FAO dooky

If the trainers are for you, the Times did an article about trainers for men of a certain age

“ But worry not. Help is at hand in the form of the non-trainer trainer, a type of shoe that is being offered by companies that seem to recognise this problem. Witness Zegna’s Triple Stitch, a simple leather sports shoe, leather-lined, with a rubber sole and criss-cross elastic to hold it closed instead of laces. Or the Original Achilles waxed-suede or leather sneakers by the American brand Common Projects, which has been ploughing the unadorned sneaker furrow since 2004. Then there’s Swedes CQP, with the Otium military-inspired sneaker, Italian Brunello Cucinelli and his nubuck, suede and calfskin models, and the French Lanvin and its leather Ddb0 and leather-and-suede Dbb1 styles. … For this look you could simply go to firms that actually make sports shoes for a pair of classic sneakers. Converse Jack Purcell leather sneakers are a case in point. But an Austrian shoemaker, Ludwig Reiter, which makes its shoes in the 16th-century Süssenbrunn estate in Vienna and specialises in great leather shoes and boots, also does a very nice line in leather trainers. … Closer to home is Walsh, a British outfit founded by Norman Walsh, the man who made the running shoes in which Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. This firm in Bolton makes athletics shoes, including the Walsh PB, a much-loved style of fell running shoe designed in 1970 and named after Pete Bland. But it is a PG — Patrick Grant, he off the telly’s Sewing Bee programme on BBC1 who I hope won’t mind me describing as a designer of a certain age — who is intent on bringing Walsh to a wider community. Grant has long been a fan of the firm and has just created a limited edition collaboration with Walsh under his Community Clothing label. … To really look like a grown-up, go for single-colour trainers, like the white tone-on-tone Beacons from Community Clothing or the black suede or white leather models from Ludwig Reiter. The single hue helps to make these shoes look more like, well, shoes, than sports apparel, and that is what we’re going for. My sneakerhead friend would not approve. But then there are some great style icons who have made this look cool over the years. Check out Steve McQueen in his white low-tops. Or James Dean in his. And if you’re grown-up enough to know who those two gentlemen are, then you’ll be happy to be similarly shod.”

Posted By: Old Git on November 2nd 2023 at 21:36:35

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