Posh Vs. Sporty Sneakers: Which Side Are You On?
byVogue
Amongst the swarm of stiletto-wearing editors, buyers, and models on the streets of Paris, New York, London, and Milan this season, a new breed of fashion creature has emerged: the sneaker freak. You'll have seen her superluxe kicks captured on street-style blogs-studded Louboutin high-tops, snakeskin Lanvin plimsolls, and perhaps most ubiquitous of all, the Isabel Marant Betty, a shoe that comes with a built-in wedge. That fabulous take on athleticism isn't for everyone, however, and these days sneaker purists who favor bona-fide sports shoes by the likes of Nike and Adidas are taking a stand. With those distinct and opposing value systems in mind, Vogue asked two sneakerheads from opposite sides of the fence to make their case: Which camp are you in?
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THE HIGH FASHION SNEAKER
by Emily Holt
As a teenager more interested in competitive shopping than competitive sports, I wasn't shamed by my lead feet at the close of track season my sophomore year. I was simply happy to have fulfilled a phys-ed credit. And if I never again wore a pair of spikes-those unattractive featherweight lace-ups with cleats to grip the track-that was fine with me.
But the recent spate of athletic-inspired collections from designers like Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga and Alexander Wang have me rethinking my disavowal of trainers. Models walking steadily on the runways in high-fashion clothes and practical shoes evoked a sense of nonchalant elegance that I've been chasing all my life. Wang's cool-gray and yellow low-tops would add a sense of looseness and creativity to my otherwise tailored uniform of slim, cropped pants and well-cut blazers. Sure, with their mesh panels, they are influenced by their sporty counterparts, but fashion sneakers like these or Céline's python slip-ons are designed with an eye toward aesthetics over performance. Plus, do you think you're going to find something as heart-racing as Miu Miu's gold-glitter studded high-tops in a sports store?
To me, opting into the sneaker trend by wearing something from a serious athletic label feels false. I'm not trying to fool anyone into thinking that I'm a jock. I've always been on Team Fashion.
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THE CLASSIC ATHLETIC SNEAKER
by Chioma Nnadi
Some of the first and most important strides I made in New York were cushioned by sneakers: hopping off the plane from London in Adidas Superstars (an homage to locals like Run-DMC); showing up for my first day of work at a magazine downtown in a pair of box-fresh Nike Air Rifts; agreeing to a date at Da Silvano on the condition that I wear my favorite dunks. By the end of the year the shoe boxes were stacked so high around the house, there was barely room enough to breathe. I wasn't a sports fanatic, it's just that growing up as the only girl in a family of boys, sneaker culture was part of the furniture. In the interests of saving my sanity and some space in my Brooklyn apartment, I finally kicked the habit.
But a recent sighting of Russian designer Vika Gazinskaya at the shows in Paris made me nostalgic for my old ways. There she was, striding through the Tuileries in a gorgeous ankle-gazing printed skirt, houndstooth sweater, and the kind of Nike Air Max running shoes I would have given my right arm for once upon time. The look stood exactly where I wanted to be-at the tipping point of ladylike elegance and tomboy swagger, and turning every fancy Parisian dress code on its head.
Ultimately the beauty of a true sports shoe is entirely incidental, and it's that I-don't-have-to-try-too-hard attitude that is particularly alluring. They don't trouble their little soles with the superficial things in life! The focus here is on performance! Comfort! They even go as far as keeping Olympians steady and light on their feet. OK, so maybe the prospect of shaving a one-hundredth of a second off your morning coffee run isn't necessarily the major selling point, but the fact is these new state-of-the-art sneakers look just as good as they feel.
As for the perennial classics (Jordans, Chucks, Vans) that I'm unearthing from the depths of my closet? Well they'll always have a special story to tell. But beyond personal memories, it's the history of true sneakers that sets them apart from their fashionable counterparts. Some of the world's greatest athletes became champions in these shoes! And that's a legacy I'm happy to wear for years to come.
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