Meaning 1
In Irish English, runners commonly means athletic or casual sports shoes—the footwear that American English often calls sneakers and British English often calls trainers.
How it is used
Foras na Gaeilge records runner with a running-shoe sense and gives the phrase a pair of runners. RTÉ Brainstorm's 2026 discussion of Irish English explicitly identifies runners as the Irish-English equivalent of American sneakers, while noting increasing influence from British trainers and regional alternatives such as gutties.
Examples
- “Bring your runners for PE tomorrow.”
- “I need a new pair of runners for walking around town.”
- “Those runners are comfortable enough for everyday wear.”
Pronunciation
/ˈrʌn.ərz/ · RUN-erz
Tone and register
Ordinary and unmarked in much of Ireland. The word does not imply that the shoes are currently being used for running; depending on speaker and context it can cover sports shoes, trainers, sneakers, or casual athletic footwear more generally.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can understand runners as everyday Irish footwear vocabulary. If a technical running-shoe specification matters, say running shoes or name the sport and shoe type rather than assuming every pair of runners is designed for running. Trainers and sneakers are also understood, and regional or generational preferences vary.
Cultural context
Runners is valuable because it shows how ordinary retail and school vocabulary differs across English-speaking regions without needing to be slang. Irish speakers can use the plural naturally in contexts where British speakers prefer trainers and American speakers prefer sneakers, and current Irish commentary treats that contrast as a normal part of Irish English.
Meaning 2
In Australian English, runners can mean sports shoes or athletic trainers; current Australian school usage shows the term functioning naturally in PE and uniform contexts, although joggers, sneakers, trainers, and other labels also compete regionally.
How it is used
Current New South Wales public-school material uses runners directly for sports footwear: Concord High School lists runners under its sports uniform, Lewisham Public School specifies runners for Fridays and sports events, and Willmot Public School allows joggers / runners as approved footwear. Cambridge independently records runner, usually plural, with a sneaker or running-shoe sense.
Examples
- “Wear runners for sport on Friday.”
- “She packed her runners for PE.”
- “The school uniform list says runners are acceptable for sports activities.”
Pronunciation
/ˈrʌn.əz/ · RUN-uhz
Tone and register
Neutral and ordinary where used. The term is less useful as a single national shibboleth than as one member of a varied Australian footwear vocabulary that also includes joggers, sneakers, trainers, and other regional labels.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can understand runners as sports shoes in Australia, especially when school, PE, or casual footwear context makes the meaning clear. Do not assume it is the only Australian term or that every region prefers it. For specialist footwear, name the sport or shoe type when precision matters.
Cultural context
The Australian sense demonstrates why Maperla keeps the same spelling on one canonical page across places. Ireland and Australia can both use runners for sports footwear, but each region has its own competing terms and social distribution. Shared vocabulary does not imply identical frequency, history, or geographic boundaries.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.
Comparisons featuring this term
Open reviewed place comparisons that explicitly use this canonical term in their editorial comparison set.
Related terms
Explore the topic
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Sources & review
- Foras na Gaeilge — runner — English-Irish Dictionary
- RTÉ Brainstorm — Can ChatGPT order a jumbo breakfast roll without messing up?
- The Irish Times — Is it a runner?
- NSW Department of Education — Concord High School — Uniform
- NSW Department of Education — Lewisham Public School — Uniform
- NSW Department of Education — Willmot Public School — Uniform
- Cambridge Dictionary — Runner — shoe meaning