runners

The word “runners” means casual, informal British/Irish/Australian term for athletic shoes. In plain terms, running shoes or trainers — mainly British, Irish, and Australian usage.

Here is “runners” used in a sentence: “He kicked off his runners at the door and slipped into slippers.”

“Runners” is a noun.

“Runners” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Both are informal words for athletic shoes, but "runners" is common in Ireland and Australia, while "trainers" is the usual term in British English. They refer to the same kind of sporty, lace-up footwear.

"Runners" and "sneakers" both mean athletic shoes, but "sneakers" is the standard American and Canadian word, whereas "runners" is used in Ireland, Australia, and parts of Britain. The footwear is the same; the label depends on region.

Using "runners" to mean athletic shoes is casual and chiefly Irish and Australian, and heard in parts of Britain. In American English, speakers would usually say "sneakers" or "running shoes" instead.

In the footwear sense, "runners" is normally used in the plural because shoes come in pairs, as in "a new pair of runners." A single shoe would rarely be called "a runner" in this sense.