Square toes, what a concept – you may be thinking, and you’re not wrong. Sports brands haven’t invented the wheel here, the squared toe isn’t entirely new. We’ve actually been wearing square-toed shoes for hundreds of years. But, it’s only been this summer that we’re seeing this design take over sneaker design.

A toe shape that was once donned by King Henry VIII in the 1500s, pilgrims in the 1600s and equestrians in the 1700s, you can arguably say that the squared silhouette is pretty timeless. Boots and dress shoes saw this trend come and go through the centuries – with fans and foes (GQ’s 2017 article “The Square-Toe Shoe Must Die” was definitely a foe) – but it was Prada and later on Martine Rose that introduced the silhouette to trainers.

adidas is going full force with the square toes this season, introducing new, sharp iterations of some of its Originals silhouettes, such as the new Stan Smith SQ and Superstar SQ – adding some angles to the OG round-toe design. Similarly, Jennie’s new collaboration with adidas saw a squared off Mary Jane version of the Stan Smith, layering on an angular flair to her first original silhouette.

Nike has joined the chat, too, following the squared footsteps of its collaborator Martine Rose. The sportswear giant will be coming out with a squared-toe Air Force 1 (aka the Squair Force 1) in 2027. Onitsuka Tiger also teased a Mexico 66 Square at its autumn/winter 2026 show. Converse has a squared-toe Chuck Taylor. Plus, we’ve seen this toe silhouette thrive in other types of shoes. Havaianas introduced a squared-toe flip flop in 2023, and it’s become one of the brand’s best-selling styles.

As the two worlds of fashion and sneakers have been collaborating more and more and increasingly merging together, it’s interesting to see fashion trends bleed into sneakers, too. We saw that with the growing popularity of tabis and split-toe shoes, we saw it in the rise of sneakerinas following the trending ballet flats, and we’re seeing it now with the square toes.

And as sneaker brands have been delving into their archives, testing out old and new silhouettes, introducing new technologies, and having fun with their designs, sneakers have never been more experimental. Shapes that were once reserved for the fashion collabs, are now available for all. Now, the sneaker industry is asking us to square up.