Floaty foam-based footwear has been spotted on celebrities for years, from Aubrey Plaza in Hokas and Harry Styles in New Balance to Zendaya’s ongoing deal with On running shoes. A desire for “practical functionality” has driven technical sportswear to street pavements, says streetwear reporter Lei Takanashi from the Business of Fashion in New York. Aubrey Plaza wears a suit with Hoka sneakers to the Ulla Johnson fashion show during New York fashion week in February. Photograph: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images “Hoka, one of the largest purveyors of these types of shoes, elevated them among fashion consumers by releasing lifestyle sneakers with brands from Marni to Comme des Garçons,” he says. Another influence is the rise of “running club culture”, says Lucila Saldana, footwear and accessories strategist at trend forecaster WGSN. While the trend is firmly mainstream, its staying power is “tied to deeper behavioural shifts”, Saldana says. Hoka and On, in particular, have popularised stacked sports shoes as everyday “symbols of a wellness-driven, effortlessly functional lifestyle”. John DiZane, senior director of buying at sports retail chain …