sneakers

Sneakers are soft sports shoes worn for running and for everyday comfort. Rubber soles, laces, and no noise when you walk.

That silence is where the name comes from, since rubber soles let you sneak. This is the American word, and British English says trainers, which comes from training shoes. Australians say runners. They began as sportswear and became the most collected item of clothing in the world, with some pairs resold for thousands. The word is almost always plural.