Old-School, Low Skate-Style Shoes

The wave of counterculture appropriation just keeps on washing over us, the fervent aesthetes, who want to look like a skateboarder without all the unwavering dedication, talent and broken bones it takes to actually be one.

Thankfully, the puffy Etnies of old have ollied their last. In their stead are slightly less bloated, low-profile skate silhouettes versatile enough to be worn off-the-ramp but sturdy enough to be scraped and battered and only get better with age.

Vans Old Skools, for example, are a certified design classic (not the hi-tops, mind – they are all kinds of terrible) and come ‘Ye-approved, while Converse’s Jack Purcells are still sitting comfortably in that smart-casual sweet spot. Ditto the chunky low-tops from the likes of Novesta and PF Flyers.

If you really want to spunk your rent money, Visvim’s luxe Skagway slip-ons have that perfect trust fund-meets-The Big Lebowski vibe. Which is a thing. Trust us.

VANS OLD SKOOL

GREATS

CONVERSE JACK PURCELL

Current Styles

Fashion Trainers

It’s no secret that fashion houses have been jumping on trainers over the past couple of years in a bid to take a bite out of the sneakerhead market. And every label worth its stitching has at least an in-house pair or two.

Usually offered at an astonishing mark-up, purchasing a pair of these is an undeniable lifestyle flex. Designers Raf Simons and Rick Owens have garnered a lot of chatter for their adidas collaborations, but mainstays like Lanvin (arguably a key progenitor of our current obsession with kicks), Italian-made Koio Collective and esteemed London cobbler John Lobb have recently brought out stellar efforts, too.

Lobb’s ultra-minimalist Levah – a lightweight summer-ready sneaker available in suede and velveteen calf leather – caught eyes last year, and Parisian disruptor Damir Doma’s sub-label SILENT delivered the goods with the colour-blocked Fedka low-top.

With millennials an increasingly important market for high-end labels, expect to see plenty more superbly crafted ‘accessible’ styles, at less than accessible price points.