Born in Forest Hills, New York, in 1948, Donna Karan studied fashion at the Parson's School of Design. Shortly after graduating, she landed a job as an assistant for the American designer Anne Klein. When Klein died in 1974, Karan and her husband Stephan Weiss launched their own fashion label under the name Donna Karan New York. Give your footwear collection a cool, fashion-forward edge with a pair of DKNY trainers. Choose from wedge heeled boots, plaid, slip-on styles, and statement leather platforms.
The DKNY Sneakers Buying Guide
Born in Forest Hills, New York, in 1948, Donna Karan studied fashion at the Parson's School of Design. Shortly after graduating, she landed a job as an assistant for the American designer Anne Klein. When Klein died in 1974, Karan and her husband Stephan Weiss launched their own fashion label under the name Donna Karan New York. Give your footwear collection a cool, fashion-forward edge with a pair of DKNY sneakers. Choose from wedge heeled booties, plaid, slip-on styles, and statement leather platforms.
DKNY is known for its versatility, with pieces designed to transition from day to night. Since the brand’s inception, DKNY has always been a go-to staple for everyday sneaker styles. Platforms, wedge sneakers, high-tops and low-tops, lace-ups, slip-ons and more can be found in the brand’s footwear line. Ahead, we’ve put together a buying guide to help you discover the best styles for you, find the right size and work out how to care for your DKNY sneakers.
The Most Wanted DKNY Sneakers
DKNY High-Top Sneakers
The effortlessly cool high-top is one of the most popular DKNY shoe styles. Hitting above the ankle, variations of this sporty silhouette can be found as quilted wedge lace-ups and pull-on sock sneakers with a knitted logo such as the London Wedge, Pandie Town and Country lug bootie.
DKNY Platform Sneakers
Look to DKNY platform sneakers to refresh your casualwear. This style is equipped with a thick platform to bring your style to new heights. You can find this sneaker in logo-mania versions like the Suri lace-up platform and the Bashi logo-embellished metallic leather sneaker.
DKNY Knit Sneakers
For a cozy, fitted take on athletic shoes, DKNY knit sneakers live up to high expectations. The trendy style is loved for its sleek design and airy knit design. Styles like the Dutch stretch knit low-top platform sneaker, Penn Knitted Sock Sneakers, and the Melissa slip-on sneaker make getting dressed that much easier by using the pull tab to quickly slide them on.
The Women’s DKNY Sneaker Sizing Guide
Unsure of your size? We recommend buying your typical sneaker shoe size when shopping for DKNY sneakers. It is worth noting that some of the knit sneakers may stretch out a little after many wears, so if these styles hug your ankles or calves, they’ll loosen up over time. It will not be too drastic, however, because the knit material has elastic embedded in the fibers.
The brand uses US sizing and you can use the chart below to find how this correlates with your usual UK, EU or France sizing. For example, if you typically wear a women’s UK 5 or EU 38, you should take your DKNY sneakers in an 8.
| US | UK | ITALY/EUROPE | FRANCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | 34 | 35 |
| 4.5 | 1.5 | 34.5 | 35.5 |
| 5 | 2 | 35 | 36 |
| 5.5 | 2.5 | 35.5 | 36.5 |
| 6 | 3 | 36 | 37 |
| 6.5 | 3.5 | 36.5 | 37.5 |
| 7 | 4 | 37 | 38 |
| 7.5 | 4.5 | 37.5 | 38.5 |
| 8 | 5 | 38 | 39 |
| 8.5 | 5.5 | 38.5 | 39.5 |
| 9 | 6 | 39 | 40 |
| 9.5 | 6.5 | 39.5 | 40.5 |
| 10 | 7 | 40 | 41 |
| 10.5 | 7.5 | 40.5 | 41.5 |
| 11 | 8 | 41 | 42 |
| 11.5 | 8.5 | 41.5 | 42.5 |
| 12 | 9 | 42 | 43 |
How To Care For Your DKNY Sneakers
The versatile styles and comfort designed in DKNY sneakers will have you wearing these on repeat, so you’ll want to take good care of them. When cleaning any problem areas or stains, we recommend using a mild soap and a damp cloth to spot clean your shoes.
For leather, simply wipe off the surface. For fabricated knits, wash in a circular motion to remove dirt and stains. If you are cleaning neoprene, we recommend soaking your shoes overnight in water. The next day, take a cloth and gently rub the problem area until the dirt or stain is removed and allow the shoes to fully air dry before wearing them again.
- What is the difference between the Donna Karan and DKNY brands?
Donna Karan famously established her brand in 1984 by creating a line of women’s clothing she called “Seven Easy Pieces,” which were garments that could be easily worn in multiple combinations. The idea was to make life simpler for busy women juggling a home, work, and social life in style. The brand then became a household name for modern women’s style with simplistic design. A few years later, DKNY was created to meet a younger demographic of women that have a New York sophisticated outlook and attitude. This contemporary line of clothes was designed to clothe a woman from anywhere she may go throughout her NYC day-- from the office to happy hour. DKNY became a global lifestyle brand with a wider assortment of designs.
- What does DKNY stand for?
DKNY stands for Donna Karan New York. The brand’s name represents the designer’s personal vision to create easily paired lifestyle pieces that encompass a modern, city girl’s daily routine and aspirational living. The label’s sneaker collection stays true to the DKNY ethos.
- Does Donna Karan still design DKNY today?
Donna Karan stepped down as the head of her brand in 2015 in order to spend more time building her philanthropic project and lifestyle brand, Urban Zen. Today the brand is designed by a team of designers at G-III Apparel Group, which still maintains the quality and style the brand’s sneakers are known for.