Spring’s Sporty Track Pant Trend Is Getting the Fashion Editor Seal of Approval

I am not and never have been a sportsperson. In gym class, I was the kid sitting in the grass and counting the clouds. If you see me running, you should get moving, too, because that means something or someone is chasing me.

However, I am a fashion nerd who fears missing out on the Next Big Thing—especially when it's worth the hype. And for that very reason, track pants are the first draft, so to speak, on my spring 2025 wishlist.

The track pants trend is not necessarily the new kid on the block. High-tech fashion sweats have been regulars on the runways of Christian Dior, Dries Van Noten, Louis Vuitton, and countless other luxury brands whose collections embody any kind of sportswear slant. Off the runways, Adidas’s side-striped track pants—both its classic Firebirds and the designer collaboration with Wales Bonner—are mainstays in New York, London, Paris, and Milan's street style scene.

But Tory Burch’s fresh perspective on track pants for their Fall 2025 fashion show piqued my interest. On its February runway, the brand showcased a relay race of striped Japanese jersey sweatpants paired with hourglass jackets, sequin polos, and quirky cardigans clipped with brooches.

As a fashion editor fixated on fresh-feeling spring work outfits, I’m especially intrigued with the track pants' potential to soften up professional attire—with a crisp button-down and leather loafers—or a frilly top and slingback heels. It's a juxtaposition in dress codes that strikes the perfect balance between unexpected and effortlessly cool. And even I—an avowed sportsphobe whose high school “team” was the opinion section of my newspaper—now feel compelled to try the trend, not for training on a treadmill but for sipping aperitifs on a warm Saturday afternoon or when I'm craving something a bit more comfortable at the office.

Utility-first brands like Relax Lacrosse, a vintage-inspired Lacrosse apparel brand with a fashion cult following, have also become a destination for trendy athletic shorts and pants that may never see a field. Instead, they're styled alongside colorful Christopher John Rogers creations and polished Khaite pumps. The brand even collaborated with It-girl retailer Lisa Says Gah on bow-adorned mesh bottoms that perfectly merge a girly aesthetic with a laid-back “lax bro” vibe.

Their success is part of the controversial yet compelling clash of opposing dress codes, which has always been like catnip to the fashion crowd and celebrity trendsetters. That's why leather and lace work well together, and so-ugly-they-are-cute color combinations are trending this spring.

Just look to Alexa Chung, who upstyled the track pants trend with white button-down shirts and tailored top coats, or Jennifer Lawrence, who styles her Adidas trackies with her $6,000 leather jacket by The Row.

NYC-based fashion stylist and writer Michelle Li notes that track pants offer the perfect canvas for mixing and matching unexpected combinations. “I'm not a big denim or trouser person (I think I have one of each), but I have multiple track pants and wear them the most,” she says. Often alongside “something girly, feminine, or sparkly” and thicker, chunky knits because “the mix of textures instantly elevates an outfit.” The mashup helps her personal style flourish—or, as Li puts it, “contrast is how I find a way to make a clothing piece feel more me.”

In short, track pants are just really versatile. Depending on your day, they can be dressed up or down—a fact not lost on Kylie Bichsel, the head of business partnerships at Relax Lacrosse. “Athletic pants are functional first and foremost but also give a great high-low look when paired with a heel or a high-fashion piece. It's about a relaxed style and versatility—lax pants can be worn out to dinner, a yoga class, and, of course, to a lacrosse game!”

Or, in my case, into my midtown Manhattan office as a forgiving swap for a starchy pair of tailored trousers.

Karl Lagerfeld once said that "sweatpants were a sign of defeat," suggesting that one has lost control of one's life. But I may have to disagree with the late great fashion designer. While I'll still watch sports from the sidelines, you can spot me taking a victory lap in a pair of track pants around SoHo. I'll be accessorizing, not with a jersey and a lacrosse stick, but with a pink puff-sleeve top and cute little kitten heels.

Shop Spring's Best Track Pants