Les baskets -- sneakers in France

Tennis shoes have been acceptable in Paris for a long time. I first went back in 2008 and stayed in the 8th arr. On the weekends all the guys and some girls were wearing tennis shoes-Converse and others.

What heather said. Cute tennies have been fashionable for years. Has David only just noticed?

Very true, plenty of stylish Europeans and Americans wear sneakers, so they no longer automatically read as overly casual or unfashionable. And of course people can wear whatever shoes they prefer. But not all tennis shoe styles are fashionable. Don’t expect to pick a random pair off the shelf at foot locker and look like a stylish Parisian. It’s less about brands than the shape/look and what other clothes they are worn with. If you care you will be able to see the differences. If not, at least sneakers are no longer a billboard saying you are automatically a poorly dressed tourist!

On the weekends all the guys and some girls were wearing tennis
shoes-Converse and others.

I remember the same, and the Converse style in all sorts of fun colors, as they are here.

Sneakers, or trainers as us Brits like to refer to them as, have been worn in France (and wider Europe) as a fashion item for years. However, consideration should be given to the style and what you're pairing them with. A pair of functional albeit expensive pair of high technology running trainers are not going to cut it.

In Vienna I wear my Stan Smith’s every day to work. Everyone under 40 wears them.

I agree that fashionable sneakers are definately widespread. My husband & I will be wearing our "fashionable" comfortable Ecco 7's again. We are well over 40 years old! ;)