May 17, 2011

Are Mid Tops the New Hi Tops?

Over the course of the last few weeks I have seen a growing trend in the limited number of high top trainers, but an increase in what the brands are now calling ‘mid tops’ which you can only assume are half way between a normal shoe and an 80s inspired hi top. The most common brand appearing with these newly styled mid tops are American sportswear giants Nike that offer an amazing range of sleeker converse style ankle high shoes, but also a range of quite chunky retro styled colourful and bright trainers. Also getting in on the act are the German footwear giants and rival companies Puma Archive and Adidas Originals. Their styles are again bright and colourful sticking with their retro styling, but also are available at a slightly cheaper price than Nike. The high top or mid top is coming back alongside the 80s fashion revivial that appears to be happening, and can be mixed with a variety of styles or looks. They can be worn with two styles of jeans, either loose or tapered, with the hem of the jeans tucking into the mid tops or the loose jeans sitting over the mid tops and appearing as regular trainers. They can be worn with shorts, but make sure that they’re tonal in colour and not too smart, this is a really casual look so you want something sporty to match with the retro shoes. The other option is another sporty one, and a younger mans sort of style, in jogging bottoms. Now generally elasticated at the bottom of the leg these can sit over or inside the mid top depending on whether you want to show them off or not.

Other than the above mentioned Puma Archive, Adidas Originals and Nike you can also find some amazing mid tops from Lyle and Scott, Fred Perry, Italian brand Superga, Supra and Vans, each with its own price range and signature design. With the fashion dictating that mid tops are becoming a key part of the clothing and footwear collections there is a massive gap in your wardrobe for you to grab yourself some mid top trainers, some tapered jeans and carry off a sporty casual look this summer. Why not give it a go?

March 8, 2011

Back to the Old Skool with Adidas Originals, Nike and Puma Archive

Here at designer shoes and trainers we think the best place to start looking at trainers is among the vintage styles and brands with American owned Nike and German based Adidas Originals and Puma Archive offering a much more popular range over the other retro Brit brands Reebok and Gola. The vintage trainer market is absolutely huge at the moment with the re-emergence of the 80s casual styled clothing bringing the trainer brands back to the forefront of the designer footwear offering. The whole idea around the style is to get yourself a pair of trainers that reflect the 70s and 80s, yet are from the modern ranges that offer a little more of a commercial angle than the true designs from the original era. Some people do look for an original pair of Adidas Forest Hills or a vintage Puma Archive G Vilas but end up paying well over the odds for a piece of footwear history. I’ve always seen this as a bit of a luxury to have, yet as much as I would love to see a pair of boxed original Adidas Trimm Trabs in my wardrobe I think the fear of marking or wrecking them would overcome me and they would sit looking at me for the rest of eternity.

If you already are a keen retro footwear collector or were a child of the casual era and are reliving it then I will probably be preaching to the converted in this article as chances are there is nothing more I can tell you that you don’t already know, however there are a large group of young lads who are really starting to embrace the vintage footwear styling. This really has been brought about by the top brands exclusive big money deals with JD Sports in the UK, who feature a range of Adidas Originals and Nike trainers that you can’t buy anywhere else and range from a unique colour way of Nike Air Max through to an eye catching pair of suede Adidas ZX 500s. Because of the accessibility of the designer sports clothing stores the style among teenagers and lads in their 20s is becoming increasingly more casual again, but in a more modern era. The track tops, hooded zip tops and jogging bottoms is a much more relaxed casual look but still embodies everything from the 70s and 80s with groups of lads being seen in brightly coloured, designer named clothing and some amazing modern classic trainers. The basics are there, they just need the little nudge and a tale of what it meant to own a pair of Forest Hills back in the day. Now this isn’t to say that if you spot a pair of bright blue Puma Dallas that you have to throw out your wardrobe and get some tracksuits in. Today’s fashionable guy can match the retro styled coloured trainers with his jacket or jumper and still show off his £100 plus designer jeans and shirt while looking pretty good.

In my opinion the top two retro footwear brands have to be Adidas and Nike, but you have to look for their lifestyle or heritage ranges, as these will contain the less sporty trainers and carry the true vintage gems that you’ll be looking for. Don’t grab a pair of these if you think you’re wearing them to the local nightclub or to a ‘smart’ gathering but do match up with an everyday outfit that sees you down the pub with a few mates, at the football or simply just looking good while chilling out. In short, the trainers made famous by the casuals are perfect for just that – casual wear.