Five days, one sneaker: How Saucony’s retro-tech runner became the Vogue office uniform

There are office shoes, and then there are office shoes. The former are reserved for certain situations: high-pressure meetings, cocktail events and showroom visits. The latter are the real workhorses, carrying us through pressing deadlines, coffee runs and long afternoons at our desks. Lately, at the Vogue Scandinavia office, that role has fallen to a single silhouette: Saucony’s retro-tech runner.

Seen styled from Monday through Friday in a Vogue Scandinavia exclusive video with Cajsa Wessberg, the sneaker moves easily between moods, meetings and wardrobes – a reminder that the best trainers today are defined by their adaptability.

Originally introduced as part of Saucony’s early-2000s performance lineage, the ProGrid Omni 9 sits squarely in that sweet spot fashion currently finds irresistible: equipped with technical prowess while x with nostalgic appeal. As Vogue Scandinavia's Senior Beauty & Shopping Editor Josefin Forsberg notes, "it is very tricky to find a sneaker that somehow gets the balance between fashion and function right, especially one that has to hold up through the busy lives we lead as editors, but having slipped into my first Saucony pair mere weeks ago, I may have found my forever pair."

Opting for an oyster and navy colourway, Forsberg describes the style as "chunky, but not overtly so that it becomes dated." In her words: "it hugs the foot in a firm way that, having worn them during a recent flight to Amsterdam for a press trip, is especially appreciated when you're travelling or on your feet for extended stretches of time."

The mesh uppers, layered panels and sculptural sole recall a moment when running shoes were engineered objects first and lifestyle staples second – precisely the balance that makes them feel relevant again now. They’re also the sort of sneaker you can easily wear with most pieces in your wardrobe. Not only have they trudged through a sunny power walk through Stockholm's Djurgården, they were also the sneaker Forsberg sported from the office straight to afterworks, worn with a black cigarette trouser and an oversized white cotton shirt, "in that very je ne sais quoi French sort of way." All in all, she says, she will be repurchasing.

Seen styled across one week here by Wessberg, the sneaker moves easily between moods, meetings and wardrobes. Wessberg pairs it with oversized tailoring and a lace-trimmed slip at her desk, then shifts into sheer floral suiting that softens the runner’s technical edge with something more romantic. Elsewhere, it appears with relaxed separates that echo the ease of errands between appointments, before returning again alongside sharper layers that feel ready for after-hours plans.

That versatility is echoed across the office. As Vogue Scandinavia's Social Editor Jennifer Nguyen puts it, slipping into her pair immediately got her feeling like she was the "I'm in sport mode" meme. "Chronically online jokes aside (would you expect anything less from a Social Editor?) I loved how comfy these sneakers were and how they didn't skimp on style," Nguyen notes. "I recently wore them to run errands around town, but kept them on my feet for a night catching up with friends: all I needed to do was swap my sweats for a skirt and I was good to go. We love a shoe that does it all!"

Part of the appeal lies in proportion. Unlike the ultra-minimal trainers that dominated recent seasons, retro runners bring back structure – think a defined sole, a layered upper. Yet they stop short of feeling oversized or performative. For Editorial Assistant Eleanor Kittle, that came as something of a revelation.

“Chunky trainers are not a regular in my wheelhouse,” Kittle admits, recalling a lingering aversion to the silhouette’s more exaggerated recent incarnations. "My own selection, an understated taupe and navy pair, has quickly become my go-to shoe. For someone whose everyday uniform often boils down to the simplicity of jeans and a t-shirt, their integration into my existing wardrobe has been one of welcomed ease."

With their inherent versatility, by the end of the week, the question around the Vogue Scandinavia office isn't so much what to wear with Saucony sneakers, but how to live without them.