Sneak attack: thanks to a bevy of fashion designers, sensible shoes never looked so good.(Accessories Flash)

W, October, 2006 by Iredale, Jessica

During New York City's infamous 1980 transit strike, legions of newly anointed career women paired their pinstripes with sneakers for that ambulatory trek to work. In so doing, they created a look that would last, even if at the time the high-chic set found it absurd. In those intervening years, you've come a long way, baby, and so has that once humble shoe, its metamorphosis happening in stages. Elevated to fashion statement long ago by the punk pioneers of street style, now sneakers are the ultimate example of smart, edgy glamour.

While strong accessories houses such as Prada and ...