At 5 ft 2 in (157 cm), Emma Roberts wears a US shoe size 6 and is often photographed in towering pumps and sandals for events, but her off-duty footwear is considerably more relaxed.
On May 19, 2020, she stepped out for a coffee run in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, wearing black New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2 sneakers with Adidas soccer pants and a blue-and-pink tie-dye hoodie.
Emma Roberts pairs black New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2 sneakers with Adidas soccer pants during a coffee run in Los Angeles on May 19, 2020 (Credit: Instar / WENN / Avalon)
The black running shoes gave the look a practical athletic base. The Zante V2 combines a lightweight mesh upper with New Balance’s Fresh Foam cushioning and a relatively low-profile shape, while the white midsoles and oversized “N” logos picked up the white three-stripe detailing on Roberts’ Adidas pants.
The model has since become harder to find: as of September 2026, StockX did not show Roberts’ exact Fresh Foam Zante V2, although an earlier Fresh Foam Zante in the Black Sand colorway had a lowest ask of $85.
Emma Roberts accessorizes her pastel tie-dye hoodie with a floral cloth face covering, round sunglasses, and colorful flower snap clips
The sneakers also fit an established pattern in Roberts’ off-duty wardrobe. She has repeatedly chosen casual footwear away from the red carpet, including red Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops that she wore with both cropped denim and a leopard-print skirt.
Later in 2020, she was photographed in Los Feliz again wearing leggings, an oversized sweatshirt, and color-block Rothy’s sneakers for another casual outing.
Emma Roberts keeps her Los Feliz coffee-run look casual in a floral face covering and pastel tie-dye hoodie
For the rest of the outfit, Roberts wore round Ray-Ban metal sunglasses and colorful flower snap clips, carrying a black nylon Prada belt bag crossbody. The mix of athletic separates and a designer accessory is one she has returned to in other off-duty looks, but here the New Balance sneakers remained the most functional part of the outfit.
Emma Roberts wears black New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2 sneakers with Adidas three-stripe soccer pants
The laid-back sneaker look shows a very different side of Roberts’ shoe wardrobe from her evening dressing. At the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on February 9, 2020, she traded athletic separates for a floor-length black lace look from Alexandre Vauthier’s Spring 2020 Haute Couture collection, featuring a semi-sheer corseted bodice and floral detail at the waist.
She accessorized the gown with a structured Pellegrino Paris bag and Jennifer Meyer diamond jewelry. The contrast is typical of Roberts’ broader fashion history: practical sneakers and flats appear regularly in her everyday wardrobe, while her Vanity Fair and other event appearances have featured everything from Brian Atwood pumps to Chloé boots.
Emma Roberts wears Alexandre Vauthier Spring 2020 Haute Couture with a Pellegrino Paris bag and Jennifer Meyer jewelry at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on February 9, 2020
Why New Balance Sneakers Keep Turning Up in Celebrity Wardrobes
Emma Roberts’ Fresh Foam Zante V2 fits into a much bigger celebrity footwear pattern. New Balance sneakers combine the cushioning and supportive construction associated with the brand’s running heritage with a retro look that rarely feels overly polished or trend-driven. That balance helps explain why they work so easily with everything from leggings and sweatpants to denim, tailoring, and designer outerwear.
The appeal also goes beyond one silhouette. Rihanna has worn the classic 574 with sweats and a full-length fur coat, Hailey Bieber has grounded off-duty looks with chunky 992s and retro-inspired collaborations, Alessandra Ambrosio has turned to the 997H and 327, and Taylor Swift has worn a New Balance x Ganni collaboration with biker shorts and a vintage T-shirt. Even as individual models move in and out of production, the combination of comfort, recognizable design, and easy styling has given New Balance an unusually durable place in celebrity wardrobes.
👟 More New Balance Style Shoe Stories:
- ⭐ See why New Balance’s oversized “N” has become one of footwear’s most recognizable signatures, backed by a century-long focus on supportive, comfort-driven shoe design.
- 🇺🇸 Explore New Balance’s Made in USA story, including the American factories behind part of the Boston-born brand’s footwear production.
- 🧥 Rihanna pairs gray New Balance 574 sneakers with sweatpants and a full-length fur coat, showing how naturally the retro runner moves between comfort dressing and high-fashion styling.
- 🏙️ Sarah Jessica Parker works New Balance sneakers into her eclectic Manhattan street style with cuffed denim, statement socks, and relaxed layers.
- ✨ Alessandra Ambrosio gives the New Balance 997H an easy model-off-duty treatment, pairing the retro runner with streamlined athleisure and designer accessories.
- 🏀 Trace the New Balance 550 from late-1980s basketball shoe to modern street-style favorite, a revival built around the appeal of a clean, archival court silhouette.
- 🎬 Scarlett Johansson chooses New Balance 574 sneakers for a practical day on set, reinforcing why the heritage model remains such an easy off-duty option.
- 🎧 Taylor Swift gives New Balance x Ganni sneakers a relaxed studio-day spin with biker shorts and a vintage Shania Twain T-shirt.