Trainers vs Sneakers: What Are the Differences?

Need to pick up a new pair of athletic shoes? You might be surprised to see how many different types of them there are these days.

Sneakers have only been around for about a century now. But they have certainly come a long way in that time.

Sneakers and trainers will be two of your best options when you’re in the market for athletic shoes. You should learn about the differences that exist between trainers vs sneakers before choosing one over the other.

So, what are sneakers? What are trainers? And what sets the two apart?

We’ve created a sneakers and trainers guide that should help you differentiate the two so that you can decide which one you want to buy. Check it out below and be sure to use it the next time you need to purchase a new pair of athletic shoes.

What Are Sneakers?

When you think about athletic shoes, there is a good chance that sneakers come to mind first. This is because sneakers is a very general term that can be utilized to describe a wide range of different kinds of athletic shoes.

But more often than not, people are referring to running shoes when they say sneakers. Sneakers are typically designed to keep people moving forward in one direction regardless of whether they’re running, jogging, sprinting, or even walking.

This is a very basic explanation of sneakers. But it should help to illustrate what sets sneakers apart from trainers in a few moments.

What Are Trainers?

As we just discussed, sneakers are athletic shoes that are built to keep you moving forward. Trainers, on the other hand, are, as their name would suggest, designed to help you make different movements while you’re training.

Trainers will provide your feet with the support that they’ll need as you make any number of lateral movements. It’s why people will often wear trainers when they’re taking part in activities like:

• Weightlifting
• Plyometric training
• Aerobics training

Technically, people could participate in many of these same activities with sneakers on their feet. But sneakers aren’t going to be able to deliver the same kind of support that trainers can when someone is in the midst of a training session.

What Are the Differences Between Trainers Vs Sneakers?

At this point, you know some of the surface-level differences that exist between trainers vs sneakers. But it’s worth pointing out that the differences between the two go beyond just this.

There are also some more specific differences between trainers vs sneakers that should be on your radar before you go with one over the other. We’ve listed several of these key differences below to help you further differentiate sneakers from trainers.

Structure

If you set a sneaker down next to a trainer and look at them side-by-side, you’ll see some differences in the ways that each of them are constructed. Since sneakers and trainers are used for different purposes, they don’t have the same structures to them.

Sneakers like the Yeezy Boost 350 v2, for example, tend to be slimmer and narrower than trainers. This is because trainers need some width to them to provide the lateral support that so many people need while training.

Trainers are also typically flatter than sneakers to make them sturdier than they would be otherwise. You’ll notice this difference from the second you stick a pair of trainers on your feet.

Weight

There has been a big push to make sneakers as light as possible. The lighter that sneakers are, the more comfortable they are when people wear them for running.

There hasn’t been this same push when it comes to trainers. Trainers are actually heavier than sneakers by design. It’s another thing that enables trainers to provide people with more lateral support.

Materials

There are some sneakers and trainers that are made using the same materials. But overall, you’ll often find that sneakers and trainers will contain different materials.

Sneakers are usually made out of fabrics that are porous. This enables sneakers to “breathe” while you’re running around in them.

Trainers, meanwhile, are usually made out of synthetic fabrics that are on the thicker side. This makes them more durable and allows them to protect a person’s feet during training.

Cushioning

Both sneakers and trainers contain more than enough cushioning in them in most cases. People need cushioning both when they’re running around in sneakers and when they’re training in trainers.

But you’re often going to find that sneakers will have a little bit more cushioning in them than trainers do. This cushioning is used to provide people’s knees, ankles, etc., with support and relief while they’re running in sneakers.

Trainers also have their fair share of cushioning in them. But companies don’t have to jampack too much cushioning into the mix since people won’t be running around too much in trainers. It’s one more thing that differentiates trainers vs sneakers.

Should You Buy Sneakers or Trainers?

At the end of the day, you really can’t go wrong with buying a pair of sneakers or trainers. Both will be excellent options for those who need new athletic shoes.

But before you go with trainers vs sneakers or vice versa, you should understand the things that make them different. It’ll put you in the perfect position to pick out the right athletic shoes for your specific purposes.

Want to check out some more informative articles about sneakers? Look for them in the other sections of our blog.