Classics : the white sneaker Keep ‘em fresh
And why you should always have a fresh pair on standby.
As essential as a pair of Oxford’s or Derby’s in every man's wardrobe, the humble white sneaker is, believe it or not, almost a century old. The versatile footwear can be worn from day into night, paired with almost any outfit and has become an essential for every stylish man the world over. Today, every brand has their say on the fabled white sneaker, with prices ranging wildy. A modest and unpresuming pair of white leather sneakers from H&M will set you back $35, whilst the ever so popular and recent Alexander McQueen take on the classic, with a platform like sole and darkly coloured heel, will put you at least $400 out of pocket. Can we meet somewhere in the middle, guys?
Let’s have a little history lesson. It’s the 1936 German Olympics and American Basketball player Chuck Taylor decides to add to his selection of shoes, thanks to his partnership with Converse All-Stars, a white pair. This addition to his colour palette of leather caught the eye of fellow players as well as sent young men back home in the US into a frenzy. The things flew off shelves faster than water in a heat wave and alas, the idea of wearing white leather shoes, designed to play sport in, was born. Fast forward to 71’ and Adidas launches its ‘Stan Smith’ trainer, aptly named after the world no.1 and two time grand-slam winner. By 88’, 22 million pairs had been sold and today that number is somewhere just north of 50 million. Another pair of sporting footwear turned into an immensely popular fashion icon.
The next sport to turn a functioning sports shoe into a casual wear trainer that we still wear today was basketball. In 1982, one of perhaps the most recognisable and popular sneakers of all time hit the court, Nike’s Air Force 1. Similar to Chuck Taylor’s All-Stars, the shoe was originally launched in a high-top style, for playing purposes and boasted little to no marketing, besides a brief campaign with players Micheal Hooper and Moses Malone among others. The real marketing here? The streets. Nike was known to sell the shoes strictly in select inner city markets and stores and the style was immensely popular within the black community. As the opioid epidemic begins to tear through boroughs of the East Coast, from 84’ to 93’, drug dealers and hustlers begin to worship the Air Force 1’s like no previous shoe, making them soar in popularity.
Before long, fashion houses across Europe began to understand the power and popularity of the white sneaker and began to refine the icon, realizing that we don’t need to wait for a sports star to wear a design on a tennis or basketball court first before we all start gushing over it. The white sneaker is now a headline act in street wear, pop culture and lines the runways of Europe’s fashion weeks. Everyone wants a piece, including powerhouse designer brands like Prada and Gucci. Over time, everyone had their say, in both the luxury and high-street worlds. Seriously, everyone had white sneakers in their look-books (and still does). Whether they subtly stole and copied ideas from competitors or created unique and iconic shoes that would stand the test of time.
Today, perhaps the most recent brand to make a stir in the trusty ol’ white sneaker market is Common Projects. Prathan Poopat and Flavio Girolami founded Common Projects in 2004, a luxury footwear brand, with a discreet take on the sneaker, producing shoes with little to no frills and thrills. Founders Flavio and Prathan 'didn't want to wear Converse anymore’ and decided there was a significant gap in the market for reasonably priced sneakers that boasted understated luxury and launched the brand in the Autumn of 2004. Well, they succeeded. Today, the brand which produces minimalist silhouettes, stripped back of detail, for both men and woman, turns over more than 10 million USD annually. Let the white sneaker live on.