With sneakers being found on the catwalk more and more, and haute couture collaborations with sports shoe makers all the rage, I thought I'd let you see my views on it all.
I love shoes, and sneakers fall into the 'shoe' category, ergo I love sneakers.
So here is how it all started.
The year- 1986 (btw, a great track by Shook has the same theme- ie 1986)
Troop was king.
No king of me though. What was a 9 year old boy to do.......?
A Saviour arrived, and they called him......
Travel Fox
The image doesn't do them the justice they deserve.
Found on the discerning late-teen clubber of 1986, and adorned by the cool bands/idols of the day, these were the sneaker to be had. My first love. I remember it like yesterday when I saught them out, with the little glossy booklet detailing materials used- Nappa leather upper, man-made sole.
Whilst mere mortals wore...
or.....
(I had a pair of these- and they served me well too.....till Travel Fox came along and changed my world.
With it's multi-coloured designs, vivid and shiny, and it's Italian heritage strewn all over, sneakers had just become Haute Couture. I was nine( will explain how a nine year old boy cared so much about fashion in a later blog installment).
Have a look for yourself, and join me in marvelling at it's greatness.
Even now I search ebay regularly in the vein hope that a pair will surface, but they are more elusive than the Scarlet Pimpernell.
Here is a TV advertisement from 1986- to be honest, I don't remember it, but it may jog some memories.
Following my obsession with the Fox, came an obsession with Nike Air Jordan 6. Only 6 though. In all their colours.
Here is Black Deep Infra-Red:
And White Deep Infra-Red
There was a lapse of a year or two, whilst I found the shoe(another blog maybe- Kickers, Wallaby's etc), before returning a year or two later to the sneaker.
My eye had found the Converse.
I had a pair in blue first, then green, then onwards through a vast array right up to the present day(I currently have about ten pairs, and never a week goes by without my wearing at least one pair- most recent was a pair inspired by Parka jackets).
Here is a pair of ACDC Converse that I bought for my mates birthday a couple of years ago.
And here is a pair that I do not own, but hopefully soon will.
And so to the present Catwalk accessory. I have compiled a wee series of images of sneakers that I would love to have/will have soon.
A spiky Christan Louboutin perhaps....
or Alexander McQueen
McQueen again(this will be a patten if future blogs- I love him)
Gola by Christain Lacroix
Ann Demeulemeester (also in black, also amazing)
Mr Valentino
My personal favourite: The Christain Louboutin Studded Sneaker
And up close....
Not really a sneaker I know, but from the same range, one of my absolute all-time favourite shoes(sorry couldn't resist): Louboutin Roller Boy Lace Up (there is a Slip-On too!!)
And finally, the ultimate Catwalk sneaker/high heel combo, and surely my number one gal's next birthday present.......
