Fashion
Our Festival Style Hack For 2026? Wearing The Same Pair Of Sneakers All Weekend
Unparalleled comfort and one less thing to think about in the morning.
A little inclement weather may have set back some of the artists’ set times at this year’s Gov Ball, but the rain wasn’t going to stop the girls and gays from popping out for acts like Lorde or turning looks in the name of music-festival style.
Over the years, there has been a shift towards a less, shall we say, intense approach to festival dressing. Where the early 2010s saw the boom of Coachella bring about sequined tops, flower crowns, and extravagantly distressed denim, the name of the game in this decade is easy. I set sail for Flushing Meadows Corona Park this year with Puma Suede sneakers in tow, the better to stand for hours on end to see acts like Slayyyter, Fcukers, and Wet Leg. It also was a no-brainer when it came to getting dressed every morning: I wore the same pair of shoes all three days.
On Friday, it was all about Lorde and Katseye, and with the first day came the feeling of wanting to go all-out. I paired my Suedes with denim shorts, a Puma KING jersey in blue, and wrap-around shades. The sporty summer vibe was in full effect, both onstage with acts like King Princess in sweatpants and on the festival grounds, where mesh shorts, bikini tops, and sneakers all set the tone for no-nonsense dressing.
Saturday was the longest day, and the one that saw the festival cut short an hour due to the hurricane-style rainstorm New York received in the evening. Function over form was the name of the game — despite me wearing a white T-shirt — and I matched my vintage navy top with vintage camo shorts, and yes, the same pair of Puma Suedes in navy. The holes in my shirt acted as ventilation, and my shoes were pre-coated with dust from the day before, so I didn’t need to worry about dirtying another pair of sneakers.
The last day of a music festival is something like a spiritual and literal hangover, and we kept it chill with sets like Blood Orange, Holly Humberstone, and Japanese Breakfast. Puma was along for the ride, this time with a pink pair of denim capris from Sanderlak and an old Gosha Rubchinskiy T-shirt, cropped for the right proportions. The skate-lite feel of the look was offset by a Balenciaga city bag, which was not the most ideal bag to tote while head-banging to Slayyyter, but helped tremendously in taking home the flag I copped at her set.
So, with all the outfit explanations in the world, what can you take away for your summer outings to festivals in the U.S. and beyond? It’s not so much about turning a look anymore (unless you’re a die-hard Eyekon and need to match Lara), and more about being able to move from set to set without getting blisters. I clocked 17,000 steps a day, and while my feet experienced the usual soreness expected from a weekend festival, it wasn’t anything compared to when I’ve worn leather boots at Coachella. Puma’s Suedes were both the key accessory of the weekend and the piece I thought about least in the morning — not because they’re not stylish, but because relying on the same pair of shoes for the whole weekend took the guessing out of outfit equations for me, and I knew they’d match with whatever I chose.
Go for a little sporty, a little skater, and definitely relaxed look this festival season. Making a statement can be saved for when you’re in close proximity to your house, not when running from Fcukers at 3:45 p.m. to Geese at 4:45 p.m. See our complete style guide below.
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Photographs by Kevin LeBlanc
