5 cool sneakers for men who want to give ugly ‘dad shoes’ the boot
Need a high-quality alternative to usual trainers? Then try these independent brands – Common Projects, Spalwart, Doek, Veja and Hoka One One
In the fashion world, the sneaker is now the new ‘It’ bag.
Classic sports brands, such as Nike, Under Armour and Adidas, and luxury fashion houses, such as Balenciaga, Prada and Louis Vuitton, all seem to be obsessed with the “dad shoes” trend.
This trend, ironically, aims to entice millennial customers by recreating the style of trainers worn by their baby-boomer dads.
In 2015, the global athletic footwear market was valued at US$75.2 billion and it is projected to be worth about US$115.6 billion by 2023.
Today’s resale market for trainers – nourished by hysteria over limited editions that are rapidly created by the fast-fashion giants – is estimated to be worth more than US$1 billion.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s late co-founder, was one of the earliest, non-ironic adopters of the dad shoe trend.
He was known for his iconic look – dressed in a black mock turtleneck from Issey Miyake, blue 501 denim jeans from Levi’s and New Balance 993 trainers.
This sense of style provided him with a signature look for his personal branding and – most importantly – allowed him to avoid his biggest fear when dressing for the day, decision fatigue.
Sneaker Con feeds Hong Kong’s growing hunger for luxury shoe
Yet following the chunky dad shoe trend is not going to be for you if you want to avoid looking like Jerry Seinfeld, the American comedian who played a fictionalised version of himself in the eponymous 1990s US sitcom.