Image Via : Sneaker-actus.fr
The classic white sneaker has been a staple in men and women’s shoe racks for almost a decade but how did this happen? From Stan Smiths to Converse, the white sneaker the only piece of clothing that can connect the first lady to East Coast rappers and it’s time we explored the phenomenon of the whitest of white sports shoes.
The It shoe of the year practically breaks the internet (remember the Gucci fur lined backless loafers?!) but even if you’re not all that into shoes, you almost definitely already own a pair of It shoes and they go by the name of the white sneaker. Whether you’re more loyal to Reebok or Nike, fashion conscious or not, everybody can and does wear a white sneaker and this is all part of the power it carries. You see, the white sneaker has a tongue in every part of the fashion pie, it works for althleisure wear, street style, catwalk and runway, for sports and gymwear and even for geeky, dinosaur dads! The white sneaker unites everyone, from athletics to moms on the school run, to the Gen X girl, first ladies and of course rappers. The white sneaker doesn’t transcend seasons, it actually transcends fashion and has changed the way we see casual fashion, shoe trends and even how we live our lives. In order to explore this, we first have to go back to the 00’s….
Image Via : Alex Closet
Oh, the noughties! An era of bubble skirts, tinted glasses and who could forget the Juicy Couture tracksuits! Another thing that the noughties gave us were heels. The higher the better, the more expensive the price tag the more on trend they were. Thanks in part to Carrie Bradshaw and the cult following of Sex and the City, sneakers simply weren’t the done thing outside of the gym and you certainly wouldn’t be caught dead walking to the gym in your gym gear; changing at the gym was imperative! Carrie Bradshaw’s feet never once touched a fashion sneaker never mind a regular sports sneaker and we all followed suit. Even her obsession with Manolo Blahnik found its way into our hearts, with millions of women selling their right arm in order to pay for extortionately expensive sky scraping stilettos. Now in 2019, you’d be hard pushed to find someone who wasn’t of a certain age, who’s willing to spend that amount of money on uncomfortable shoes they can’t walk in. That doesn’t mean people aren’t prepared to part with their cash in the same way, on the contrary, there’s simply more importance placed on durability of shoes, comfort and the potential to wear them in every social situation.
Sneaker culture has always been political right from its invention in the 19th century. Sneakers have always denoted class, identity and even race as well as being a blank canvas for political commentary whether the brands behind them intended them to be or not. The name sneaker comes from the original design primarily worn for playing tennis, a relatively noiseless pair of shoes, hence the name sneakers for sneaking around. This idea of sneaking unfortunately gave sneakers the connotation they were worn by the drags of society, delinquents, robbers and even drug dealers. An unshakeable reputation until very recently, finally, the white sneaker has over come all of these pigeon holes, a true shoe for everyone, regardless of their background, wealth or geographical location.
Image Via : Wmagazine
In 2011, Phoebe Philo took to the runway after her fourth collection at Celine to take her bow. On the runway for mere seconds, she unknowingly set the trend for the white sneaker to be worn with semi casual wear and tailoring. Her outfit of a green turtleneck and straight tailored pants paired with her Adidas Stan Smiths were talked about more than the actual Celine collection – which says everything really! She showed the world how a sports shoe that isn’t overtly categorized as active wear could be brought into high fashion and worn for practically every occasion while still looking smart, sexy and more importantly expensive high fashion. It shouldn’t come as a surprise as to why the world jumped on this trend, after all, who wouldn’t prefer to wear comfortable shoes that everyone can walk well in?
When it comes to competition, the white sneaker regardless of brand has very little competition. Vans slip on shoes are definitely up there, their striped or checkerboard monochrome patterns making them stand out more as a statement. But unlike the white sneaker, they can’t (or rather shouldn’t for the health of your feet) be worn to exercise in, giving the white sneaker back its edge. Other, more colorful sneakers also hold their place in the fashion sneaker market however the simple fact is that they don’t look as good as white when worn with tailored and high fashion pieces.
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We don’t know how long the white sneaker obsession will continue but for the sake of not squeezing our toes into pointy heels, we hope it lasts at least a life time! It’s safe to say that if you’re in the market for purchasing a new pair, they aren’t going to fall out of fashion any time soon but a word of advice –buy yourself an extra toothbrush at the same time so you can keep your pair looking pristine white for as long as possible!
