The most insane (and maybe the most expensive) spring sneakers for women

Last year sneakers were all about hip-hop and sneaker collaborations (Drake for Air Jordans, Pharrell Williams for adidas, Rihanna for Puma). This year? It's all about luxury fashion brands bringing massively blinged out sneakers to market.

Daianara Grullon Amalfitano, Vice President of Global Footwear at The Aldo Group says luxury brands are investing deeply in sneaker culture because design technology has gotten so cool, it's impossible not to. "Sneaker design has evolved tremendously with the infiltration of technology...The fusion between athletics and luxury allows our design team to play with new treatment in styling, colours, material as well as design features and functions."

The sneakers you'll find in luxury and high street shops in 2017 are a feast of decadence. Toronto-based stylist, Talia Brown, says "sneakers evolve as art evolves, and become pieces of art themselves". Brown states the obvious fact too, if the sneakers in this story can be used as evidence: "People are spending more on designer sneakers than ever before."

Take this pair of metallic pink leather Christian Louboutin high top sneakers ($1290) for example. They're trimmed in gold piping, handmade in Italy and come with the French footwear brand's signature red (rubber) sole.

Italian fashion blogger-turned-footwear designer, Chiara Ferragni has also designed a pair of pink sneakers, handmade in Italy; the Flirting Jewel Bow Skate Sneakers ($585) have a huge pink bow fastened with a jeweled wink clasp.

However, Chiara Ferragni's pair feels almost understated when compared to the pairs Miu Miu has designed for  2017. This pair of jeweled feather and satin skate sneakers by the kid sister brand of Prada is the most elaborate pair of pink sneakers in the bunch ($1255).

This pair of sneakers by Maison Margiela is so sparkly they're just literally named "glitter sneakers" ($990) because even the sole is decorated with dense silver sparkles, and what else could you name them?

Speaking of decorated soles, the Gucci faux pearl studded sneakers ($1170) are simply delicious for people who love to push the boundaries of their footwear fetish. Significantly more understated, these Acne sneakers ($565) with their oil slick soles are really cool too.

Some footwear brands are battling it out for a title of "most colourful shoe". These multi-colour hibiscus printed sneakers by Athletic Propulsion Labs ($250) are a good start but these Gucci Peggy metallic leather platform sneakers ($1295) knock 'colourful' out of the park. The Adidas ultra kolor boost KOLOR sneakers ($341) are the athletic cousin to Gucci's club kid platform.

My personal favourites are the sneakers made with velvet and lace up with thick, beautiful ribbon. This rose gold pair by Steven ($117) would be so pretty with denim and a crisp white blouse, and how about the ribbon bow on this bright fuchsia pair of suede & satin sneakers ($105) by Puma. Velvet sneakers get kicked up another notch when adorned with huge pom poms like this pair by Sam Edelman (on sale for $54) or the Arian genuine fox fur trim sneaker by Here/Now ($327).

To tie up the insanely decadent sneaker trend of 2017 with a bow, literally, look to this pair of casual siren red slip-on sneakers by Joshua Saunders ($158) and this gorgeous faux leather pair by Cedric Charlier ($519) — aren't the bows beautiful? — and I expect to see Rebecca Minkoff's denim version of the bowtie slip-on ($170)  everywhere this spring.

The icing on the cake? Despite their maximalist glitter and feathers and jewels, all of these shoes were made for walking.