When Rich Cofinco and Robert Nand started Creative Recreation in 2002, fresh from their design roles at Vans, their goal was to fuse an athletic sneaker with a dress shoe–a style that was nonexistent at the time. In the decade since, however, every men’s brand worth its shoe leather has followed their lead.
Converse presents a melange of takes on its tried-and-true Jack Purcell sneakers for the Fall ’14 season. The all-new Cross Stitch is a fresh twist on the classic kick, re-imagined in tumbled leather with blue stitching on the tongue, a gum Jack Purcell “smile,” square waxed cotton laces and accent brass eyelets.
Think lightweight running shoes are just a fad? Think again. Thirty percent of total performance running footwear sales in October 2013, which was up 22 percent when compared to the year ago period, came from lightweight running. “Innovation continues to set the pace,” says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst. “Consumers are looking for athletic shoes that will perform better than earlier models with a lighter, more comfortable weight. We have also noticed an attraction to brighter, bold colors.
Converse is no stranger to musician collaborations, having joined forces with everyone from Nirvana to ACDC to Metallica over the years. Now the iconic brand has teamed up with Black Sabbath to bow a collection of five designs based on its classic Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
Love ’em or hate ’em, you can’t deny the versatility of a good pair of sneakers. Make no mistake: We’re not talking about your dad’s old white New Balance runners. We mean sick kicks that can be dressed up for work and down for an easy night out. And we’re not the only fans. Global information company NPD Group reports that athletic footwear sales increased 1 percent from January to August 2013, compared to the year-ago period.
Starting with the original Converse Chuck Taylor All Star from 1917 and culminating with Nike’s 2013 camo-print Kobe 8 System, A Visual Compendium of Sneakers hits sneaker high notes of the past century. “We cobbled together an assortment that not only illustrates the evolution of shoe design and technological advancements, but that also represents some of the most sought after styles in sneaker history,” says Rachel Mansfield, director of marketing for Pop Chart Lab, a Brooklyn-based company that turns cultural data into graphic prints.
Fashion blogger The Man Repeller (aka Leandra Medine) has partnered with Superga on a collection of cool kicks for fall. True to the blogger’s quirky flair, each pair comes with a set of longer laces to tie around the ankle a la Medine herself. From a velvet hi-top ($145) to a metallic boucle lo-top ($140), this isn’t your run-of-the-mill sneaker collaboration.
Night runners everywhere rejoice! No longer shall you drape yourselves in reflective jackets and vests. And for those of us who use the pending sundown as an excuse to get out of jogging with friends (you know you are) the end is nigh. Vibram has debuted a concept sneaker with built-in LEDs that project light on the ground and can be switched between three brightness settings. A flashing red tail light provides added visibility.
In bizarre news, Sibling, a collective based in Melbourne, Sydney and Amsterdam, has designed a human shelter stored within a pair of sneakers. No, this isn’t a joke.
Generic Surplus founder Brandon Day and creative director Greg Chapman celebrated the launch of their brand’s fall collection on Wednesday at Blind Barber in New York. The speakeasy setting of the East Village bar perfectly accented the understated sophistication of the design duo’s LA kicks. Taking a cue from the “generic” aesthetic of the brand, the collection was displayed with a nod to urban landscape and modernism in a minimalist style.
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