming hot property, recently donned by the likes of Bella Hadid, Jennifer Lopez and the coolest style mavens in the social media sphere.
Styling the mandarin hue can be slightly daunting, but Celeste Evans, a Netherlands-based content creator known for styling overly colourful street style looks noted on her Instagram that “orange is associated with creativity, warmth and prosperity, but also speaks to change.” She also notes that “colors have the power to change your mood. Remember, trends come and go but color does not.”
MORE: Olympics 2024: The chicest 'Team Uniforms' heading to Paris
RELATED: Emma Chamberlain brings high fashion to the Olympics in mini skirt and cut-out bodysuit
Though we can’t confirm whether or not Keely’s neon orange race shoes helped her win Gold during yesterday’s 800m race, we think it would be doltish to assume they didn’t play a part, even if just to look the part while crossing the finish line…
