How To Actually Wear Chunky Sneakers

"Step into spring on the right foot!" "Put a little spring in your step!" When you're bombarded with advertisements and emails about spring footwear around this time of year, you probably picture strappy sandals, barely-there heels, and easy slides. But one of the most ubiquitous shoes trends of the season isn't strappy or barely-there at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. We're talking about the chunky sneakers you're seeing all over your Instagram feed. They're cumbersome, they're quirky, and they're going strong for spring.

The thing about this style is that you either love it or you hate it, there isn't much in-between — these oversized sneakers, from Louis Vuitton and Ganni to Skechers and FILA, get just as many haters as they do fans. Of course it's because they go against everything we're told about footwear (especially in spring and summer); we're supposed to want our footwear to be sleek and elongating, not clunky and bulky. And still, there's something about these larger-than-life sneakers that the fashion world just can't quit; take Balenciaga's sold-out-everywhere Triple S sneakers, for example. Sure, "ugly" footwear is far from a new thing on the runways and in street style alike, but this season, it's back with a vengeance.

Before you brush them off as yet another look reserved for trend-chasers and sneakerheads only, here's four ways to ease into the trend instead of watching from the sidelines.