Anyone who has been following Katie Holmes’s style for a while knows that the streets of New York are her personal runway. While Holmes makes a chic and polished appearance on red carpets and at New York Fashion Week, it’s in everyday fashion that she’s a true maven—a trip for morning coffee, a walk with her daughter doing their errands, or sitting in the director’s chair. She’s a master of good denim and totes a covetable collection of agenda-setting It bags (from Manu Atelier to Métier and Marni). If it’s on Katie Holmes’s arm, you should be adding it to your wishlist.
But cast your eye downwards on a Katie Holmes’s street style moment, and prepare for a tip-off on the season’s hottest sneakers. Recently, the actor-director sported the return of one particular throwback style.
Snapped—where else?—but on the streets of New York, Holmes wore a simple red knit with a graphic number emblazoned across the chest from Hush, with brown flared pants, and aviator sunglasses. On her feet, a pair of Nike Cortez sneakers. Cosy, comfortable, sporty, chic—the pinnacle of relaxed downtown style.
If anyone knows about classic sneakers, it’s definitely Katie Holmes. Check through her back catalog of looks and you’ll find her dressed in straight-leg denim and flowy slip dresses with adidas Sambas and New Balance’s range of dad sneakers on her feet.
That she’s wearing Nike Cortez in the middle of 2025 just speaks to how there are silhouettes that simply don’t go out of style. A retro design with a slim, low-profile finish, these sneakers reflect a sense of timelessness that makes them feel of-the-moment and cool, whatever your own aesthetic.
The revival of one of the most iconic sneaker models in history is gaining steam for fall. The white model of Nike shoes is distinguishable for its blue stripe on the heel and red Swoosh. The Cortez first became famous as the brand’s first set of sneakers for runners; launched in 1968, it was during the 1970s when they had a remarkable apogee, thanks to the celebrities who wore them.
One of the most memorable photos of this era is that of Farrah Fawcett in an episode of Charlie’s Angels. Zooming by on a skateboard, she wore her Nike Cortez sneakers with blue flared jeans and a red zip sweater.
The ’90s saw the Cortez experience another resurgence; Whitney Houston wore them during a performance of the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl.
Other celebrities who’ve been captivated by the Cortez over the years? Well, they were a wardrobe staple for Jeremy Allen White during season four of The Bear, and IRL, everyone from Alexa Chung to Kaia Gerber and Bella Hadid has sported a pair. Like Holmes, Dakota Johnson is deft at incorporating an It sneaker into all spectrums of her style; walking the streets of NYC, you’ll see Johnson in her trusty brown iterations paired with white jeans, a quilted jacket, and cap, and a more polished blazer and fringed skirt look.
And while brands from Dries van Noten to Miu Miu and Prada have articulated their own takes on the retro sneaker trend, the understated Nike Cortez is at the beginning of another revival, and will assuredly have a place in your transeasonal shoe rotation.
Shop an edit of Nike Cortez sneakers inspired by Katie Holmes’s look, below.
